“You want me to use a traditional and effective medical treatment that involves becoming a human pincushion? No way can that work!”
That was a lot of Westerners’ words when first introduced to the ancient art of acupuncture by the Chinese. It looks so different from the pills, machines and operations that were then the accepted norm for all “real” medicine. Oddly enough, it’s now called “conventional” medicine, even though it is thousands of years younger than acupuncture, which is at least 5,000 years old. But even the most skeptical of scientists are rapidly coming to the conclusion that they do not know exactly how does acupuncture work, but that it does work.
Charting The Body’s Energy Currents
So, just how does acupuncture work, anyway? An acupuncturist believes that the body has two equal but opposite kinds of invisible energy currents (called Yin and Yang) that keep the body merrily going along. When the body gets sick or injured, these currents have shifted out of place. They compare their patients’ Yin and Yang flows to charts showing where the yin and Yang energy should be flowing. By inserting thin metal needles (and sometimes adding a mild current of electricity), the needles can attract and redirect the off-course energy flows back to where they are supposed to go.
Now, really, how does acupuncture work? Well, we don’t exactly know. The Yin and Yang flows do not correspond to any physical anatomical part of the human body known to Western medicine. There is some theory that the needles somehow trigger the body’s production of certain healing chemicals that also kills pain. But nothing has been proven as of yet.
What has been proven is that patients undergoing acupuncture tend to feel better. This is not just wishful thinking causing a placebo effect, for animals (who have no qualms letting you know when it hurts) will relax and often take a nap during acupuncture treatments.
How Does Acupuncture Work Best?
Acupuncture is not a cure-all, nor does it give permanent results in just one treatment or even a series of treatments. Acupuncture is considered just a part of the whole picture for getting you well. You will often be asked to change your diet to a more balanced, healthier one, asked about exercise and asked how you handle stress. Everything in your life is seen to affect your health in one way or another. How does acupuncture work best? When it is part of a plan, but not the sole plan of action.
That was a lot of Westerners’ words when first introduced to the ancient art of acupuncture by the Chinese. It looks so different from the pills, machines and operations that were then the accepted norm for all “real” medicine. Oddly enough, it’s now called “conventional” medicine, even though it is thousands of years younger than acupuncture, which is at least 5,000 years old. But even the most skeptical of scientists are rapidly coming to the conclusion that they do not know exactly how does acupuncture work, but that it does work.
Charting The Body’s Energy Currents
So, just how does acupuncture work, anyway? An acupuncturist believes that the body has two equal but opposite kinds of invisible energy currents (called Yin and Yang) that keep the body merrily going along. When the body gets sick or injured, these currents have shifted out of place. They compare their patients’ Yin and Yang flows to charts showing where the yin and Yang energy should be flowing. By inserting thin metal needles (and sometimes adding a mild current of electricity), the needles can attract and redirect the off-course energy flows back to where they are supposed to go.
Now, really, how does acupuncture work? Well, we don’t exactly know. The Yin and Yang flows do not correspond to any physical anatomical part of the human body known to Western medicine. There is some theory that the needles somehow trigger the body’s production of certain healing chemicals that also kills pain. But nothing has been proven as of yet.
What has been proven is that patients undergoing acupuncture tend to feel better. This is not just wishful thinking causing a placebo effect, for animals (who have no qualms letting you know when it hurts) will relax and often take a nap during acupuncture treatments.
How Does Acupuncture Work Best?
Acupuncture is not a cure-all, nor does it give permanent results in just one treatment or even a series of treatments. Acupuncture is considered just a part of the whole picture for getting you well. You will often be asked to change your diet to a more balanced, healthier one, asked about exercise and asked how you handle stress. Everything in your life is seen to affect your health in one way or another. How does acupuncture work best? When it is part of a plan, but not the sole plan of action.
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