Acupuncture is a form of treatment where the acupuncturist inserts very thin needles through a person’s skin at strategic points on the body. Acupuncture is commonly used to treat pain and being used for overall wellness, including stress management.
Benefits
It helps boost wellbeing and can cure certain illnesses or relieve different kinds of pain. Acupuncture should only be performed by a licensed acupuncturist for safe and better results. It has none to very few side effects. It is a treatment that can be paired with other treatments. It may be useful to people who have not responded to other medications.
How does it work?
Many studies in animals and humans have demonstrated that acupuncture can cause multiple biological responses. Acupuncture points are seen as places where nerves, muscles, and connective tissue can be stimulated. The stimulation increases the blood flow. At the same time, it triggers the activity of the body’s natural painkillers as it triggers the release of endorphins into the bloodstream.
What to expect?
The acupuncturist examines the patient and then begins the treatment. Single-use sterile needles are used which may cause a slight tingling sensation or brief stinging. After the insertion of the needles, there will be a dull ache that eventually subsides as this is relatively a painless procedure. The number of treatments depend on whether the person has a chronic or acute problem.
Treatment
Health issues that can be cured through acupuncture include: Disc bulge, constipation, insomnia, anxiety, migraines, neck and back pain. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), has helped prove this in the case of headaches and migraines, neck and back pain.
Disc Bulge
Disc bulge or herniated lumbar discs can be effectively treated through acupuncture. This was even proven through studies conducted by hospitals that did clinical trials. The effectiveness of warm needle acupuncture is above 90 percent. By targeting specific points along the ‘meridians’, which correspond to the nerve pathways that are affected by the disc bulge, the needles help in stimulating the healing process. This happens due to the increase in blood flow. It is a non-surgical treatment and has been proven to be effective.
Constipation
Acupuncture has been known to treat chronic constipation. It helps relieve the patient and produce greater long term patient outcomes. It is safe and effective. The needles are inserted in the lower abdomen area and gentle pressure is applied on the abdomen at certain areas to help treat the constipation.
Insomnia
Insomnia is one of the most common sleep disorders. Different studies have shown that acupuncture is an effective and beneficial treatment for conditions like insomnia. Acupuncture is done to reduce anxiety and stimulate production of melatonin which helps you to sleep better. This non-drug therapy is a very common treatment for insomnia. It regulates the blood flow and the energy in our body which helps you to enjoy a long and relaxing sleep.
Anxiety
Millions of people have anxiety, which is referred to as excessive worrying which is hard to control and affects daily life. Acupuncture helps in reducing stress and anxiety. It has a calming effect due to which it is effective. It is an effective low risk treatment option for anxiety that is becoming popular instead of using drug therapy. It has been discovered that it impacts how the body triggers the fight or flight response. Multiple researches have shown acupuncture to be effective, especially if you have not been able to respond to other treatments.
Migraines
Migraine can cause continuous and severe headache which not only affects your head but your entire body. Migraine can also cause vomiting and nausea. Acupuncture helps in reducing the aches and functional issues caused due to migraine. It may have lasting effects with traditional acupuncture. More people are preferring acupuncture instead of traditional medicine for migraines. It being coupled with certain changes prescribed by the acupuncturist, in your diet, can help with the treatment of migraines.
Back Pain
Many individuals who have back pain or chronic back pain have found acupuncture to be helpful and effective. Research has also shown that chronic back pain is one of the conditions that can be effectively treated through acupuncture. It is the number one reason that is reported for people seeking acupuncture.
Neck Pain
Chronic neck pain is a challenging condition to treat in clinical practice and has a considerable impact on quality of life and disability. Stimulating pressure points using acupuncture help relieve neck pain and soothe aching muscles. The NCCIH have conducted studies in order to prove the effectiveness of acupuncture on neck pain. It helps control the pain. The effect of the treatment is dependent upon the selection of acupoints.
Looking for a Licensed Acupuncturist?
Patients who are looking for a non-drug treatment can opt for acupuncture. As Designed Wellness clinic offers acupuncture treatment and is performed by a licensed acupuncturist, Dr. Susan Jeffries, DACM, M.S. L.Ac. The clinic is located at Dana Point, California and so close in the following location: Laguna Beach, San Clemente, Mission Viejo and Orange County. So if you are just around those areas and looking for an acupuncture treatment, then visit our clinic and have this professional doctor treat you.