Acupuncture Course - Sign Me Up

Having the ability to treat suffering individuals for chronic illness or simply relieving them from stress with the proper touch of your hands is a gift that few posses. However, acupuncture is one such healing method that with proper training, anyone can learn to relieve others from pain and suffering.

Acupuncture - What Is It
China is the birthplace of acupuncture as well as many of the natural healing methods available today. Acupuncture is believed to have been practiced for more than 2000 years and in the past, was taught predominantly through observation. No wide-spread structured classes were taught because it was believed that only a privileged few were worthy enough to hold the knowledge behind the healing powers of acupuncture.

Acupuncture works through stimulation and/or relaxation of the nerves in order to obtain the desired results. The nerves are stimulated through the use of extremely long fine, yet strong needle, when in the right hands works wonders at stimulating the body to attack any disease and to heal itself.

Modern Acupuncture
Due to the fact that acupuncture has shown that it can heal both chronic and superficial disease, interest has continued to grow not only in being treated by those suffering from illness and pain but in getting trained as an acupuncturist. As a result, many schools have been founded where acupuncture is being both practiced and taught. These acupuncturist schools will train you to become a therapist and so you can start healing people.

In addition to acupuncturist schools many acupuncture clinics have established classes for wannabe therapists. Most medium sized cities will have some type of school or clinic that offers training.

For those who already possess a medical background acupuncture courses / training / degrees are usually two years in length but for those who don't the training is normally longer. Acupuncture courses can be found in the traditional classroom as well as online. However, you still need to ensure you practice at a center recommended by your academy, which has been certified to practice acupuncture.

Why Acupuncture
Obviously the reasons to enter into the field of acupuncture and natural healing are unique for each individual but in essence once you've mastered the art and techniques of this ancient method you'll be able to heal others with the proper touch of your hands without surgery or drugs - you'll be a doctor without the school loans the bureaucracy of hospitals.

Because acupuncture is natural you treat patients without the fear of side effects. An acupuncturist has the ability to combine the best of a modern acupuncture clinic with ancient traditional Chinese medicine.

Brian Winkels

Acupuncture Vs Fibromyalgia

Acupuncture is another alternative treatment, like cupping therapy, which has been effectively used to provide some fibromyalgia patients relief from painful symptoms. However, unlike cupping therapy that has been adapted from traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is traditional Chinese medicine.

What is acupuncture? Acupuncture has existed for more than three thousand years and originated in China. It is an ancient Chinese practice that has been used throughout time for treating painful symptoms that occur from a variety of health ailments. Its purpose is to improve the overall functioning of the body by restoring balance to the body’s natural life force known as “chi”.

Chi flows through 14 meridians (unseen channels within the body), and each meridian is connected to various trigger points (known as acupoints) throughout the body. Thus, everything is interconnected, which means when specific acupoints related to the health problem are stimulated, this helps to bring balance to the body as a whole.

How is it performed? Acupuncture is a treatment that involves inserting short, solid hair-thin needles into specific acupoints on the body. There are numerous acupoints located all over the body. The ones that are focused on during a session are related to the health problem suffered by the patient.

Usually, before an acupuncture session begins, the acupuncture therapist with ask a fibromyalgia sufferer specific question related to the symptoms they experience, and if there are any other treatments they are currently using. The therapist will then check the pulse and the texture and color of the tongue in order to determine which acupoints should be targeted. A therapist may target as many as 15 acupoints in one session.

Once the acupoints are decided, the needles will then be inserted. The insertion of the needles is not and should not be a painful experience. Many people describe it as a slight pinch or a dull ache or tingling feeling in the affected area. Needles are usually left in the body for 20 minutes.

After the session, some people find they are totally relaxed, their limbs feel heavy, or that they are energized. However, bear in mind that everyone responds differently to treatment.

Are there any side effects? Some individuals experience side effects such as fainting, fatigue, headache and nausea, but this is extremely rare and usually only occurs in those suffering from complications, and when treatment is performed by someone who is not qualified. However, it’s a good idea to talk to you doctor about acupuncture treatment before perusing it.

How does acupuncture benefit fibromyalgia? Medical studies have found that acupuncture is quite successful at relieving fibromyalgia symptoms for up to one month after treatment. The symptoms it effectively relieves include:

• Decreases and relieves pain
• Reduces feelings of depression
• Increases energy and reduces fatigue

It is believed that acupuncture needles help to increase blood flow in fibromyalgia sufferers, and the increase in circulation helps decrease the number of sensitive points and improve overall muscle health. It is also believed by Western medicine that the reason acupuncture is so successful at reducing and relieving pain is because it increases the level of endorphins (natural painkillers in the body) and may block pain impulses to the brain.

How can you find an acupuncture therapist? Ask your…

• Health care provider
• Physical therapist
• Neurologist
• Hospital
• Fibromyalgia support group

You can also do an online search using the keywords “acupuncture” or “acupuncture therapy” and your city name.

Make sure you receive acupuncture therapy form a qualified and experienced acupuncture therapist. If a therapist does not have a license find out their educational background and how long they have been practicing acupuncture. It also doesn’t hurt to ask for referrals. Remember, acupuncture can be painful, cause bleeding, organ puncture, and lead to side effects if not performed correctly.

Jane Thompson

Ibs And Acupuncture

Acupuncture is becoming one of the more popular alternative and complimentary therapies used by IBS sufferers to help alleviate symptoms. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that is designed to restore health by improving and bringing balance to qi - the body’s natural energy flow. Acupuncture works to restore the proper function of organs, muscles, glands, nerves and vessels.

How can acupuncture improve IBS symptoms? Acupuncture is recognized as being an effective therapy for treating the following conditions which are often symptoms of IBS:

• Muscle cramps
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea

In addition, acupuncture effectively reduces stress and other negative issues that often cause IBS symptoms to occur. Some of these include:

• Nervousness
• Anxiety
• Insomnia
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
• Menstrual cramps

As was previously mentioned, acupuncture is based on improving and brining balance to qi that flows through all of the 14 unseen channels in the body known as meridians. A person with IBS usually has a deficiency of qi in the spleen, lung, liver, kidney and large intestine meridians, so these are the areas that will likely be targeted during an acupuncture session. That being said, you need to understand that each person is treated differently depending on where their discomfort is located.

In order to help improve the qi flow within the targeted meridians, tiny, solid, disposable needles are individually inserted into specific acupoints within the body. How deep the needles are inserted depends on the thickness of the muscle. Acupoints (trigger points), are precise points of the body where the meridians surface has deeply penetrated into the tissues and organs.

The insertion of the needle is usually painless and is a sensation often described as a mosquito bite. Most people only feel a slight achy or numbing feeling in the targeted area.

After the needle has been inserted, they may be twirled or connected to an electrical current to help stimulate the targeted meridian. Needles may be left in between 20 – 60 minutes. All sensations that are experienced during an acupuncture session disappear with the removal of the needles.

Aside from acupuncture needles, another popular technique that acupuncturists use for IBS is moxibustion. This is a method in which mugwort herb is burned over precise acupoints. Moxibustion is used because it is believed to penetrate deeper into the body than the needles.

Although Chinese medicine believes that acupuncture is successful at relieving symptoms due to reestablishing balance to qi, Western medicine believe that acupuncture treatment causes inflammation in the body, which causes it to release natural pain killing hormones - endorphins. Despite what the actual truth may be, it is clear that for many IBS sufferers, acupuncture has provided them relief from abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, constipation and diarrhea.

Acupuncture is a safe alternative treatment for most people, but you should discuss acupuncture treatment with your doctor first before engaging in the therapy. You should also know that it often takes several acupuncture sessions before a person begins to feel relief from their symptoms. Finally, make sure you seek treatment from a qualified and experienced acupuncturist.

Susan Reynolds