TCM Basics - What is Qi?

What Is Qi? And How Does It Relate to Acupuncture?

If you've ever had acupuncture or explored traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), you've probably come across the word "Qi" (pronounced "chee"). It's a term that's central to everything we do in acupuncture, but what exactly is Qi?

What Is Qi?

Qi is a Chinese word that doesn’t have a perfect translation in English, but the closest concept is "vital energy" or "life force." It’s the energy that flows through all living things, plants, animals, people and it's what keeps us alive and functioning. In traditional Chinese medicine, Qi flows through a network of pathways in the body called meridians, a bit like an energetic circulatory system. Qi should always be balanced and flowing freely for optimal wellness.

You can think of Qi like electricity flowing through wires in a house: when it flows freely and evenly, everything works well. When it’s blocked, weak, or unbalanced, you start to notice "flickering lights"—or in the case of the body, pain, fatigue, stress, or illness.

How Qi Relates to Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the main ways we work with Qi in Chinese medicine. Using very fine, sterile needles placed at specific points on the body, we help guide the flow of Qi. Each acupuncture point is like a switch or access point on the Qi "grid."

Depending on what’s going on in your body, we might use acupuncture to:

• Unblock stagnant Qi (which can show up as tension, pain, or stress)

• Boost weak Qi (often felt as fatigue, low immunity, or digestive issues)

• Balance Qi between different organ systems (useful for things like hormonal balance, sleep, mood, and more)

In short: when your Qi is flowing smoothly and in the right amounts, your body is better able to heal, regulate itself, and stay healthy.

Can You Feel Qi?

Some people say they feel Qi during acupuncture as warmth, movement, tingling, a gentle pressure, or even a sense of emotional release during treatment. Others just feel deeply relaxed and that’s perfectly fine too. Whether or not you’re consciously aware of it, the process is working on that deeper energetic level your body understands intuitively.

Qi as Functional Energy - A biomechanical explanation

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), Qi is the force that drives everything your body does breathing, digesting, thinking, moving, healing. From a modern more scientific viewpoint, you can think of Qi as a combination of several overlapping systems and processes:

• Nerve signaling and communication

• Blood and lymph circulation

• Cellular metabolism (how your cells use energy)

• Mechanical tension and fascial connectivity

• Homeostasis and regulatory systems (like hormones and immune function)

So when we talk about Qi being blocked, deficient, or excessive, we’re often describing dysfunctions in one or more of these physical systems.

Meridians = Fascial and Neural Pathways

In TCM, Qi flows through meridians, channels that connect the body like an energetic map. Modern research has shown that many acupuncture points align closely with:

• Peripheral nerve bundles

• Areas of high electrical conductance

• Myofascial planes (connective tissue lines that transmit mechanical force)

This suggests that stimulating acupuncture points affects mechanotransduction, the process where physical pressure (like a needle) causes cells and tissues to change behavior, release chemicals, or modulate inflammation.

How Acupuncture Influences "Qi" Biomechanically

Here’s what may be happening when we “move Qi” with acupuncture:

1. Neurological Effects: Needling can activate sensory nerves, which send signals to the brain and spinal cord. This can trigger the release of natural painkillers (like endorphins), regulate stress responses, and shift the nervous system toward a more relaxed, healing state.

2. Circulatory & Immune Changes: Acupuncture can dilate blood vessels, improve local blood flow, and influence immune cell activity. This supports tissue repair and reduces inflammation.

3. Fascial Release: The fascia (connective tissue) carries tension throughout the body. Needling can reduce mechanical stress in these networks, which can relieve pain, improve mobility, and even influence posture or movement patterns.

4. Regulatory Effects: Acupuncture helps rebalance internal systems—such as hormonal signaling, digestion, and sleep cycles—through its influence on the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and autonomic nervous system.

   
   

Qi = Integrated Body Intelligence

So in biomechanical terms, Qi can be understood as your body’s integrated intelligence how your nerves, circulation, connective tissue, and cells work together to maintain balance, adapt to stress, and heal from injury.

Acupuncture is a tool to nudge this system back into harmony. Whether you feel it as energy moving or just notice your symptoms improve, the effect is real and backed by both ancient practice and modern scientific research. Certain acupuncture treatments are recommended by the NHS.

Qi might sound weird at first, but it’s a deeply intuitive concept once you start paying attention to how your body feels, responds, and changes. When we talk about supporting your Qi, we’re really talking about helping you feel more you, energized, balanced, and well.