Health Benefits of Acupuncture Therapy

Acupuncture treatment therapy uses needles that are pierced at points scattered throughout the body. Is it true that acupuncture can be used as a therapy for treating illness? Acupuncture is based on Chinese belief that there is an energy flow known as Qi. Disease can occur if the flow of Qi is blocked. Through stabbing at certain points, acupuncture is believed to be one way to expedite the flow of Qi while treating various diseases.

The link between acupuncture points and their impact on health

Basically acupuncture is done to balance energy. The body has an energy pathway known as a meridian. The therapist will insert needles at certain points along the path of this meridian so that the energy flow will be balanced again. Meanwhile, western medicine views that acupuncture needles work to stimulate nerves and muscles and reactivate body tissues. The impact is that blood circulation is getting smoother and stimulation from the needle can stimulate the production of the body's natural painkillers. Thus the existing diseases are also expected to be cured.

Conditions for Acupuncture Treatment

When deciding to do acupuncture therapy, it is important to make sure the acupuncture needles have been properly sterilized or should use a disposable type. This is to avoid the risk of infection, such as getting hepatitis due to the use of dirty or unsterile needles. The following are some of the conditions that are thought to be treated through acupuncture therapy.

• Supportive post-stroke treatment

Acupuncture can be done as an additional treatment after a stroke. Patients who get acupuncture therapy have an increased ability to move their wrists and shoulders, compared to stroke patients who do not get this therapy. Acupuncture is also possible to help relieve pain and discomfort due to stroke. Research shows acupuncture therapy plus physiotherapy gives better results.

• Help overcome obesity

Research shows, acupuncture can help you lose weight in obese people. The punctured points on acupuncture can suppress appetite and affect metabolism. In addition, acupuncture also plays a role in the production of endorphins and dopamine so that it helps relieve stress and depression, which affects weight loss. However, to overcome obesity with acupuncture, it still requires a combination of a diet program and regular exercise.

• Low back pain

Back pain due to pinched nerves can cause pain and difficulty in carrying out daily activities. Several studies have shown that acupuncture therapy plus physiotherapy and warm or cold compresses can reduce the duration and degree of back pain. Acupuncture therapy also shows positive results in improving the functional abilities of back pain sufferers in undergoing daily activities.

• Arthritis

Arthritis or arthritis can be alleviated through acupuncture. Likewise with knee pain due to osteoarthritis. If arthritis in the knee is still mild or moderate, acupuncture can make this condition improve. Meanwhile, if the arthritis condition is more severe, a combination of acupuncture with pain medication and physiotherapy is needed.

• Aging

Acupuncture therapy is also said to have a cosmetic function, which is to fight aging by helping to improve facial elasticity. Acupuncture needles will be pierced into the points on the skin on the head, face and neck. This therapy is known as cosmetic acupuncture. But the effectiveness of acupuncture in the field of beauty has not been fully proven and still needs further investigation.

You can undergo acupuncture therapy in a hospital, by consulting a doctor. Ensure that acupuncture therapy is carried out by a doctor or acupuncturist who has adequate certification and facilities.