The Acupuncture Secrets
For centuries, Eastern
medicinal practices have touted the benefits to the human body of
acupuncture. For many people, the thought of having such a procedure
done on their own bodies is crazy, especially considering the amount of
criticism that is given to the practice's legitimacy as well that the
amount of negative press the procedure gets in the popular media. Many
people don't know what you can expect from the acupuncture procedure as
well as the side effects and limits.
Procedures of Chinese acupuncture are actually well refined, as they
have been practiced for many years. Even in today's medically advanced
world, the practice has been determined as a safe, effective treatment
for some people with disorders that have been a burden for years. Here
is an outline of what can be expected from the acupuncture procedure as
well as limits and side effects:
Acupuncture starts with the use of sterile needles, today made almost
exclusively of stainless steel. The needles sterilization is done with
ethylene oxide, which can be used on the needles without damaging their
construction. The needles are coated on the top with a wire that allows
for a better grip by the acupuncturist when placing them about the body.
The acupuncturist will take the needles and, referencing an acupuncture
model which typically contains a reference of the human body and where
the needles should be inserted into the skin based on the malady being
treated, begin puncturing the patient's skin. A specific treatment of
one disorder may require the placement of a few dozen needles in a
cluster in one or two places on the body, but some patients request a
full body treatment, which can include hundreds of needles placed in
the skin.
Some treatments in acupuncture require the heating of the needles once
placed in the skin through a process called moxibustion. The
acupuncturist will utilize a burning of herbs to heat the needles that
are placed in the skin. Most often, the herbs are placed on the end of
the needle protruding from the patient and burned once the needle is
inserted. The heat helps provide some therapy to the tissue that the
needle is in contact with inside of the body.
Acupuncture is considered to be an invasive treatment and includes some
risks. Minor bleeding from the site of the procedure is the main risk
of the treatment - this appears in approximately 3 of every 100
patients. Most commonly, the bleeding ceases within a minute of the
needle's removal from the skin, however, this differs depending on the
patient.
The treatment does include other less common risks, such as hematoma,
where bruises appear below the skin at the site of treatment, dizziness
due to fear of needles or anxiety, and extremely rare instances of
nerve injury, brain damage, lung and kidney damage resulting from
incorrectly placed needles, as well as a slight chance of miscarriage
with very specific treatment.
Acupuncture does benefit the body in many ways despite the risks.
Common tension headaches, tension in lower back pains, nausea,
vomiting, and some lower symptomatic forms of fibromyalgia can all be
relieved using acupuncture. Acupuncture emerges as a reputable and
reliable treatment option when considering both the understood and
perceived benefits, such as stress and tension relief. As a patient,
you can benefit greatly by understanding the acupuncture procedure as
well as the side effects and limits involved.
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