As a compulsive planner and goal-setter, I love a new beginning.
A Rae Story
(I have a goal right now to drink more wine and watch more nature documentaries, and, not to brag, but I’m pretty much nailing it.) My name is Rae Willis and I work with marketing and community education for Acupuncture of Columbia. We at AoC are starting a new practice of sending a monthly newsletter. You can expect fun personal stories from us, relevant health information, and useful office updates.
So what is acupuncture?
It is one modality in a broader medical practice called “Traditional Chinese Medicine” that originated in China and has been in use for about 3000 years. It wasn’t until the 1970’s that Americans got the point of acupuncture (Pun intended. I should just start an acupuncture pun tally…).
When people think of acupuncture, they often picture something like this image. But how does poking people with tiny needles heal their bodies?
Short answer: no one knows exactly.
Long answer: it is believed that the needles stimulate the nervous system to trigger the release of beneficial chemicals in the body which improves nerve function, circulation, and oxygenation of the body and when these key pathways in the body are functioning and communicating well, it promotes the body’s natural healing process.
Fun fact: No one really knows how acetaminophen (Tylenol) works either. People use it because it is effective and safe when used in moderation.