While once toted as experimental and vastly alternative medicine, acupuncture is increasingly making its way into mainstream healing. But what exactly is acupuncture, what does it do and what can it heal?
Acupuncture derives from a 16th century Chinese medicinal practice. Not for the faint of heart, acupuncture involves stainless steel needles being inserted into your fourteen major "energy channels". The basic premise for this practice is that illness derives from an imbalance in one's energy. Stimulating these various channels will restore that balance and consequently your health. There is also a theory that by inserting these needles into "acu-points", it increases the release of pain blocking agents known as endorphins.
The most common question on every prospective patient's mind is almost always "Does it hurt?" One might feel a small prick when the needle is first inserted, but it will not be a large sensation of pain due to the extreme thinness of the needles. (It will hurt far less than an injection, for example.) After the needles have been inserted, one might also feel a sense of mild soreness, numbness or tingling in the muscles. Some forms of acupuncture involve twirling the needles. Another form couples the needles with electric energy. It is common to feel a tingling sensation when this type of acupuncture is utilized. However, as with any procedure, if you ever feel uncomfortable or in pain, inform your practitioner and treatments will be altered or stopped.
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective when dealing with chronic pain. Many people have cited acupuncture as aiding them with headache pain, menstrual related pain such as cramps or generally persistent muscle aches (located anywhere from the neck to the back to the shoulders). There have even been documented cases where acupuncture has assisted in breaking extremely powerful addictions such as seen with nicotine.
As successful as this technique has been found to be, there is a risk in assuming it is a kind of cure-all. Has acupuncture been found to improve the health of some people? Quite frankly, yes, but a patient should never assume it's a miracle. For instance, some people use acupuncture to treat the pain associated with cancer. There has even been some success on this front, but that is when acupuncture is coupled with other more "traditional" methods of cancer treatment such as surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy.
Another common question and concern with acupuncture is the issue of safety. So long as the entirety of the procedure is performed in a sterile location with a licensed practitioner, the incident rate and list of complications are minimal. However, as with any medical procedure, it should never be entered into without some thought and consideration. If you are considering acupuncture, consult your doctor. He/she can further explain the details and can probably even recommend a knowledgeable and competent practitioner.
The major benefit of acupuncture is that it is completely drug-free. Many painkillers that people would normally use are extremely habit-forming, meaning it is easy to become addicted. For this reason, it may be necessary to keep upping the amount of medication needed to get the desired result. None of these issues are present with acupuncture. As it breaks further and further into the medical community's good graces, it is even becoming more commonly covered by major insurance companies and thus more immediately affordable.
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