Table of contents:
- Various benefits of acupuncture therapy
- 1. Relieves pain
- 2. Help overcome fertility problems
- 3. Reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
- 4. Improve sleep quality
Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine where very thin needles are inserted into specific points on the body. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, acupuncture is known as a technique to balance the flow of energy that is believed to flow through the meridians in the body. By inserting needles at specific points along the meridian pathways, acupuncturists believe your energy flow will return to balance. On the other hand, acupuncture therapy is believed to stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue.
Various benefits of acupuncture therapy
Numerous studies have shown that acupuncture therapy can relieve symptoms of various medical conditions. Acupuncture cannot completely replace doctor visits and modern medicine. However, there's nothing wrong with trying this one therapy in addition to doctor's treatment.
More specifically, here are the health benefits of acupuncture.
1. Relieves pain
Usually, acupuncture is one of the most sought after treatments when a person experiences pain in several parts of the body such as the lower back, knees and neck.
A 2012 study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine shows that acupuncture works well to reduce pain from back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headaches, and shoulder pain as well.
The reason is, this therapy works by using the same pathway as opioid drugs (severe pain relievers) by stimulating the body's natural endorphins without using drugs.
2. Help overcome fertility problems
Jeff Millison, chair of the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Department at Maryland University, United States states that acupuncture has been shown to be effective in promoting fertility for women who are undergoing IVF or trying to conceive naturally.
Jeff Millison believes that infertility is linked to an imbalance in the body. So, when this balance is restored by stimulating certain nerve points in the body, fertility problems can be resolved.
3. Reducing the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation
Acupuncture therapy can help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy such as nausea, rashes, pain in certain parts of the body, and weakness. Well, this one therapy helps cool the body and relieve excess heat and inflammation as a result of the side effects of both treatments.
4. Improve sleep quality
If you experience insomnia, then there's nothing wrong with trying this one therapy. The reason is, quoted from Reader's Digest, a 2013 study found evidence that acupuncture works more effectively than prescription sleeping pills. This therapy can overcome sleep disorders such as difficulty sleeping, frequent waking in the middle of the night, or waking up too early.
