Acupuncture

What is the treatment about?

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine-based approach to treating a variety of conditions by triggering specific points on the skin with needles. Acupuncture is a minimally invasive method to stimulate nerve-rich areas of the skin surface in order to influence tissues, gland, organs, and various functions of the body

Each acupuncture needle produces a tiny injury at the insertion site, and although it’s slight enough to cause little to no discomfort, it’s enough of a signal to let the body know it needs to respond, This response involves stimulation of the immune system, promoting circulation to the area, wound healing, and pain modulation. Contemporary research on acupuncture relies mainly on this theory. Also nowadays scientists approve that there arecreally the vital energy points and meridians as the CTM shown for 5,000 years ago. Make balancing if these energy flows thru each meridian is the key solution to treat diseases.

Why should one do this treatment?

You may be interested in acupuncture for a variety of reasons — for example, I sought treatment for my chronic headaches and sinus pressure — as there are countless conditions and symptoms that acupuncture has been said to help with. Here are just some of the many claims:

• allergies

• anxiety and depressionTrusted Source

• osteoarthritisTrusted Source

• chronic painTrusted Source, often in the neck, back, knees, and head

• hypertension

• insomniaTrusted Source

• menstrual cramps and PMSTrusted Source

• migrainesTrusted Source

• morning sickness

• sprains

• strokes

• Office Syndrome

What are the benefits of this treatment?

The NCCIH note that it has been proven to help in cases of:

• low back pain

• neck pain

• osteoarthritis

• knee pain

• headache and migraine

They list additional disorders that may benefit from acupuncture, but which require further scientific confirmation.

In 2003, the World Health Organization (WHO) listed a number of conditions in which they say acupuncture has been proven effective.

These include:

• high and low blood pressure

• chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting

• some gastric conditions, including peptic ulcer

• painful periods

• dysentery

• allergic rhinitis

• facial pain

• morning sickness

• rheumatoid arthritis

• sprains

• tennis elbow

• sciatica

• dental pain

• reducing the risk of stroke

• inducing labor

Other conditions for which the WHO say that acupuncture may help but more evidence is needed include:

• fibromyalgia

• neuralgia

• post-operative convalescence

• substance, tobaccor and alcohol dependence

• spine pain

• stiff neck

• vascular dementia

• whooping cough, or pertussis

• Tourette syndrome

What all is included in this treatment?

Traditional Chinese medicine explains that health is the result of a harmonious balance of the complementary extremes of “yin” and “yang” of the life force known as “qi,” pronounced “chi.” Illness is said to be the consequence of an imbalance of the forces.

Qi is said to flow through meridians, or pathways, in the human body. These meridiens and energy flows are accessible through 350 acupuncture points in the body.

Inserting needles into these points with appropriate combinations is said to bring the energy flow back into proper balance.

There is no scientific proof that the meridians or acupuncture points exist, and it is hard to prove that they either do or do not, but numerous studies suggest that acupuncture works for some conditions.

Some experts have used neuroscience to explain acupuncture. Acupuncture points are seen as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases blood flow, while at the same time triggering the activity of the body’s natural painkillers.

It is difficult to set up investigations using proper scientific controls, because of the invasive nature of acupuncture. In a clinical study, a control group would have to undergo sham treatment, or a placebo, for results to be compared with those of genuine acupuncture.

Some studies have concluded that acupuncture offers similar benefits to a patient as a placebo, but others have indicated that there are some real benefits.