Acupuncture for Much Better Health |
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| Written by Peter A.C. Garrison | |
| Sunday, 14 December 2008 | |
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MIT. Harvard. The U.S. Army. What do these great American institutions have in common? They've all fallen in love with acupuncture. In the Journal of Brain Research, a peer-reviewed joint study by Harvard Medical School and MIT was published in late 2008. It showed that acupuncture has an effect greater than placebo. The U.S. Army is allowing military doctors to treat soldiers who suffer from chronic or severe pain with a specialized form of acupuncture: ear acupuncture. And those soldiers find relief. It seems that the initial doubts many Americans had about this Chinese medicine are fading. According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, acute and chronic pain can often be treated with acupuncture as the primary therapeutic modality. So those common aches and pains, spasms, sprains, or repetitive stress injuries you get? Try acupuncture instead of your normal pill. In fact, many common conditions can be just as treated at least as effectively with acupuncture than with the over counter medicine. Migraines, motion sickness, ulcers, liver problems, kidney problems, and arthritis, to name a few, are all conditions acupuncture can help to alleviate, often times with fewer unwanted side effects, than OTC medications. While it's effective at relieving pain, acupuncture can also be used to treat other physical as well as emotional problems like anxiety, stress, chronic fatigue, asthma, lower back pain, depression, high blood pressure, and infertility. In fact, the World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture as a treatment for digestive disorders such as gastritis and hyperacidity, spastic colon, constipation, and diarrhea. Even patients who initially used acupuncture only to deal with chronic pain have reported other conditions improved as well. Western science is slowly beginning to understand the science behind the seeming magic that often results from acupuncture. Major pieces of the puzzle, however, have been identified. When traditional acupuncture points are stimulated with fine needles during the course of an acupuncture treatment, studies have shown that the brain's natural "feel good" chemicals - opioids or endorphins - are released. These same chemicals are responsible for not only elevating mood but for relieving pain. The points that are stimulated during treatment lie along paths which are called meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Qi is the energy that flows through the energy pathways that Traditional Chinese Medicine believes exist in every human being. These pathways, called meridians, regulate the proper flow of qi in a healthy individual. If this qi becomes stuck or irregular at any point in the pathway, disease can develop. Through the use of fine needles during an acupuncture treatment, the acupuncturist helps dislodge the stuck energy to begin the process of healing. TCM believes that our health depends on the body's ability to circulate Qi in a smooth and balanced fashion. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles into specific points along the meridian. These points are close to the surface of the skin and are easily accessible with fine needles, moxibustion or acupressure. The number and frequency of treatment is dependent on the severity and length of the medical condition as well as the overall health and vitality of the patient. Adverse side effects of acupuncture are extremely low and are often lower than conventional western medical treatment options. Those who suffer from complex or long-standing medical problems may need to seek treatment as often as once or twice per week for several months. Acupuncture has been recognized by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization as a safe, natural, drug-free, and, perhaps most importantly, effective method of addressing the symptoms and root causes of many health challenges. Its use in China, Japan, and other parts of Asia for thousands of years speaks to its efficacy as well. It's a natural and powerful medicine that has been practiced for over 2,000 years. And it works.
Authors Bio:
Are you searching for a Los Angeles Acupuncture
Center? Evolve Wellness has improved the health and well-being of
hundreds of patients since 1998. Whether you're looking for relief from
pain, help in losing weight, or treatment for infertility, Evolve
Wellness can help. Call or visit a member of our team of talented,
caring Los Angeles Acupuncturists today.
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