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Although even now sometimes viewed with skepticism in the West, acupuncture as a healing medium has been used for more than 4000 years. The oldest known medical text in the world still used today, The Canon of Medicine by Nei Jing describes the energy pathways or meridians along which the life waves travel. A major breakthrough in the acceptance of acupuncture by Western medicine came in 1998 when researchers at Fudan University were able to use an infrared spectrophotometer to, for the first time prove that acupuncture meridians do exist.
The basic theory behind Acupuncture is that when you are sick or in pain, the flow of energy is impeded and by means of acupuncture or acupressure you can restore balance to the meridians by unblocking them and thus restoring the body to full health. A nice analogy for the way this works is to imagine what happens when the lights in your house suddenly dim, that is the result of a drop in the flow of electricity, when the flow is restored the light go back to full power.
The drawback of acupuncture has always been the need to visit practitioners rooms and for many people the thought of having needles stuck into them was not exactly pleasant.
An exciting recent development is the innovative LifeWave acupuncture patch, a nanotechnology patch which contains a crystalline structure works on the acupuncture meridians, to produce various health related effects.
The patches which have an FDA medical device listing, contain patented nano structured biomolecular crystals which when activated by body heat start to oscillate, thereby producing specific energy waves which travel along the body meridians to transmit signals to the various target organs where they produce their balancing effect.
The patches are placed on known acupuncture points, where the skin has less than 1 sixth of the normal electrical resistance.
Acupressure patch technology is still really at an early stage so there are only a limited number of conditions for which there are available patches, but this technology is such a breakthrough that you can be certain many more will be developed.
Current applications are; the temporary relief of pain, lessening of sleep problems, help with managing weight loss, anti aging and increased energy production.
Interestingly, the patches caused a furore when a number of members of the US swim team were seen wearing them, resulting in an investigation by the USA and World doping agencies.
Fortunately, because nothing actually enters the bloodstream, the agencies decided that no action needed to be taken. After that it became quite common to see elite athletes from various sports and even racehorses wearing the patches.
For instance at the last Olympics company representatives announced there were more than 400 athletes from 11 different countries wearing the patches. Certainly there are many press photographs and magazine articles that seem to support these claims.
However, as per usual it is best to check these things out for yourself.
More than 75% of the population fights with issues that relate to weight loss. It may be a few pounds or a case of obesity but either way there is no magic bullet for curing obesity or weight gain. But using diet patches seems to be the latest hope for an easy solution to the problem. The diet patch is the latest and greatest craze to make it to the weight loss market in recent months. And it certainly is the most attractive diet plan to come along in ages.
There are a variety of different diet patches on the market. Some claim to work as fast as within 24 hours which is very impressive. Others claim results in a couple of days or a week. Almost all of them share basic ingredients and all deliver those ingredients the same way.
Using skin patches is not a new idea. Many drugs, contraceptives, and stop smoking remedies are delivered slowly through a time release skin patch. It has been proven that medication is absorbed extremely well through the skin. It has now become quite a common delivery system for prescription drugs and alternative treatments too.
So using a patch to deliver diet supplements should not be such a surprise. There are several different manufacturers using diet patches to delver a mix of minerals and herbs that are suppose to help you shed those extra pounds.
Garcinia, Guarana, and Fucus vesiculosus are common herbal ingredients that speed up the metabolism. Yerba mate is a substance like caffeine which works by speeding up the metabolism. Chromium picolinate is used to balance blood sugar levels.
Green tea concentrate has become a popular choice in dietary supplements so it is not surprising that it is now being used in diet patches. It is thought to metabolize fat more efficiently and to also speed up metabolism.
For best results apply the diet patch directly to dry skin in an area where there is a thin fat layer. For example the upper arm is often a good spot. The area not only needs to be dry but it also needs to be hairless, so if needed shave the area.
Once the patch is on, the person does not have to worry about getting it somewhat wet such as in the shower, however swimming is too wet. Replace as per the manufacturers directions that came with the patches or as directed by your doctor.
It is not the diet patch itself that can be the problem but rather the way a person perceives the purpose of the patch. If the person believes the patch is all that is needed to shed those pounds they will be met with disappointment. Whether diet patches or diet supplements are being used they must be combined with a good exercise program and an understanding of food calories including what a person can or cannot eat. All of these elements are an integral part of a good weight loss program.
If the calorie intake is higher than the calorie burn it will not matter what product is being used or what delivery mechanism is being used, the program will not be successful. Combine exercise, and counting calories with the use of diet patches and those pounds will begin to melt away.