On Pins and Needles: Six Helpful Facts that Might Change Your Mind about Acupuncture

 

 

Acupuncture is an incredibly beneficial healing treatment that does not get as much credit as it deserves. If you are starting to consider acupuncture, or even have just thought about it once, you might have hesitations due to claims you’ve heard. Although acupuncture is a practice that has been used for thousands of years, there are many misconceptions floating around that cause some people to hesitate before trying it. Keep reading to learn the truth about acupuncture, and how it could benefit you.

 

 

The Practice

Acupuncture is all about stimulation and regulating the body’s balance. This can be both a physical and mental way of healing, depending completely on your outlook. Many theories exist on how the needles help to actually relieve certain ailments such as pain. Whether it sparks a release of neurotransmitters or even rousing the nervous system, overall stimulation of some of the near 2,000 acupuncture points long the body can help the body to heal by releasing any barriers in the flow of energy. Most patients feel nothing but slight pressure with the needles being inserted.

 

 

The Needles

A common fear and misconception about acupuncture always stems back to the needles. Contrary to popular belief, the needles acupuncturists use do not look anything like traditional medicinal needles. They are incredibly thin, varying in lengths and sizes. They are bendable and inserted no more than an inch into the skin, depending on treatment. As of recently, the FDA standardizes all needles just like other regulated medical devices. Because the needles are so tiny, they will not feel like a typical needle going into the skin.

 

 

The Uses

The most common use for acupuncture is for any type of pain, whether it is back pain, an injury, or even after an operation. On the other hand, there are countless other fantastic uses for it as well. People seek out acupuncturist’s help for ailments such as insomnia, anxiety, asthma, irregular menstrual cycles, digestive issues, anorexia, circulatory disorders, addictions, and respiratory disorders. Those with carpal tunnel, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, and tennis elbow are also recommended to find relief with acupuncture. It could be a matter of finding the right acupuncturist for your ailment, but there is certainly a use for acupuncture when it comes to almost any type of body issue.

 

 

The Effects

Beyond the fantastic benefits of your pain alleviating or remedying your disorder, there are beneficial side effects to acupuncture as well. In comparison to modern medicine, which usually has somewhat dangerous side effects, those who seek out acupuncture for their ailments tend to see not only physical side effects but mental effects, sometimes starting right after the first visit. The most common “side effects” are mental clearness, better digestive health, improved sleep, a boost in energy, and a significant decrease in stress. That’s much better than the alternative, isn’t it?

 

 

The Safety

Depending on the acupuncturist you see, it is an extremely safe and beneficial practice. It is very important that you find a licensed and trained professional before seeking treatment. If you do so, it can actually lead to a healthier lifestyle after only a few visits. By taking a holistic approach to your ailments, you are eliminating the need for unsafe alternatives, such as pills or operations. It will take some getting used to, but acupuncture is a great way to avoid the harmful side effects of medications, treatments, and surgeries.

 

 

The Cost

Treatments vary depending on the acupuncturist you see but you will be surprised to find that it is actually relatively inexpensive, especially for the benefits you receive. Most costs range anywhere from $60 to $120 per session, with the first initial session tending to cost the highest. Reach out to your local acupuncturist for an exact price and you can compare several clinics to find a price that you are most comfortable with. While repeated sessions are usually necessary at first, you can reap the benefits of acupuncture as frequently as you like.

 

 

Now that you have some helpful and honest information about acupuncture, you can make an educated decision on how to best relieve or heal your ailments. For a holistic approach that has been used for thousands of years to heal, acupuncture is definitely the best route for you. If you still have lingering questions or concerns, a trained acupuncturist will be able to give you specific advice related to any of your ailments or special circumstances. Don’t let fear or a lack of information keep you from enjoying the countless benefits that acupuncture has to offer. The information for this article was provided by the professionals of Physiomobility at Don Mills who provide acupuncture and physiotherapy in Toronto.

 

 

Categories: acupuncture, helpful facts, needles, pins

Blood Work: How to Overcome Your Fear of Needles

 

 

About 20 percent of the population has a fear of needles. There is even a technical name for the fear, trypanophobia. The fear should be taken seriously because it could prevent an individual from seeking medical treatment or having necessary, routine blood work done. Additionally, a fear of needles might prevent an individual from taking prescribed injectable medications, particularly of concern for diabetic patients. There is hope. Below are a few techniques and strategies that may help the individual overcome the fear of needles:

 

1. Talk about the fear. Rather than keeping the fear inside, talking about the fear with the healthcare provider who will be using the needle might alleviate some anxiety. Simply talking about the fear may be validating. If the fear is extreme and generalized, the healthcare provider can also refer the individual to a therapist to learn ways to manage anxiety in general.

 

2. Take medication before the procedure. Taking an anesthetic, or pain killer, applied directly on the skin can numb the area and decrease pain. For more intense cases of needle phobia, an anti-anxiety medication might be in order. A physician can prescribe one, if needed.

 

3. Be in the right position. Some individuals who fear needles have a fainting feeling prior to the procedure. To avoid injury, lying down or being in a comfortable seated position is key. Also, positioning the area where the injection will occur properly is important. Making sure that the physician or phlebotomist can easily access the area to avoid having to repeat the procedure can help.

 

4. Think about something else. When the time comes for the “stick”, thinking about something else, or distraction, is a great technique. Guided imagery is a technique taught by counselors and can be self-taught prior to the procedure. Guided imagery involves taking yourself mentally to a different, relaxing place. Having an image in mind prior to the procedure is a good plan.

 

5. Learn about needles. Education is powerful. If an individual is afraid of needles, it might be out of ignorance on the subject. Consider receiving phlebotomy training to learn more about needles and blood draws. Many local community colleges offer phlebotomy courses.

 

For the person with a fear of needles, consequences can be physically damaging if treatment is avoided. Understanding needles and having techniques to use when blood draws must occur can help alleviate the anxiety associated with a fear of needles.

 

 

Categories: Blood, fear, how to, needles, overcome

Forget Anti-Depressants – Fight Back With Acupuncture

Depression affects the wellness and wellbeing of millions of people around the globe, many of whom turn to anti-depressants for relief. New research, however, is showing that acupuncture may be a safe and extremely effective alternative to psychiatric drugs for those who are suffering from anxiety or depression.

 

This was carried out by studying functional MRI scans, to find out what effect acupuncture has on the brain, and the chemicals that it secretes such as serotonin and dopamine.

 

Anti-depressants are widely used, and in fact are amongst the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States. A recent study even showed that their use doubled between 1996 and the year 2005. Unfortunately, there are many common side effects to anti-depressants, and they can be quite severe. Some antidepressants can even worsen the symptoms of depression and cause an increased risk of the patient committing suicide. Recent studies have raised questions about the efficacy of certain drugs, with some studies even claiming that they are no more helpful than a placebo, and others showing that they are actually less effective than talking therapy.

 

Acupuncture is most effective in patients who have milder depression, which is also the same group that tend to find anti-depressants less effective. Doctors are now increasingly looking to acupuncture for its ability to help heal these depressive and anxiety disorders.

 

Acupuncture is when long, thin needles are placed in the body in specific locations, which are meant to help improve various different medical conditions.

 

One study was carried out on 151 patients suffering from depression, and they were assigned either to a course of acupuncture therapy or sham acupuncture therapy (where needles were inserted but not into the correct places) and no other intervention. There were 12 acupuncture sessions (real or sham) and the researchers found that those who had any type of acupuncture (traditional or sham) showed an impressive improvement in their symptoms of depression.

Categories: acupuncture, acupuncture therapy, anti, anti-depressants, depressants, depression, nbsp, nbsp acupuncture, needles

Acupuncture for Animals: Expert Takes on Sceptics

While more and more people are turning to complementary wellness techniques, there are certainly still a few sceptics out there. That said, there are even more sceptics about using such techniques for animal wellbeing. Wellness writer PF Louis admits, ‘Yes, people are getting acupuncture treatments for the pets, and some veterinarians have been trained to perform acupuncture. It not only works, it works when conventional approaches fail.’ So, can acupuncture really help pet wellness?

 

Louis details, ‘Evidently, veterinarian acupuncture started as a branch of TCM during the Zhou dynasty (1122-770 BC). The focus was on farm animals and war horses. Veterinarian acupuncture emerged in the US along with TCM for humans in the 1970s. Despite being considered alternative or complementary, the procedure for diagnosing exactly what meridian map and acupoints to use is very thorough. The vet may smell the animal’s mouth or nose, perform some simple movement tests, and ask the pet’s owner lots of questions. TCM looks at the whole health picture to determine the underlying causes of symptoms instead of grabbing prescriptions dedicated to one size fits all with potential side effects. When those small, thin needles are used on animals, they show no signs of discomfort, and it’s okay if they move around the room. Unlike humans, dogs and cats aren’t required to remain still for 20 minutes per session.’

 

According to Louis, ‘Some serious MD blowhards claim all benefits derived from acupuncture are from a placebo effect because they don’t have a Western medical explanation for it’s efficacy. They don’t attempt to understand Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, which are very different than the molecular-biochemical Western point of view. They would be hard-pressed to come up with the placebo effect explanation for animals. Maybe the dog knows his master is hauling him off to a vet to fix his lower back so he can walk properly. And when that vet starts sticking needles into his back, the dog is thinking, “I know this is gonna fix me so I can walk better and run. I believe in this stuff, I’ve read about it.” Right, of course. It’s that ole’ placebo effect again.’

 

For Louis, if you can’t ask the animals about acupuncture, the next best thing is to ask their owner. ‘It’s more convincing to see or read about actual case cures that are not curable or made worse by conventional treatments than all of Big Pharma’s claims based on “scientific evidence,”’ says Louis. ‘An interesting story involves a veterinarian who was considering dropping out of acupuncture training after the first session of classes had ended. The whole acupuncture thing was too weird for him. Upon arriving at his home, he discovered his pet Dachshund was paralysed, and his clinical associate couldn’t improve his condition. So the vet, William Martin, became desperate enough to call one of the acupuncture teachers.’ Martin recalls, ‘Over the telephone we did some hands-on diagnostics. He told me where and how to insert regular hypodermic needles in acupuncture points.’ The Dachshund was standing within four hours, and Martin continued with course from then on in.

 

Louis goes on, ‘Marlene Cimmons, a science writer and former health policy writer for the Washington Post, shared her Labrador’s urinary incontinence acupuncture cure in that paper’s “Health and Science” section recently. After medications for her 11-year-old Lab caused more harm then good, her vet suggested Marlene look into acupuncture. Marlene knew it worked for humans because it had worked for her. After a few treatments, her Lab no longer woke up in her doggie bed soaked with urine. She was cured.’

Categories: acupuncture, animals, louis, nbsp, nbsp louis, needles, placebo effect, veterinarian acupuncture