Acupuncture for weight loss
To the denizens of the Western world the ancient art of acupuncture seems like a stranger and mysterious practice. After all, where but in an acupuncture clinic will you find people willingly letting other people stick long needles under their skin? Couple this fascination with acupuncture with the fact that acupuncture originated in China, often thought by Westerns as a land of ancient wisdom and mystery, and you have what amounts to a fearful awe of the art of acupuncture. But now days, as the travel and the internet globalizes the world, people have become more aware of the benefits of acupuncture when it comes to things like stress relief and recovery from illness. And in American, a weight loss obsessed country, people have become especially intrigued by how to embrace the ancient art of acupuncture for weight loss.
If you are not familiar with acupuncture, we will start with a short description. Acupuncture is the art of inserting thin filiform needles into specific parts of the body for medical or therapeutic reasons. These reasons could include to relieve pain, to relieve stress or to use acupuncture for weight loss. Though acupuncture is an ancient Asian art, one most closely associated with China, our Western word for acupuncture comes from two Latin root words – acus, meaning “needle” and pungere, meaning “to prick.” In other words, the word acupuncture simply means “to prick with a needle” in Latin. Acupuncture for weight loss and other purposes has been found to occur in China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Tibet.
To use acupuncture for weight loss or any other therapeutic purpose, acupuncturists insert thin filiform needles along what they call the meridians of the body. Believers in the art of acupuncture hold that qi, or vital energy, which is necessary for the body to function correctly and healthily, flows through these meridians. Western scientists disagree, citing the fact that there is known correlation between these so-called meridians and any anatomical hot spots. Though this is the case, the National Institute of Health (NIH) has also admitted that acupuncture and meridians can be useful when it comes to evaluating and treating patients.
While mainstream medical establishments may disclaim the art of acupuncture for, among other things, its inconsistency with modern anatomy studies and the difficulty acupuncture presents in performing controlled studies due to its invasive nature, another organization – the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture (AAMA) – is firmly behind the benefits of acupuncture for weight loss, pain management and other practical therapeutic uses.
The AAMA recommends acupuncture for weight loss among many other intriguing therapeutic uses. Have problems with anorexia, arthritis, nausea, constipation, headache, muscle spasms, phantom pain or urinary incontinence? Acupuncture is a wonderful therapy. Or do you suffer from mental symptoms or disorders, including anxiety, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or drug abuse? Acupuncture therapy can be used to calm the symptoms of PTSD, help the body detoxify during drug abuse, and control anorexia.
If you visit an acupuncturist and request acupuncture for weight loss, your acupuncturist will also likely suggest that you maintain a healthy, low-fat diet and start performing exercise. These factors, combined with acupuncture, are said to help obtain and maintain a healthy weight. If you do decide to go and see an acupuncture professional for weight loss, it is a good idea to contact your primary care physician first. Your primary care physician can help you determine if there is any reason why you should not begin an acupuncture regime in order to assist in your weight loss journey. Ultimately, only you can decide which treatment is right for your body, mind and spirit.
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