What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture, a practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), is a system in its own right, a health care that has evolved over thousands of years to prevent, diagnose, and treat disease. TCM believes in the body's vital energy called Qi (Pronounced Chee) flowing along specific channels (meridians). Having the Qi balanced provides a person with spiritual, emotional, and physical health. When the Qi is unbalanced, disease may occur.
The human body has more than 2,000 acupuncture points linked through various meridians. Acupuncture on targetted meridian points improves the flow of blocked or stagnant Qi.
How is acupuncture done?
The practice of acupuncture involves placing a hair-thin needle into the skin on specific meridian points throughout the body. The goal of acupuncture is to relieve a condition or symptom, such as pain. Scientific studies have confirmed the effectiveness of some conditions.
During the session, the therapist will conduct a brief consultation about the reported conditions and examine the body for areas that react to acupuncture. Disposable needles are tapped into the skin and manually inserted deeper until a pressure or ache occurs. The needles may remain in the position for a few minutes or up to 20 minutes.
The needles may cause some muscle sensations, dull aches or tingling, or a deep feeling of heaviness or numbness. These sensations usually mean the treatment is working. Most clients report a brief pain during the needle insertion.
Who can benefit from acupuncture?
Clinical research supports some of the conditions treated with acupuncture. More research is active and underway. Below are some of the conditions supported by acupuncture:
Chronic long-term pain
Arthritis
Muscular pain
Skeletal pain
Sports-related injuries
Repetitive strain disorder
Infertility
Immune system
The National Centre for Biotechnology Information research supports acupuncture for low back pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, migraine, nausea and vomiting by suggesting that physicians and nurses should have a baseline understanding of the modality and be open to their patients utilising alternative, complementary medicine.
The BMJ, Evidence on Acupuncture Therapies is Underused in Clinical Practice and Health Policy reviewed 77 diseases with evidence of eight diseases or conditions improved in functional communication of patients with post-stroke aphasia, relief from neck and shoulder pain, relief of myofascial pain, relief of fibromyalgia-related pain, relief of non-specific lower back pain, increased lactation success rate, reduction in the severity of vascular dementia symptoms and improved of allergic rhinitis nasal symptoms.
Preparation for acupuncture
Wear loose, soft clothing such as gym clothes, and ensure you do not have a heavy meal before the session. Shower before you come and wait at least 4 hours after the treatment to shower.
Summary
Acupuncture involves the insertion of hair-thin needles through the skin at strategic points on the client's body. A component of TCM with acupuncture used to treat pain is increasingly now used for overall wellness, including stress management.
TCM is a technique for balancing the energy flow known as Qi. It is believed to flow through pathways of the body by inserting needles into these meridians to rebalance the energy. In the West, acupuncture is viewed as stimulating nerves, muscles, and connective tissue, with some believing that this stimulation boosts the body’s natural painkillers.
Akhtar (SAC. Dip), Lead Clinical Sports Therapist
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