Under The Weather New Agers Seek Ancient Chinese Treatment

Acupuncture Now Used by Millions in Western Cultures to Treat Numerous Issues.

A HISTORY OF ACUPUNCTURE Needle phobes beware! An ancient Chinese medicine known as acupuncture has been helping many people around the world for thousands of years, but would you try it? Why or why not?
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According to the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture helps rebalance your energy, or Qi (pronounced chee) by inserting extremely thin needles into specific places, known as meridians, on the body. If your Qi is imbalanced or obstructed your body may experience discomfort or other problems. Meridians help connect the inside of your body with the outside (over 360 meridians exist on the human body). The needles help release the impediments to the Qi. The needles help boost the nervous system to release healing chemicals in the muscles, spinal cord and brain and produce natural painkillers. According to the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, The chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones which influence the body's own internal regulating system. The results? Acupuncture needles stimulate your bodys natural healing capabilities to promote an overall wellbeing. THE EXPERIENCE

Now, the question youve been asking this whole time: does it hurt? I wish I could say that I have experienced this versatile treatment myself, but I have not. Kathleen Port from Los Angeles, California practices acupuncture. In this short video she walks you though exactly what to expect during a treatment. If youve got The Nutty Professor picture in your head, youve got it all wrong. A typical treatment only uses six to eight needles at a time.
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Most treatments range

from 15 minutes to one hour.

Acupuncture needles are different from the needles which you receive your flu shot each year. Very fine, solid, hair-like needles are used for acupuncture; whereas thicker hollow needles are used in a doctors office. Hypodermic needles used at the doctor have cutting edges and are hallowed for injecting medicine, or for extracting blood. Sometimes an electric or heat source is applied to the acupuncture needles to further accelerate the process.

(image from avont78.hubpages.com) You may also notice that while you may be receiving treatment for one part of your body, the needles may be placed in another part of your body. This is where the flow of the meridians comes in. WebMD points out that most people feel no pain, but rather slight pressure.

Sometimes people may feel an itch, numbness, or a tingling sensation. There are also a few side effects associated with the practice including bruising, slight bleeding and soreness. The needles used during treatment are sterilized and disposable, so the risk of infection during acupuncture is extremely low. Bottom line, acupuncture is a safe practice. ACUPUNCTURE CAN TREAT WHAT? Many people argue that acupuncture has been practiced for at least 4,000 years, but it was officially recorded in China at least 2,000 years ago. And you thought your grandmother was old! Originally practiced to drain abscesses, acupuncture has evolved over thousands of years and is being recognized, alongside many other alternative medicines, by people in the New Age Movement for a variety of health related issues. Ive listed just a few of the health problems below. Infertility Acupuncture is often combined with herbal and other treatments to aide in a number of reproductive problems. Acupuncture is a much cheaper alternative (see Local Treatment Options below) than traditional infertility treatments such as IVF. Acupuncture likely increases endorphins and the blood flow to the ovaries, according to an article from CBS. Migraines Are you one of the 28 million Americans suffering from migraine headaches? Acupuncture has proven to help people who suffer from migraine and tension headaches, especially when paired with mainstream treatment. For your pet

Thats right, Rover has a Qi and meridians too! Does your cat have a wound that just wont heal? Is your dog suffering from hip dysplasia? Does your pet have a hard time swallowing those pills you try to disguise in peanut butter? Acupuncture in animals can often help reduce the other treatment your dog receives. ADHD Have you tried everything to help your son or daughter focus in class? Finish their homework in a timely manner, so you can finally catch up on your SVU re-runs instead of battling over an English assignment? Tired of trying new drug after new dosage to help your childs ADHD symptoms? Like your pets, acupuncture can help cut back on the amount of medication one has to take for ADHD. Weight loss
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In a mere .28 seconds, Google pulled 1,880,000 search results for the phrase acupuncture for weight loss. There are hundreds of studies about acupuncture and weight loss. According to Dr. Oz, acupuncture can help weight loss by curbing appetite, quelling cravings, boosting metabolism, improving digestion, regulating obesity-related hormones and enhancing the way nutrients are used. Now I encourage you to think about The Nutty Professor. Depression From psychotherapy sessions, talking to psychologists, keeping it to oneself, or taking a variety of drugs, there are millions of Americans suffering from

and actively seeking treatment for depression each year. Victims of depression have pursued alternative methods of treatment like acupuncture to help them get back on their feet. Eczema People have begun to treat a number of skin issues with acupuncture, including eczema. The skin irritation can often be embarrassing for those who are experiencing an outbreak because of the red dry patches it produces. Eczema is the most common skin condition among children. Acupuncture has helped decrease the length of the eczema outbreak in many people. IBS If you suffer from IBS, then you know the phrase when you gotta go, you

gotta go all too well. So why not go and try to help yourself in every way
possible? Acupuncture has also helped many people alleviate abdominal pain as well as sudden IBS symptoms. Chronic pain According to Vanderbilt University, Americans spend about $100 Billion trying to find a cure, or even some relief, for their chronic pain. Acupuncture is widely known to help individuals improve their quality of life by reducing or eliminating their pain. There are many more reasons that people seek acupuncture. As you can see from the short list above, acupuncture has helped peoples problems with body image, starting families, internal systems, skin problems, pain relief, and peace of mind. This once foreign medicine is now sought after by Western cultures for a number of illnesses and bodily problems. I would argue that the New Age Movement and the rise in an awareness of spirituality is the cause for the increase of acupuncture and other alternative

medicines in Western cultures. Many people do not want to put drugs and other chemicals into their body, but would rather find a more natural way of healing. LOCAL TREATMENT And for the second question youve been thinking this whole time: Can I afford this? After calling a local provider, Acupuncture Cincinnati, the answer is yes! The person I spoke to on the phone said a typical treatment is $70, which lasts about one hour to 75 minutes. Of course, there are many other locations in the tri-state area which you can look into. Acupuncture Cincinnati was the first to show up in my search results. So what do you think? Would you give it a try? I invite you to at least weigh the benefits of acupuncture with me. I know Ive had an awful cramp in my neck for months from my desk job that Id like to relievemaybe tiny needles are the way to go?