Do you want to understand more about acupuncture benefits? Acupuncture has been practiced for more than 2500 years. One of the reasons for its growing popularity is its ability to provide support treatment for a broad range of health conditions.
Acupuncture is considered to be holistically beneficial and on publication of the Acupuncture Evidence Project the Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association has made available the areas in which the practice has proven beneficial.
What Is Acupuncture?
During an acupuncture session your practitioner will insert very fine needles into the acupuncture points of your body that correspond with your ailment/ these acupuncture points are positioned along your body’s energy meridians and when they are cleared, they promote the flow of Qi, or energy, throughout your body.
The needles that are used are very fine, disposable needles. Because of their thickness and placement it does not hurt when they penetrate the skin. During the course of the treatment your practitioner will turn the needles or stimulate them with electricity, before removing them at the end of your session. The needles will be left in place for between 5 and 30 minutes at a time.
The neuro-science of acupuncture
To explain how it works from a neuro-science perspective, the acupuncture points are those where muscles, connective tissue and nerves can be stimulated. This increases blood flow and stimulates the production of your body’s own natural pain killers. Ultimately the practice of acupuncture helps to stimulate the body’s ability to heal itself.
What Are The Benefits Of Acupuncture?
Acupuncture provides pain relief that is drug-free
Modern society promotes a pill for every ailment but these medications can do more harm than good over the long term and result in the development of addictions and dependencies. Acupuncture can be used in the management of pain as a drug-free alternative to wellness. This makes it ideal for people who have allergies or sensitivities to certain types of medication and those who would rather heal from the inside.
Acupuncture is safe
When performed by a suitably qualified Acupuncturist acupuncture is considered safe. There are very few side effects to be concerned with.
Acupuncture is complementary
The practice can be combined with different treatments for holistic healing. It is frequently combined with Chinese herbal medicine.
Acupuncture promotes a holistic approach to wellness
Unlike modern medications that are designed to address the symptom and not the case of the problem, acupuncture is beneficial because it addresses the condition’s underlying cause. It takes the body as a whole into account and can be used to diagnose and treat a wide range of ailments.
Acupuncture benefits the management of chronic and acute ailments
Published in 2017 the Acupuncture Evidence Project is a compilation of evidence in support of acupuncture’s benefits. The purpose of the review was to provide scientific validation for the claims made.
The review was conducted across 122 conditions and out of those, acupuncture was found to be effective in at least 117 of those.
Some examples of the conditions that exhibited strong evidence include nausea and vomiting induced by chemotherapy, knee osteoarthritis, chronic low back pain, post-operative pain, headache and migraine, post-operative nausea and vomiting, allergic rhinitis, morning sickness, tennis elbow, strains and inducing labour.
Some examples of the conditions that exhibited moderate evidence include neck pain, acute low back pain, hypertension, anxiety, obesity, post-traumatic stress disorder, peri- and post- menopausal insomnia, acute stroke, constipation, depression, substance abuse and addictions, irritable bowel syndrome, menopausal hot flushes and asthma in adults.
The World Health Organisation has also identified some conditions that appear to respond well to acupuncture but which require further research including neuralgia and fibromyalgia, neck stiffness, spine pain, vascular dementia, urinary tract infections, Tourette syndrome and whooping cough.
How Many Treatment Sessions Will You Need?
The number of sessions you need to experience relief from your ailment will depend on the nature of the ailment. An acute ailment can be expected to improve in eight to 12 sessions while chronic conditions may require treatment over the course of a few months.
If you are uncertain whether your condition will respond to acupuncture discuss it with your acupuncturist.
To find out more about the benefits of acupuncture or a specific ailment please contact us to speak to a professional: (02) 9159 6903
