Benefits of Acupuncture
What Are the Benefits of Acupuncture?
The primary benefit that people think of when they think of acupuncture is pain control or relief. However, there are many other benefits as well.
Based upon the premise of how it works,
anything that can be treated in western medicine can be treated acupuncturally as well and it does it, generally, without side effects. It virtually illiminates the need for expensive side-effect producing medications.
The benefits of acupuncture include not only treating pain but also treating emotional issues, stress issues, energy issues and almost any other health problem that one may have. And best of all, you receive these benefits of acupuncture naturally.
Acupuncture falls into the category of a natural approach in the healthcare professions. It is generally defined as the insertion of needles into the acupuncture meridians in the body to produce a change in
health or an improvement of the body following physical injury or disease.
However, acupuncture includes several other approaches to improving and or maintaining health, and a more appropriate name for this system of health care is meridian therapy.
The term meridian therapy better meets the overall conditions upon which the Chinese system of healing is premised. Traditionally, there have been four different methods of treating
the meridians or channels of energy. These include:
- The direct stimulation of points along the meridians or acupoints by needles, massage,
pressure, heat, etc.
- Herbal remedies and diet to help control the meridians chemically.
- Manipulation of the spine and joints, different from, but also similar, to methods used by
chiropractors and osteopaths.
- The controlling of emotions and attitudes with
meditation, thought control and mental evaluation of life conditions and circumstances.
As you can see, acupuncture, or needle insertion, describes just one of the methods used in Chinese medicine.
Even when needles are used they are used without the introduction of foreign, unnatural
substances into the body. Acupuncture is also non-surgical. Because of it's natural approach,
the presence of side effects are rare and generally not significant.
It is commonly believed that acupuncture had it's beginnings in China over 5000 years ago.
The earliest tools used for production of food and other purposes also begain to be used to
treat pain and disease and were known as "bian". During the Han Dynasty (206 BC to AD 220)
bian was defined as follows: "Bian means using stone to treat disease."
With time and advances in the understanding of body structure and other procedures such as the introduction of
advanced tools and metals, stones were replaced with needles made from bone or bamboo and
later with needles made from bronze. Today needles are made from various metals including surgical steel.
It was in the 1600's that traveling missionaries in China observed doctors using needles to
cause beneficial healing effects and other changes in the body and the techniques were carried back to
Following the needling observations made by the missionaries, the other methods utilized in
meridian therapy were also observed and adopted and are currently used in various ways
throughout the world.
In order to receive the benefits of acupuncture, modern day treatment consists, depending upon the practicing acupuncturist, from traditional
Chinese approaches to mixtures of that plus western additions. These include:
moxibusion which utilizes heat
- impulses of electromagnetic energy
- cold laser
- the utilization of various herbs and other natural substances
- and tapping
to name a few.
In addition, each of these may have their unique way of being used, as well as their own benefits of acupuncture.
For example, needling will consider the angle of insertion or the direction of the needle, the depth of insertion,
and needle movement such as twisting and spinning or lifting and thrusting. It may also include the attachment of electricity to the needle depending upon the desired effect of the acupunctrist.
The Theory of Chi.
The theory or idea behind meridian therapy is that in addition to the known physical anatomical structures of the body, there is a measurable life force or body vital energy called
"chi", (pronounced chee) that circulates throughout the entire body and which has influence on the body both physically and mentally.
When this energy flows normally without any obstructions or hindrances, the body does very well.
This energy travels throughout the body via channels called acupuncture meridians that are mapped out but have no anatomical
equivalents. There are twelve main channels that run lengthwise and eight collateral channels that
branch off from these. These channels are called meridians.
Over time it was discovered that the stimulation of certain points and/or combinations of points
along these channels had positive effects on bodily conditions whether it be disease or other
Yin and Yang
One of the primary principles of acupuncture is the idea that there is an optimum balance that
must exist throughout life in the body for it to function properly and which balance is needed
to both avoid disease and/or to overcome the presence of disease of injury of any sort.
Within each person are opposing, yet complementary, entities called "yin and yang". The chi
or vital body energy wich travels within the meridian channels consists of both yin and yang.
It is never just yin or yang. "Yin"
represents in each person cool, receptive, feminine qualities, while "Yang" represents the warm,
masculine, dominate qualities in each person.
When the normal balance of yin and yang are disturbed, disharmony in the body is experienced and
disease or illness follows.
The chi flows well or is hindered in it's flow, depending on
how yin and yang are balanced together. They each have differing qualities which must be kept in balance to keep a healthy state bodily, mentally, and emotionally.
Examples of these opposites include, but are not limited to,
- hot versus cold
- internal versus
- and excess versus deficiencies, etc.
When these are kept in balance we will feel
healthy. When they are out of balance, unhealthy conditions will develop.
When imbalance or disharmony in the meridians occurs, it
could be compared to a beaver dam, where excess water develops above the dam and deficient
water is seen below the dam.
Acupuncture and the other techniques of meridian therapy are done
to remove these dams or blockages and thus restore a normal flow of chi or vital body energy - thus
bringing about a healthy condition, one of the main benefits of acupuncture.
The acupuncturist, will therefore, seek to maintain or restore a proper balance of chi energy
by the various methods talked about above.
Various methods of evaluation will be used and then an appropriate plan of
treatment will be determined to balance the opposites of yin and yang and their associated yet
The benefits of acupuncture are improved health and well being. I have personally seen
some amazing results.
- Wife, Nancy, received immediate and lasting relief from severe menstrual cramps.
Grandsons Josh and Joseph are helped with their allergies and asthma.
- Daughter, Jenny's excruciating pain from
rupturing cysts and cramps, as well as thyroid and asthma, are improved dramatically with
You will be amazed too.
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