(Reprinted with permission from The Key West Citizen’s Health File, April 2011)
A layman’s guide to understanding acupuncture
By Sara Matthis
Special Sections Editor
Most people have at least a rudimentary understanding of acupuncture in that it involves needles applied to certain areas of the body.
Fewer people understand it’s application and only a handful of people are expert acupuncturists. Ashley Hoyt, of Key West, is one of the latter.
“Essentially, acupuncture is about influencing the circulation of ‘qi,’ or energy, through the meridian system,” she said. “Although I hesitate to say that’s the only definition because everyone understands it differently. Other people might liken it to promoting balance in the human body or fine-tuning the electrical system.”
