Easy Acupuncture

Acupuncture was developed in China many centuries ago. The Chinese call acupuncture Zhue Jiao, which means “needle heat”. The needle regulates an inner force called “Qi”, which is responsible for the health of the body. The regulation of Qi using acupuncture can restore physical health, give a release from stress, or improve physical or mental health in other ways. A very healthy person should have Qi energy flowing freely in several distinct pathways, and these pathways are like the roads for maintenance crews. Freely flowing energy distributes everything the cells need, and take away what waste is produced. This produces not only physical, but also mental, health. If Qi is stopped at some point, there will be some symptoms, often a physical illness. The acupuncturist will determine where the needles should be placed in order to return the flow to normal, or as close to normal as is possible. This might happen in one treatment, or a series of treatments. Many Chinese get acupuncture treatments regularly in order to stay healthy, to keep their Qi flowing at a nearly ideal level. In several places in China, a practitioner of acupuncture gets paid only as long as their clients remain healthy, not when they get sick. Nearly all acupuncture techniques use needles, though there are varieties that also use electric stimulation, burning, and herbs. The needles used are solid needles, not hollow tube needles like Western doctors use. In America, certified practitioners of acupuncture use pre-sterilized disposable needles. There is usually no medicine on the needles, for the needle itself acts on the Qi energy to make the change in the flow. The practitioner may use a particular angle to insert a needle, or may manipulate the needle a little (such as a small rotation) to get the best results for a particular client. If you think like the Chinese, you may want to visit your acupuncture clinic regularly to maintain an optimal flow of Qi, and to maintain really good health. A particular health or emotional problem may need only one or two visits, or might require a series of up to eight visits or more, depending on the problem. During a visit, the acupuncturist may insert several needles, and not necessarily at the same points from visit to visit. As the condition improves, a different set of locations might be chosen to affect a change in Qi flow to move even more quickly to good health. Sometimes the needles are inserted just underneath the layer of the skin, while at other times some of the needles may be inserted up to a depth of three inches. Insertion of the needles usually does not hurt at all. Some clients remark on an occasional pinching sensation when a needle is inserted. Once the needle is in place it can easily be forgotten. Sometimes there is a pleasant relaxing or warm sensation around the insertion point, which is an indication that the Qi flow is being redirected in the right manner. Acupuncture is a very good way to correct a number of illnesses, and one of the best ways to maintain health on a regular basis. This introduction gave a brief overview to encourage you to consider acupuncture as a health option. More and more insurance companies are giving coverage for visits to an acupuncture clinic, and this should be explored.

Acupuncture has been used in China and Japan for centuries, and was introduced into Europe in the 1700s by Jesuit missionaries. However, it has been popular in the United States for only the past twenty or thirty years. Initially, its most dramatic and effective results here in America were to reduce or eliminate pain, where some patients undergoing surgery had no anesthesia whatsoever. Their pain was eliminated during the surgery by use of acupuncture needles. The National Institute of Health has been interested in both the use and the growing interest in acupuncture, and has had a number of conferences whose main subject is the use of acupuncture. Interestingly, thousands of traditional physicians, dentists, and other health practitioners now use acupuncture for pain relief and other symptoms. Also, currently more than 10 million adults in the U.S. have used acupuncture at some time in the past, or are using it currently. (Though acupuncture is also perfectly safe for children, and frequently children respond more quickly to the treatments than adults.) The National Institute of Health has looked at many studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture to relieve a specific set of symptoms. There are some outstanding successes, but making any sweeping statement is difficult because many of the studies are not easy to design. Or, more properly, there is some heated discussion on what studies have been so carefully designed that the results are beyond question. But there is general agreement that acupuncture is highly effective for a wide range of symptoms, including pain and nausea after operations, headaches, menstrual cramps, asthma, osteoarthritis, etc. Research is continuing and new results are coming out quite often. One of the best ways to keep up is to search the Internet for your symptom of interest together with the key word “acupuncture”. Also look for websites sponsored by NCCAM, a branch of the National Institute of Health that investigates alternative medicines. Since the main equipment of an acupuncture practitioner are needles, the needles in an acupuncture office are regulated by the government to ensure safety of the needles. The FDA approves their use by licensed practitioners in acupuncture clinics. The requirements are that the needles are sterile needles and one time use only, so no one need be concerned about the problem with needle contamination. The acupuncture needles are regulated by the same rules as those in your doctor’s office. To avoid any concern, watch carefully that the acupuncture practitioner opens a new, sealed package for each patient and swabs the insertion sites with some kind of disinfectant before inserting the needle (such as alcohol, traditionally used by nurses). This survey is intended to give an overview of how the traditional medical community and also the institutes of the government have given credibility to the use of acupuncture. Acupuncture has evolved from an interesting import from China to an established technique that many doctors recommend, or have even become trained in the technique themselves. Acupuncture clinics and practitioners now have standards set up and regulated by the government in order to ensure the safety of the clients. It has become an accepted part of the mainstream American health system.

When most people think of acupuncture, they imagine someone sitting in a chair with a number of very thin needles hanging from their ears, or arms, or other parts of their bodies. This is a pretty good picture as far as it goes. The needles are usually not as large as they are imagined to be, and frequently only certain parts of the body have several needles, rather than in a number of different locations. The purpose of the insertion of the needles is to redirect the flow of energy within the body. Once the flow of energy is restored to its proper channels, the body recovers its proper operation and the systems slowly or quickly disappear. The number of treatments in order for the symptoms to disappear depends both upon the patient and the set of symptoms that are being experienced. The medical basis for the techniques of acupuncture were developed in China over thousands of years. Part of traditional Chinese medicine also uses a number of herbs, in conjunction with traditional acupuncture technique. In America we are used to taking vitamins and supplements, and we take them as either pills or capsules. Normally we take these supplements as a general nutritional support. The herbs recommended by an acupuncture practitioner are very specific for the symptoms being treated at the clinic. The herbs at the clinic may also be in pills or capsules. They might also be brewed with warm water and taken as a tea. This tea allows the acupuncture practitioner to mix just the right herbs for a particular person, rather than loading them up with several different pills. It is also easier to adjust the proportions in case several different herbs are used. Further, having the herbs taken as a tea makes the action of the herbs very rapid. Your acupuncture practitioner may also offer raw herbs, which have the most potency. They are also the worst tasting choice for someone not used to unusual tastes. However, once raw herbs are tried a few times, most clients prefer the raw herbs. When your acupuncture practitioner decides on a plan of treatment, you and your practitioner should discuss the various parts of the treatment, including herbs, if any. Remember, not all treatments require herbs, and acupuncture can still be quite effective without them. Make sure that the acupuncture practitioner knows about any vitamin supplements or other nutritional foods presently being used, such as garlic pills or nutritional yeast. Generally nutritional supplements are quite compatible, but it is still important to realize any interactions between regular supplements and the herbs indicated for a particular acupuncture treatment. The same holds true for any prescription medications, even though generally the herbs are not planned to affect a particular organ’s mechanism, but rather influence a large part of the body’s system as a unit. Finally, the acupuncture practitioner should be advised of any new symptoms if a new herbal prescription is started. Typically the only symptom might be a slight digestive upset, but if this or any new symptom is noticed, the practitioner should be notified right away. Herbs, though not a necessary part of acupuncture therapy, can be very helpful in promoting more rapid recovery and better health.

Part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), acupuncture is a healing method developed over the past 2000 plus years in China and the Far East. Popular culture portrays acupuncture as pain therapy administered by practitioners using thin needles placed in specific points (i.e. acupoints) of the body. All in all this is a fair portrayal, although the patient in these portrayals is usually shown to be a bit different and quirky and not deserving the fruits of the ancient practice. Although so-called “modern” medicine has been slow to accept the ancient practice it has become increasingly more “open” because it’s becoming more and more difficult to dismiss the successes of treatments on conditions like depression.

The healing art of Acupuncture serves global populations in huge numbers, and acupuncture has been one of the most respected of the Oriental healing professions for thousands of years. Acupuncture Degrees prepare students with healing art techniques based on the principle that the short-term insertion of needles into tissue beneath the skin stimulates nerves to promote healing.

Schools for Acupuncture teach an ancient healing art to those who are determined to find and apply natural healing solutions to common health problems. In most Schools for Acupuncture, students have prime opportunities to learn about age-old wisdoms, along with innovative and non-invasive treatments and therapies which are designed to help patients return to a natural state of balance and harmony.