What is Medical Acupuncture?

Medical Acupuncture applies the evidence-based concepts of acupuncture to relieve pain, alter movement patterns, and improve performance and function.  Medical Acupuncture, also referred to as Contemporary or Neurofunctional Acupuncture, is a precise peripheral nerve stimulation technique, in which acupuncture needles are inserted into anatomically defined neurofunctional sites, and stimulated manually or with electricity for the therapeutic purposes of modulating pain and dysfunction.  Neuromodulation occurs through mechanisms at multiple levels, namely: peripheral nerves, spinal cord, brain stem, brain and cerebellum.  Acupuncture is used to optimize the existing state or physiological response of the system, thus triggering the body's natural healing mechanisms.

Medical Acupuncture is mechanism-based, not disease-based.  Therapeutic goals and treatment targets are selected based on the identified neurological dysfunctions contributing to the clinical presentation of the symptoms.  Needle insertion points are selected based on extensive knowledge of neuromuscular anatomy.  Needles are inserted to alter nerve conduction, blood flow, muscle tone and pain perception; therefore, acupuncture is often integrated into the treatment plans for a variety of conditions.

Kelsey is a graduate of the Medical Acupuncture Program at McMaster University, which focuses on the science and neurofunctional based application of acupuncture.

How Does Medical Acupuncture Work?

Acupuncture produces its effects by stimulating nerve receptors in the skin and muscles.  The contemporary scientific explanation of acupuncture is that needling certain points in the body stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain.  These chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, will change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system.  The improved biochemical balance produced by acupuncture stimulates the body's natural healing abilities, helping the body return to its more natural homeostatic state.