Acuppuncture: Questions & Answers

Whether you are new to finding out about acupuncture or you are a professional in the field, chances are that you’ve always loved to learn about new therapies and training techniques. In the American society, acupuncture is one therapy that has recently been introduced and has been made more popular by a whole lot of people. On the other hand, the Chinese civilizations have long known about acupuncture and its effectiveness on the body. This is just the tip of the iceberg, though, and there is plenty more to learn about the age-old therapy of acupuncture.

Question 1: Will Acupuncture Work for Any and All Ailments?

Answer 1: There are many people who believe that Acupuncture will work for any and all ailments, but there are probably some diseases and ailments that just simply are not cured by acupuncture. For starters, little research has been done to see whether or not the acupuncture therapy will work for those who are suffering from HIV and AIDS. Other than those two diseases, though, there are probably hundreds of other common ailments that aren’t cured by the age-old technique, too. In addition, it’s not possible that every single disease and ailment could be studied by the therapy of acupuncture, so there are just some cases and diseases that are not known whether or not acupuncture is successful!

Question 2: Will Acupuncture Prevent any Illnesses?

Answer 2: The Chinese believe that the pressure points along the body are the ones that are responsible for most of the bodily pain that we feel. In believing this, though, the theory would also have to go by the fact that by practicing acupuncture then there are naturally going to be some illnesses that are automatically avoided? Of course, avoiding these types of illnesses usually requires strict adherence and practice of acupuncture almost daily, if not just regularly in an attempt to foster preventive care within the body.

Question 3: Why Did Acupuncture Originate?

There are many theories as to the reason of when acupuncture originated and how it came to be in the United States, among many other countries, but not many discussions shed light on the matter of why this therapy came to be. Most likely, however, the absence of any types of medications in the ancient Chinese civilizations brought about a yearning for a medical therapy that would work for almost any disease, illness, or ailment that humans felt. Even though this therapy is not scientifically based, there is still much to be learned from the therapy that Chinese cultures have relied heavily upon for so many years.

These are just some of the questions and mysteries surrounding the practice of acupuncture. There are plenty of acupuncture professional therapists around the world, especially in the Chinese culture, which will also help answer any other questions that one may have. In the end, though, it comes down to the real benefit of acupuncture which should lead people to their trust in this therapy that has come all the way around the world!

Acupuncture Weight Loss Help

If you enjoy acupuncture weight loss may be one of the benefits you can receive from this treatment. Many of today’s top acupuncture professionals will tell you that you can achieve improved health in many ways by using acupuncture. Weight loss may not be the only benefit to you, of course, but for those that want to lose some weight and have struggled to do so in other ways, this may be an option available to them.

One of the most important things to remember about acupuncture is that it will work in conjunction to other treatments. When it comes to acupuncture, weight loss is more effective when the acupuncture treatments are done alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise. You will need to improve your diet by eating healthy foods including less saturated fat, whole grains and more vegetables. Compliment your treatment with a good exercise regimen that encourages you to work out at least 20 minutes per day.

With that said, you may be wondering what it will do to help you to drop the pounds. In acupuncture, weight loss is achieved through healthy diet and exercise, but is helped by the acupuncture process itself. It will help by increasing your resilience. It also is an effective way to manage food cravings. More so, acupuncture will also help your body to respond better to the improved diet you are giving it. In other words, acupuncture helps make diet and exercise more effective.

How can you effectively lose weight then with acupuncture? Here are some guidelines to follow.

• Improve your diet by removing saturated fats from it. Replace them with healthier fats.
• Eat less red meat and more lean meats including fish. This will improve your overall diet considerably.
• Go outside for a walk each day. Then, increase this to a run each day. Improving the amount of exercise you get each day will help you to lose weight considerably.
• Improve your overall health by cutting calories. Eat foods that are lower in calories. Also, reduce your portion sizes, which also will help you to lose weight.

Doing these things will help you to lose weight. When you add in acupuncture, weight loss is more effective. See your acupuncturist as often as they recommend. Talk to them about your goals of losing weight through this method. Many will provide you with recommendations on how to accomplish this goal. Most importantly, work at it step by step so that you can see improvements as you go. With acupuncture, weight loss is more effective and long lasting.

The Basics of Acupuncture

There are many people who are either fascinated with ancient medicine methods, alternative therapies, or even those who want to learn about other cultures. In addition, non-western medicine approaches and other techniques are also a major interest to many people. Fortunately, acupuncture therapy falls under all of these categories and there is much to be learned from this ancient medicinal technique. The ancient Chinese civilizations started using acupuncture when there was any physical or mental ailment that needed to be cured. There are all sorts of reasons why this ancient method was also moved from the Middle East where it originated, but a whole plethora of countries have definitely benefited from it.

Nevertheless, there will always be those people who are fascinated with the basics and fundamentals of acupuncture. In reality, acupuncture truly is an amazing therapy. For starters, acupuncture isn’t like any other therapy because it doesn’t involve anything that any other traditional Western therapies involve. For example, some traditional Western therapies involve focusing on an individuals interactions with the environment and other people; however, acupuncture deals with the person and the body itself, including bringing the state of the body back to equilibrium where it belongs.

What Does Acupuncture Believe?

Just as there are a great number (and growing, too!) of people who are fascinated with what acupuncture is, those people are the same individuals that need to realize that acupuncture is truly a belief system. In other words, acupuncture just simply isn’t a therapy technique that requires a person to undergo needles in their skin and that’s it. On the contrary, acupuncture is a whole belief system that entails beliefs about the body and the whole healing process.

For starters when it comes to acupuncture, the Chinese believed that there was one basic source in the body that was responsible for the whole body’s energy source. This energy source is called the Chi, and this spot in the body is also responsible for any type of pain that is felt. Knowing all this, however, enables a person to also know that in order to stop pain from being felt then those spots on the bodies must be removed. Thankfully, the Chinese culture figured out that their were pathways that run along the Chi line. In order to combat any number of illnesses and diseases one has to undergo the process of having needles placed in the skin in order for those pressure points on the body to help the process of healing.

The Science of Acupuncture

Even though acupuncture is not an exact science, more doctors and alternative therapy practitioners in the West are using acupuncture as a reference point and study guide to look at the practices of alternative therapies in a different light. Perhaps the reason that traditional Western medicine doesn’t embrace acupuncture as much as the Chinese does is because there are no hard facts to go off of. But those who don’t practice it also don’t realize what they’re missing out on. When it comes right down to it, thought, acupuncture is not only amazing, but it’s also a therapy that everyone should be grateful for!

Acupuncture And The Body

How many acupuncture ‘entry points’ are there on the human body?

There are approximately 360 acupuncture points on the body. There are other extra points that exist as well, so at last count no one is quite sure how many acupuncture points. But traditionally speaking, somewhere between 300 and 400 classically described acupuncture points. These points are located literally all over the body. There are points on the scalp, There are points on the head, there are points on the chest, abdomen, extremities. So from head to toe these points exist.
What are ‘endorphins’?

Endorphins are chemicals that are produced by our own bodies that help do a lot of positive things for us. Primarily they help in controlling pain. For instance, when we exercise a lot, when we’re running long distances, that can trigger a lot of muscle related pain. And what helps to get through that pain is the endorphins throughout our body. So endorphins are pain-killing chemicals that our own bodies produce. The other things that endorphins can do is also elevate our moods. Endorphins are feel-good hormones so people with a lot of endorphins usually have an elation of positive feeling, maybe more energy as well.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture And The Body

What is ’serotonin’?

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is part of our natural being. We all have serotonin floating around. Its primarily thought of as a neurotransmitter, meaning that its a chemical involved in our nervous system and in our brain. Of the many chemicals that we think controls our mood serotonin is one of the major things to determine whether we’re anxious or depressed or felling normal.
How does acupuncture affect endorphins?

Acupuncture is used to treat not only pain but mood issues as well. And we think that it has this effect by boosting endorphins in our bodies. So, similar to the high that you get when you have a good aerobic workout, acupuncture can give you that same elation, that pickup, as well as the pain modulation effects that endorphins normally give.
How does acupuncture affect serotonin?

Acupuncture boosts serotonin levels throughout the body. As a result, it’s often used to treat mood issues such as anxiety or depression, also, to elevate energy levels throughout the body.
What is ‘cholecystikinin CCK’?

Cholecystikinin, which is known as CCK for short, is sort of the opposite hormone or chemical that is produced by the body to balance out endorphins. So, whereas endorphins help to lift our mood and control pain, CCK tends to neutralize those effects. It’s thought that acupuncture causes a shift in the balance between endorphins and CCKs, in favor of the endorphins, so that we have a net beneficial effect of having better mood and pain control.

What neurological disorders are helped by acupuncture treatments?

There are may neurological disorders that can be helped by acupuncture. The major one that is also endorsed, for instance, by the National Institutes of Health for Acupuncture Use are headaches — migraine headaches, tension headaches, cluster headaches — generally acupuncture is good for all types of headaches. And it can almost have immediate effect. And it’s also very good for preventing recurrent headaches, for people who are chronic sufferers of headaches. It can also be helpful, in terms of, neural degenerative disorders. These are disorders, where the nerves stop functioning. Again, one of the ways to try to stimulate nerve function is to insert a needle, into that nerve area to try to wake it back up. If that’s not strong enough, we can also use electrical stimulation. Other neurological conditions that acupuncture can help treat include: stroke rehabilitation and when there’s been damage following a stroke. It can also be helpful for things such as tremors.
What respiratory disorders are helped by acupuncture treatments?

Respiratory conditions that acupuncture can help treat include things such as asthma. In fact, for asthma, the studies are so convincing that the national institutes of health recommends acupuncture for use in treatment. Can also help for something as common as the common cold, bronchitises, things such as that.

Can acupuncture be used to treat ‘addiction’?

Acupuncture can be very helpful for addiction issues, such as smoking cessation, such as food addiction, and certainly drug withdrawal. In fact, its origins in use for addictions goes back to China, where they were trying to treat opium addicts. Acupuncture was adopted here in the United States back in the 1970s in a local drug rehab program in New York. And since then, it’s been shown to be helpful in curbing cravings. And as such, we’ve now applied it for tobacco as well as food.
What gastrointestinal disorders are helped by acupuncture treatments?

There are several studies that show that insertion of acupuncture needles into specific digestive-oriented points can do many things to the body, including decreasing stomach acidity as well as promoting smooth contraction of our bowels.

What muscle-skeletal disorders are helped by acupuncture treatments?

Muscular-skeletal issues are probable one of the most common things that acupuncture is used to treat, because it has such great effects on modulating pain, on reducing pain. So, for instance, conditions such as myofascial pain syndrome, which is a fancy word to describe severe muscle tension and knots all over the body in the neck, upper back, low back. Great therapy is acupuncture for the treatment of these conditions. In fact, it’s NIH-endorsed.The other muscular-skeletal conditions that acupuncture is wonderful for are things such as tendonitis, strains, inflammation of the bursum, any of these inflammatory conditions. Finally, the other thing that studies have shown that acupuncture is very strong for is the treatment of osteoarthritis, which is the inflammation that we get when we overuse our joints or as we age.

Is acupuncture a suitable treatment for pain management?

Acupuncture is a great pain management therapy. It has so many effects on pain controlling chemicals in our body. It helps to stimulate endorphins, dynorphins and kefalins, our own indigenous opioids, which are natural pain killing hormones. Acupuncture helps to stimulate anti-inflammatory chemicals in our body. So it can be used for the vast majority of pain conditions including nerve related pain, muscle related pain, inflammation related pain, as well as conditions such as fibromyalgia which is thought to be an imbalance in neurotransmitters and causes hypersensitivity to pain.

Can acupuncture be used in conjunction with western medicine?

Acupuncture can be used very safely and effectively with conventional therapy. For instance, with medications that generally have side affects we use a goal to try to take our patients off medications or try to decrease the dose so they suffer less from the side effects. The nice thing about acupuncture is, generally speaking, it doesn’t interact with these medications and it works through mechanisms and pathways that can help us to control the symptoms and to heal the body, and in doing so decrease the requirements that someone needs for medications.

Can acupuncture be used in conjunction with cancer treatment?

Acupuncture is actually a very nice therapy to be used in cancer patients for a variety of reasons. The first reason is most chemotherapy and radiation therapies can trigger nausea in patients and studies have found time and time again that acupuncture can help alleviate vomiting and nausea rates in patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. In fact, this is probably the strongest reason why the National Institute of Health recommends acupuncture use. The other thing too with acupuncture is that again it doesn’t interfere with or interact with the chemotherapeutic agents. So in patients who are already on a lot of medications, which is the case in most cancer therapies, we really want to minimize yet another medication to control some of the symptoms that really weigh in on cancer patients such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue and pain.

Understanding Acupuncture Points

Before you begin any acupuncture, you need to know the location of acupuncture points and understand the functions they serve. In short, acupuncture points or acupoints as they are also called are body locations that are the focus of acupuncture treatments. You will find several hundred acupuncture points within connected points across the body. These areas are called meridian and affect specific organs or other parts of the human body. In addition you will find many other areas that include points not connected to any specific meridian. The majority of current research into locations of acupuncture points is being conducted in China using methods based on theory that existed before any scientific methods were developed. These theories have been criticized because of their lack of scientifically based thought processes.

The theory behind choosing acupuncture points may be confusing to those who are new to the treatment because of the fact these acupoints may not be in the area where the symptoms are occurring. The theory within Traditional Chinese medicine is to choose points through stimulation of the meridian system in order to bring relief. This requires balancing yin, yang and qi, a theory that does not exist within traditional Western medicine. The location of acupuncture points is based upon anatomical landmarks that the practitioner can touch or feel. The World Health Organization recognizes almost 400 basic acupoints; however, many of these are rarely used while others are of more value in treating health conditions.

Whether scientifically proven in theory or not, acupuncture points are used in the administration of acupuncture and have been for thousands of years. Similarities in the thinking of scientists exist in much the same way they discount natural health remedies. Treatments our grandparents and great grandparents used for years with great success are not dismissed by medical science because it can not be scientifically proven. The fact that modern medicine is now beginning to see the use of chicken soup as having medical benefits shows how ineffective scientific theory can be. Such may be the case with TCM at some point in the future.

Those who choose to try acupuncture should first understand the theory behind using acupuncture points in order to have a clearer understanding of the procedure. Going to an acupuncture practitioner without having knowledge of the process and theory behind it would be like going to a surgeon and not knowing what is going to happen in the operating room. You need to understand why the practitioner has chosen the specific acupuncture points for your treatment and what you should expect after the treatment is complete. Conduct some research and ask some questions before you agree to any treatment invoked within the field of alternative medicine.

Introduction to Acupuncture

Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine and is acclaimed as one of the oldest forms of healing throughout the world. The concept that lies underneath acupuncture is the belief that a disruption in the flow of qi and imbalances within the forces of both yin and yang cause disease. Using a combination of herbs, meditation, massage and acupuncture are believed to restore the balance of yin-hang and the flow of qi and thus aid the healing process. The process of acupuncture involves stimulating specific points in the body in order to remove blockages in the flow of qi and thus restore and maintain health. In the United States acupuncture falls into the area of alternative medicine, which means it is not accepted as part of conventional medicine.

Although acupuncture is not part of traditional medicine, there are several points that we have to consider about this procedure:

• The Chinese and other Asian people have used the procedure for thousands of years.

• Scientists are currently studying the effectiveness of the procedure for treating many different conditions.

• Very few complications are known as a result of acupuncture although there can be serious side effects if the procedure is not performed by someone qualified to perform the procedure.

Although the procedure has been in existence in China and other Asian countries for many years, it has only been in use in the United States since 1971. Since it was first introduced, many people have chosen to use acupuncture for many different conditions including post-surgical pain, arthritis, chronic pain, and even migraines. Some people cringe at the thought of needles being injected into their skin while others swear by the benefits of acupuncture. Many people who cringed at the thought in the beginning chose to try it after all traditional medical procedures failed.

There is no need to be afraid of acupuncture as long as you visit a qualified practitioner. In the United States, the FDA has regulations for the use of the needles up to and including the requirement for one time use. The problems develop when a provider does not follow proper safety procedures or a patient chooses to visit someone who is not a qualified practitioner. You would not visit a medical doctor who did not have the proper qualifications to care for you, so you should exercise the same precaution when choosing an acupuncturist.

By understanding the key concepts of the procedure and making certain you choose a competent practitioner, you will have a better understanding of acupuncture and will be able to make an informed decision regarding the benefits it may provide for you. Never choose a practitioner based upon the recommendation of anyone unless you conduct your own research first.