Who does not hate needles being stuck in one’s skin? The idea of inserting needles in the body to treat aliments seems a bit bizarre and rather scary. That is why many people do not consider acupuncture as a treatment for their sicknesses.
However, some pains are rather hard to resolve. If your physician fails to resolve your lingering pain and medications do not work to your satisfaction, it is recommended that you see an acupuncturist. Acupuncture has been treating countless numbers of people with various kinds of illnesses in China thousands of years. It is a very good treatment for most types of pain and is a natural and safe mode of treatment.
On the first visit to an acupuncturist, the patient’s medical history will be reviewed and the acupuncturist will query the patient on what he/she is feeling. Afterwards, a physical examination then is performed on the patient, which is somewhat different from a physician’s procedure. The acupuncturist will listen to the sounds of the patient’s body, observe the state of the tongue and smell urine samples or the breath of the patient to figure out the patient’s ailment.
Based on the physical examination and the patient’s medical history, a diagnosis is made and acupuncture needles are inserted in sites that connect to the affected organs of the body. These sites, called acupuncture points or acupoints connect to energy pathways called meridians. The needles may cause a slight sensation but not pain as they are inserted; as the effect of the needles start to work, a feeling of comfort and relaxation then envelops the patient.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, illnesses are observed as problems in the energy balance of the organs resulting in their poor functioning. Due to stress or other factors, the meridians develop blockages that block the life force or vital energy called chi that travels throughout the body energizing and nourishing the body as it travels. The application of needles into the acupuncture points serves to unblock the meridian to restore the natural and unhindered flow of energy allowing the body to heal itself and to remove pain.
Even though Western medical science is at a loss of how acupuncture works, with the countless numbers of people it has treated, it is undeniable that it works. Large concentrations of adenosine have been detected in acupuncture sites by medical science researchers in the US and may be evidence of how acupuncture treats painful conditions.
The World Health Organization has listed more than 30 health conditions which acupuncture can effectively cure. To name a few: osteoarthritis, nausea, post-surgical pain, fibromyalgia and acute and chronic pain.
If western modes of treatment fail you in your quest for pain relief, acupuncture is a very good option worth considering.