MIT. Harvard. The U.S. Army. What do these great American institutions have in common? They've all fallen in love with acupuncture. In the Journal of Brain Research, a peer-reviewed joint study by Harvard Medical School and MIT was published in late 2008. It showed that acupuncture has an effect greater than placebo. The U.S. Army is allowing military doctors to treat soldiers who suffer from chronic or severe pain with a specialized form of acupuncture: ear acupuncture. And those soldiers find relief. It seems that the initial doubts many Americans had about this Chinese medicine are fading.
According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, acute and chronic pain can often be treated with acupuncture as the primary therapeutic modality. So those common aches and pains, spasms, sprains, or repetitive stress injuries you get? Try acupuncture instead of your normal pill. In fact, many common conditions can be just as treated at least as effectively with acupuncture than with the over counter medicine. Migraines, motion sickness, ulcers, liver problems, kidney problems, and arthritis, to name a few, are all conditions acupuncture can help to alleviate, often times with fewer unwanted side effects, than OTC medications.
This ancient medicine is still working wonders at not just relieving pain but in treating other maladies as well. While physical problems such as high blood pressure, low back pain, and asthma can be treated with acupuncture, emotional pain - depression, anxiety, and generalized stress - can also be greatly improved with the use of acupuncture.
Western science is slowly beginning to understand the science behind the seeming magic that often results from acupuncture. Major pieces of the puzzle, however, have been identified. When traditional acupuncture points are stimulated with fine needles during the course of an acupuncture treatment, studies have shown that the brain's natural "feel good" chemicals - opioids or endorphins - are released. These same chemicals are responsible for not only elevating mood but for relieving pain. The points that are stimulated during treatment lie along paths which are called meridians in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that each human being possesses a series of energy channels. Energy flows through these channels or meridians freely and regularly in a healthy body. When the energy flow is blocked, however, illnesses and disease can develop. This Qi or energy is manipulated by the acupuncturist during a treatment to help a patient regain health.
TCM believes that our health depends on the body's ability to circulate Qi in a smooth and balanced fashion. Acupuncture uses the insertion of needles into specific points along the meridian. These points are close to the surface of the skin and are easily accessible with fine needles, moxibustion or acupressure.
Like other medical treatments, the severity, age and complexity of your health challenge will determine the frequency of length of treatment you'll need with acupuncture. Those who suffer from long standing physical problems or who suffer from a generally weak constitution will obviously require more frequent and sustained visits with an acupuncturist than a patient who suffers from an infrequent or acute condition.
Acupuncture is over 2,000 years old. It began in China, Japan and other parts of Asia but has since become a favored treatment option worldwide. In fact, the World Health Organization recognizes it as a safe and natural method of treating the symptoms and causes of many diseases. It's natural, powerful, and effective.