Acupuncture, Energy and Eastern Medicine
Frequently, acupuncturists or East Asian Medicine Practitioners (EAMP) speak in terms of ‘energy’. Many see this term as evidence that acupuncture is a dubious practice and not scientifically backed. Consider how Dr. Daniel Siegel defines it in his guide to interpersonal neurobiology:
“Though physicians themselves often struggle with exactly what energy is, there seems to be a consensus that ‘energy is the capacity to do stuff.’ Energy comes in various forms, including the energy of light, electricity, electricity in motion, and in the case of neural firing, electrochemical forces. When we try to picture energy flow, it might be most helpful to begin with the image of electricity as elections flow down a wire. But energy flow happens as heat as it is transferred from one object to another, or as sound waves move through the air, and one voice spoken here is received by the ears of someone over there. Energy happens as the photons bounce from these written symbols called words into your eyes. Energy is a real aspect of the physical world in which we live.”
As East Asian Medicine Practitioners, we work with energy as it flows throughout the body. Do you have too much flow? Too little? Is it blocked or stagnating? We look to aid the body so that it may operate at its greatest energy potential. The most commonly known use of this ancient healing practice is treatment for pain. But treatment can also be effective for anxiety, menopausal symptoms, side effects from cancer therapies, morning sickness, vertigo, and a host of other conditions.
An EAMP looks at the person as a whole. Your practitioner will want to know how you are sleeping, if you are thoroughly digesting food and many other aspects which are covered during an initial appointment. If you have injured yourself and are not sleeping or digesting food, how are you able to heal? Because of this in-depth assessment, you can expect your first session to last from 60 to 90 minutes. Typically, clients have a long and thorough list of questions to fill out upon intake. This allows your practitioner to get a complete picture from the beginning. Once a baseline is established, follow up treatments will usually have fewer questions and clients will spend less overall time in the treatment room.
In China, acupuncture is used in hospital settings to speed post op recovery. In Australia, it is used in emergency rooms to reduce the use of pain medications. As progressive as we are in the Pacific Northwest, most of our hospital systems do not employ acupuncturists. More and more research is being conducted and published regarding this ancient form of traditional eastern medicine. In our world of western medications and the increasing side effects of pharmaceuticals, what do you have to lose by seeking treatment from a licensed acupuncturist? Please join me this month at Marlene’s for an in-depth discussion and see if acupuncture is right for you.
Lisa O’Flaherty is a licensed acupuncturist and East Asian Medical Practitioner who resides and practices in the Tacoma area and specializing in the treatment of pain and migraines. To schedule a consultation with Lisa, call 253.396.1000.






