Acupuncture is a centuries old healing therapy that has been practiced throughout Asia for thousands of years. Acupuncture can be reimbursed by many extended health plans. Acupuncture is best known for the control of pain and is also found to be effective for the treatment of mind-body disorders such as anxiety, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, hypertension, insomnia, PMS, menopausal symptoms, and depression.
Everyone knows that Acupuncture is good for pain but what most people do not know is that Acupuncture is part of an entire system of medicine know as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). One of the greatest advantages of acupuncture is the absence of serious side effects. The majority of people who have had acupuncture say it is not what they expected.
The earlier you seek out acupuncture treatment, the more effective each treatment will be. Traditional Chinese medicine theorizes that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body, and that these connect with 12 main and 8 secondary pathways called meridians.
Traditional Chinese medicine practices (including acupuncture, herbs, diet, massage, and meditative physical exercise) all are intended to improve the flow of Qi. Whether it is an acute or chronic condition, more and more people are realizing that Western medicine treatments have many limitations. These elements are reflected in oriental medicine in many ways; in the senses, the organ networks of the heart, spleen, lungs, kidneys and liver and in the channels of chi energy across the body (the meridians).
They choose specific places for the needles to be inserted based on traditional Chinese medicine. From the treatment of illness or injury to relaxation, stress-relief and preventative healthcare, Traditional Chinese Medicine is a holistic approach to health and healing.
Chinese medicine practitioners believe the meridians conduct energy, or "Qi"(pronounced "chee"), throughout the body. "At the end of a 26 week treatment plan, patients receiving traditional Chinese acupuncture had more improvement in both pain relief and function than when compared to the sham acupuncture and the education groups. Your practitioner will make a Chinese medical diagnosis based upon a thorough examination and consultation.
Several processes have been proposed to explain acupuncture's effects, primarily those on pain. Studies suggest that there are a number of conditions which acupuncture can help to treat, including post-operative pain, migraines, and nausea. Some people take a more scientific approach to acupuncture and instead focus on the way it helps the body to release its natural painkillers, known as 'endorphins'. Acupuncture can strengthen the physical body, prevent disease, control pain, calm the mind, enhance and restore health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine views a person as an energy system in which body and mind are unified, each influencing and balancing the other. Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine consists of 5,767 substances derived from plant, animal, and mineral sources. as in western medicine.
Acupuncture has been helping people improve their health for centuries. Acupuncture also has been documented to affect the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes whereby a person's blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature are regulated.
Acupuncture points are areas of designated electrical sensitivity that have been shown to be effective in the treatment of specific health problems. Acupuncture is a very safe form of treatment, which has few side effects, or complications. American practices of acupuncture incorporate medical traditions from China, Japan, Korea, and other countries.
Be an informed consumer and find out what scientific studies have been done on the effectiveness of acupuncture for your health condition. By encouraging the body to heal, acupuncture has been successful in treating a variety of ailments or in supplementing traditional treatment programs.
