How does acupuncture work? How do herbs work?
I find this question about acupuncture one of the hardest to answer. Most people are looking for an answer that makes sense within our understanding of the body, and there simply isn’t a good one. The Chinese, on the other hand, have a very simple answer, but it requires a Western mind to let go of some deeply seated concepts, and be open to others which may be difficult to understand. But here is a quick-and-simple attempt: Acupuncture works by adjusting the body’s energy systems. The theory of Chinese medicine says that energy travels in a circuit through the body along channels that have connections to particular organ systems; by manipulating the energy in the channels thorough the appropriate choice of points on those channels, the acupuncturist can balance the energy of the body, and keep the organs working in harmony with each other. (For more on this, see my Theory of Chinese Medicine pages.) As for herbs, this is easier – we are accustomed to taking in substances that have the
