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Acupuncture Introduction

People have many misconceptions about acupuncture. They think of pain whenever they think of a needle. Acupuncture is not about inflicting pain at all. Acupuncture is an ancient form of health care treatment in Chinese medicine. It uses hair like needles to insert into the skin at specific treatment points to restore wellness. Here we share five things to help you understand how acupuncture functions. The long history with Chinese Traditional Medicine have ought to give Westerners a feeling of confidence.

The Acupuncture Mindset

Instead of looking for and treating illness and diseases that were not understood, acupuncturists found ways to help the human body begin to heal itself by restoring normal energy flow for their patients. The Acupuncture Mindset maintains a focus on wellness and health rather than on sickness. To understand the Acupuncture Mindset, compare it with something in your own life experience. Acupuncture developed historically in China long before much was known about human physiology. Nature was its inspiration and healing model.

Acupuncture Training

Modern acupuncture schools follow the same approach used by the ancient Chinese acupuncturists. It is practical and direct and related to all parts of life. The acupuncturist taught his apprentices with instruction in the old ways and with practice of the methods. He also showed them how to live with healthy and productive intentions. So his function was somewhat like a mentor. Since the beginning of history as we know it ,medical practitioners in China have focused on preventing disease more so than curing or conventional research. They teach the basics of how the body works, as explained in the practice of Chinese medicine and learning how to integrate herbs and acupuncture and nutrition and exercise with a holistic method of instruction. Classes are practical and create ways to integrate acupuncture into an already active medical practice.

Acupuncture Treatments

Students must learn the locations and functions of the meridians (channels) through which energy (Qi) flows. This is a critical part of all acupuncture treatments. Since any blockage in the flow of energy results in some kind of disorder, acupuncturists identify the locations of the blockage and apply tiny hair like needles to the skin for a period of time. This is said to be relaxing and not painful. The remarkable success rate for acupuncture treatments is relative to the experience of the acupuncturist and to regular and repeat treatments to allow the patient to restore health in his or her body. Each treatment is likely to last from 30 minutes to an hour and the patient should remain relaxed and drink water or mild tea afterwards..

Acupuncture and Conventional Western Medicine

Until recent years acupuncture was not viewed highly by Western physicians. It was lumped together with other alternative medical treatments as questionable and untested. This was in spite of the fact that it had been used for thousands of years in other cultures, with success. Today there is a better understanding of the parallels between the different medical approaches. The central nervous system does have an energy field and it is responsible for sending and receiving messages to all parts of your body. When compared with the meridians for Qi energy there is a lot of similarity, but with different language and focus.

The acupuncturist seeks to restore wellness. The physician seeks to get rid of the disorder and its symptoms. Allowing for the oversimplification of all things are connected, both acupuncture and the nervous system of conventional physicians are performing the same functions within the body. A blockage of energy or a misfire in a neural synapse can result in some physiological disorder.

Acupuncture Doctors

Not all acupuncturists are doctors and most doctors are not acupuncturists. Nonetheless these health care professionals need not be exclusive of one another. Both can benefit from the skills and knowledge and tools of the other. In the past the primary concern with acupuncture and other alternative medicine was the ambiguous certification and licensing procedures. Now acupuncturists must be licensed to practice, in most states. Now many chiropractors and family care physicians are adding acupuncture and other alternative treatments to their licenses and expanding their practices. The addition of acupuncture within an integrated Western medical setting is a major improvement and a much-needed movement towards holistic healthcare for more people.

Summary

In reality acupuncture is increasingly popular today. More and more people are seeking ways to become responsible for their own health. Fewer people are willing to suffer just because there is no pill to cure them. Alternative medical treatments like acupuncture becoming more acceptable to patients and physicians alike.