Why acupuncture is useful and what is it treated

The benefits and harms of acupuncture is an interesting question for many people, since the procedure is often recommended for serious health problems. To evaluate the properties of acupuncture, you need to carefully study its principle of action.

What is acupuncture

A medical procedure called acupuncture, or acupuncture, has been practiced in medicine for over 2,000 years. The essence of the procedure is that thin needles are inserted at certain points on the human body at a shallow depth and left for a while, and then carefully removed.

The beneficial properties of acupuncture are used to treat a wide variety of ailments, usually after several treatments have been performed. Acupuncture is a completely official method of treatment and is performed by certified specialists, in accordance with strict rules and under sterile conditions.

How acupuncture works

The health benefits of acupuncture are determined by the fact that medical needles act on biologically active points and promote the launch of beneficial processes in the body. In particular, with acupuncture:

• muscle tissue relaxes - this helps relieve painful muscle spasms and improve the mobility of the joints and spine;
• blood circulation accelerates, swelling leaves the tissues, the recovery processes in the body begin to occur faster, the nutrients that come with food and drinks are faster spread throughout the body;
• serotonin and cortisol are released into the blood - these hormones are not only responsible for a good mood, but also have an analgesic effect, and also help fight inflammation.

Acupuncture can be used as a stand-alone treatment or as an adjunct to mainstream therapy. When beneficial procedures are performed professionally and in accordance with the rules, acupuncture brings a quick positive result.

Advantages of acupuncture over other methods

Some of the benefits of acupuncture make the procedure stand out from other treatments. You can list the following benefits:

• lack of drugs, therefore, possible allergies;
• quick effect - an improvement in well-being is observed after the very first procedure;
• a small number of contraindications and no age restrictions;
• low trauma to the skin - acupuncture needles are very thin, so there are no visible marks on the body.

Why acupuncture is useful for the body

The acupuncture procedure has many beneficial properties. Acupuncture:

• improves immunity, relieves the feeling of chronic fatigue and increases efficiency;
• relieves muscle tension, promotes the disappearance of edema;
• normalizes hormones and evens out mood swings;
• has a tonic and relaxing effect;
• has a beneficial effect on sleep and helps to get rid of nervous disorders;
• brings great benefit in osteochondrosis, restoring healthy joint mobility;
• helps to get rid of migraines and dizziness;
• improves blood circulation and cardiac activity.

The benefit of back acupuncture for osteochondrosis is that the procedure allows you to abandon the constant use of medications. The pain syndrome with the regular passage of the procedure becomes less pronounced.

Acupuncture for weight loss

Benefits and harms of acupuncture for weight loss. The beneficial properties of the procedure lie in the fact that a targeted effect on certain points on the body regulates the work of the metabolic system. If you know what is the cause of excess weight, you can fix the problem with acupuncture, for example, reduce appetite or speed up the elimination of toxins from the body.

Acupuncture for cervical osteochondrosis

The benefits and harms of acupuncture for osteochondrosis are widely known - this disease occupies the top positions in the list of indications for the procedure. The properties of acupuncture have a strong positive effect, improve blood circulation in the damaged areas of the spine, relieve inflammation and swelling, and eliminate pain.

When using acupuncture, the well-being of patients noticeably improves, while for the procedure it is not necessary to wait for the end of the exacerbation.

Acupuncture for hernia

The benefits and harms of acupuncture for a hernia of the spine are also highly appreciated by official medicine. Acupuncture is part of a comprehensive treatment and is carried out both for hernias of the lumbar spine and for ailments of the cervical spine. Thanks to the acceleration of blood flow, with the help of the procedure, it is possible to relieve inflammation and pain symptoms, and improve the quality of life of patients. Since acupuncture can be performed in any phase of the disease, it allows to reduce the volume of drugs.

Acupuncture for infertility

The benefits of acupuncture for women extend to the gynecological field. Skilled acupuncture sessions have a positive effect on the reproductive system. Acupuncture normalizes hormones, restores blood circulation in the pelvic organs.

The body's ability to conceive and carry a child increases. Therefore, acupuncture is highly recommended in combination with other fertility treatments.

Acupuncture from smoking

Acupuncture is one of the most effective ways to quit smoking. According to statistics, most people who have resorted to the procedure for this purpose succeed in quitting smoking. The beneficial effect of acupuncture is attributed to several factors:

• in the process of acupuncture, the toxins accumulated during smoking are fully excreted from the body, the state of health is rapidly improving, against which the patients want to continue to support the rejection of tobacco smoke;
• during acupuncture, the body intensively produces hormones of joy, and this allows you to avoid anxiety and depression associated with giving up a bad habit;
• due to the effect on biologically active points, an aversion to the smell and taste of tobacco develops.

To achieve a quick effect, it is recommended to supplement acupuncture with walks in the fresh air and normalization of the daily routine.

Acupuncture for alcoholism

In the treatment of alcoholism, acupuncture properties work in the same way as in the fight against tobacco dependence. The beneficial effect is that the body is cleared of toxins and the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system is restored. The hormones that are responsible for a good mood, at the same time, do not allow you to experience negative emotions about quitting alcohol.

Although the treatment of alcoholism requires a comprehensive approach and significant life-changing changes, acupuncture is an important part of therapy.

Indications for acupuncture treatment

The beneficial properties of the procedure have a beneficial effect on almost any disease. But we can single out a list of the main ailments in the treatment of which acupuncture is especially highly valued. These include:

• joint diseases - osteochondrosis, scoliosis, arthritis, spinal hernia;
• neurological ailments - migraines, vegetative-vascular dystonia, sciatica;
• respiratory system diseases - asthma, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis;
• obesity;
• diseases of the reproductive and urogenital areas;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• ailments of the stomach and intestines.

Acupuncture is beneficial for allergies, it is very useful to resort to procedures to get rid of bad habits - smoking and alcoholism.

Preparing for the acupuncture procedure

Acupuncture procedures can only be performed in a medical center by a competent specialist. But at the same time, the patient must follow certain rules for preparing for the sessions.

• Before the procedures, you should not starve or eat too much, it is best to eat 2-3 hours before the session.
• In order for the procedure to be comfortable, you need to visit the toilet immediately before it is carried out.
• The position of the body during the session should be as comfortable as possible; for a successful procedure, it is necessary for the muscles to relax properly.
• Shortly before the acupuncture session, it is not recommended to subject yourself to intense physical activity, take medications or do intravenous injections.

Before the start of the session, you need to talk to the doctor, tell him the details of your disease and inform the specialist about the drugs you are taking. If acupuncture is part of a complex therapy, and besides it, some other procedures are carried out, you also need to tell the doctor about them.

How is the acupuncture session going

Before the first beneficial procedures, patients often feel nervous, because they do not know what exactly awaits them. Acupuncture sessions take place according to the following scenario:

• the patient lies down on a special couch and takes the most comfortable position in which he will be able to completely relax;
• the specialist disinfects the selected area of ​​the skin with an antiseptic solution, after which very thin needles are carefully screwed into biologically active points - manually or using a special apparatus;
• for 20-40 minutes, the needles remain in the patient's body, and at the end of the session, the doctor removes them manually or they leave the tissues on their own.

Most often, up to 10 needles are installed simultaneously during the session, but their exact number depends on the severity of the disease and the patient's condition.

What the patient feels during the procedure

Most people worry about the main question - how painful is acupuncture. With the correct conduct of a useful procedure, pain is almost completely absent, instead, a person feels strong heat at the point of needle insertion or a feeling of pressure and bursting.

The secret lies in the fact that acupuncture needles are not used sharp, but with a rounded tip, so the tissues are not injured during the procedure. Pain receptors are not irritated, although during or after a session, many people experience a brief numbness at the point where they touch the needles.

Points and methods of influence

Acupuncture uses different areas of the body to place needles - the specific points depend on the disease.

• With osteochondrosis and hernias, needles can be installed in the cervical spine and in the area of ​​the shoulder blades, in the lumbar or thoracic region.
• In case of migraines and pressure drops, the needles are placed on the elbow zones and in the region of the crown, on the face and on the palm.
• For heart pains and arrhythmias, acupuncture can be performed not only in the thoracic and shoulder regions, but also in the area of ​​the wrists.

Biologically active points are distributed throughout the body, therefore, the places where the needles are placed depend on the ailments and on the techniques used by the selected specialist.

The methods of exposure are usually divided into two categories.

• Toning acupuncture... In this case, up to 10 needles are installed on the body at the same time, but they are inserted to a shallow depth of 6-8 mm. This effect has an exciting effect, the technique is often used with a decrease in sensitivity in the limbs and after strokes.
• Sedative acupuncture... In this case, it is customary to use only 4-6 points on the body, but the needles are inserted very deeply, a few centimeters deep into the tissues. By the time the procedure can take more than 40 minutes, its effect is relaxing - sedative acupuncture is used mainly for muscle spasms, cramps and pain.

Features of the use of acupuncture

Beneficial acupuncture has almost no restrictions and is allowed for everyone. However, in some cases, you need to remember about the features of its implementation, so as not to accidentally damage the body.

For pregnant

During pregnancy, acupuncture should only be done as directed by your doctor. The procedure can be both beneficial and harmful. In the absence of contraindications in late pregnancy, the properties of acupuncture can facilitate the upcoming birth - make contractions more productive and significantly reduce pain.

But at the same time, in the early stages, acupuncture is usually strictly prohibited, since it can cause harm and lead to miscarriage. Also, pregnant women should not put needles in the abdomen and thighs - this can harm the fetus.

For children

Benefits of acupuncture for children, it relaxes muscles and calms the nervous system. Acupuncture is often prescribed for the complex treatment of serious congenital diseases - neurological ailments, infant encephalopathy and cerebral palsy.

Also, the beneficial properties of acupuncture ease the condition of children with vegetative dystonia and allergies. The procedures can be performed even for children under 1 year old, but shorter and thinner needles are used in the process, and the session takes no more than 20 minutes.

How many acupuncture procedures do you need to go through?

The number of acupuncture procedures is determined individually, depending on the disease and the patient's condition.On average, doctors prescribe from 10 to 20 procedures; it is recommended to repeat treatment courses with a frequency of a couple of months in order to maintain the achieved results.

Acupuncture harm and side effects

The beneficial properties of acupuncture and possible harm are determined mainly by the qualifications of the doctor who conducts the therapy. Side effects of acupuncture include:

• small bruises on the skin and pain during sessions;
• the possibility of infection in the event that the needles are not sterile;
• the likelihood of damage to tendons, blood vessels and nerve fibers when the needle is inserted.

It should be emphasized that when undergoing acupuncture in a certified medical center and under the supervision of an experienced specialist, harm to the body is practically excluded. Therefore, before starting treatment, it is very important to pay attention to the choice of a good clinic.

Contraindications to the procedure

In some cases, the properties of acupuncture may be contraindicated in patients completely or temporarily. It is impossible to carry out a useful procedure:

• in the presence of oncological tumors;
• with hypertension;
• with poor blood clotting;
• with exacerbations of chronic ailments of the stomach and heart.

It is necessary to temporarily abandon the procedure at an elevated temperature and severe physical exhaustion, as well as in the presence of infections in the body, in such conditions the body will be harmed. It is strictly forbidden to carry out acupuncture in a state of intoxication; needles should not be placed on damaged skin, as well as on scars, moles and spider veins.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of acupuncture are determined mainly by the qualifications of the doctor. If acupuncture is performed by an experienced specialist, then in the first or subsequent sessions its properties will certainly bring health benefits.

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