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acupuncture

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Acupuncture for Health and Healing

Acupuncture for Health and HealingAcupuncture 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.

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How Acupuncture Helps With Chronic Pain

As people learn new information about side effects caused by medicines created by the pharmaceutical industry, many are moved to investigate alternative methods of dealing with chronic pain and other physical forms of suffering. One method that is quickly growing in popularity is acupuncture, which is an ancient method of interacting with the body’s organs and systems, but can acupuncture help with pain? The following article will be exploring how acupuncture helps with chronic pain.

How Does It Work

When you go to visit a professional acupuncturist, they will may use between 8 and 16 very thin needles placed at very specific points in the surface of the skin. Several points correspond to areas that may have some sort of disturbance or blockage which may prevent normal function of the various systems of the body. When your acupuncturist needles these areas, they intend to move or disrupt the blockage that is preventing your body from functioning properly.

How It Helps You With Chronic Pain

When the acupuncture needles are inserted in your skin at those specific acupoints, your body will release endorphins that can help to lessen or reduce chronic pain body. The professional acupuncturist will then allow you to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. After you have completed resting, the professional acupuncturist will remove the needles, and then your session is complete. Rounds of acupuncture treatments generally last around 3 months, depending on the practitioner and their specific methods of treatment.

Some methods of acupuncture treatment include agitating, spinning, electrifying the needles. These are generally done to increase the intensity and effectiveness of the acupuncture treatment and bring greater satisfaction to the client. In some cases, the practitioner may include a method called moxibustion, which is the burning of specific therapeutic herbs near the surface of the flesh.

Are Sessions Painful

Before a lot of people try acupuncture many of them asked if the procedure is painful.  the answer however is no. This is because professional acupuncturist uses extremely thin needles better much better than typical syringe needles which are made to pierce the skin by making a tiny cut as it enters.  the result is that a person being treated with acupuncture will experience very little sensation at all, in fact some people become so relaxed by the procedure and the atmosphere that they actually will fall asleep.

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Acupuncture Points Handbook

If you have been receiving or plan to receive acupuncture therapy, you may be concerned about the process and the points that will be used during the appointment. You may also wonder how the different pressure points will help with your particular illness or issue. This is where the Acupuncture Points Handbook by Deborah Bleecker comes in handy.

What is the Acupuncture Points Handbook by Deborah Bleecker?

The Acupuncture Points Handbook by Deborah Bleecker is a book that is designed first and foremost as a guide to the acupuncture and acupressure points of the body. It shows the reader what points are, where they are located, what the difference between acupuncture and pressure is, and gives methods on ways to use the pressure methods and points yourself. The book also focuses on how to use the techniques and methods to help relieve things like stress, anxiety, and depression. It is a go to guide for beginner’s and for people interested in the topic of acupuncture and acupressure as a natural method to helping with pain and other illness.

What makes the Acupuncture Points Handbook by Deborah Bleecker Different?

There are a few things that make the Acupuncture Points Handbook by Deborah Bleecker different than other books in this genre. The first is that it is a guidebook, instruction book, and an informational guide all in one. It is suited for people who are interested in the topic, people who are concerned about using the methods as a natural remedy and treatment, and it is designed for people considering moving into this field as a career path. The book also offers illustrations and written text as a guide to each technique and pressure point. As an informative guide, it stands out because it ranges through the different areas of interest and use.

How Do You Use the Acupuncture Points Handbook by Deborah Bleecker?

The book can be used in different ways depending on the reason you want the book. If you are wanting to apply the book as a self acupressure guide then it is fairly easy to use. Keep in mind, without proper training, you do run the risk of not getting the full benefit of the technique. If you want to use it as a guidebook or reference option, then it does have an index that will make it easy for you to find the specific technique and learn more about it. Overall, it is written for the beginner and for someone interested in the topic with no prior knowledge.

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Acupressure Points Used in Acupuncture

Acupressure Points

Have you ever wondered how a professional acupuncturist knows where they should put the needles? If you were to ask a trained practitioner, they would probably tell you that the needles are inserted into acupressure points on the body. This is done to agitate the point and produce an effect. This article will be sharing a few of the points used in acupuncture, and for the purpose of this article, they will be divided into groups based on the location.

Chest and Abdomen

Jian Jing – This point is found by using your thumb and middle finger to pinch the shoulder muscle, and is most often used for facial pain, stress, headaches, toothaches and neck pain. It is not usually recommended that you use this technique on pregnant women, because it can start labor contractions prematurely.

Head, Scalp, and Shoulders

Feng Chi – A technique that has been associated with migraine relief, fatigue, certain types of blurry vision, neck pain, and stress. Some have even used this technique to aid with cold and flu symptoms. To locate Feng Chi, lock your hands behind your head with your thumbs pointed downward. Place both of your thumbs onto the base of your neck muscles and run your thumbs upward to the bone behind your ears. You should be able follow the groove that is created by the muscle.

Arms and Hands

He Gu – This position is extremely effective for stress and facial pain. If you want to find this point, you will find it on the side of your hand in behind the knuckle, near the place where your thumb and index finger meet. Press into the muscle and massage for 4 – 5 seconds.

Legs and Feet

Zu San Li – This spot is thought to help major organs like intestines, stomach, and liver. It is located on the outside of your lower leg, next to the top of your shin.

Tai Chong – This is an excellent area to stimulate for stress, low back pain, high blood pressure, limb pain, insomnia and emotional upset. To locate this pressure point, use your thumb to place pressure in between the tendons that extend to your big toe and the second largest toe.

San Yin Jiao – Generally used for pelvic disorders, insomnia, and menstrual cramps and can be found on the inside of your leg, just above your ankle. Find the highest point of the ankle then four finger widths up your leg, apply deep pressure slightly behind the bone.

Ways Your Body Can Change After Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a treatment that has been steadily gaining more respect and support in the last decade or two. As people begin to turn away from the use of addicting pharmaceuticals, they’ve become more open to exploring the world of natural medicine. One of the positive things about achieving a balance with the old world and new world is that you can end up undergoing a series of changes that create a very different experience from the one that may be familiar to you now previously.

Less Chronic Pain
One of the most common ways in which your body will change for the better is that you may experience a major decrease in the chronic pain that you may have one felt before. After you have seen a professional acupuncturist, it is possible that you might end up clearing blockage that caused you to experience the pain.

More Alertness

Sometimes the stresses that we feel can keep us from resting completely and efficiently. After your acupuncture session, sleep may become far more restful so that your night’s rest becomes

deeper and more complete. Many people seeking their first treatment even fall asleep during the rest period before the needles are removed.

Neck Muscle Changes

A lot of the pain that people experience in the body comes from tense muscles that are constricted into themselves and other nearby muscle groups. After a few treatments have taught these muscles how to relax into their natural state, a person could notice some small changes to their muscle structure which could result in them standing straighter, and seeming to have grown an inch or two.

Less Anxiety

With better rest, and a less tense daily posture, the physical manifestations of discomfort and anxiety will be very likely to have been reduced. The process of acupuncture can have a lasting effect on the way you carry your emotions and manifest them into your extremities.

More Flexibility

With so much of the dense, twisted muscle being free to finally open up and stretch out, you would notice an increased range of movement for a variety of muscle groups. Many of the knots and clustered muscles that can pinch nerves will be gone. This leads to increased flexibility, and a better quality of life that will sustain itself as long as you continue to maintain healthy practices.

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Acupuncture and Weight Loss

1There are a lot of people who are overweight. For those who are obese, perhaps surgery is the best option but for those who can’t, they can try to see if acupuncture can help take out the excess weight.

Acupuncture is a form of holistic healthcare that uses needles to help treat a patient. Unlike the cartoon where the balloon will pop and all the air will go out, the needles that are inserted into the vital points will stimulate the body to release endorphins thus helping the person control their appetite.

But before needles are inserted, the specialist will first ask the patient some questions and perform an examination. This is needed to understand the main cause for the person to be overweight.

Part of examination is to help the acupuncturist figure out where the needles will be inserted. Your pulse will give the person an idea on your general state of energy and the general health of your stomach.

You will also have to open your mouth and show your tongue to check for cracks, peelings or puffiness on the stomach area as this provides clues to why you are overweight.

Once he or she knows the reason, this is the time that the needles are inserted into different parts of the body. One way is called the multi-targeted approach which is designed to lower the body’s weight by increasing the output of the pituitary gland.

The areas where the needles will be inserted will be in the ear and in two of three body points. These areas could also include the mouth, the stomach, the lung, the endocrine, the spleen, kidney or thyroid.

During the initial treatment, the “Four Gate” points would be used to circulate energy throughout the entire body. It is also possible that electro simulation will also be done to increase endorphin release and stimulate metabolism.

These needles will be kept in place for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how much support is needed. These are then removed and replaced with ear tacs with adhesives to make sure they are in the same spot as the needles.

These ear tacs work by applying mild pressure whenever he or she feels hungry. It causes a mild endorphin release and helps the patient relax making it possible to use their willpower and resist the temptation to eat.

The patient will also have to reduce cravings on certain food by cutting down the intake. Some studies suggest that this can also lower insulin levels or lipid levels in the blood.

The best part about acupuncture is that there are no harmful side effects and no chance for an addiction to occur. The patient will have to come back for regular treatment and have to pay attention to one’s diet and exercise regularly as needles can only do so much to control one’s weight.

The number of treatments for someone who is overweight varies depending on how many pounds they want to lose, the speed at which they want to lose it and their commitment to sticking to the plan.

The average patient on the other hand who wants to lose 5 to 10 pounds will have to come for treatment every three days or twice a week then once this is attained, once every two weeks. It is up to the person until when the treatment will be done which shows that acupuncture can help you lose weight.