Acupuncture is a popular, traditional Chinese therapy that has been practiced for over 2000 years. It has recently gained traction in other parts of the world, especially where conventional medicine has failed. For instance, in some instances, it is claimed that acupuncture can alleviate the symptoms of chemotherapy. It can also alleviate allergic conditions more effectively than conventional medicine would, or where conventional medicine is ineffective.
There are many acupuncture benefits. While studies on its benefits in alleviating specific symptoms and diseases are not conclusive, it has been used as traditional Chinese therapy for over 2000. Besides, most people turn to acupuncture when other conventional treatments have failed, which means they don’t have a better choice.
Below are ten surprising benefits of acupuncture.
1. Can Fast-track Healing from Injuries
This is an interesting fact. Acupuncture can heal a variety of injuries, including acute ones, such as sprains and tennis elbow. It activates the body’s healing mechanism and eases the pain. It promotes relaxation and boosts your immune system.
If you are suffering from repetitive strain injuries, acupuncture is a great remedy. It relaxes muscles, stimulates circulation, and reduces inflammation. This activates the release of endorphins (substances the body produces to induce natural pain relief). In an acupuncture session for a stubborn strain injury, the acupuncturist stimulates your Lieque, a spot on your wrist located inside your arm. They also work in your Waiguan point, which is found outside your arm.
2. Can Ease Chronic Pain
According to acupuncturists, there’s within your body a form of life-giving energy called qi. It circulates in your body by travelling through lines known as meridians. They claim they can release blocked qi by inserting acupuncture needles into specific points along these lines. The blocked qi is usually the cause of chronic pain, although some doctors believe this to be just a placebo effect. Examples of such pain include back and neck pain.
3. Helps Improve your Workout
When muscles are relaxed, they recover easily and quickly. Acupuncture relaxes your muscles so you can work out effectively. Quick relief from post-workout pain keeps you working out regularly. It also gives you a burst of endorphins that associate working out with good feelings and happiness. Your body starts to link working with feeling good. This, in turn, takes your workout to an entirely new level, promoting your health and wellbeing.
4. Lessens Menopause Symptoms
The anxiety, night sweats, fatigue and hot flashes take a toll on a woman undergoing menopause. With conventional western medicine unable to provide relief, most women are turning to acupuncture to lessen the impact of menopausal symptoms. According to some studies, one of the acupuncture benefits is that it minimizes the frequency and severity of hot flashes, if only for a few months.
5. Acupuncture Provides Relief for the Side Effects of Chemotherapy
While there is no known cure for cancer, most cancer patients find relief from alternative medicine and therapies such as acupuncture. Chemotherapy, for instances, attacks the body with a range of poisons, radioactive substances and toxins in a bid to kill the cancerous tumours.
In the process, it may end up causing more damage to your body. It can make one lose appetite and cause nausea in patients. Clinical trials have proven that acupuncture relieves the side effects of chemotherapy. While further research is needed to back these claims, to a cancer patient, acupuncture provides a chance to live.
6. Provides Mental Health Relief and Stress Reduction
Stress disorders, anxiety and depression, are a common phenomenon in today’s society. Part of the acupuncture benefits is that it rebalances your brain’s chemistry to provide deep relaxation. It can provide relief for complex and simple headaches and stress-induced migraines.
7. Can Help With Menstrual Cramps
Menstrual cramps could be highly uncomfortable and painful to a woman. In China, some women use acupuncture to lessen the impact of menstrual cramps.
8. Reduces Eye Strain
According to some studies, acupuncture reduces eye strain. Acupuncture focuses on improving circulation of blood to the eye. This is achieved by inserting needles at specific points around the orbit of the eye. Needles can be inserted in the Yuyao, Chinese for the area in the middle of the eyebrow, or in the Sizhukong area, which is located outside the outer corner of your eyebrow. These applications are believed to lessen blurry vision and pain.
9. Aids Digestion
The acupuncture benefits include improved circulation, which benefits your digestive system. Due to the increased flow of blood, inflammation is reduced, aiding digestion. Complications that benefit from acupuncture include heartburn, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, peptic ulcers, Hiatal hernias, and diverticulitis.
The therapy works by stimulating various points in your body to increase the relaxation and contraction of the gastrointestinal muscles, reduce the secretion of stomach acid, and increase metabolism.
10. Allergy Alleviation
Certain types of allergies can be alleviated using acupuncture. It alleviates the symptoms of allergic rhinitis better than the standard antihistamines treatment. People using acupuncture to relieve allergies have been reported to live a better quality of life than those taking antihistamines. With just a single application, it could help with nasal stuffiness and other allergic symptoms.
