What is acupuncture and what are its benefits?

Acupuncture is part of the ancient practice of traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that the human body has more than 5,000 acupuncture points connected by pathways or meridians. These pathways create a flow of Qi energy through the body that is responsible for overall health. Interruption of the energy flow can cause disease. By applying acupuncture to certain points, it is believed to improve the flow of Qi, bringing incredible benefits to our health and providing wellness.

It is a technique for balancing the flow of energy or life force – known as Qi that is believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body. By inserting needles into specific points along these meridians, acupuncture practitioners believe that their energy flow will be rebalanced.

Studies done by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have shown that acupuncture is a very effective treatment alone or in combination with other conventional therapies to treat a variety of conditions, among them:

– Gastritis
– Irritable bowel syndrome
– Hepatitis
– Hemorrhoids
– Anxiety, depression and insomnia
– Allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, bronchitis, and even asthma
– Sore throat
– Menstrual pain and infertility
– Chronic pain such as: Fibromyalgia
– Back pain, muscle pain and weakness, sciatica, arthritis
– Headaches and migraines
– Cramps
– Neurogenic bladder dysfunction
– Parkinson’s disease
– Post-operative pain
– Stroke treatments
– Irritable bladder
– Male infertility

How is acupuncture performed?

Needles are inserted into specific places on the body, which doctors call acupuncture points.

The needles used are very thin and usually measure a few centimeters, are pre-sterilized, disposable, and will be discarded immediately after use.

The therapist will choose specific points to place the needles based on your condition and symptoms. Several points can be used during a session, depending on the number of symptoms you have.

The needles can be inserted just under the skin, or deeper so that they reach the muscles. Once the needles are in place, they can be left in position for a period of time ranging from a few minutes to about 30 minutes.

Between 5 and 20 needles are used in a typical treatment. You may feel a slight sensation of pain when the needle reaches the correct depth. Depending on your medical condition, if you have any health problems such as sciatic nerve or herniated disc, injuries, partial rupture of ligaments or tendons, partial or total rupture of muscle fibers, you may feel more pain, pain as of a pain crisis of the condition itself, this is because in these cases it is necessary to deepen the needles more to get to the root of the problem, the needles touch the injury, so they cause more pain at the time of application.

Acupuncture, although very beneficial, can be so beneficial to some people with specific conditions. For example, if you have a pacemaker, if you have chronic skin problems, it is important to always inform the therapist. It is also not recommended if you have a metal allergy or an infection in the area where the needles may be inserted.

It is safe to do acupuncture during pregnancy. However, it is important to inform the therapist if you are pregnant because certain acupuncture points cannot be safely used during pregnancy.

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Do you like this fantastic therapy? How about scheduling your session right now here at the Clínica?