Lipstick on the Rim: Acupuncture 101 – What Is It, Why We Need It, and How It Helps Relieve Pain, Stress, Improve Fertility and Helps Us Age Backwards with Acupuncturist and Massage Therapist, Michelle Bombacie

By Mollysims.com

Historically speaking, acupuncture has gotten an iffy rap. To an outsider, it’s only fair. After all, acupuncture is a treatment that requires numerous amounts of tiny hair-thin needles that not only poke at you but stay in the body for a generous amount of time. Unpleasant at first glance? Definitely. But when you actually take the plunge, try it for yourself, and understand all the benefits, iffy rap, no more. Acupuncture is miraculous. Who better to back that theory up than New York-based acupuncturist and massage-therapist, Michelle Bombacie who serves as the Program Manager for the Integrative Therapists Program at Columbia University. We get into all the ways acupuncture can benefit one’s life—from stress and sleep deprivation to better skin and improved digestion, acupuncture can essentially serve as as the cure to any pain-point, literally and figuratively. We hope you enjoy this one (and still can’t believe this is a topic we hadn’t yet covered). 

[Michelle] On Acupuncture’s Benefits

“The National Institute of Health really is recognizing acupuncture as a valid evidence-based modality. Acupuncture can help reduce pain, is preventative medicine, it takes the whole person into consideration. It doesn’t only look at the part of the body that’s experiencing pain but it looks at all aspects of the individual. If we’re stressed, the stress can cause dysfunction in the system. If we’re tight in our bodies, that can create more stress in the system. Acupuncture is great to help conceive and is also great through pregnancy. Appearance enhancement is becoming the fastest growing speciality in acupuncture. It works in two different ways. As we age we lose our collagen and our skin drops. The little micro-derm needles, when inserted into the facial muscles, helps them relax and plump up the skin because it causes little micro-traumas so all the healing agents go to that area and bring tonicity back to the skin and muscle.”

[Michelle] On Balanced Qi

“Qi is our vital life force and function. Everything is Qi. In terms of the body, the Qi is your energy, your skin, your muscles. If your Qi is stagnant or blocked it’s going to create pain. We will look at where that pain is manifesting and then we’ll try to move that Qi away from that area so it feels freed up. If Qi is stuck and not moving, nothing can enter in—this is where fertility comes in. You’ll come in for one thing but get needled elsewhere because we’re opening up the channels that go through the reproductive organs and then we’re also needling points that encourage blood flow to the organs.”

Michelle’s Beauty Must-Haves: