The first basic question many people have and must understand before continuing to journey into this field is exactly what is acupuncture & how can it benefit me? In this article I will explain the basics of what acupuncture is and what you can expect when getting treatments.

The basic principle behind acupuncture is using needles in strategic locations to adjust & optimize bodily functions. Modern practitioners as well as ancient China have used this technique to relieve many chronic diseases & common ailments. This is a safe and effective practice that can be used to improve healing, significantly reduce pain and just generally increase your overall health and well-being.

2 Types of Acupuncture

There are generally two categories of acupuncture practiced today, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Acupuncture. Both are effective and have merit but each individual must make a choice on which philosophy appeals to them more.

With traditional chinese medicine, the acupuncturist adheres to the concept of “Qi”(”chi”), energy flow and the meridians in the body which the energy flows. The needles are longer and inserted deeper to reach the points than medical acupuncture. This technique and philosophy has been practiced successfully for thousands of years.

Medical acupuncture is based strictly on science and anatomic data with the practitioners being graduates of western medical schools. The needles are shorter wand the insertion is not as deep as TCM. Most practitioners also do not use as many needles or leave them inserted for as long a time period. Most traditional practitioners feel that this is not real acupuncture but a watered down version. Still, there are many patients who would disagree with this because of the positive results & symptom relief aquired from this method.

Even though acupuncture can be used to treat a huge list of ailments from allergies to constipation, anxiety, asthma to weight loss the most common and well researched indications for acupuncture is the control of pain. This can be migraine headaches, arthritis, carpal tunnel & PMS to name a few. The theory behind the effectiveness of pain relief has been medically accepted, tested & proven. The name of this theory is the gate-control theory of pain which states that the nerves are stimulated by the needles thus blocking impulses from pain triggers.

These days acupuncture has become a widely accepted practice and has proven to be effective time after time all over the world & is now being accepted by many insurance companies which will also spread it’s use. This ancient healing art form will only continue to spread and bring relief to millions of people in the world.

Decided to add a little humor to the site with this video. This is a pretty funny commercial and it would definitely suck to be the patient in this one

Btw- I don’t think the acupuncture needles would actually do much damage since they are so thin. Would probably still hurt like hell though. Just hope I never get in this situation lol

In our modern society, it seems everyone is filled with lots of stress. Without a way to remove this stress from our systems, we are placing our bodies in danger from many stress-induced diseases & ailments including insomnia, headaches & severe mood swings.

Many people take over the counter pills to help relax and ease tension but these pills are also accompanied by negative side effects. You could also try getting some acupuncture treatments to help you manage your stress levels. There are many people who have used acupuncture successfully for this purpose.

How can sticking needles in me get rid of my stress?

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on having an understanding of the balance in our bodies and internal organs. The ailments we sometimes come down with are seen to be caused by the imbalances in our enviroment and lifestyles. Stress levels are also affected by having this imbalance thus when something is wrong with your body, you typically will have a more difficult time dealing with stress. You typically get more irritable and find yourself having a very hard time relaxing.

An acupuncturist stimulates nerves in our body by sticking small needles under the surface of the skin. The nerves then send signals to the brain which many believe that the brain then releases into our system it’s natural painkillers. What this does is create a immediate calming effect and feeling of relaxation in the individual.

Acupuncture treatments also improve the circulation in the body which helps by cleansing the internal organs which definitely leads to long term health nd well being.

A good session with a acupuncturist is very similar to massage therapy which can help give you a nice relaxing sleep that night. Many patients begin to immediately feel drowsy when the right nerves are stimulated by the needles. You might wonder how you would be able to relax with the pain from the needles being stuck in your body. Good news, acupuncture is virtually painless except for a slight tingling sensation where the needles are placed which is a good sign that the process is working as intended.

Acupuncture can help your body’s own natural ability to manage stress which will leave you feeling calm, happy & less stressed. More importantly, you will be healthier and your body will be stronger to help fight off illnesses & disease.

Introduction to how traditional chinese medicine works. Explains basic priciples such as yin & yang.

Taken from the documentary: “Traditional Chinese Medicine” available at FirstScience.tv

Traditional Chinese medicine, also known as TCM, includes a range of traditional medical practices originating in China. It is considered a Complementary or Alternative Medical system in much of the western world while remaining as a form of primary care throughout most of Asia.

Much of the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine derived from the same philosophical bases that Taoist and Buddhist philosophies are based on, and reflects the classical Chinese belief that the life and activity of individual human beings have an intimate relationship with the environment at all scales.

Acupuncture can be an effective treatment for migraine headaches. In most cases, it can even prevent migraines which dramatically improves quality of life.

To understand why acupuncture can help migraine sufferers, you must understand that in the field of traditional chinese medicine, it is believed that an imbalance in the flow of blood and energy is what causes things like headaches to occur.

For effective treatment, the acupuncturist must relieve tension by placing needles into the body to improve the blood flow to the brain which will in turn reduce the extreme pain that is experienced during a migraine.

The acupuncture needles help the body balance serotonin levels which affects blood vessels that play a role in migraines. The more frequent the patient receives these treatments the better. It sometimes may even reach a point where the specific point of contact is no longer needed but just the general stimulation itself.

The final result of these treatments for headaches is amazing. This has been proven time and again to be effective in reducing the agonizing pain of migraines. Another major benefit is it will allow the patient to dramatically reduce the amount of medication needed to control migraines and sometimes alleviate the need for medication entirely.

But the effectiveness of acupuncture does vary from one patient to another. Many factors will decide how each individual will respond to these treatments. The great part about acupuncture is that there are absolutely no side effects and the process is painless.

Acupuncture has been an accepted practice in the US for more than 25 years. Although tests have shown how extremely effective it is to treat chronic conditions such as these, more studies are always being done to see what other ailments it can be used for.

If you suffer from frequent migraine headaches, acupuncture is something you should look into further. Speak with your doctor as now there are many MD’s who have accepted the fact that alternative forms of medicine are a legitimate option for patients. You should also check if acupuncture is covered by your insurance company. Many insurance providers and HMOs these days will cover all or part of the expense but many times there are some restrictions so be sure to check what is covered by your individual policy.

You can also search online for specialists but make sure they are certified and recognized by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

We all want to be beautiful both inside & out. Our faces show our anxiety, emotions and stress which can take a toll on our appearance. So, we must take care of our faces and a great natural way to do this is by using painless small needles also known as facial acupuncture.

Facial acupuncture is a great technique that can renew your face and make you look younger by reducing lines on your skin as well as bags under the eyes. It will also improve you facial color. Another benefit of this procedure is that it can clear up pimples and acne for people who struggle with this.

How this works is that a acupuncturist will place small needles in strategic locations on the face, eyes & neck which will stimulate the natural energies in the body aka “chi”. This technique has been proven to combat the signs of aging.

One thing to mention is that if you are pregnant or suffering from a cold, the flu or having allergy issues it would be best to wait until you are feeling better before trying any type of acupuncture.

If you decide to try this, the first thing you will need to do is get evaluated by a acupuncturist. You will be asked several questions about your age, diet and overall lifestyle. If it is decided that you are a good candidate, then you will be scheduled for about 10-15 treatments. After these initial treatments more could be scheduled depending on how you respond and the condition of your skin.

These sessions will last about an hour and a standard schedule is usually twice a week or one 90 minute session a week. After these regular treatments it is recommended to continue with some follow up treatments every 2-3 weeks and then every month as maintenance.

Your face will look and feel younger as you will have an increased blood flow to your face. The wrinkles will start to fade and your skin will have a luster to it as well as improved muscle tone for sagging skin.

Facial acupuncture has been proven to be very effective over the years and not only will give you healthier skin but also will promote better overall health and well being.

So go out in your area and find a clinic that offers this procedure and you will soon reap the benefits of looking younger.

Weight loss is a popular topic in the US with obesity being at a all-time high. For people who are severely overweight there are other options but for most people who are looking to lose a few pounds, acupuncture is a viable method for weight loss.

Acupuncture is used to control the appetite by inserting needles into vital points that will release endorphins in the body.

When a patient goes to see a acupuncture specialist, they will first be asked some basic questions and then a examination will be performed. This gives the specialist some idea of the main cause of the weight gain & also helps the acupuncturist decide on where the needles will be inserted.

The patients pulse will give a idea of her general state of energy and health of the stomach. An examination of the tongue is also performed to check for cracks, puffiness or peeling as this can provide some insight into the patient being overweight.

After the examination, the needles will be inserted into different ares of the body. The multi-targeted approach is often used which can lower the bodyweight by stimulating the pituitary gland. Using this method needles are placed in the ear and 2 or 3 other points which could be the stomach, lung, mouth, spleen, endocrine, thyroid or kidney.

During this first session, electro stimulation may also be used to stimulate the metabolism and increase the release of endorphins.

After about 30 minutes, the needles will be removed and ear tacs are put on the body and held in place by adhesives on the exact same spot as the needles. The ear tacs cause a mild release of endorphins by applying pressure when the patient feels hungry. This can bring a calming effect over the patient and help resist the temptation to eat.

Depending on how many pounds need to be shed, the number of acupuncture treatments will vary. Some other factors are how fast do they want to lose weight & how committed is the patient to sticking with the plan. On average, for someone who wants to lose 10 pounds, they will have to have 2 acupuncture sessions a week and then about once every two weeks for maintenance.

The great thing about acupuncture treatments is there are no harmful side effects or any addictions that will occur. But this is not a magic pill that will drop all the weight with no effort. Dedication is needed and the patient will have to attend regular treatments, pay close attention to diet, and also try to exercise regularly.

Video from Xiaxue’s Guide to Life. Xiaxue tries acupuncture in an effort to lose weight.

Decent video that does get comical at times but shows the basic procedure that an acupuncturist uses on patients who are looking to lose weight with the help of acupuncture.

Here is a good video from the “Mind/Body Medicine Show” which gives a nice overview and demonstration of acupuncture. This is not anything earth shattering but it is a good basic introduction to acupuncture.

Many people want to trace the exact history of acupuncture but as with everything that cannot be 100% proven, there will be debates. This article will give you a general outline to get started.

The history of acupuncture can be traced back to the Chinese with the medical text “Huang Di Nei Jing” which in english translates to “The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine”. Acupuncture is named after the latin words “acus” & “pungere” which mean needle & prick respectively. Almost two thousand years ago acupuncture surfaced in China and has continued to evolve to this day.

There are some who still believe that acupuncture was used long before this time because archaeologists reportedly found a five thousand year old mummy that had similar points on the body. But since this has not been proven with any written text or any other evidence, one cannot be sure and thus credit normally is still given to the Chinese.

Around the sixth century, Acupuncture spread to Japan and a century later Waichi Sugiyama designed the insertion tube which made the process essentially painless to the patient. This method continues to be used to this day.

Acupuncture was finally established in the US in the early 80s with the creation of the National Commission For Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As a result of this regulatory board being formed, people could now go to schools and become licensed acupuncture professionals. This brought some credibility to the practice of acupuncture and oriental medicine in general.

Even with regulation, there were still many people who were skeptical and did not believe that acupuncture and alternative medicine could indeed do the things that were claimed. This changed in 1995 when the FDA classified acupuncture needles as official medical instruments and came out and assured people that this was safe and ultimately very effective in treating many ailments.

The NIH also went on record in 1997 stating the effectiveness of acupuncture and stating the fact that the side effects were much lower than most conventional drugs and treatments.
They are also constantly working to assure that acupuncture treatments are covered by the vast majority of insurance companies.

Even though this field is constantly evolving, the main techniques have not changed since the beginning. One thing that most people will agree on is that acupuncture is indeed effective in treating many different ailments and medical conditions.