Acupuncture provides relief from many health issues like lower back pain, neck pain, and headaches to name a few. This alternative medicine is widely used across the world but is a traditional method in Chinese medicine. It works by stimulating points on the body, typically by inserting thin needles into the skin, per the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. People all over the world have found relief from various health concerns with the assistance of acupuncture therapy. Below are some common ailments that can be managed with a few acupuncture sessions.
Pain Reduction: One of the most common uses of acupuncture is to relieve chronic pain. A study in the Archive of Internal Medicine discusses how acupuncture decreased the pain of patients by 15 percent when used to treat various types of pain. The focus, however, was on back pain which is typically caused by poor sleeping habits and/or old injuries. Aside from back pain, knee pain due to previous knee surgeries is another common health concern for people who seek out acupuncture.
Arthritis treatment: Arthritis is a disease that affects millions of people across the globe. Regrettably, modern medicine has not provided many benefits to treat the disease long term. Patients who are not satisfied with constantly taking medicine to relieve their joint pain, turn to acupuncture for long-term relief from debilitating effects of arthritis.
In the body, there are 14 “meridians,” or energy channels. These meridians correspond to specific nerves endings throughout the body. When the needle is inserted into the meridians, they relay messages to the brain telling it that the muscles are aching, which leads to the release of endorphins that work to block pain receptors.
Nausea Prevention: Specific locations on the forearm and wrist are effective when using acupuncture to battle nausea and vomiting. Acupuncture has the ability to reduce the feelings of nausea that will lead to vomiting. Although nausea can be causedby a variety of factors, a 2009 study unveiled that acupuncture was equally effective at reducing sensations of nausea when compared to other effective antiemetic medications.
One of the biggest reasons patients look to acupuncture instead of using antiemetic medications is to avoid the chemical alteration of the body that can occur with traditional medications.
Cancer patients that are undergoing chemotherapy often use acupuncture to cope with nausea brought on by the treatment.
Migraines: Acupuncture is also being used to treat migraines and headaches. In this treatment, needles are inserted around the face, neck, and scalp. One of the most common conditions for which acupuncture is effective is neck pain. A 2011 Acupuncture article shares proof of acupuncture being a reliable method to treat chronic neck pain. It has also been proven to be side-effect free.
Insomnia: The frequency of insomnia can be reduced through the practice of acupuncture. It works by increasing the amounts of melatonin, a chemical that induces sleep. Alan Jansson, teacher, and practitioner of Japanese acupuncture, shares,
“Insomnia from traditional acupuncture perspective is an imbalance of energy. In other words, during the day we have the Yang energy. . . So, insomnia is not just a lack of sleep, it’s also going to affect the ability of the body to regenerate and heal at night.”
Acupuncture is an excellent solution for resetting the body’s balance of Yin-Yang energies.
There are tons of other treatments that acupuncture can relieve, such as hormonal balancing, weight loss, and anxiety. As all medical treatments go, there is still ongoing research to find what other medical concerns acupuncture can help relieve. So far, millions of people have been able to enjoy its benefits.