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Holistic healthcare by definition is being able to cure an illness through the use alternative means. This means no medication is given to the patient and an instrument like a bunch of needles could do the trick. Acupuncture has been around for than 2000 years. It is only recently that this holistic form of healthcare has reached the US. Studies have shown that it can treat minor problems and prevent some from happening. The needles used in acupuncture are very thin but thicker than the human hair. This makes it smaller than those used on hypodermic needles. Most patients that undergo acupuncture will not feel any significant change after one session which is why a few sessions are needed. Best of all, it is painless so your body will not feel sore afterwards. Several studies have been conducted about acupuncture and there have been positive results. For instance in the UK, 400 participants who were suffering from migraines claimed they felt better after 3 months worth of sessi

In a generation when physical fitness is given topmost attention, people are always on the lookout for the newest and most effective means for weight loss. Acupuncture, the method of inserting thin, filiform needles on certain points in an individual’s body, has been found to be one effectual method for losing weight. Not many people may find the idea of being inserted by needles quite comforting in their quest for weight control. However, this ancient Chinese alternative treatment seeks to deliver a control mechanism, enabling the patient to manage hunger cravings more successfully in the long run. The Skinny on Acupuncture Weight Loss It has been found that weight gain is directly related to emotions.  Other than physical hunger, people reach for a huge chocolate bar or a big platter of burger and fries because of the sense of comfort derived from food and eating. More often than not, excessive weight gain is an emotional issue, rather than a mere physical one. You may not real

If, like me, you have quite a fear of needles and injections, then acupuncture, that practice of sticking needles onto different parts of your body to cure sicknesses might seem scary at first. However, if you've been long been suffering from some problems like headaches or chronic pains and your regular visits to the doctor don't seem to be helping you, then why not consider a trip to an acupuncture specialist? After all, who hasn't heard of somebody's aunt somewhere suffering from arthritis and trying out everything that the doctors recommended all to no avail, only to finally be cured by a really good acupuncturist? Perhaps you were wondering if it could actually work for you. You might feel a bit skeptical since traditional Chinese medicine doesn't immediately coincide with theories in modern Western medicine. In fact, the use of needles to cure people was discovered thousands of years ago in China long before microscopes or x-ray machines were invented or b

If you want to pursue a career in acupuncture, you need to obtain a degree and become a licensed professional. This can easily be accomplished in three years of schooling from an accredited alternative medicine school which prepares students in the various acupuncture techniques to treat illnesses resulting from allergies, occupational stress, emphysema, gastrointestinal stress, arthritis, headaches, depression, and hypertension to name a few. Students who enroll in such courses will be taught through demonstration, discussion and hands on application. Part of the curriculum will also include basic courses in traditional medicine covering subjects such as anatomy, biosciences, medical terminology, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and acupressure. In some schools, they may require students to also learn about nutrition and various kinds of research. Once they graduate, they may start in an entry level position earning $40,000 or more which will soon double or triple after years of

Today's world can fill the very busy individual with a lot of stress. Without some way of removing this stress from your system, you're placing yourself in danger from a lot of stress-related diseases. You might suffer from insomnia or headaches or very serious heart diseases. You could take anti-stress pills to help you relax but, like me, you might also be worried about the side effects these pills could have. The good news is that you could try acupuncture at least once to see if it could help you manage the stress. It certainly couldn't hurt to try acupuncture if all you're after is stress relief. If you find it doesn't work for you, then you can just easily stop taking acupuncture treatments. If it works, though, then you can say you've found a good treatment for stress that doesn't rely on those dangerous chemicals and pills. How does sticking needles into your body help manage the stress? In traditional Chinese medicine, much of the treatments

Smoking is one hard habit to break. If nicotine patches and gum doesn’t work, perhaps you should try something else like an alternative form of healthcare like acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient practice involving the use of needles. This instrument is inserted into the skin to allow you energy or Qi to start flowing freely around your body and thus help you quit smoking. When you go visit an acupuncturist for the first time and tell him or her that you want to quit smoking, after answering some questions, the specialist will carry out an examination of your ears and search for areas where the energy is low. Once these spots are identified, these sharp needles are then inserted. Usually 5 needles are placed in various acupoints. The treatment is finished after an hour and when the needles are removed, you are advised to wear ear magnets so your session continues even when you leave the clinic.  While acupuncture itself is a painless procedure, some smokers have claimed that

Acupuncture can help treat migraines. This was discovered after a comparative study was done with conventional medical care. In some cases, it even prevents it from happening which helps improve the quality of life for the patient. To understand how acupuncture helps migraine sufferers, you have to understand that in traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that an imbalance in the flow of blood and energy causes this to happen. In order to treat it, the specialist must relieve the tension by inserting needles into the body to improve the blood flow to the brain thus reducing the pain experienced during an attack. The needles used helps the body balance the serotonin levels since it is a neurotransmitter that affects blood vessels and has a role to play in migraines.  In fact the more frequent these sessions are the better. It may even come to a point where the specific point of contact is no longer needed but the general stimulation itself. The end result of undergoing acu

Like anything else, there is a wide range of ways that you can practice acupuncture and you will find that when you are an acupuncturist that you have to be proficient with all of the techniques while specialize in one type of kind. You should know that acupuncture is not right for everyone and not all techniques are right for everyone. The acupuncturist will determine what is best for you and your ailments. You will find that this type of therapy can help you with stomachaches, headaches, arthritis, infertility, back pains, and certain diseases or conditions. You will find that it can help you with just about any time of pain and your pain can be corrected by the use of acupuncture. If you think about acupuncture, you may think of it as a Traditional Chinese medicine. You will want to lye on your stomach for the entire procedure or at least sit in a comfortable chair. Needles only slightly thicker than hairs are inserted into the body in multiple spots, called meridians, in order

There are a lot of people who are overweight. For those who are obese, perhaps surgery is the best option but for those who can’t, they can try to see if acupuncture can help take out the excess weight. Acupuncture is a form of holistic healthcare that uses needles to help treat a patient. Unlike the cartoon where the balloon will pop and all the air will go out, the needles that are inserted into the vital points will stimulate the body to release endorphins thus helping the person control their appetite. But before needles are inserted, the specialist will first ask the patient some questions and perform an examination. This is needed to understand the main cause for the person to be overweight. Part of examination is to help the acupuncturist figure out where the needles will be inserted. Your pulse will give the person an idea on your general state of energy and the general health of your stomach. You will also have to open your mouth and show your tongue to check for crack

Studies have shown that there is an increase in the number of children that have been diagnosed with autism. Until now, doctors have not yet found a cure to this illness which is why some parents want to experiment with alternative forms of treatment and one example is acupuncture. Acupuncture is a holistic approach in treating and preventing certain diseases. Its main tool are very thin needles that are inserted to targeted points in the body. The body has about 400 of them linked through a system known as meridians or pathways. Once these are stimulated, these are supposed to create balance in the body. Autism on the other hand is a brain disorder that is long term. This disease is characterized by deficits in language, social communication and cognition. Children who are diagnosed with this illness may also suffer from secondary problems such as aggression, irritability, stereotypes, hyperactivity, negativism, volatile emotions, temper tantrums, short attention span and obsessiv

Using needles to adjust bodily functions to optimum levels is the principle behind acupuncture. Both ancient Chinese and modern Western practitioners have used this technique to relieve many sufferers of chronic disease. Needling is a relatively safe, beneficial treatment strategy that can be used to reduce pain, improve healing, and increase general well-being. But exactly how is this procedure done and what sort of benefits can be obtained? Procedure for Needle Puncture There are two broad categories of acupuncture practice today, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and medical acupuncture. Both have their merits, so the choice is individual. The decision for most people hinges upon which philosophy appeals more to them and which technique holds the least apprehension. In TCM, practitioners adhere to the concept of Qi, or energy flow, and the meridians in which they travel. They use longer needles and insert them deeper in order to reach the acupuncture points. Modern science ha

Have you ever had an uncontrollable urge to be pierced by a dozen needles? This is the image most people get when someone mentions the word “acupuncture”. It comes as no surprise that most view this technique with suspicion, even downright horror. The fact is, however, that this relatively painless ancient Chinese technique has helped relieve the symptoms of millions of people. Properly used, it can help in the management of many medical conditions including chronic pain and fatigue. How does needle puncture work? Practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine believe in energy flows. This energy, called Qi, circulates around the body using pathways called meridians. Meridians run very close to the surface of the skin in certain areas and can be accessed by needles. Much like plumbing, these pipes can get blocked or go the wrong way, causing health problems. The insertion of needles at these points is aimed to help loosen blocks and normalize flow. It sounds like a made-up explana