In this article, Rob Martinez, L.Ac., MSTOM, a taiji (t'ai chi) practitioner, teacher, and certified acupuncturist, talks about practicing acupuncture. Acupuncture is the therapeutic practice of inserting needles into various points on the body to relieve pain or help the body in other ways. According to traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture points are located on "meridians," which are points along the body where "qi," or life energy, flows. Meridians inform the clinical practice of acupuncture so that practitioners are able to relieve pain.

Q: What is your definition of acupuncture?

A: Acupuncture is born out of the same theories as taiji. My personal definition of acupuncture is using needles to gently alter the energy dynamic in the body which then decreases a negative condition. Once the needle is put in a point and sensed by the body, it causes a certain change. In Chinese medicine, this change is affected because the needle impacts the qi and the way it flows in the body and through the channels. What is known as the "channel system" is everything. People usually have heard about acupuncture points, but rarely know that all these points are located on channels. The channels link the body together. All channels in Chinese medicine are named after the organ associated with them, for instance the Lung channel, or Stomach Channel, or Heart Channel. All channels flow along the body. Each channel also connects with the other channels along their various paths. Energy and force travel along these lines so when someone is aware of the channel pathways, he or she can feel the force when exercising.

During an acupuncture session, people should not feel the stick of the needle, but they will feel a sensation of qi. You cannot see what it is, you can feel it. I can help people to feel qi through their channels by inserting acupuncture needles into key areas of their body, called meridians.

Q: How did you get involved with acupuncture?

A: After practicing taiji for some time, I went to a class at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York City. A couple years after studying taiji there, I enrolled in the school and became an acupuncturist. The underlying theory and philosophy of Chinese medicine is much the same in acupuncture as it is in taiji. For example, the Yin-yang theory is the foundation of taiji and much of Chinese medicine. Both acupuncture and taiji also share channel theory, which I explained previously. I have one teacher who says that Chinese medicine and Chinese martial arts are like twins-you can't tell which one is first. They share a lot of the same principles, especially in regards to acupuncture.

If you're looking for more information on Chinese medicine, Rob recommends the beginner's book by Ted Kaptchuk called The Web That Has No Weaver. For taiji, he recommends Lawrence Galante's T'ai Chi: The Supreme Ultimate. Also, YouTube is a good resource for both with videos of acupuncture and taiji all regularly posted there.

Read more from Rob Martinez by clicking the links below:

• Starting the practice of taiji (t'ai chi)
• Benefits of taiji
• Who can benefit from taiji
• Benefits of acupuncture
• Acupuncture as harm reduction

To listen to our interview with Robert Martinez, click here for our podcast page.

Harlem Word is a series of interviews with Harlem health experts, written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.