Acupuncture is a popular alternative form of medicine that originated from the Chinese tradition of inserting thin needles into the body. The word came from the Latin word “acu”, which means “with a needle, and the English word “puncture.” In this practice, the thin needles are pricked on the skin or body tissues to help alleviate pains and emotional conditions.
But is it truly effective? Does acupuncture help cure illnesses and other health disorders, or is it a form of “quackery”, as some call it. To help you learn more this method, below are seven benefits of getting acupuncture:
1. Reduces Pain
The World Health Organization has a list of symptoms and conditions that are proven to be treated by acupuncture. The list includes 31 diseases, most of which are pain-related like on the lower back, neck pain, knee, face, and dental pain. It is also known to help someone recover from an injury and post-surgery faster. Some patients receive acupuncture for pain management without the use of any drugs or medicines.
Acupuncturists like TCM Centre explain that this method helps release endorphins and enkephalins. These are pain-moderating chemicals within our bodies. The needles stimulate the body to release these natural anti-inflammatory components to lower pain and promote faster healing.
2. Makes You Feel More Relaxed
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle, most people are often stressed-out with work, people, events, and many other things. Feeling stressed out all the time does not benefit anyone. Many people who feel the daily stress in life get acupuncture to relieve them from stressful situations.
Most people who have received acupuncture said that they felt more relaxed and calm during and after each session. Some studies looked into the use of acupuncture to cure depression and even drug addiction. A research conducted by Sean Grand, et al., and published in 2017, found out that acupuncture might help with some side effects of posttraumatic traumatic disorder (PTSD).
3. Improves Mood
People who are suffering from anxiety and mood swings often take medications to control these mood disorders. But for those who opt not to take any form of drugs may prefer getting acupuncture instead.
Scientists explain that acupuncture stimulates the nerve that sends signals to our brain to release hormones. It eventually makes a person feel euphoric or happy, thus making any negative disposition much better.
Acupuncture is a safe way of treating mood swings and managing anxiety. Plus, you can get acupuncture and still take medications at the same time. It has no known ill side-effects when taken with any supplements.
4. Reduces Nausea and Vomiting
Many cancer patients rely on acupuncture after getting chemotherapy. It reduces their nausea and vomiting after radiation treatment or taking in medications that induce queasiness. Doctors give consent to the practice of acupuncture for their cancer patients to help them lessen the pain, dizziness, and vomiting.
Some people try acupuncture to relieve tension headaches and migraines. They say that acupuncture helps lessen the occurrence and severity of these headaches.
5. Improves Sleep
A lot of people nowadays have insomnia. Lack of sleep affects the ability of a person to make sound decisions and function correctly during the daytime. It also has adverse effects on a person’s health. Many insomniacs take sleeping pills to get to sleep. However, these pills have side-effects.
An alternative solution to fight insomnia is acupuncture. It is safe, effective, and without any side-effects. In the traditional Chinese beliefs, acupuncture is said to stimulate acupressure points on the skin that triggers the proper flow of energy or “qi” in our body. This adequate flow of energy relaxes all our muscles, helping it get to sleep faster and better.
6. Helps Reduce Weight
One of the leading health problems in the world today is obesity, even among children. Health practitioners have been searching to find answers on how to fight this.
Acupuncture, when combined with healthy food intake and the right amount of exercise, can help people lose weight easier and faster. There are safe acupuncture weight loss sessions that can help people achieve their ideal body weight. Proper acupuncture treatment can help people refrain from excessive eating. You can use this method, together with your health regimen, to shed off excess pounds quicker.
7. Promotes Health and Wellness
Acupuncture has been resorted to by people to treat their addiction, phobias, anxiety, eat and sleep disorder, and many other health-related problems. The nice thing about it is that acupuncture does not impede any medication or medical treatment.
Acupuncture is said to help regulate the body energy we have within that strengthens our immune system. It prevents us from getting colds, coughs, allergies, and flu easily. It also stimulates the release of pathogens that can speed up the recovery of our body from illnesses. Acupuncture can help regulate our digestive system resulting in better digestion. It treats constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel conditions.
A lot of people nowadays turn to acupuncture, especially when conventional medicines do not work for them. Though acupuncture is a safe and effective way to treat health problems, prevention is still the key to staying healthy. We must observe proper diet and exercise regularly.
