Five Element Acupuncture: How it Works

Five Element Acupuncture | How it Works | Fertility and Pregnancy | Diagnosis and Treatment | FAQs

The Laws of Nature that govern cycles like circadian rhythms and the four seasons also organize human experience. According to Chinese philosophy, all things in the universe manifest as five elements: Water, Wood, Fire, Earth, and Metal. In humans, these materialize as five distinct emotions, five pairs of organs, and five specific areas where we can detect our strengths and weaknesses. The five elements form the very core of our being and represent the phases through which all things pass from beginning to end.

In the Five Element system, qi is defined as energy that is conducted through the body in the meridian pathways, supplying the organs and the body, mind and spirit. The Nei Ching, the authoritative ancient Chinese medical text, states that, “a person is not sick because of a disease, they are diseased because they are sick.” When qi is balanced, a person remains healthy; when it is imbalanced illness can occur. Five element acupuncture practitioners use needles to access and balance the qi.