Acupuncture is recognized as an incredible healing method. Many people hate being on the receiving end of a needle, however, acupuncture is a needle treatment that has taken the world by storm, and being used even by people who hate needles.
Acupuncture is similar to acupressure. The ancient Chinese healing practice began to grow in popularity in the late 20th century in the United States, as well as Western Europe, Canada and other westernized nations.
Acupuncture is also receiving recognition from the traditional medical community because the healing and benefits are more often than not, profound and undisputed.
Acupuncture helps to create the same clearing of blocked meridians as acupressure. However, in this case, small needles are inserted to very specific depths at your meridian points, with the hopes that this will clear your energy channels, whose blockage has led to some type of health condition.
Ancient Medicine Works in Modern Times
Acupuncture is an alternative therapy that involves sticking thin needles into pressure points on the body. While it doesn’t necessarily “cure” diseases, it does help a person heal, through energy manipulation.
A key component in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture is most commonly used for pain relief, although it is also effective for treating various other conditions, such as lower back pain, shoulder stiffness, knee pain, and other musculoskeletal problems.
It has even been shown to effectively treat symptoms of depression, nausea and vomiting, arthritis, headaches and insomnia. The conditions which are treatable with this ancient Eastern healing practice are virtually limitless.
Other people use acupuncture to help them quit addictions, such as smoking. This has proved successful for many patients.
Yin and Yang and The Qi Life Force
Traditional acupuncture holds the belief that the universe and the body are like yin and yang, two opposing forces of nature that, when in balance, create harmony (when the universe and the body are in balance, the body is healthy). There is also the belief that a life force, known as qi, circulates throughout the body in lines called meridians through the body’s primary organs.
When these energy channels are “blocked”, or when pain and discomfort start to plague a certain area of the body, thin, stainless steel needles are used to relieve the pressure, unblocking the channels and letting the qi flow freely through the body once more.
This ancient healing method has been shown to increase energy and improve sleep and digestion. Acupuncture can also improve the functions of the nervous, endocrine and immune, cardiovascular, and digestive systems, and thus improving one’s overall sense of being.
Acupuncture Sessions
According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, otherwise known as the Mayo Clinic, a typical acupuncture session involves lying completely still while approximately 5 to 20 needles are inserted into the specific points of the body.
They are usually left there for about 2 to 20 minutes with the application of either heat, pressure, or laser light. It is not unpleasant and most patients feel relaxed throughout their acupuncture session.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has stated that “promising results have emerged” regarding using acupuncture to treat nausea and other chemotherapy side-effects.
They speak of acupuncture as an effective treatment for pain associated with dental procedures, and suggest it may have uses for treating addiction (as mentioned above), carpal tunnel syndrome, low back pain and other health conditions.
Accordingly, acupuncture is consistently being adopted as an alternative but complementary practice by traditional, conventional doctors and caregivers.
As with many alternative healing practices, the modern medical community stops short of endorsing acupuncture for healing. Although there have been undoubted and recorded cases of amazing healing from acupuncture over thousands of years.
