Acupuncture is a really very old form of therapy known for its use of thin solid metallic needles to help relieve the effects of stress. It originated in China 5,000 years ago and because of its efficacy, is now being used as a treatment for various types of ailments all around the world. In a lot of instances, this treatment works even better than Western drug therapy.
In the United States, scientists who perform medical research initiated a research that selected 47 female breast cancer patients for either acupuncture treatment or antidepressant drug therapy for a 90 day period. The two modalities have revealed progression and came out with positive outcomes on the patients. However, when the menopausal period began, the women treated with the antidepressant drug started to have hot flashes, which were one of the side effects of the medication, which weakened the woman’s body and made the cancer recur more. Because they are not properly informed of studies such as this, a lot of women still use this drug that causes so much agony without knowing that there is a better alternative for it.
Most of us know that acupuncture treatment uses needles that are stuck into points on the body known as acupoints. An understanding of what these acupoints are will give you an idea of how this treatment assists your body in healing itself naturally. When the needles are inserted into the acupoints, the body releases hormones and chemicals that adjust the natural homeostasis of your body. The treatment has no serious side effects, which is the reason why it is one of the best options for relieving discomfort and pain.
One other study worth mentioning highlighted acupuncture’s potency in treating patients with knee osteoarthritis symptoms compared to the effects of diclofenac, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug.
Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that mostly affects people over 55 years of age. Ten percent of the world’s population is believed to be suffering from this condition. This has compelled some researchers to test how powerful acupuncture can be in treating osteoarthritis. The researchers recruited 88 osteoarthritis patients for the study in which half of them (the patients) were treated with acupuncture while the other half was given diclofenac.
At the end of the 90 day study, both the acupuncture and diclofenac patients were scaled for their levels of physical function, pain, and stiffness. The patients treated with acupuncture experienced less stiffness and pain compared to the patients given diclofenac.
To conclude, the two aforementioned studies have tested and proven that acupuncture gives better results and works powerfully in relieving osteoarthritis. Other studies have even revealed that acupuncture is powerful enough to relieve pain and discomfort related to cancer and cancer-related therapies. It is quite astounding to know that the best drug for these kinds of medical condition is far more inexpensive than the medications prescribed, which may reach in the hundreds or thousands of dollars.
Acupuncture Health Center
1303 Astor St # 101
Bellingham, WA 98225
Phone: (360) 715-1824
www.bellinghamacupuncturecenter.com