The Surprising Benefits of Acupuncture

To most people the very idea of acupuncture is daunting to say the least. Having needles stuck in multiple locations on your skin seems more like a horror film than a reasonable therapy. Doubters should be encouraged to look past the initial impression and see what types of treatments you can pursue with acupuncture.

Acupuncture is being used to treat a variety of ailments with the growing popularity of alternative medicine. New doctors and acupuncture therapists are using age-old techniques to solve modern problems. Acupuncture is useful for treating everything from allergies to menstrual pain and even problems like glaucoma. Acupuncture works with the meridians throughout the body that correspond with your organs and get rid of the toxic buildup that causes problems with your health.

While acupuncture is not to be used in place of more traditional medicine, it can be used to offset symptoms of serious disease and help ease pain. Proponents of acupuncture are quick to recommend these treatments because of the whole body benefits like relaxation and general wellbeing. Acupuncture is also beneficial because it lacks side effects like those you can suffer when taking prescription pills.

With all the advancements and availability of acupuncture it’s worth a look to see if this ancient therapy can help to ease your pain or offset unwanted symptoms. Information regarding acupuncture is widely available and you can talk to a therapist about your questions and concerns before embarking on treatment options. Success stories are numerous, so take a chance on acupuncture to help yourself feel better.

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What Happens During Acupuncture Treatments

To the outsider acupuncture can appear a bit odd. There are hundreds of needles being placed into the body and it can often appear as if there is no rhyme or reason for the needles being placed where they are. However, that is not the case at all. If you are considering trying acupuncture as a form of alternative medical treatment then here is a look at what you can expect to happen during your acupuncture therapy treatments.

Before you have your initial acupuncture therapy treatment you will have a pre-treatment interview with the acupuncturist. This will allow you to go over with the acupuncturist any previous health conditions and concerns you might have. The acupuncturist will also do a complete exam and check your qi, or life energy as well as observe any physical signs of illness or disease you might have.

After the pre-treatment interview the next visit to the acupuncturist’s office will be for the actual treatment. During the actual treatment the acupuncturist will use somewhere between six and twelve needles. The needles will be placed at exact points throughout the body. These points have been determined to be where your body’s life energy is lacking and needs to be reawakened. There is a common misconception that the number of needles that are used during treatment equals how intense the treatment is. That is not the case. The placement of the needles determines the intensity of the treatment, not the needles.

Many people believe that acupuncture treatments are painful because they see the needles and assume there is pain involved. However, acupuncture treatments come with little to no pain at all. In fact, many people who undergo acupuncture therapy treatment describe the treatment procedures as relaxing and calming. While there might be an occasional sting or prick feeling when the needle is inserted, there should be no pain, numbness or discomfort when experiencing an acupuncture treatment. If there is any pain, numbness or discomfort you should notify your acupuncturists immediately or seek another acupuncturist.

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The Pre-Examination Visit to the Acupuncturist

A visit to the acupuncturist isn’t like a traditional visit to the doctor’s office. Due to the alternative medicine aspect of acupuncture you will likely experience a few things that seem out of the ordinary. Here is a look at what to expect when you head to an acupuncturist’s office and set up an appointment.

The first thing that will happen when you are heading to an acupuncture medical visit is that pre-screening visit. This is a visit with the acupuncturist where you will complete an extensive health history questionnaire. These questions can range from your daily habits to previous medical conditions. After you have completed the questionnaire the acupuncturist will come in to interview you directly. They will likely ask questions regarding your current state of health, lifestyle, sleeping cycle, diet, emotions and other concerns you may have. The acupuncturist will also examine you from head to toe. They will note your skin and eye color as well as other physical conditions you might be showing such as discolored tongue and hair color.

During the pre-examination stage the acupuncturist will examine three pressure points on each wrist. It is believed that these pressure points can tell the acupuncturist everything that they need to know about your median zones and where the flow of the qi might be off. The flow of qi, or life energy, is what acupuncture is based off of. It is believed that when the flow of qi is off it is what causes diseases and pain. In order to determine what course of acupuncture treatment you will benefit from an acupuncturist must determine where the qi is off and how to balance out the flow of the qi in your body.

After the pre-examination the acupuncturist will give you a diagnosis and go over treatment with you. Generally the treatment does not begin at the pre-examination visit. However, some acupuncturists might be able to perform the first procedure that day.

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New uses of acupuncture technique

Acupuncture is a Chinese healing technique which is performed by inserting needles at specific points in a human body. Though science of human anatomy hasn’t approved of the technique it still is extensively used in many regions of the world. But the global populace typically tends to solve their illness issues through scientifically approved treatment methodologies rather than going for acupuncture treatment. The popular perception is that this is a technique that is used predominantly to treat body pain related issues. But often the truth is when the established techniques of treatment fail, only then do they seek to take help of acupuncture treatment. Another category of people seeking acupuncture treatment are the ones who have been under severe dosage of strong medicines.

More & more utilities of this technique are being discovered by each passing. The latest of this series of discoveries is that Acupuncture techniques now can treat premature ejaculation.

According to a report published at renal & urology website, in a medical study involving people who suffer from premature ejaculation, researchers have found acupuncture to be more effective than sham treatment. Any treatment which doesn’t have any pharmacological or physiological effect on a particular’s medical condition is termed as sham treatment. The study also found that real acupuncture proved to be more efficient than placebo acupuncture in treating such patients. When the researchers of the Turkish hospital applied acupuncture they witnessed that the ejaculation time was delayed by a substantial 66 seconds approximately.

They confirmed the fact that acupuncture can be applied as an alternative to other standard treatment procedures of premature ejaculation. In recent times, acupuncture has also found use treating sinus problems. This finding is contributed to by a natural health care clinic in the European city of Ireland & this has been in top news ever since.

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Risks of Acupuncture: Be Informed

With proper technique and when performed by a licensed technician, acupuncture is a very safe procedure for most people. Acupuncture needles are regulated by the FDA and complications are also reported to this agency. Few complications have been reported to the agency – especially given the large number of people who receive acupuncture each year in the United States.  However, the procedure can cause some side effects.

Less serious side effects include bruising, bleeding, or soreness at the needle insertion sites. You may also feel dizzy after the procedure. These events do not require medical attention and typically resolve within one day.

The more serious side effects like injury to internal organs or infection are very rare. Injury to underlying tissues may result from incorrect application of the needles; transmission with infectious diseases like hepatitis can occur if the needles are reused. You should make sure that the acupuncturist is following appropriate protocol before undergoing services to protect your health.

Although most people have no problems undergoing acupuncture therapy, there are people with certain health conditions who should undergo the procedure with caution.

People with bleeding disorders: Since one of the risks of acupuncture is bleeding, people who are at higher risk for bleeding may find themselves bleeding more. Bleeding disorders do not mean that a person cannot have acupuncture but he or she should be aware of the issues. People who take blood thinners like warfarin are in this category as well.

People with pacemakers:  Using electroacupuncture can cause problems in these patients because the electrical current may interfere with the function of the pacemaker.

Women who are pregnant: Pregnancy is not a contraindication to acupuncture but the therapy can be used to manage the symptoms associated with the condition. Care, however, should be taken to avoid the types of acupuncture that might stimulate labor early; pregnant women should use acupuncturists who are experienced in treating pregnant women.

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Acupuncture VS Acupressure

While searching for ways to improve your physical health, alleviate pain, or treat illnesses or disorders, you may come across the terms acupuncture and acupressure. While they sound very similar in name, and do have many similarities in practice, they are two very different methods of treatment and knowing the difference between the two can help you decide which is best suited to you.
Acupressure and Acupuncture both originate in China and have been used for many centuries. They are recently increasing in popularity in the U.S. as people turn to more holistic forms of cure without adverse side effects.

Acupressure is the use of pressure on certain meridians in your body to help balance the flow of Chi, or Qi. It is simple to learn by book, and has a fairly high success rate, though it is better used over time, making it similar to deep tissue massage. An Acupressure professional will use their fingers, elbows or hands to put pressure on certain spots to treat complaints, so usually you only get one or two pressure points treated at a time. An example of acupressure is when you apply pressure to the fleshy spot between your pointer finger and thumb you can quickly alleviate the pain from a tension or dehydration headache.

Acupuncture is the practice of using very fine, hair-thin needles on the same meridian points on the body. These needles are inserted usually by using a quick jab though a small plastic tube. Since they are so fine, there is usually no feeling of pain as it enters. The treatment of acupuncture usually has quicker and longer lasting results than acupressure, but it has to be administered by someone who has experience practicing TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine). One of the benefits of acupuncture over acupressure is that the practitioner can treat many areas at once that usually work in tandem with each other to treat ailments.

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The Potential of Injury: Acupuncture

Old Chinese medical chart on acupuncture meridians
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There can be no doubt that acupuncture is a worthy process. Its ability to relieve pain and soothe all stresses is nothing less than remarkable – with countless individuals seeking to experience it every year, wishing to indulge in its many advantages. The value in its practices is earned from centuries, and it can often offer assistance to those whom traditional medicine has failed. This could never be argued (nor would any try).

Despite the wealth of rewards offered through acupuncture, however, there is still one great risk to be found: nerve damage. While the occurrence of this is rare (and should therefore not provide individuals with such a high concern that they refuse the process entirely), it is still possible – and that possibility demands that each patient be aware of the danger and its consequences.

Acupuncture – as all know – is the manipulation of the body’s nervous system through the strategic use of needles and puncture points. These points have been carefully chosen, meant to offer relief throughout the skin and organs. They are clusters of specific nerves and receptors, allowing for immediate comfort when they are contacted.

That contact, however, can prove devastating when done incorrectly. If a needle is inserted into any nerve, it can offer a puncturing effect. This can cause a variety of complications, such as: infection, painful tremors, disruption of blood flow, sensory loss and toxicity increases. These can all force hospitalization, the introduction of potent medications or even incurable paralysis. When the nerve is damaged, it may not be able to repair itself – and this is potentially overwhelming.

Acupuncture cannot be refused as a viable practice. Its purpose is to alleviate pain and it succeeds. There are chances, however, for a needle to cause much concerns for an individual and his health. Seeking out only expert care is therefore recommended, with great attention given to the levels of experience and certification.

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Acupuncture: The Seven Inquiries

Drops of sweat
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It seems the most mortifying of questions – a body is examined, prodded with needles and concerns. The unspeakable functions (deemed impolite within society, meant to be shaped to secrets) are demanded. They must be offered honestly, without shame or silence. No blush is to force them into deceptions; they are instead to be without pause or hesitation. The cycles of blood and perspiration, dreams and fevers are all understood. And this was thought to be an impossibility. Acupuncture is not a traditional form of medicine, after all. There was no expectation of histories or current pains. And, without the seclusion of a doctor’s office, such pains seem too lewd to detail.

They are, however, necessary.

The all too frequent misconception with acupuncture is that it is not a true division of healing. It is instead too often deemed a simple stress relief. This is not true. It intends to assuage the worries found within an individual – and must ask essential questions to do so.

These questions are known as the Seven Inquiries. Simply explained, these are the most common concerns patients may have, reflecting changes within their bodies. These must be defined to offer a better understanding of meridians and the proper points to seek.

The Seven Inquiries wish to know elements of:

1. Current eating habits.
2. Bowel movements and the regularity of them.
3. Menstrual cycles.
4. Pain.
5. The amount of perspiration.
6. Sleep schedule.
7. Fevers or hot flashes.

By learning of these problems, an practitioner of acupuncture can then devise the best treatment for an individual. And this is vital in receiving the full value of this procedure. While the questions may embarrass, they will also offer insight into specific complications. Solving those complications requires knowing first where to look.

Acupuncture is a form of healing. Expect therefore the inquiries that a doctor would give – and answer accordingly.

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The Occasional Risks: Acupuncture

Accupuncture and moxing
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It’s an assumption of ease – needles are thought to be without worry, the simple incisions and their convenient effects. The practice of acupuncture does not alarm you. It is instead a simplicity you have come to expect, the techniques you desire. Tension can be released; stress can be replaced to comfort; and there are to be no concerns beyond the pleasure of losing pain.

But then you glance down and find a sudden arrival of bleeding, the beginnings of bruises along your body. You’re confused (and panicked) by them. You thought this practice was without risk. You thought there could be no possible complications.

You thought wrong.

Acupuncture – like any form of medical treatment – has a collection of possible concerns. The insertion of needles into the skin, however practiced, can still be dangerous. It is therefore necessary for patients to understand the possible risks involved with this procedure. They are often minor and should have no adverse effects; but they can be alarming when not addressed.

The most common problems associated with acupuncture are:

1. Bleeding. This is the most obvious of worries and yet often the most ignored. If a needle is inserted too quickly or goes too deep, then the opening can bleed. It should be a small cut, however, and can heal without issue.

2. Nausea. While often a psychological effect instead of a physical one, illness can still develop during an acupuncture session. It is especially typical within beginners as the sight of needles slipping into the skin can cause feelings of dizziness or fatigue.

3. Paresthesia. Often the body will react to the intrusion of needles by offering a trembling sensation. This can quickly frighten individuals, with them mistaking it to be a betrayal of nerves. It’s not. It is instead a simple reaction and should not panic.

Acupuncture is not without its complications. These are, however, often minor and shouldn’t dissuade any from this process.

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Criticisms: Acupuncture

Yin and Yang_l
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It’s a collection of stories and eager promises, the assurance of truth. Acupuncture is sworn to be worthy, its followers offering their own experiences, their own successes. They were healed, they claim. There could be no denying this – needles helped to soothe pain, to release the tensions of all too hectic days. A body was left without the weakened energy, the lazy endorphins. It was instead shaped new, with an ancient practice offering an all too modern convenience: relief. The process simply worked.

But such simplicity is considered without credit. Acupuncture is a process steeped in history and anecdotal proof. Its calls for redefining an individual’s Qi (or life force) by seeking out specific points along the body have been met with interest – as well as overwhelming concerns.

The world is one of science. Simple theories are no longer enough to convince. Evidence must instead be without flaw, without hesitation. Experiments must offer the same results again and again, verifying claims with constancy. And it’s this that has led many of the medicinal field’s most renowned individuals to name acupuncture false.

Their reasoning – however harsh – can at least be understood: acupuncture is unable to be proven in the normal sequence of hypothesizing and examination, the little failures that finally yield truth. This practice instead is defined by the individual, made accurate by an experience. The explanations of life energy or Yin and Yang cannot be calculated. There are no statistics to offer or definite conclusions. There is instead only the word of the patient, what they report.

And such evidence is deemed useless by many. Acupuncture, it’s argued, cannot be called a science; it can instead only be considered a hobby – with its effects all laced to placebos. There will be no offering of credit. There will instead only be denial.

The two notions will have to one day reconcile to understand each other and find validation.

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