Archive for the ‘Acupuncture’ Category

Facial Acupuncture for Facial Rejuvenation

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Acupuncture is an alternative Chinese therapy that has been being practiced over thousands of years for curing a number of ailments and disorders such as aches and pains, obesity, and disorders of digestive and respiratory systems, among others. In acupuncture therapy, very small, thin and fine needles are inserted in the skin at certain points on your body. These points are referred to as acupuncture points in acupuncture therapy terminology. There are more than 2000 acupuncture points on your body. The points to be acupunctured are decided by your acupuncture practitioner, depending upon the disorder to be treated.

During the recent years, facial acupuncture has become very popular as a cosmetic treatment. This is also popularly termed as facial rejuvenation acupuncture because it has the tremendous ability to rejuvenate your skin and make you look younger. In facial acupuncture, needles are inserted at many points on your face such as cheeks, below the eyes, on the sides of your neck, and chin. This may be followed by mild electric stimulation if deemed necessary by your acupuncturists. Electric stimulation is usually done if your skin has become too loose. Facial acupuncture being a cosmetic treatment aims at overall lift of your face such as toning up your skin, lifting of your jaws, and making your facial skin appear youthful. The facial acupuncture treatment is usually given for 8 to 12 weeks, depending on your specific requirements.

Some of the main benefits of an acupuncture face lift are as described below:

  • It makes your skin look younger.
  • It makes your face look stress-free, by relaxing the facial muscles.
  • It slows down the process of ageing.
  • It considerably reduces the wrinkles and eliminates fine facial lines.
  • It improves complexion and skin tone.
  • It reduces under eye dark circles and puffiness.

You may be thinking that the insertion of needles on your face will be painful. However, you will be surprised to know that facial acupuncture it is not painful at all. This does not mean, however, that you should attempt it on your own. It is an expert’s job, and you should always get it done by a licensed and experienced acupuncture practitioner only. It should also be noted that only facial acupuncture will not be as beneficial unless you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Here, healthy lifestyle refers to a healthy dietary plan, regular exercises, no smoking, no excessive drinking, and adequate sleep. Most importantly, do follow the instructions of your health care provider.

Acupuncture in Pregnancy | Is Acupuncture Safe?

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Before knowing about acupuncture during pregnancy, you should know what exactly acupuncture is. Acupuncture is an alternative therapy developed in China thousands of years ago. It has been practiced for years for curing several common and chronic ailments. Nowadays, this therapy is being widely practiced worldwide. The biggest advantage of acupuncture therapy is that when practiced by a professional there are no harmful side effects, such as those seen in medicinal treatment.

In acupuncture therapy, very thin needles are inserted in your skin at some specific points on your body referred to as acupuncture points. As many as 2000 points have been identified as acupuncture points on human body. You might be wondering about any connection between acupuncture and pregnancy. You may also ask yourself ‘is acupuncture safe during pregnancy‘. Regarding acupuncture and pregnancy, these days many doctors recommend acupuncture to the aspiring mothers for overcoming the common problems that most women experience during the pregnancy period.

Acupuncture during pregnancy has been found very beneficial for both, the mother and the baby. The mode of acupuncture treatment during pregnancy varies with the advancement of pregnancy. The benefits of acupuncture at various stages of pregnancy are as mentioned below:

  • During the first trimester acupuncture treatment is given in accordance to the problems associated with that period such as morning sickness, nausea and vomiting, migraine and fatigue. Acupuncture gives you considerable relief from such disorders during the early weeks of pregnancy.
  • During the second trimester of pregnancy, acupuncture is aimed at relieving you from stress and hemorrhoids as well as maintaining the hormonal balance.
  • In the final trimester, it is focused on giving you relief from carpal tunnel syndrome, backache, joint pain, and pain in the pubic region.

Acupuncture is also very helpful in inducing labor pain. At the time of delivery, it is very common that many women do not go into labor on time. This kind of situation can lead to several complications both for baby and the mother. Though there are several other techniques for inducing labor, acupuncture therapy is considered to be safer and easier technique for inducing labor. If you are an aspiring mother and thinking of opting for acupuncture, first of all you must consult your health care provider. Further, while considering acupuncture in pregnancy, you must look for a highly experienced and licensed acupuncture practitioner. Do ask your doctor to suggest someone that he/she might know.

Does Acupuncture Work for Weight Loss?

Tuesday, March 8th, 2011

Acupuncture is the Chinese alternative therapy that has been used for the treatment of several common disorders and diseases for thousands of years. It has gained tremendous popularity throughout the whole world during the recent years. In acupuncture, very fine and thin needles are inserted in your skin at some specific points, depending on the particular ailment or the disorder being treated. Acupuncture therapy is based on the belief that energy flow in the body can be controlled so as to maintain the body’s chemical balance, which when imbalanced causes diseases. The main advantage of acupuncture therapy is that there are no side effects such as those found in the use of medicinal treatment.

These days, acupuncture therapy is widely used for weight loss as well. You may wonder does acupuncture work for weight loss too. While you may find no obvious connection between acupuncture and weight loss, acupuncture for weight loss is getting popular day by day. The underlying principle of acupuncture for weight loss is that helps in curbing your appetite and the habit of overeating. Ear acupuncture for weight loss is considered to be the best and easiest method in acupuncture therapy. While performing ear acupuncture for weight loss, certain hormones, referred to as endorphins are released that regulate your hormonal and digestive system. This, in turn, helps in slowing down your metabolism, thereby curbing your urge for eating more and more.

Ear acupuncture for weight loss involves piercing a point on the ear with a needle followed by taping up a small bead or a magnet at that point. You need to press this bead or magnet in order to apply pressure on the acupuncture point whenever you feel the urge for eating. For best results, ear acupuncture is usually combined with herbal treatment and Chinese breathing exercises. This weight loss treatment is given for a period of 10 to 15 weeks, depending upon your present weight and the weight loss required.

You should not expect any miracles while undergoing weight loss by acupuncture therapy. You yourself need to take care of your diet. Maybe you will not eat much, but at times, you might get tempted to eat or drink something that is very rich in calories despite being small in quantity. You will have to refrain from high calories foods in order to obtain the desired results. You should also keep in mind that like any other alternative therapy, acupuncture for weight loss may work in some and may show little or no results in others.

How does Acupuncture Work?

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

What is acupuncture and how does acupuncture work are some of the commonly asked questions in most parts of the world today. Acupuncture is an ancient alternative therapy developed and practiced by Chinese doctors for thousands of years. In acupuncture therapy, very fine and sharp needles are inserted in your skin at very specific points; heating and electric stimulation is also given in some cases. There are hundreds of points in your body what are referred to as “acupuncture points”.

The insertion points are chosen very precisely by an acupuncture practitioner, and they may vary from person to person. The acupuncture points so selected also vary on the ailment or disorder to be treated.

Now, you might be keen to know what does acupuncture do? Acupuncture therapy is based on the theory of energy flow in the body. By inserting the needles in your skin, the energy flow is regulated by maintaining the balance between what is known as “positive” and “negative” energies. In Chinese terms, positive and negative are termed as Yang and Yin, respectively. The imbalance between Yin and Yang indicates that there is some physical disorder in your body and you need to get that balance maintained for restoring your health. The insertion of the needles stimulates your nervous system and helps in releasing and controlling the flow of chemicals in various parts of your body. This is what acupuncture is.

Nowadays, acupuncture therapy is widely used for curing several ailments and disorders such as those listed below:

  • For the treatment of depression and anxiety and other disorders related to the nervous system.
  • For relieving joint and muscular pains, including even chronic rheumatic pains.
  • For disorders of the respiratory system, including even cure chronic sinusitis.
  • For disorders related to the digestive system.
  • For weight loss.
  • For the treatment of hair loss.

If you happen to suffer from any of these ailments, you might want to opt for acupuncture therapy. However, while looking for an acupuncturist, you must make sure that he/she is highly experienced and qualified, with a proven track record. For this you can speak to the people who have already taken treatment from someone. Never get carried away by the advertisements on the Internet or printed media, as these may be scams. Improper acupuncture may have negative effects as well.

You should also know that you may or may not get the positive results from this therapy; as like any other alternative therapy, the results vary from person to person. The best way would be to consult your health care provider before opting for acupuncture therapy.