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As an advocate of most things alternative, I’d always recommend seeking out holistic solutions, as the first port of call when feeling out of balance…..and certainly always before resorting to the taking of drugs or undergoing any form of surgery.
For me, acupuncture has proved to be a popular alternative to conventional medical treatments and, finally, after 20 of years of extensive research, you may wish to know that the World Health Organisation (WHO) also concurs! Publishing its report back in 2013, asserting the effectiveness of this alternative treatment for a wide range of medical conditions, I’m pleased to be able to share with you some of its findings.
Depending on the extent of your fear of sharp objects (something that I’d be more than happy to cover on another occasion!), acupuncture has proven itself to be an ideal form of alternative medicine. As you may already know, it involves inserting extremely thin, flexible stainless-steel needles into the skin at specific points along certain meridian or energy lines.
It is mostly used for reducing pain and other related health problems. Most people seek it out for the treatment of musculoskeletal problems, and different techniques determine the duration and placement of these ultra-thin needles.
The practice originated from China and has been in existence for thousands of years. As an ancient treatment for internal medical conditions, it has been proving extremely popular for the analgesic effects on chronic back pain, it has reduced feelings of nausea from chemotherapy treatment, and has even proved successful in treating rheumatoid arthritis. Western practices tend to follow the Chinese tradition, whereas Japan, Korea and Thailand have their own variations to the treatment.
How does it work?
Regardless of the country of origin, they all share the common process of inserting needles along specific lines of energy or chi/qi. Generally, acupuncture promotes natural self-healing processes by stimulating specific sites on the body. The most common method is the insertion of thin, sterile needles into the skin. To start the treatment, you lie on a table while specific acupoints are stimulated on different areas of your body. Six to eight needles are usually required in any typical session, although up to 10 needles may be used when two or more symptoms are being treated.
Acupuncture needles are usually within 0.00254 and 0.00325 inches in diameter, i.e. the width of a strand of hair. Most people experience little or no pain during the insertion of the needles. These needles are placed in strategic points on the body that correspond to a specific medical condition. Other factors like pressure, electrical stimulation or heat can also enhance the effectiveness of treatment.
In traditional Chinese Acupuncture, ultra-thin, sterile needles are used to release the clogged-up energy responsible for a particular ailment. Needles are kept in the body between 5 – 30 minutes, depending on the type of medical condition being treated. Most people feel relief immediately after treatment, while some may require additional visits to the acupuncturist.
Benefits of treatment
Acupuncture is one of the most sought-after alternative medicines. In bio-chemical terms, it involves the stimulation of the nerve endings to provide relief from a variety of health conditions.
Reduces chronic pain
This is probably one of the most popular and celebrated benefits. The impact on pain has been validated by various researchers. For example, a recent study from the Archive of Internal Medicine shows that it reduces different types of body pain by 15%. It is primarily used to treat chronic pain resulting from poor body posture, diet and sleep.
Relieves migraines
Although the exact mechanism to prevent these conditions is not fully understood, acupuncture treatments have shown significant success in relieving and reducing the frequency of headaches and migraines. Treatments of the face, hand and scalp have always produced great results and there’s also a lower risk of side effects from acupuncture than strong migraine drugs.
Reduces nausea & vomiting
There is strong evidence to back up the fact that acupuncture is effective against nausea and vomiting. There is an acupoint on the underside of the hand that’s responsible for this effect. You should know that acupuncture is preferable to antiemetic drugs as it doesn’t change the body’s chemistry. It has been shown to delay the impact of nausea before a patient undergoes chemotherapy treatment on any particular day.
Treats anxiety
Acupuncture treatments have profound effects on different types of anxiety, from anxiety neurosis and generalised anxiety to perioperative anxiety. Although the exact mechanism of how it treats anxiety is unknown, clinical trials show a corresponding reduction in anxiety following treatment. Furthermore, the dosage of anti-anxiety drugs is often reduced when combined with acupuncture.
Treats insomnia
Insomnia is a common disorder in today’s society, primarily caused by work-related and social media pressures. Acupuncture offers an excellent way to let go of our accumulated stress, so reducing the frequency of insomnia. Recent studies revealed that it stimulates the production of nocturnal melatonin responsible for good quality sleep, and with regular treatments over a course of five weeks, it significantly reduced the incidence of insomnia in the test group.
Safety concerns & contra-indications
Acupuncture is, quite obviously, considered to be an invasive procedure, since the needles used in treatment penetrate the skin. Therefore, there are risks of complications, especially if not performed by a professional acupuncturist. Safety concerns include the following:
Risk of injury
There could be a slight chance of injury to important nerves and other structures. As an invasive procedure, there is a risk of bleeding and injury. However, this is extremely rare with a professional acupuncturist. To overcome the risks of this invasive procedure, you could consider the Japanese style of acupuncture, which involves bringing the needle in contact with the skin, but without breaking through – be mindful, though, with this re-useable approach, of the chances of infection through contaminated or re-used needles!
Risk to pregnancy
Studies have revealed that certain acupuncture points can cause harm to the unborn foetus and could lead to the termination of a pregnancy. As when considering all things in-vitro, please take extra care of yourselves while pregnant – even the stresses and strains of everyday life can be enough to cause untold damage to the womb!
…..and to conclude
For centuries, ancient Chinese civilisations have harnessed a myriad of benefits from acupuncture for many different types of medical conditions. Besides its healing benefits, it is also much more affordable than other forms of private, medical treatment.
Finally, it may be stating the obvious, but here is the most important POINT of all: –
Please be sure that you’re being treated by a rigorously checked-out, highly experienced, accredited acupuncture professional, one who adopts only the highest standards of expertise, excellence and hygiene, and keeps YOUR healing needs foremost in their minds!