“Every living thing has qi, and it’s this qi that is enhanced, dispersed and regulated by both Chinese herbs and Acupuncture.
“Each organ system or network has qi, so there’s a qi of the liver, there’s a qi of the spleen, of the kidney.
“One of our goals is to make sure that there’s equilibrium in the body. And one of our strategic means to achieve that is through the manipulation and the regulation of qi. When it’s stuck it causes pain because blood flows where qi goes.
“Acupuncture moves the qi, which moves the blood. That means that it enhances microcirculation. And by enhancing microcirculation it speeds healing. It also makes us feel energetic and animated and happy. So after acupuncture, people feel a sense of euphoria. Partly that’s because chemicals that we know as endorphins are released. They’re the same endogenous hormones that are produced by running or wonderful emotional feelings. Acupuncture stimulates their release. It also, in the Chinese medical language, stimulates the movement of qi. This also makes us feel happy.”
Naturalpath Health Expert Harriet Beinfield, LAc is founder and co-director of Chinese Medicine Works, a clinic in San Francisco, California that offers acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutritional counseling.
