Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment for many conditions, including pain relief, stress reduction and more. Acupuncture is based on the idea that energy flows through channels or meridians in your body. When these meridians become blocked, they can cause pain and other symptoms of illness. Acupuncture practitioners insert fine needles into specific points on these meridians to unblock them.
Acupuncture is used to treat chronic pain, such as back pain and arthritis. It’s also used for other conditions, such as anxiety and depression. Acupuncture may be effective in reducing pain as well as improving symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression. However, further research is needed to establish this claim.
Acupuncture can help prevent migraines by relaxing certain muscles around your head that can cause headaches. Acupuncture may also reduce nausea during pregnancy or after surgery.
Acupuncture can relieve menstrual cramps caused by endometriosis or uterine fibroids. Women who have had multiple miscarriages may benefit from acupuncture as well.
There are many different types of acupuncture treatments:
Traditional Chinese acupuncture involves inserting few or no needles at all into specific points on your skin, usually on your back or face. This type of treatment is often used for pain relief in addition to other types of treatments like massage. It takes about an hour to complete a session.
Moxibustion involves burning the skin with hot needles placed at certain points along your spine or limbs to stimulate circulation and improve health. This type of treatment may be combined with cupping therapy if you have lower back problems or leg pain from arthritis or rheumatism. Moxibustion typically requires less time than traditional acupuncture because it does not involve insertion of needles.
Acupressure: This involves pressing lightly on specific points on the body with your fingertips or thumbs. Sometimes acupressure can be used alone as an alternative treatment for chronic pain. It’s also beneficial for people who have poor circulation or blood flow problems in their hands. Acupressure has been found to help relieve neck and shoulder pain caused by sports injuries and car accidents. Acupressure is an ancient practice that involves inserting finger-tips into specific points on your body. Acupressure can be used to treat various disorders or injuries.
Cupping: This therapy involves placing small cups around a person’s skin so that air is trapped inside them without touching the skin itself (like a vacuum). Cupping can help improve circulation, reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing — all of which may help relieve pain. In particular, cupping may be helpful for those suffering from chronic lower back pain or arthritis. You can check At Home Holistic Therapies for more information.
