What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a holistic modality of healing that concentrates on the body as a whole. With the dynamic theory of Yin-Yang as well as the flow of Qi or "life force" in the body, the acupuncturist has an idea on what aspect of the body is harmonious and what is not. By utilizing techniques such as pulse reading, tongue examination, and simple questioning, the acupuncturist can determine which parts of the body are harmonious and which are not, leading to a concise as well effective treatment, bringing the body to a homeostatic state. However, acupuncture is more than just needles.

In Mandarin Chinese, the term for acupuncture is "zhenjiu", which is translated to "needle burn". As many of us are aware of the needling aspect, yet many are not about the "burn" portion known as moxibustion. Moxibustion technique consists of burning the herb mugwort over different acupuncture points to add energy to the body. In the classical medical texts, needles are used for directing the energy to the main parts of the body while the moxibustion enhances the energy so it can flow more effectively to the areas which need it. In acupuncture, needling and moxibustion they are not mutually exclusive as typically they are used in sync with each other.

According to the World Health Organization, acupuncture is clinically proven to treat the following:

Adverse reactions to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy
Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)
Biliary colic
Depression (including depressive neurosis and depression following stroke)
Dysentery, acute bacillary
Dysmenorrhoea, primary
Epigastralgia, acute (in peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, and gastrospasm)
Facial pain (including craniomandibular disorders)
Headache
Hypertension, essential
Hypotension, primary
Induction of labour
Knee pain
Leukopenia
Low back pain
Malposition of fetus, correction of
Morning sickness
Nausea and vomiting
Neck pain
Pain in dentistry (including dental pain and temporomandibular dysfunction)
Periarthritis of shoulder
Postoperative pain
Renal colic
Rheumatoid arthritis
Sciatica
Sprain
Stroke
Tennis elbow

http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html

Cupping/Gua Sha


In addition to acupuncture at Pittsburgh Community Acupuncture, we also offer techniques such as fire cupping. Fire cupping is a technique that consists of suctioning specific areas of the body with glass cups typically employed for common colds and flu or sudden acute pain.

Also, another technique employed in the clinic is Gua Sha, which is method of treatment that involves the scrapping of certain areas of the body with a dull utensil such as a Chinese soup spoon, wooden spoon, or a specially made Gua Sha tool. Gua Sha like cupping is used for cold and flu as sudden acute pain but typically utilized for broader areas of the body as well as Qi stagnation found in Chinese medicine.

Diet


Pittsburgh Community Acupuncture adheres to Classical Chinese Medicine, which is a practice of medicine that predates Traditional Chinese Medicine which was created during the Cultural Revolution in China during the 1950's. Within the lineage of Classical Chinese Medicine, we do not utilize herbal remedies. However, we at Pittsburgh Community Acupuncture focus on the health and wellbeing of the patient. For that reason, we feel that proper attention to diet and exercise (Qigong/Meditation section) is crucial. Depending on patient, we advise individuals to follow a diet based on Chinese Food Energetics, which is specific to each person.