What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of treatment from Traditional Chinese Medicine. It has been practised for several thousand years. It can alleviate the symptoms of many physical and psychological problems, through the insertion of needles in special (or meridian) points of the body that will stimulate nerves in the body. Stimulating these nerves aid the body’s natural defenses to heal and repair itself.

The first ever acupuncture needles used were made of stone. They later evolved to bronze then gold and finally silver before today’s needles were developed.

In the 1970s, people in the U.K. became interested in this interesting treatment and the affects it can have on the body. Due to the interest it has gained, a number of scientific studies have been carried out to look at acupunctures affects. There is still a lot of research needed to find out how successful acupuncture is in treating all the different conditions it is used for.

More recently, acupuncture gains more popularity in the U.S. The following are some of the conditions that acupuncture can help:

Constipation or irritable bowel syndrome – Acupuncture is known to be effective in affecting the bladder and bowel movements.

Pain Relief – Acupuncture raises your endorphins and serotonin levels in the pain pathways of your central nervous system. This affects how the pain signals are received in your brain. You can get great pain relief with acupuncture for symptoms like arthritis, headaches or muscular pains.

Allergies – Acupuncture can help reduce the inflammation resulting from many allergies like hay fever, eczema and other type of allergic reactions.

Smoking – Acupuncture can help a person reduce their cravings to smoking.