ACUPUNCTURE

One of the more popular and well known forms of alternative medicine is
acupuncture.

Developed in China thousands of years ago, acupuncture revolves around the
idea that the body is made up of energy, or chi. When this chi can flow from
one part of the body to the other, the body will be free of illness. But when
this chi is blocked or is someone diverted, the body can be prone to disease.

A map of meridians (or energy pathways) is used to guide the professional
acupuncture practitioner to the points at which the chi needs to be changed.
By using filiform needles, the practitioner stimulates certain parts of the body
and relieves the energy congestion. The needles are left in the skin for a
certain amount of, depending on the troubles, and then removed at the end
of a treatment.

The needles are very thin and they do not hurt when they are inserted.
While they might look a little strange, they will not damage the skin or hurt
the body in any way, according to scientific studies.

If you were to have an acupuncture treatment, you might have numerous
needles placed all along your body and head. This is because the meridians
move though all parts of your body and at any point, your energy might be
blocked and need to be released.

In order to determine where your energy is blocked, an acupuncture
professional would ask you a long series of questions to see what kinds of
problems you are having. Sometimes problems can alert the professional to
the areas which may be blocked.

Next, they will feel your pulses on your body to see which is weaker (if any)
and where your body is 'off' from the rest of your body. They might also look
at your tongue, eyes, and throat to see if they notice any imbalances there
as well.

Acupuncture is useful in a variety of issues:
• Cessation of smoking
• Pain
• Migraines
• Nausea
• Morning sickness
• Infertility
• Anxiety
• Digestive disturbances
• Sleep troubles
• Etc.

While many people need to return for follow up appointments after their first
acupuncture session, others feel much better after their first treatment.