Acupuncture
Medical Acupuncture is a safe and effective method of treatment
for many common ailments, it encourages the body to promote natural
healing and improve functioning, by inserting very thin needles
and applying heat or electrical stimulation at precise acupuncture
points.
The Chinese explanation is that
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.
The meridians can be influenced
by needling the acupuncture points. The acupuncture needles unblock
the obstructions and re-establish the regular flow through the
meridians. Acupuncture treatments can therefore help the body's
internal organs to correct imbalances in digestion, absorption
and energy production activities. Acupuncture can also help in
the circulation of energy through the meridians.
Many patients have been told to
see a psychiatrist because no physiological evidence can find
what is wrong with them by known methods, even though the patient
insists that they are in tremendous pain or discomfort. Unbelievably,
they are sometimes told to "live with it". Well, something
can be done with acupuncture as it treats the cause as well as
the symptoms of an illness.
Acupuncture
can be used to treat the following:
Allergies, backache and leg pain, arthritis and joint problems,
headache, menstrual and reproductive problems, weight disorders,
digestive disorders, neurological and muscular disorders, respiratory
disorders and urinary problems.
The number of treatments needed
differs from person to person. For more complex or long standing
conditions, two or three treatments a week for several months
may be recommended. For acute problems usually fewer visits are
required. For health maintenance one treatment a month may be
all that is required.
Ok,
so you are afraid of needles !
People experience acupuncture needles differently. Some patients
feel no pain at all when the needles are inserted and don't even
know it's happened, and others experience minimal pain. Once the
needles are in place, there is no pain felt. Acupuncture needles
are very thin and solid, and made from stainless steel. The point
of the needle is smooth and the needles are solid not hollow like
hypodermic needles decreasing the risk of skin bruising or skin
irritation, and insertion through the skin is not as painful as
injections or blood sampling.