Acupuncture
By Andrew Mills, Thu Dec 8th

Before we begin a discussion about the benefits of acupuncture,let's talk about the origins of acupuncture. It was first usedin China over 2000 years ago, and is one of the oldest medicalprocedures in the world. It is a family of procedures thatstimulates the anatomy of the body and helps to balance theenergy flow throughout the body. It is this kind of acupuncturethat is practiced in the United Sates today, through the use oftiny, metallic needles placed in affected areas and manipulatedby hand or by electrical stimulation. Acupuncture is the basicfoundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on thebelief that there are two opposing and inseparable forces withinour body. They are known as the Yin and Yang of the entireperson. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passiveprinciple, and yang represents the hot, excited or activeprinciple. A healthy state is achieved by maintaining a balancestate of the yin and yang. This is done through vital pathwaysor meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. Thevital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians.These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along thebody. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians.Although traditional western medicine does not completelyunderstand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does workhas been shown in several studies conducted by western medicalfacilities. Now, let's move to the question of does it work?According to the National Institute of Health, the answer wouldbe yes. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in many areasof health care. Areas such as postoperative nausea, chemotherapyside effects, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, headache, menstrualcramps, addiction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, just toname a few. The study revealed that acupuncture was able toprovide pain relief, improve function and mobility of joints dueto arthritis inflammation, and served to complement standardcare. Although there are many who would doubt the effectivenessof acupuncture, once they are a patient, they are believers. Ithas been proposed that acupuncture works and produces itseffects through regulating the nervous system. The theoryproposes that since acupuncture produces its effect throughregulation of the nervous system, it induces the release ofendorphins and immune system cells at specific sites on thebody. There is also the theory that acupuncture alters the brainchemistry by the changing the neurotransmitters in the brain. Without doubt acupuncture was a benefit in the study, and as apatient myself, I can vouch for the wonderful effect it has hadon my back. Although acupuncture is classified as an alternativemedicine therapy, and there is still much to be understood aboutthe way it works, it is a proven aid in maintaining optimalhealth. But what about the well individual, can acupunctureprovide a benefit to them? Absolutely. Because acupuncture worksoff the belief that we must maintain balance of our vital energyflow in order to remain healthy, acupuncture serves as the toolfor realignment. Our vital energy flow can be out of balance,and we still feel and appear quite healthy. It is in thiscapacity that acupuncture serves as a sort of preventivemedicine. Checking and balancing the flow of energy on themeridian points in your body is like your car receiving atune-up before it is in need of a repair. get more health andfitness articles at http://www.anabolic.ca andhttp://www.takingsteroids.com

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