Acupuncture therapy is a 3000 years old Chinese medical practice or a healing technique which comes under the Traditional Chinese Medicine. In the year 1997, the United States Institutes of Health (NIH), documented and verily verified the safety of acupuncture for changing large variety of medical conditions. Here we discuss about what acupuncture is and how does acupuncture therapy work?
Now backed by recent researches and claims that acupuncture therapy does help the body in getting over from pain and nausea to great extent.
About Acupuncture
People often wonder about what acupuncture is and are also unware about the way in which acupuncture therapy works. Acupuncture is a medical practice which involves stimulating certain points in the body with the use of needles which penetrate into the skin. This stimulates and provokes responses from peculiar points of the body for self-healing. In a way, these needles try to activate the self-healing mechanism of the body which alleviates pain in human body.
Acupuncture is a well-known alternative therapy, more popular for its healing abilities. Acupuncture therapy is known to work with effective results for many ailments including chronic conditions. It has been found that people suffering from intense unbearable pain are said to get tremendous relief from these therapies. It helps the body in getting over various types of chronic unbearable pains.
How Does Acupuncture Therapy Work?
The acupuncture therapy is a science in itself. How acupuncture therapy works is by improving the function of the body and starts promoting the self-healing process by actually stimulating the specific acupuncture points in the body. In fact, the main and primary goal of acupuncture is self-healing. So, to stimulate the healing point of the body, needles are penetrated into the skin. However, it`s painless procedure and the patient would go through the entire therapy with ease.
This whole therapy of acupuncture is based on the Traditional Chinese Medicine therapy which is based on the ancient Chinese philosophy, which describes the universe and the human body in terms of two opposite forces against each other. These two forces are called as “yin” and “yang.” It is believed that when these two forces are in line and in balance, the body always remains healthy. Energy in the human body which is referred to as “qi” flows down through specific paths throughout. These paths are called as meridians. This constant flow of energy in the body keeps the two forces yin and yang normal. And if this flow of energy in the body gets hindered, or is blocked, it would produce pain and illness. Acupuncture therapy mainly works on this principle.
The specific way in which the acupuncture therapy works according to the Chinese therapy logic is that, it unblocks this blocked energy in the body by evoking the body`s natural healing response. Modern research too has shown various healing scintillating effects of acupuncture on the nervous, endocrine and the digestive system of the body. By stimulating various systems of the body, acupuncture helps in reducing the pain and improving the sleep, digestive function and the sense of well being.
What are the Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy?
Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Chronic Pain
In a study conducted in the year 2012, it was found that acupuncture therapy works quite effectively in the treatment of four chronic medical conditions:
- Back and neck pain.
- Osteoarthritis.
- Chronic headache.
- Shoulder Pain.
Even the National Institute of Health calls it one of the most rigorous evidences till date that Acupuncture was immensely effective in treatment of these four chronic pains in the body. In fact, it is one of the best drug-free approach towards these medical conditions, which involve prescription of some powerful drugs like codeine, morphine, OxyContin, Vicodin etc. Doctors too now believe that if the people start showing perseverance and faith with this therapy, it would be one of the best alternatives for replacing the powerful pain killer drugs, about which the entire world is talking about.
Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Nausea and Vomiting
Many cancer patients go for acupuncture treatment in addition to other procedural treatment methods like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Acupuncture therapy works to get rid of nausea and vomiting, specifically during these treatment methods. Acupuncture therapy is believed to be an effective pain option for such cases and works very well.
Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Menstrual Cramps
Acupuncture therapy works well for women experiencing painful menstrual cramps or dysmenorrhea. It gives them considerable relief from the painful episodes. Though the research in this regard is very limited, yet it does provide relief in menstrual cramps.
Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy for Fertility Treatment
Women who are shedding huge bucks on fertility treatments trying hard to get pregnant, acupuncture therapy may work well for them too. It enhances the success rates in the treatment options like in vitro fertilization. Some studies claim that acupuncture can help women in getting pregnant by:
- Alleviating the anxiety and stress, which is felt by those getting the fertility treatment.
- Regulating the flow of blood to the uterus.
Conclusion
There is a lot of truth left to be unearthed in respect to acupuncture therapy. Scientists feel the need for more research into this subject to clearly understand how acupuncture therapy works. Questions like how it affects the blood flow? How it activates the self-healing process in the body? How does it manage depression? How it boosts the painkilling ability of the body? Still hover in the minds of scientists and they are working to find the answers.
Nevertheless, acupuncture therapy works well for most conditions discussed here. People can seek appropriate acupuncture therapy for a trained expert and seek medical advice, as required.
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