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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Acupuncture

By Peter A.C. Garrison

Acupuncture is now more mainstream than ever. With more studies validating its practice, such as the MIT-Harvard Medical School clinical study published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Brain Research in November of 2008, it is now considered an alternative or complementary medicine. Even the U.S. Army has begun using this ancient science. Military doctors are now administering "battlefield" acupuncture to troops who suffer from chronic or severe pain.

According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, acute and chronic pain can often be treated with acupuncture as the primary therapeutic modality. So those common aches and pains, spasms, sprains, or repetitive stress injuries you get? Try acupuncture instead of your normal pill. In fact, many common conditions can be just as treated at least as effectively with acupuncture than with the over counter medicine. Migraines, motion sickness, ulcers, liver problems, kidney problems, and arthritis, to name a few, are all conditions acupuncture can help to alleviate, often times with fewer unwanted side effects, than OTC medications.

This ancient medicine is still working wonders at not just relieving pain but in treating other maladies as well. While physical problems such as high blood pressure, low back pain, and asthma can be treated with acupuncture, emotional pain - depression, anxiety, and generalized stress - can also be greatly improved with the use of acupuncture.

How exactly does acupuncture produce its effects? The fact that Western science is only now beginning to discover the answer to this question has often led lay people and medical professionals alike to demonstrate a healthy skepticism to this traditional medicine. But that doubt is slowly being replaced by belief as more studies continue to document what the Chinese have known for thousands of years: acupuncture works. Numerous studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins by stimulating the meridians or energy pathways of a patient. The endorphins are responsible for the improvement in mood patients often feel as well as their lower pain.

Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that each human being possesses a series of energy channels. Energy flows through these channels or meridians freely and regularly in a healthy body. When the energy flow is blocked, however, illnesses and disease can develop. This Qi or energy is manipulated by the acupuncturist during a treatment to help a patient regain health.

While many patients are apprehensive about having needles inserted into their skin, these needles are instrumental in the practice of acupuncture. And you'll be relieved to know that they are actually pretty painless. The worst you'll feel is similar to a mosquito bite, but often, you won't feel a thing when they're inserted. The insertion of these needles at the acupuncture points are what stimulate the dislodgment of "stuck" energy along the meridians. Acupressure also works in the same way but uses pressures, usually delivered manually, instead of needles.

The number and frequency of treatment is dependent on the severity and length of the medical condition as well as the overall health and vitality of the patient. Adverse side effects of acupuncture are extremely low and are often lower than conventional western medical treatment options. Those who suffer from complex or long-standing medical problems may need to seek treatment as often as once or twice per week for several months.

Acupuncture is a medical science that has existed for over 2,000 years. While its practice originates in the Asian countries of China and Japan, it has experience a surge in popularity in Western countries. It is a safe and drug-free treatment option for addressing many, if not all, health conditions, and is recognized by the National Institutes of Health. It's an age-old practice whose popularity continues to grow and amaze.

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