Introduction to Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Acupuncture and moxibustion treatments aim at activating circulation of the body’s “qi” thereby restoring normal function of the organs and tissues.  By treating acupoints, disease and disorders including heart disease, asthma or gastritis may be treated.

The acupuncture effect can be classified into three main categories:  analgesic, regulatory, and immunological.  Research has shown that “acupuncture anesthesia” is achievable via many mechanisms, from raising the pain threshold, to blocking the conductivity of pain fibres in peripheral nerves, to inhibiting pain sensitive cells of the midbrain.

In the next upcoming entry of this column, we will discuss the other two main effects of acupuncture on the body: regulatory and immunological.