What is Acupuncture?
How Does Acupuncture Work?
What Can Acupuncture Treat?
Do the Needles Hurt?
What Can I Expect From a Treatment?
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
Is Chinese Herbal Treatment Safe?
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing known to mankind. It originated in the east nearly two thousand years ago. It consists of the gentle insertion and stimulation of very fine needles into specific points on the body and/or burning an herb (artemisia vulgaris latiflora) over these points.
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How Does Acupuncture Work?
Traditional Chinese Medicine states that it is the vital force, in the body that controls the working of the main organs and system of the body. This vital force, or Ch’i energy as the Chinese call it, circulates from one organ to another along channels or pathways termed meridians, always following a certain route. In all illnesses, the energy is out of balance. The pain, or symptoms, is a distress signal which notifies us of this imbalance. Thus acupuncture treatments set out to correct any imbalance in the energy of a person. The aim is to restore the energy to its natural balance and flow.
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What Can Acupuncture Treat?
While acupuncture is often known to its effectiveness in pain control, The World Heatlh Organization (WHO) recognizes the use of acupuncture in the treatment of a wider range of medical problems, including:
• Muscular and Skeletal Disorders: arthritis, tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, neck pain, TMJ, sciatica, low back pain, fibromyalgia, carpal tunnel syndrome, knee pain.
• Gynecological Disorders: menstrual irregularity, endometriosis, PMS, infertility, menstrual cramps, menopausal syndrome, urinary tract infections, yeast infections.
• Digestive Disorders: indigestion, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, ulcers, colitis, irritable bowel syndrome.
• Respiratory Disorders: colds and flu, bronchitis, asthma, allergies, emphysema.
• Circulatory Disorders: hypertension, high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, angina pectoris.
• Urinary and Reproductive Disorders: impotence, premature ejaculation, incontinence, prostatitis, prostatic hypertrophy.
• Psycho-emotional and Neurological Disorders: stress, headache, depression, anxiety, migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, post-stroke paralysis, dizziness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, smoking.
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Do the Needles Hurt?
The needles are usually made of stainless steel, not much thicker that a human hair. Usually nothing is felt as the needle penetrates the skin but there will be some sensation as the needle reaches the subcutaneous acupuncture point. This can be a feeling of numbness, or an ache, or an “alive” sensation, or a sort of sharpness. It is certainly a lot less painful than the sensation of being accidentally punctured by a needle or a pin. Some people seem to feel hardly anything at all.
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What Can I Expect From a Treatment?
Typically, an acupuncturist will begin by taking a comprehensive intake and exam, which will consist of asking numerous questions about your primary complaint as well as more general health issues. It will also include a detailed examination and analysis of the pulse and tongue, as well as abdominal palpation and facial diagnosis.
When the acupuncturist has arrived at a working diagnosis, he or she will insert thin, sterile needles into points on the surface of your skin. The needles will be left in anywhere from a few seconds to up to 40 minutes. The acupuncturist may manually stimulate the needles. Some use electrical stimulation, cupping, and moxibution.
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How Many Treatments Will I Need?
The number of treatments needed varies considerably from person to person. A lot depends on the severity of the disease, how long the patient has suffered from it, what drugs have been or are being taken, and a host of other factors that can affect speed of progress. A series of 5-10 treatment may resolve many chronic problems. Some degenerative conditions may require many treatments over time. To help reduce the number of treatments, your practitioner may suggest dietary modifications, specific exercise regimes, relaxation techniques, self-massage, and/or Chiness herbal medicines, all of which may help increase the efficasy of acupuncture.
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Is Chinese Herbal Treatment Safe?
Chinese midicine uses and recommends herbs and nutritional supplements from plant, animal, and mineral sources which are traditionally considered safe in Chinese medicinal practices. Only when herbs are taking in large dosages, could possible side effects be observed.
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