
04/03/2025
KAISER PERMANENTE: Acupuncture 101:
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“Sticking needles into your skin might not sound like a good way to feel better. But that’s exactly how acupuncture works. In fact, the traditional Chinese practice has been used for centuries to treat all sorts of health conditions — and it’s still very common.
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What is acupuncture?
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Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that’s been around for about 2,500 years. It’s used to help heal illness & improve well-being. This is done by placing needles into specific points on the skin to help activate an energy in the body, called qi (“chee”). According to traditional Chinese medicine, qi is the life force energy in the body — it helps regulate and move things in the body to keep us well.
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Stress, environmental factors, lifestyle behaviors, & genetics are some of the things that can block qi in the body. Acupuncturists use needles to unblock or move qi to other areas in the body to help you heal.
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What does acupuncture treat?
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In China, acupuncture is used to treat everything. It’s not thought of as an alternative medicine. For most people there, it’s just a common part of their medical care…acupuncture is often used as a complementary treatment for all sorts of health conditions, everything from asthma to diabetes.
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In the West, acupuncture is more commonly used as part of a care plan for conditions like chronic low back pain or joint pain. It’s also used to treat gastrointestinal issues.
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https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org//health-wellness/healtharticle.acupuncture-101?wt.tsrc=em&cat=l