http://www.care2.com/greenliving/acupuncture-stick-a-pin-in-pain.html
Acupuncture: Stick a Pin in Pain
By Heather L. Jones, Care2 Green Living contributing writer
Maybe you’ve been popping aspirin for your aching back for years, or your mother’s arthritic knees don’t seem to improve with medication. It’s frustrating that with all the medical technology available, so many of us still suffer from chronic pain.
Maybe it’s time to consider acupuncture.
While the thought of letting someone tap tiny needles into various spots on your body might make you a little queasy, the procedure does provide pain relief for a lot of people. The ancient Chinese tradition is based on the premise that Qi, or energy, flows through the body along pathways called meridians; when a person’s Qi is blocked, pain and disease result. By stimulating specific points along the meridians, according to this Eastern perspective, acupuncture restores the flow of Qi.
While suspicious Western doctors have been unable to locate this mysterious Qi with their state-of-the-art instruments, research supports acupuncture as an effective tool against many kinds of chronic pain, such as osteoarthritis, lower back pain, menstrual cramps and migraine headaches. It is believed that the needles, inserted at specific points, stimulate nerves and so release the body’s own endorphins and opioids, providing pain relief. The process has also shown to dilate blood vessels and thus improve blood circulation.
So, centuries after people first started deriving benefits from acupuncture, Western medical leaders are giving the procedure a tentative nod of approval. There are about 6,500 licensed acupuncturists in the United States, according to WebMD, and acupuncture needles are regulated as medical instruments by the FDA. It’s even becoming more common for acupuncture treatment to be covered by health insurance for many conditions.
While acupuncture can’t repair a degenerated spinal disk or joints that have been physically altered by arthritis, the process reduces the swelling and inflammation that can compress the nerves. Since the physical damage is not repaired, pain does often recur, and so follow-up treatments are necessary.
If you think acupuncture might be worth a try, talk with your doctor and ask for a referral. That one step might put you or someone you love on the road toward pain relief.
Heather L. Jones is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Davis, Calif.
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add your comment »Heather, Thank you for bringing 'healthy' attention to acupunturist skills. We are trained in nationally accredited programs established here in the US for the most part. As of the latest publication of Acupuncture Today, there are at least 17,647 of us with a license to practice our traditional medicine protocols throughout the US. Of course, there are other countries around the world benefiting from this type of care, in fact there is a World Health Organization Representative at this very moment who is coordinating the annual meeting for Acupuncture and Moxibustion to be held in Beijing, China this year. This ancient has stood the test of time, politics, geography, and culture exchanges. We can all be grateful that the Ancients of China created paper and characters to exchange information that has been passed through the ages. And a thanks again goes to you Heather L Jones for the article. PS. My niece attends UC Davis and loves it!
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I go to acupuncture for hormonal balance after getting off birth control. It has worked wonders for me. My acupuncturist is considered a fertility specialist. I highly recommend acupuncture for this an other ailments.
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Another alternative is using the Lifewave non-transdermal pain patches which operate on the same principles as acupuncture but without needles. Acupuncture points are stimulated using refractive energy. A one month supply of patches cost less than one acupuncture session. For more information, contact a nearby Lifewave consultant or go to www.lifewave.com/patchstart
Namaste,
CathyL
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Acupressure is even more effective for muscle/tension/stress related problems and NO needles. Our hands are the original healing "tools". It is usually much less expensive also so more cost effective and a good therapist will show you techniques that you can do at home to keep the good effects longer. I have used it very successfully for my own and my clients fibromyalgia. Check these web sites for qualifed practitioners: www.jinshindo.org www.aobta.org or www.nccaom.org Asian Bodywork Therapy includes many styles of bodywork based on Traditional Chinese Medicine--Shiatsu, Tuina, and Jin Shin Do Bodymind Acupressure are a couple examples. Also to Ms Turner--fibro is a complex problem that must be approached from many different avenues--diet, herbs, excercise are all also very important. Gentle Taiji, Qigong and restorative yoga may be the way for you to get started. Good luck!
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I suffer from severe Fybromyalgia and have been to every conceivable 'remedial' source there is - ie: Hydrotherapy, acupuncture, pills, etc. As for acupuncture, I found I had to go at least 3 times a week (and its not cheap!) to get any relief!
It's not a cure-all and doesn't hold very well.
Mrs. Turner
Chesterfield, VA
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This is a great start to introduce someone to acupuncture! For more information on an older, more classical form of acupuncture and it's benefits, you may like to check out Classical Acupuncture
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