Friday, November 12, 2010

Stealth Acupuncture

The first challenge was to get her on top of the covers so that I could reach the acupuncture points I needed to work on. The acupuncture fix for sciatica involves inserting a two inch long needle into the point 'Haun Tiao' (GB30) and shaking it around a little to unblock the energy flows in the area. Once acupuncture has been recommended, the acupuncturist will determine which pressure points will be needled. The needles used by modern acupuncturists are disposable stainless steel usually with plastic or wound wire covering the upper third of the needle.

Chinese herbs can also factor into the treatment plan for most women's health concerns. I have found that the combination of acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, and guided stress reduction offers the most potent treatment approach because it addresses all inputs into health. Fresh foods offer us the most chi.

Not only are they higher in vitamins and other nutrients, they are also more alive. When we eat fresh foods we absorb their nutrients but we also literally absorb their chi, replenishing our own. The more alive a food is when we eat it, the more chi it will give us. Acupuncture has a proven track record in treating many different syndromes.

The World Health Organization, has published a list of diseases that lend themselves to the treatment of acupuncture based on clinical experience. These range from insomnia and stress to infertility, hay fever, sinusitis, tinnitus and tennis elbow and frozen shoulder. Double check that the institute has been accredited by the appropriate professional associations before you enrol. These seals of approval mean that the school has undergone rigorous examination by outside sources and has proven that they are the real deal.

This ancient tradition has been practiced for thousands of years and many of the meridian points that are more commonly blocked are named after elements of nature. Acupuncture views the human body as part of the world around it. Tiredness has an uncanny way of starting out as an occasional situation that we assume will go away. But if we don't pay attention, we risk damaging our body in the long run. We also need to be attentive to secondary symptoms like muscle-ache, stiff neck, lower back pain, acid reflux, digestive problems, anxiety etc.

Assuming you chose a competent, credible practitioner, the risks associated with acupuncture are generally very low. The most common complaint is mild bruising and soreness around the penetrated areas. Because the needles are so thin, bleeding very rarely occurs, and any bleeding is typically very mild. When you go in for an acupuncture treatment, you can expect to be stuck with needle points in the webs between your thumbs and palms in order to target the head and hands. Most likely you will feel a twinge of sensation and then some twitching between your thumb and hand. Treating back pain with acupuncture is constantly gaining recognition since it is just right for acute and chronic backage. Acute pain is frequently fixed within a few visits. In case of sciatica, reoccurring problem, or underlying deficiency, more treatments may be required.