Pricking Your Way to Health: The Benefits of Acupuncture
More and more people are now open to the Eastern medicine and therapy, including the use of Asian styles of massage. Several types of massage originated from the east such as the shiatsu, reflexology, and the Thai massage. Aside from herbal medications originating from different parts of Asia, another exotic treatment that has achieved worldwide recognition is called acupuncture. It is one of the most common medical procedures practiced in China, Japan, Korea and other parts of the world.
Acupuncture involves the activation or stimulation of certain anatomical points in the body by use of various techniques. Medical traditions coming from Korea, China, Japan, and other Asian countries are the basis for the American practice of acupuncture. This specific health procedure includes the penetration of thin, solid metal needles that are handled manually or by the use of electrical stimulation. These needles are not that painful when inserted through the skin, but it has a different feeling with minimal pain involved. There are different experiences when this kind of medication is exercised. After being treated, some people feel energized, while others feel much more relaxed. It is important to have this medical procedure done by a professional acupuncture practitioner, since an improper placement of the needle, unnecessary movement of the patient, or a needle defect can cause pain and soreness during the course of the treatment.
Acupuncture can be used as an alternative treatment for health conditions such as postoperative and chemotherapy nausea and vomiting and for postoperative dental pain. This procedure is also useful in the healing of other health concerns like headaches, menstrual cramps, addiction, stroke rehabilitation, lower back pain, tennis elbow, myofascial pain, fatigue, osteoarthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, asthma, and fibromyalgia.
This type of alternative treatment can ease the pain of the mentioned ailments above, as well as fibromyalgia. Since this illness may not be known by most people, fibromyalgia refers to a widespread of pain in muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This ailment is also characterized by fatigue and numerous tender points, or certain areas in a person’s body where a slight pressure can cause pain.
Acupuncture is also used to treat several conditions just like fibromyalgia, and this can also be a form of relaxation, as stated earlier. Considering fatigue is caused by excessive exhaustion, weariness, tiredness or lethargy, the practice of this healing treatment can make the body feel relaxed and at the same time cures ailments by using these thin metal needles.
The practice of acupuncture cannot be explained fully by western health research. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, acupuncture treatment is used to achieve balance between two inseparable forces, the yin and the yang, which exist in the human body. Chinese practitioners use certain points along the so-called body meridians as targets for inserting the needles. These points correspond to a specific internal organ. The stimulation of the point brings healing to the ailing internal organ and allows the flow of internal energy or “chi” to go unhindered, resulting in perfect balance and health inside the human body. While this healing method has been used for thousands of years, it is still a subject of intense debate especially in the Western medical community.
