Jonah Welch, L.Ac

Acupuncture is best known in the West for its analgesic (pain-relieving) capacity for pains that stem from a variety of causes. This process occurs on both a macro and micro (cellular level). Mechanically speaking, the needle can pierce through tight tissues and manually release tension. Sometimes, we will even achieve muscle-twitches when we needle at the trigger-points of the muscles (this is also known as “dry needling”). On a cellular level, the needle communicates with the body through the inflammatory and nervous systems. We are essentially creating a small wound which alerts the brain through both tissue damage and stimulation of pain and other sensory nerve receptors to send its attention to that location in the form of increased blood flow and the inflammatory cascade which is our body’s way of healing. Acupuncture has also been shown to create a buildup of extracellular ATP in the area of the needle, which is thought to contribute to its analgesic effects.

While the mechanics of acupuncture are still in the process being understood within Biomedicine, it is a medical art that predates the development of the scientific method by at least 1500 years. The oldest steel acupuncture needles were found in a tomb dating from the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C - AD 9), and before this steel variety, acupuncturists would fashion their own needles out of stone (ouch!). The practice of dissection and anatomical study in China predates the dawn of Christianity, and the first surgery under anesthesia was done in China in the 3rd century AD by the famous Han Dynasty doctor Hua Tuo.

In my work thus far, I have seen marked improvement in patients with the following ailments: chronic digestive issues; menstrual complaints such as delayed, absent, or painful menses; anxiety and depression; headaches, allergic skin issues; rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis; muscular tension and pain; nerve pain; stress; addiction; common colds and flus; post-covid syndromes; brain-fog; urinary issues; emotional dysregulation; infertility; surgery recovery and scar tissue softening; vertigo; tinnitus; insomnia and other sleep disorders; asthma; seasonal allergies; and much more. This is an excellent preventative medicine and a good way to regularly get screened for red flags requiring attention from a physician. It is also longevity medicine - it can keep your body systems balanced and help you lead a long and healthy life.