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HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK? The classic Chinese explanation of the effectiveness of acupuncture is based on the fact that our body is a medium for energy. Channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridians, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissues. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up the flow in one part of the body and restricts it in others. Acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams, and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Imagine the release that occurs when a dam that has been blocking a river’s movement is removed. Think of all of the rocks and sediment that have piled up in front of the dam. All of the build up will be released and the stagnant water will flow in full energetic force once again. The same is true for acupuncture and the human body. When a blockage is released, the energy rush is powerful and healing! Why not maintain clear, free-flowing energy channels? Why wait for that dam to build up all over again? Because of the power of releasing that dam, acupuncture treatments help the body’s internal organs correct imbalances in digestion, absorption, and energy production activities, and in the circulation of energy through the meridians. The modern scientific explanation is that needling the acupuncture points stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body’s own internal regulating system. The improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well-being. MOST COMMON REASONS WHY EVERYONE NEEDS ACUPUNCTURE 1. Wellness. If people spent a fraction of the time and money on maintaining their health as they do on buying a home, the personal results would be astonishing. By receiving acupuncture treatments 2-4 times per year, people can regulate their blood and oxygen flow and stimulate their bodies natural healing tendencies, which will in turn help prevent illness and disease and prolong youthfulness. In addition, most acupuncturists are attuned to recognizing abnormalities and can alert patients to potential problems. If caught early enough, simple nutritional adjustments can often be made to turn things around for the better. 2. Pain. Everyone experiences pain to some degree. Whether it is from surgery, a car accident, a sports injury, or simply aging, most people live with some level of pain on a regular basis. This causes our bodies and our minds to compensate for this pain by either shutting it out or compensating with unbalanced movement and muscle control. Acupuncture does wonders for the most minor but aggravating pains to severe injuries. It relieves swelling and pressure and triggers the body’s natural healing mechanisms. 3. Depression and Anxiety. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) depression and anxiety are the two most common mental illnesses. Each affects about 19 million adults annually and approximately 12 million of those cases are women. And those are only the individuals who seek treatment. Even minor depression and irritability, which undoubtedly affects a much larger percentage of the population, is not something people should ignore. Depression greatly increases the risk of developing heart disease. Studies show that people with depression are four times more likely to have a heart attack than those with no history of depression (NIMH). Drastic mood swings can be very detrimental to your health. 4. Stress. Between workplace commutes, paying the bills and emotional relationship dilemmas, everyone has something in life that causes a certain amount of stress. Instead of shutting it out or taking it out on someone who doesn’t deserve it, release it. 5. Digestion. Gone are the days of homemade meals prepared from "scratch." Everything is processed, frozen, canned, or preserved and then loaded with corn syrup or MSG. So much of our food is already very broken down, leaving our bodies to struggle to find nutrients, which causes irregular and unnatural bowel movements. A healthy bowel movement should be effortless and occur 2-3 times a day or approximately 45 minutes after eating. Obviously diet has a huge impact on this process, but acupuncture helps our bodies regulate our digestive system and encourages it to properly digest food. 6. Allergies. The majority of people who have allergies take daily medicine to stifle the symptoms, but often deal with the side effects such as shakes, sleeplessness and irritability. Acupuncture offers an alternative for alleviating allergy symptoms without taking medicine regularly and dealing with the unwanted side effects. Once allergy season begins, a trip to the acupuncturist could spare several months of grief. 7. Sleep Disorders. Whether you are an insomniac or get 10 hours of sleep and still wake up feeling tired, sleeping disorders are a common problem. Often exacerbated by any of the afore-mentioned conditions, a sleep disorder can swing people into a vicious endless cycle. For example, you are feeling a little depressed and anxious and find yourself tossing and turning throughout the night. You get up in the morning feeling even more irritable and helpless. Perhaps you are feeling stressed out at work and head to bed early. Ten hours of sleep later, you wake up still feeling exhausted, and the exhaustion leads to more stress at work all over again. And so the cycle continues. In most cases, one simple treatment of acupuncture will set your mind, body and spirit in alignment and allow your natural sleep mechanism to kick in. 8. Sexual function. As men get into their late 30s and early 40s, they frequently report a loss of sexual libido and penile erectile dysfunction. The two often go hand in hand. What most men fail to realize is that cholesterol and regular nutritional health have a huge impact on erectile function. Sexual performance can be greatly enhanced by monitoring one’s health through acupuncture, even in some severe cases. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help to alleviate high levels of cholesterol by stimulating metabolism and helping nutritionally. Long term change needs to be accompanied by altering our nutritional habits. ACUPUNCTURE PRACTITIONERS Acupuncture is a licensed and regulated healthcare profession in about half the states of the U.S. In states that do not currently require licensing, your practitioner should be certified by the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists. Your practitioner will explain the nature of your problem and what treatment he or she is recommending, if it is in your best interests at that time. If needed, other treatment options may be available to you through your practitioner or by referral to another practitioner or physician. Ultimately, it is the patient who must decide what is best. People’s intuition is often the best gauge.
Patricia Leat is a licensed, nationally certified Acupuncturist. She blends acupuncture with CranioSacral in conjunction with visceral manipulation techniques, as well as meridian therapy. E-mail patricia@patricialeat.com |
Acupuncture 