Acupunture – A Quick Overview

A lot of people have heard at least something about acupuncture. Only a few people are aware of it, and even less know how it works. Viewers of the movie “Kung Fu Panda” may get nervous about acupuncture; thinking about the risks Fears about acupuncture can be put to rest by learning about it, allowing it to help you. Businesses, in United States, have lots of acupuncture-trained professionals, enabling them to help in restoring your health.

What is acupuncture? The most common acupuncture technique involves penetrating the skin with thin, metallic needles that are then manipulated by the hands for stimulation. The United States considers acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine, to be a form of alternative medicine. American practitioners have incorporated the best medical traditions of Korea, Japan and China, to name a few. The purpose of acupuncture is to restore health by stimulating specific points on the body. A report of the National Institutes of Health, dated 1997, states that thousands of acupuncturists, some of which are physicians, have successfully used acupuncture to treat health conditions and provided pain relief. A National Health Survey, dated 2007, confirms that over 3 million adults and 150,000 children received acupuncture treatment. Fibromyalgia doctors have started to use acupuncture to treat their patients too.

What kind of risks are involved? Acupuncture has relatively few complications. However, there are still risks involved. Complications were seen when using improperly sterilized needles. The United States FDA clearly insists that practitioners use labeled needles that are standardized. The standard requires the needles to be sterile and non-toxic, labeled for single use by qualified practitioners. When licensed practitioners perform acupuncture, it seldom has side effects. National Institutes of Health has stated that acupuncturists have an excellent safety record. If you want to start acupuncture for your fibromyalgia, make sure you communicate with your fibromyalgia doctor first.

So who can benefit from acupuncture? National Health Interview Survey shows that the seven topmost reasons, for people seeking acupuncture, are pain and related ailments. Acupuncture helps with pain related medical conditions like headache, back pain, menstrual cramps, tennis elbow, fibromyalgia, dental pain and carpal tunnel syndrome. Acupuncture helps to improve pregnancy, after vitro fertilization, and assists patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.