The Secret Benefits Of Acupuncture
Article Source: HealthSnare.com
The Chinese created acupuncture thousands of years ago as a holistic approach to treating the body. When it was more recently brought over to the Western world, it created quite a stir. People claimed that there was no scientific basis for this treatment and that it was simply a placebo. Years of research and multiple studies have countered that claim, proving that there are some definite benefits of acupuncture.
The way that acupuncture is supposed to work, is that it retains the balance of the body. The Chinese claim that health is due to a balanced chi with equal parts of yin and yang. If this balance is changed in some way, it disrupts the flow of qi, or energy, which must be fixed. To do that you use acupuncture to stick needles in different patterns arranged in some way among the 350 acupuncture points located in the meridians of the body. Once inserted, needles remain in the patient for about twenty minutes and can be warmed or stimulated with electricity to have more of an affect. It is not yet clear why this makes a difference, but many people continue to benefit from acupuncture.
It is common to use acupuncture as a preventative treatment, or simply to keep up a healthy lifestyle. It has been proven to reinforce the immune system by boosting blood circulation and numbers of white blood cells, antibodies, endorphins, and neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline.
Physical pain can also be more tolerable or even eliminated for those troubled by it. Pain tolerance can be increased, and pain levels can be decreased. A positive with this procedure is that since it is holistic, it can get to the cause of pain, instead of just treating symptoms. Arthritis, chronic pain, and aches including toothaches, headaches, and migraines can be alleviated without the use of analgesics. It is also an alternative to invasive surgeries to treat joint problems.
This practice is also good in dealing in treating or managing diseases and disorders. Common problems like allergies and asthma may be easily controlled because of the stronger immune system. Infertility and impotence can be helped, and high blood pressure and similar problems can be decreased. Acupuncture is also a good way to cope with diseases like Crohn's and serious problems without a cure. Insomnia and other sleeping disorders can also be assisted by acupuncture, often by treating their underlying cause.
Even after going through surgery, there are still many problems that patients must endure. Besides reducing pain, acupuncture can help bring back a sense of life and energy, so that the length of recovery is shorter and physical therapy is easier. It can also work as an antiemetic to reduce vomiting and nausea which usually occurs post-surgery. Paralysis can also be improved by using acupuncture, giving hope to patients who have undergone strokes and surgeries.
Mental health is an ever increasing problem these days, and there are not always good methods for treating it. Many people have a natural resistance to medications and women who are pregnant cannot take those or use electric shock therapy. These treatments also have some bad side affects including memory loss and worse. Acupuncture has been shown to improve symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even more daunting conditions like schizophrenia, decreasing the need even completely in some cases for other methods.
Along with psychological problems, acupuncture is a safe way to combat addictions and obesity. It cleanses the system of drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and more while helping it learn to function without them, eliminating the physical craving. Acupuncture can also reduce the need for food, suppressing appetite so people who have become obese due to overeating can more easily learn to control their weight.
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Wendy Simmons
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Date: Mon, 19 Jul 2010 Time: 2:47 AM
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