A Few Of The Benefits Of Acupuncture
The benefits of acupuncture have long been recognized in China, where the practice originated. However it has taken some time for these benefits to have been recognized and accepted in the West. Acupuncture is a holistic medical practice, meaning simply that while a disorder may be quite specific, the treatment prescribed can be said to treat the body as a whole. This in general runs counter to Western medical philosophy and practice, where a disease or disorder is isolated, and treated as an isolated entity.
Part of the problem as to why the benefits of acupuncture were slow to gain acceptance, is the fact that no one has been able to scientifically prove how it works. According to Chinese practitioners, there are "meridians" throughout our body through which our life energy flows. This energy, or life force is called Ki, Chi, or Qi (usually pronounced either "key" or "chee"). Though the insertion of needles at certain points on these meridians, the energy flow, believed to be out of balance due to a disorder, or is causing the disorder, is brought back into balance.
Western science has come a bit closer in pinpointing how acupuncture actually works, though it still remains somewhat of a mystery. The important fact however is that it does work, and there are few now who would claim otherwise. In truth, there are some instances in which the benefits of acupuncture may be exaggerated, which is often due to false claims by practitioners rather than faults in the practice itself.
Benefits Of Acupuncture - The World Health Organization has listed some 28 conditions, for which it claims acupuncture provides an effective means of treatment, lending credence to the claim that acupuncture is a valuable tool in the fight against certain diseases and disorders.
Benefits of acupuncture which have either been proven or partially proven include relieving symptoms of anxiety and depression. The relief is often temporary, though the procedure is still of great value, but acupuncture can sometimes be curative as well. Acupuncture has also proven useful in dealing with angina. While not necessarily treating the underlying condition, which may be heart disease, acupuncture does have a positive effect on the heart muscles which cause the pain.
Acupuncture has long been considered effective in the treatment and relief of migraine headaches, and headaches in general, as well as being effective in relieving many instances of muscle and joint pain. Chronic pain very often results in feelings of fatigue. As acupuncture reduces the effects of pain, it also tends to lessen feelings of fatigue. Among the other benefits of acupuncture have been its proven effectiveness in treating certain types of rheumatoid arthritis, at least to the extent of reducing the amount of pain being experienced, and is helpful as well in treating certain conditions associated with stroke.
Not An Illusion - One of the great benefits of acupuncture is that it can be used as a treatment for any age groups, from young children to the elderly, and works equally for both men and women. Some contend that the benefits obtained are largely illusory, and that acupuncture is a sort of placebo. Studies have proven conclusively that while this may be the case in some instances, the benefits of acupuncture are very real indeed.
Acupuncture often seems most effective in treatment of conditions which are deemed to be chronic, lending some credence to the theory that is helps in restoring balance to the flow of energy throughout the body. Patients not only experience relief, but often actually fell much better in a general sense, as if they've been given an additional dosage of energy. Acupuncture is no longer a suspect practice, having a following resembling a cult, It has become an established and respected part of Western medical practice.