If the U.S. Army, Harvard Medical School and MIT are in your corner, you know you're in good company. Acupuncturists and their patients must feel pretty popular lately, because those are exactly the organizations vetting them. A recent paper published in a peer-reviewed journal conducted by Harvard Med School and MIT should silence many of acupuncture's doubters: acupuncture was demonstrated to have an effect greater than placebo. So the positive medical benefits experienced by patients can't be dismissed as "in their heads" any more or the products of chance. Even the U.S. Army believes. They've recently allowed "battlefield" acupuncture to be performed for soldiers suffering from chronic and acute pain.
Acupuncture is as effective as standard drug treatments for such conditions as migraine, arthritis, gastric bleeding, ulcers, liver and kidney problems, nausea, motion sickness, vomiting, and drowsiness while having none of the unwanted side effects of over-the-counter medication. According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, this Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is useful as a primary therapy for acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, including muscle spasms, sprains, and repetitive stress injuries.
While it's effective at relieving pain, acupuncture can also be used to treat other physical as well as emotional problems like anxiety, stress, chronic fatigue, asthma, lower back pain, depression, high blood pressure, and infertility. In fact, the World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as a treatment for digestive disorders such as gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, and diarrhea. Even patients who initially used acupuncture only to deal with chronic pain have reported other conditions improved as well.
Western science is slowly beginning to understand the science behind the seeming magic that often results from acupuncture. Major pieces of the puzzle, however, have been identified. When traditional acupuncture points are stimulated with fine needles during the course of an acupuncture treatment, studies have shown that the brain's natural "feel good" chemicals - opioids or endorphins - are released. These same chemicals are responsible for not only elevating mood but for relieving pain. The points that are stimulated during treatment lie along paths which are called meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Qi is the energy that flows through the energy pathways that Traditional Chinese Medicine believes exist in every human being. These pathways, called meridians, regulate the proper flow of qi in a healthy individual. If this qi becomes stuck or irregular at any point in the pathway, disease can develop. Through the use of fine needles during an acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist helps dislodge the stuck energy to begin the process of healing.
TCM believes that our health depends on the body's ability to circulate Qi in a smooth and balanced fashion. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles into specific points along the meridian. These points are close to the surface of the skin and are easily accessible with fine needles, moxibustion or acupressure.
Many potential patients wonder how often and how long they'll need to receive treatment. Like any other medical treatment, the answer lies with the patient himself. How long has the problem been experienced? What is it's severity? What is your overall level of health? If you suffer from a complex medical condition, you may need to see an acupuncturist as often as a few times a week, perhaps for months. Less severe conditions may require just a few visits, or monthly treatments to maintain balance.
Acupuncture has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization as a safe, natural, drug-free, and, perhaps most importantly, effective method of addressing the symptoms and root causes of many health challenges. Its use in China, Japan, and other parts of Asia for thousands of years speaks to its efficacy as well. It's a natural and powerful medicine that has been practiced for over 2,000 years. And it works. - 16650
Acupuncture is as effective as standard drug treatments for such conditions as migraine, arthritis, gastric bleeding, ulcers, liver and kidney problems, nausea, motion sickness, vomiting, and drowsiness while having none of the unwanted side effects of over-the-counter medication. According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, this Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is useful as a primary therapy for acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain, including muscle spasms, sprains, and repetitive stress injuries.
While it's effective at relieving pain, acupuncture can also be used to treat other physical as well as emotional problems like anxiety, stress, chronic fatigue, asthma, lower back pain, depression, high blood pressure, and infertility. In fact, the World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as a treatment for digestive disorders such as gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, and diarrhea. Even patients who initially used acupuncture only to deal with chronic pain have reported other conditions improved as well.
Western science is slowly beginning to understand the science behind the seeming magic that often results from acupuncture. Major pieces of the puzzle, however, have been identified. When traditional acupuncture points are stimulated with fine needles during the course of an acupuncture treatment, studies have shown that the brain's natural "feel good" chemicals - opioids or endorphins - are released. These same chemicals are responsible for not only elevating mood but for relieving pain. The points that are stimulated during treatment lie along paths which are called meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Qi is the energy that flows through the energy pathways that Traditional Chinese Medicine believes exist in every human being. These pathways, called meridians, regulate the proper flow of qi in a healthy individual. If this qi becomes stuck or irregular at any point in the pathway, disease can develop. Through the use of fine needles during an acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist helps dislodge the stuck energy to begin the process of healing.
TCM believes that our health depends on the body's ability to circulate Qi in a smooth and balanced fashion. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles into specific points along the meridian. These points are close to the surface of the skin and are easily accessible with fine needles, moxibustion or acupressure.
Many potential patients wonder how often and how long they'll need to receive treatment. Like any other medical treatment, the answer lies with the patient himself. How long has the problem been experienced? What is it's severity? What is your overall level of health? If you suffer from a complex medical condition, you may need to see an acupuncturist as often as a few times a week, perhaps for months. Less severe conditions may require just a few visits, or monthly treatments to maintain balance.
Acupuncture has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization as a safe, natural, drug-free, and, perhaps most importantly, effective method of addressing the symptoms and root causes of many health challenges. Its use in China, Japan, and other parts of Asia for thousands of years speaks to its efficacy as well. It's a natural and powerful medicine that has been practiced for over 2,000 years. And it works. - 16650
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