Acupuncture Treatment: Does It Help?
A Chinese traditional method of healing is known as acupuncture. This method of healing is done with needles to activate specific points in the body. It is mainly used as a pain reliever and to treat other conditions.
How Acupuncture Works
The body’s vital energy is stimulated by various different points, the needles activate the natural painkiller which is endorphins which regulates the flow of blood to the brain.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
The needles which we use in acupuncture are very thin so that most of the time people may not feel pain or may be a little prick kind of pain.
When to Consider?
Normally, it causes very rare side effects. Acupuncture is a therapy which is an alternative for painkiller medications or steroids. However, this therapy can be continued with other other treatments .
Choosing a Practitioner
They should have studied & had training in this method of treatment,along with licensing of practice.
Acupoint: Low-Back Pain
Chronic lower-back pain can be cured using acupuncture, this therapy lasts three months more than the conventional treatment according to the study.
Acupoint: Headaches
Migraines or tension headaches can be relieved with acupuncture treatment. People receiving conventional care & acupuncture had fewer days with tension headaches .
Acupoint: Fibromyalgia
Some people with fibromyalgia had relieved from pain but some didn’t. It is completely a placebo effect. Studies showed that it can reduce anxiety and fatigue.
Acupoint: Arthritis Pain
People with arthritis were relieved from knee pain efficiently with this treatment. Effectiveness of acupuncture on osteoarthritis are under study.
Acupoint: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
In research, eight patients who are taking treatment for acupuncture had relieved pain in hand & arm area ,whereas they also compared with the people who are taking long time steroids as a result acupuncture showed better results in relieving from carpal turner syndrome.
Acupuncture and Cancer Care
People with cancer symptoms and who is taking treatment for cancer i.e chemotherapy experience uncontrolled pain , in such cases acupuncture relieves from pain, vomiting ,nausea as the result of there cancer treatment , also before taking acupuncture treatment consult the practitioner , also have acupuncture treatment with the experienced therapist who have already deal with the cancer patients.
Acupuncture and Fertility
Acupuncture showed that people with infertility problems helped. Acupuncture helps to increase the blood flow to the ovaries and also regulates the menstrual cycle.
Risks
Mainly there are two risk factors: needles which we use for treatment are not sterile then there are lots of chances to cause infection and another risk factor is damage of blood vessels due to deeper penetration of needles. mostly these risks can be avoided by choosing a right practitioner
Who Shouldn’t Use?
People who are blood thinners with disorders of bleeding can have high risk of bleeding and also people with electrical devices such as pacemakers can have electrical disturbances.
Variations
There are 3 variation they are :
- Needles are heated with the dried wormwood leaves or moxa
- Laser needles
- Needles are stimulated by electricity which is electro acupuncture.
Acupressure vs. Acupuncture
In acupuncture the particular point is activated by stimulating the points with the help of needles. Some people are afraid of needles so they choose acupressure. In acupressure the particular points are activated by pressing or massaging the points both ways are effective in relieving the pain .
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