Archive for the ‘Accupuncture’ Category

The Development of Acupuncture

Chinese medicine is thousands of years old. The earliest recorded use of acupuncture is from the reign of the Yellow Emperor, and is supposed to be from about 2600 BC. The ancient Chinese noticed that certain areas of the skin became more sensitive when a person had a certain health problem. Over time, the Chinese started recording the location of the sensitive areas for a particular symptom or set of symptoms. These areas were associated with the internal organs whose malfunction caused that particular symptom. When outlines of the human body were drawn, these sensitive points were connected in ways to explain the functioning of the human body. The functioning of the body includes the various major organs of the body, and also the entire functional system, including the energy for the organ.

Looking at a text on acupuncture, there will be a number of spots, which relate to the sensitive areas described above. There will also be lines, or “meridians”, which connect the various organs and indicate how the energy of the organs flow from one to another. The concept of energy (the “Qi”) is fundamental to the application of acupuncture. According to the Chinese, we are given a certain amount of Qi at birth, and this is dissipated by daily living, and restored by ingesting food and air. In the foundation of acupuncture, the imbalance of this energy at various points in the body is the cause of illness. The absence of this energy at some point is death. The Qi circulates through the body in a cycle, moving from meridian to meridian and organ to organ. This energy is constantly moving, dissipating, and being restored.

Most of this information comes straight from the Accupuncture pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

The use of the needles in acupuncture is to affect the energy level, and so the functioning, of an organ by stimulating or reducing its action. Some organs respond more directly and quickly than others, such as the liver. Acupuncture can be used for pain control, for stress relief, and for a multitude of other physical symptoms and diseases.

China was where the technique of acupuncture and its medical foundations began. Japan also has an extensive history of acupuncture as an accepted and effective treatment for their people. Japanese acupuncture has the same foundations as Chinese acupuncture, but several interesting differences in technique. Acupuncture traveled to Europe in the seventeenth century, being brought back by Jesuit missionaries who had lived in Beijing. Acupuncture did not receive wide acceptance at that point, though there were pockets of practitioners in several places in the West. Acupuncture got significant attention here only when M. Morant from France published many writings on acupuncture in the 1940s. The detail and volume of his writings caught the attention of western physicians, who started considering it for pain control.

Currently, acupuncture is widely accepted by western physicians in several categories, including pain control and stress relief. Indeed, for some operations no anesthesia is needed at all, just the services of an acupuncturist. This is a distinct advantage, in that the normal operation of the patient’s organs is not altered by an artificial anesthetic. This work in the west has caused new interest and study in the land where acupuncture originated, in China. They have discovered many old, previously unknown texts, and are working on extending the applications. It is an exciting time for the field of acupuncture.

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new GVO affiliate site: GVO

Organs in Western and Eastern Medicine

When you think about Accupuncture, what do you think of first? Which aspects of Accupuncture are important, which are essential, and which ones can you take or leave? You be the judge.

When you visit an acupuncture clinic, you may get treatment and feel much better without ever knowing anything about the philosophy behind acupuncture, and that is fine. However, your acupuncture practitioner knows a vast amount of information that is not only interesting, but will help you maintain your health. One area that is particularly interesting is the Eastern medical idea of organs. We all know what organs are, or at least examples of them: heart, liver, lungs, etc. Chinese medicine has a similar concept in several ways, but it looks at them a bit differently. In both views, an organ is a structure that performs certain clearly stated functions. However, in Chinese medicine, each organ also has a particular kind of energy (called Qi) associated with it. This energy flows in certain pathways around the body (called meridians), and so a lot of attention is given to the relation between different organs based on this circulation of Qi. Also, each organ has certain times during the day when it generates a lot of energy, and other times when it is less active. So, an organ is not just a structure, it is a combination structure-energy package that supports and controls the behavior and energy generation of the organs along the energy meridian.

There are twelve organs important to Chinese medicine. The ones that correspond to organs that we are used to include the lung, liver, stomach, heart, and kidney. Western medicine acknowledges the importance of these. Chinese medicine separates out several for individual study: the small and large intestine are two separate organs, and the pericardium (the sac around the heart) is considered a separate organ. Also, the gall bladder and urinary bladder are important in Chinese medicine, less so in western medicine. And finally, there is the “triple warmer” organ, which is a set of three places in the torso that has a particular Qi energy.

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Accupuncture. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

The reasons these organs are important to acupuncture is that a healthy body and mind is supported by a normal flow of Qi, and so knowing the locations of the organs and the behavior of the Qi energy is crucial to knowing and re-establishing the normal flow through acupuncture. Centuries of study have associated certain sets of symptoms with dysfunction of a particular organ: for example, dizziness, rib pain, and blurred vision suggest a liver organ malfunction. By listening to physical, mental, and emotional symptoms, and by physical observation of the patient, the acupuncture practitioner can determine the organs that are affected.

An organ may have an excess of Qi energy, or a deficiency. The acupuncture treatment will consist of stimulating the Qi energy flow using needles to rebalance the energy. For example, if an organ has a deficiency, another organ will be designated as a donor organ to supply energy, and so knowing the energy flow between organs is very important. Just like a clogged fuel line, a small change in the delivery system may see a significant improvement in several different places. In this way, a few acupuncture treatments to replenish energy in a particular organ may see improvement in a number of symptoms.

Enjoy your visits to your acupuncture clinic, and the benefits they provide. But remember, there is a world of information that supports these treatments, and knowing more about this is not only interesting, but also helpful in maintaining optimal health.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit his new site for adsense publishers: Free Adsense Websites

How to Find an Acupuncture Practitioner

Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with Accupuncture? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Accupuncture.

Finding an acupuncture practitioner is much easier now that it is a much more common means of therapy. You can find one the same way you find a dentist, by simply looking on the internet, in the phone book, or asking one of your friends that is knowledgeable about current health advances. There are several national acupuncture organizations on the Internet, and you can look up your locality by state and city. You can also ask your family physician, for more and more doctors are referring their patients to an acupuncture clinic for the treatment of certain problems. You might be even more surprised to find that your doctor or internist may have training in acupuncture themselves, or one of the associated therapies.

Once you find several acupuncture practitioners in your area, you should make sure to check their credentials. This is always a good idea for you to do for all of your health support team, from your internist to your dentist. Not all states have established training standards required for acupuncture certification, but if yours does, ask the acupuncture practitioner about their training, background, and certifications. Although a certification does not ensure an excellent practitioner, you are at least assured that they have had sufficient training in the area. Do not rely on your practitioner to diagnose a disease unless they have conventional medical training. An acupuncturist is well trained to observe and address symptoms, but the Chinese medicine behind acupuncture is not particularly concerned about naming a specific disease. If you have significant symptoms that you feel needs a precise diagnosis, rely on a trained doctor. As mentioned earlier, your doctor may encourage you to seek the services of an acupuncture clinic to address certain symptoms that you may have.

How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.

Once you have found out the background of the acupuncture practitioners, the decision to select one is similar to the decision that you use to select a dentist. You may have friends that recommend them, you may schedule an initial visit and see how you feel at the office, etc. The remainder of the decision is more on how comfortable you feel with that acupuncture practitioner. The initial visit will consist of a diagnosis, where you will talk at length with the practitioner, and that will give you a very good indication of whether you are comfortable or not.

The cost of the treatments will be discussed after your diagnosis. The number of treatments will depend on your set of symptoms and your overall health. The acupuncture practitioner should discuss this before the series of treatments start. Some symptoms only require a few treatments, whereas others may stretch over a series of weeks. Typically, physicians that are also trained in acupuncture will charge more than nonphysicians.
Your insurance may cover visits to the acupuncture clinic, but you should contact them first and discuss your individual case. Make sure to mention whether it is a referral from your physician, if indeed it is. This introduction has hopefully given you the information you need to confidently find and schedule your first acupuncture clinic visit!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
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How Does an Acupuncture Practitioner Diagnose?

Most Americans know that acupuncture has something to do with healing diseases by using needles. These needles are used to redirect and restore optimal circulation of the life force, known as “Qi”, within the body. A person with a mental, physical, or emotional problem has the flow of Qi hindered at one or more points, and effective use of needles will change and restore that flow. One of the more suprising things at an acupuncture clinic is the way a problem can be diagnosed. In most cases, the practitioner holds the wrist of the client and takes his pulse. The pulse is observed at several different points on wrist, and the nature of the pulse is evaluated. After that comes a thorough evaluation and a plan of where to place the needles to best address the problem. There are several different qualities the acupuncture practitioner is observing in the pulse.

The patient can have up to 12 different pulse points taken. Three surface pulse points are taken on each of the wrists, and three deep pulse points are also taken on each wrist. Even an untrained person can notice the difference in pulses depending on the location and depth of the pulse point. There are many possible pulse descriptions in acupuncture, but six of the commonly encountered ones are: floating, sunken, slow, rapid, slippery, and choppy. Taking even a few people’s pulses, it is easy to see how some could be described as choppy, and others as slippery.

Sometimes the most important aspects of a subject are not immediately obvious. Keep reading to get the complete picture.

Another very useful technique for diagnosis in acupuncture is by observing the tongue of the client. Western physicians (and mothers!) can often tell someone has a throat problem by looking at the coating on the tongue. But an acupuncture practitioner is looking at a number of aspects of the tongue: the color of the tongue (both top and sides), any cracks that might be in the tongue, swellings, the condition of the dots on the tongue, and the level of moisture. All of these things provide an illuminating picture of the state of someone’s health, and indicates what the acupuncture plan should address.

One thing to remember is that, in acupuncture, a particular western medical diagnosis may not be of much help. That
is because a particular diagnosis may be caused by one of several different kinds of interruptions in the flow of Qi, and hence is not a major influence in what should be done in the acupuncture clinic. However, the acupuncture practitioner definitely wants to know how you actually feel, for this is very significant. Every symptom should be described, as well as the times they are most noticeable, and any associations that can be thought of. For example, the acupuncture practitioner should be told if pains are milder after a good night’s sleep, or if headaches are worse under fluorescent lights, and other such associations.

So expect the diagnosis at an acupuncture clinic to be rather different than a diagnosis at a physician’s office. The acupuncture practitioner is not looking just at the particular problem, but how your organs and systems presently interact, one result of which is the current problem. This introduction should make you more comfortable with such a diagnosis, give you more understanding as to why your tongue is being so carefully looked at, and hopefully make you interested enough to find out more about it.

As your knowledge about Accupuncture continues to grow, you will begin to see how Accupuncture fits into the overall scheme of things. Knowing how something relates to the rest of the world is important too.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest acquisition: Free Google Traffic System and make sure to visit my bonus site!

How the Acupuncture Practitioner Uses His Needles

The major focus of an acupuncture treatment is to return the circulation of body energy to its normal levels. To do this, needles are used at points on the body indicated by the set of symptoms for the particular client. These symptoms may be physical, emotional, behavioral, and/or mental. Simply, a needle is inserted at a point in order to either stimulate or dissipate energy. Energy may be dissipated from a point if there is too much activity, which can be indicated by such symptoms as heat or anger. Energy may need to be stimulated by acupuncture if there is seems to be a depletion, as in the case of dizziness or depression.

The points at which needles are to be inserted are determined by an analysis of the client’s symptoms, and the organs that are involved in those symptoms. Some change may be affected by simply using pressure on those points (a technique known as acupressure), but far superior results are obtained by being treated by an acupuncture practitioner. There are a number of techniques for using the needles, as well as several different types of needles that can be used. Many modern acupuncture practitioners use small, disposable needles. They can be inserted to different depths, depending on the symptom addressed. It is interesting to compare how the technique to stimulate energy is different than the technique to dissipate energy.

Once you begin to move beyond basic background information, you begin to realize that there’s more to Accupuncture than you may have first thought.

An acupuncture needle used to stimulate energy is sometimes more effective when warmed. The point where the needle is inserted should be massaged before insertion of the needle. Puncture superficially, and then slowly insert the needle to its correct depth slowly, and remove it slowly. The needle should be inserted as the patient exhales, and removed as the patient inhales. The different points should be punctured in the order of energy flow. The needles should remain in place for several minutes, up to ten minutes.

An acupuncture needle used to dissipate energy is rarely warmed, and is inserted and withdrawn rapidly. The needles on average are inserted more deeply than for energy stimulation. The different points should be punctured in the opposite order from the energy flow. The client should inhale as the needle is punctured, and exhale as it is withdrawn. The needle need only remain a few seconds in many cases. Comparing the two techniques, the technique to dissipate energy seems very similar to letting some air out of a balloon or other container: insert quickly and deeply. It is also interesting to note that the patient exhales as the needle is withdrawn, again releasing energy.

A good acupuncture practitioner never inflicts any pain. At most, there may be a slight feeling of a twinge upon the first insertion, but even that is not to be usual. A needle remaining in the skin is not felt at all as long as it is stationary, and most patients forget about them. There are a number of different kinds of needles, but the only noticeable difference to the client is the difference between a normal needle and a Japanese needle. A Japanese needle is generally thinner and is inside a guide tube, so it will look distinctly different. Needles can come in various widths, with acupuncture needles used for dissipating energy generally thicker than the needles used for energy stimulation. I hope this introduction has both intriguing and reassuring, enough for you to schedule a first trip to an acupuncture clinic.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Organs in Western and Eastern Medicine

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Accupuncture is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Accupuncture.

When you visit an acupuncture clinic, you may get treatment and feel much better without ever knowing anything about the philosophy behind acupuncture, and that is fine. However, your acupuncture practitioner knows a vast amount of information that is not only interesting, but will help you maintain your health. One area that is particularly interesting is the Eastern medical idea of organs. We all know what organs are, or at least examples of them: heart, liver, lungs, etc. Chinese medicine has a similar concept in several ways, but it looks at them a bit differently. In both views, an organ is a structure that performs certain clearly stated functions. However, in Chinese medicine, each organ also has a particular kind of energy (called Qi) associated with it. This energy flows in certain pathways around the body (called meridians), and so a lot of attention is given to the relation between different organs based on this circulation of Qi. Also, each organ has certain times during the day when it generates a lot of energy, and other times when it is less active. So, an organ is not just a structure, it is a combination structure-energy package that supports and controls the behavior and energy generation of the organs along the energy meridian.

There are twelve organs important to Chinese medicine. The ones that correspond to organs that we are used to include the lung, liver, stomach, heart, and kidney. Western medicine acknowledges the importance of these. Chinese medicine separates out several for individual study: the small and large intestine are two separate organs, and the pericardium (the sac around the heart) is considered a separate organ. Also, the gall bladder and urinary bladder are important in Chinese medicine, less so in western medicine. And finally, there is the “triple warmer” organ, which is a set of three places in the torso that has a particular Qi energy.

Most of this information comes straight from the Accupuncture pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.

The reasons these organs are important to acupuncture is that a healthy body and mind is supported by a normal flow of Qi, and so knowing the locations of the organs and the behavior of the Qi energy is crucial to knowing and re-establishing the normal flow through acupuncture. Centuries of study have associated certain sets of symptoms with dysfunction of a particular organ: for example, dizziness, rib pain, and blurred vision suggest a liver organ malfunction. By listening to physical, mental, and emotional symptoms, and by physical observation of the patient, the acupuncture practitioner can determine the organs that are affected.

An organ may have an excess of Qi energy, or a deficiency. The acupuncture treatment will consist of stimulating the Qi energy flow using needles to rebalance the energy. For example, if an organ has a deficiency, another organ will be designated as a donor organ to supply energy, and so knowing the energy flow between organs is very important. Just like a clogged fuel line, a small change in the delivery system may see a significant improvement in several different places. In this way, a few acupuncture treatments to replenish energy in a particular organ may see improvement in a number of symptoms.

Enjoy your visits to your acupuncture clinic, and the benefits they provide. But remember, there is a world of information that supports these treatments, and knowing more about this is not only interesting, but also helpful in maintaining optimal health.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

How to Find an Acupuncture Practitioner

Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with Accupuncture? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Accupuncture.

Finding an acupuncture practitioner is much easier now that it is a much more common means of therapy. You can find one the same way you find a dentist, by simply looking on the internet, in the phone book, or asking one of your friends that is knowledgeable about current health advances. There are several national acupuncture organizations on the Internet, and you can look up your locality by state and city. You can also ask your family physician, for more and more doctors are referring their patients to an acupuncture clinic for the treatment of certain problems. You might be even more surprised to find that your doctor or internist may have training in acupuncture themselves, or one of the associated therapies.

Once you find several acupuncture practitioners in your area, you should make sure to check their credentials. This is always a good idea for you to do for all of your health support team, from your internist to your dentist. Not all states have established training standards required for acupuncture certification, but if yours does, ask the acupuncture practitioner about their training, background, and certifications. Although a certification does not ensure an excellent practitioner, you are at least assured that they have had sufficient training in the area. Do not rely on your practitioner to diagnose a disease unless they have conventional medical training. An acupuncturist is well trained to observe and address symptoms, but the Chinese medicine behind acupuncture is not particularly concerned about naming a specific disease. If you have significant symptoms that you feel needs a precise diagnosis, rely on a trained doctor. As mentioned earlier, your doctor may encourage you to seek the services of an acupuncture clinic to address certain symptoms that you may have.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Accupuncture, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Once you have found out the background of the acupuncture practitioners, the decision to select one is similar to the decision that you use to select a dentist. You may have friends that recommend them, you may schedule an initial visit and see how you feel at the office, etc. The remainder of the decision is more on how comfortable you feel with that acupuncture practitioner. The initial visit will consist of a diagnosis, where you will talk at length with the practitioner, and that will give you a very good indication of whether you are comfortable or not.

The cost of the treatments will be discussed after your diagnosis. The number of treatments will depend on your set of symptoms and your overall health. The acupuncture practitioner should discuss this before the series of treatments start. Some symptoms only require a few treatments, whereas others may stretch over a series of weeks. Typically, physicians that are also trained in acupuncture will charge more than nonphysicians.
Your insurance may cover visits to the acupuncture clinic, but you should contact them first and discuss your individual case. Make sure to mention whether it is a referral from your physician, if indeed it is. This introduction has hopefully given you the information you need to confidently find and schedule your first acupuncture clinic visit!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Acupuncture and Beauty

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Accupuncture to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Accupuncture experts.

Most of us are familiar with the picture of someone getting an acupuncture treatment. We can also list a few things that acupuncture is used for, including reducing anxiety and reducing or eliminating pain. However, few people know that acupuncture is a wonderful thing to add to a beauty routine.

Let us look deeply into the mirror before any makeup is applied. What would we like to get rid of? There are too many fine lines, the dark circles under the eyes are not attractive, and the large pores really should be gone. There is a small hint of a double chin, and the complexion has a few age spots and can’t be compared with that of a young woman. Sigh. Well, these things will take a lot of makeup, and maybe more drastic steps, like a little plastic surgery.

Thinking about plastic surgery suddenly makes the thought of a few needles and an acupuncture treatment much easier to tolerate. When an acupuncture practitioner inserts the tiny needles into areas of the face, this stimulates the production of collagen in the general area. The skin will be supported and nourished by the body rather than by some external application. This production of collagen will firm the skin and stretch out any fine lines.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

Many women that undergo this procedure have noticed results within one or just a few treatments. Their complexion becomes more even and clear, wrinkles become less noticeable, and there is a general glow to the face. This treatment simply restores the energy of the face to the normal state, and so each woman looks naturally healthier and more beautiful.Now that our faces our beautiful, we can turn our attention to the rest of our bodies. Most of us have tried, with varying degrees of success, to trim off the extra pounds that we wish were not there. By the time many of us see the wrinkles and dark circles described above visits to the gym no longer produce any truly visible difference.

Successful long term weight loss is incredibly difficult for most of us to achieve. Many people have done all kinds of diets, which just turned into yo-yo dieting. It doesn’t seem possible to achieve and keep our weight at a number that is healthy and attractive. This is a second area where acupuncture holds out some promise.

As you would expect, acupuncture weight loss treatment is also done with needles. This time they are not inserted into the face, but instead hair-thin needles are inserted into particular spots on the body that will redirect vital energy to help the body function properly. Sometimes the acupuncture practitioner may also suggest some herbs or an herbal tea. After each acupuncture session is over, most patients feel very good. Western scientists have found that one reason this treatment is successful is the release of endorphins, which is one body chemical that is beneficial in weight loss. The patient continues in a series of treatments, and afterwards maintenance treatments are scheduled periodically. Anyway, healthy people would benefit from a periodic trip to an acupuncture clinic to restore their energy to optimal levels. And these visits will not only keep us healthy, but beautiful as well!

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Yin and Yang and Acupuncture

The ancient Chinese considered harmony to be the goal of our lives as individuals, and also as a society. When harmony is disturbed in our physical or emotional lives, it is restored by the use of acupuncture. Harmony is a continual balancing act between opposites: opposites in color, in energy, in actions, etc. This idea of opposites is seen even in the west with such ideas as positive and negative ions in chemistry and physics. The Chinese denote the opposite ends of each idea as “yin” and “yang”. They are not opposed to each other, but are the ultimate in each direction. For example, rest is Yin and exercise is Yang, or Yin is cold winter and Yang is hot summer. Life would not be in balance if it were entirely exercise or entirely rest, and so balance of Yin and Yang produces harmony. Notice that Yang is the active, warm, excitable, aggressive side, whereas the corresponding opposite Yin is restful, cool, calming, and passive.

Acupuncture is concerned with the optimal flow of the energy Qi. Harmony is disturbed by a lack of balance, and a lack of balance will constrict or overemphasize the flow of Qi at various points in the body. The acupuncture practitioner has four sets of diagnostic features, each of which have a yin end and a yang end. Three of these are specific: hot and cold, interior and exterior, and excess and deficiency. So, for example, someone who spends all of their time inside eating sweets has at least two imbalances that can be noted by the acupuncture practitioner. There is also a fourth, general set, for any other features that should be noted in the acupuncture diagnosis that are not covered by the first three: for example, an unusually passive person. A harmonious personality should have a balance between aggressiveness and passivity, each at the appropriate times.

It’s really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Accupuncture. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

It may be surprising that the treatment of acupuncture takes mental and emotional states into account, but the goal of acupuncture is to restore harmony to the whole person. A number of imbalances may not have caused a physical health problem, but rather such symptoms as strife within the family, a tendency to cry easily, or other social or emotional symptom. These are strong indicators and also need to be addressed.

The goal of is to restore harmony and redirect Qi energy to its normal flow. This energy is active and always moving, and hence has Yang qualities. So, if you were an acupuncture practitioner and had a client who noticed they where being unusually aggressive and angry lately, you would suspect a buildup in energy at some organ in the body. Whereas, if someone were depressed and listless, that would be an indication of a deficiency of energy at some organ or organs in the body. This, along with a diagnosis of physical symptoms, would give the best acupuncture treatment to address this.

So, by organizing objects, actions, conditions, and other attributes of life into “Yin” and “Yang”, the acupuncture practitioner can more easily fit mental, social, and emotional issues into the overall treatment plan for each of the clients. The method of acupuncture is to restore the normal flow of Qi, which in turn will restore harmony and balance into the patient’s life.

Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Accupuncture. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still having the Free Adsense Templates available for instant download

Acupuncture and Pregnancy

New mothers want the very best for their babies, and this care starts long before the baby is born. Expectant mothers are very careful about nutrition and exercise, and a number of them have started taking regular acupuncture treatments. Treatments are normally scheduled once a month for about forty-five minutes. In the ninth month there is a good deal of preparation for the coming of the baby and preparing the mother for labor, and the treatments are scheduled weekly. The treatments during pregnancy keep the mother in the best health possible, and help quickly disperse any toxins the mother may develop during pregnancy. This keeps the environment in the womb balanced, so that the baby can grow and flourish without complications.

One of the advantages of having acupuncture treatments during pregnancy is the reduction in morning sickness. Studies have shown that women using acupuncture have shorter periods of morning sickness, and they occur less frequently. One of the more common troubles in the second trimester is heartburn, and acupuncture can minimize that symptom also. Even some of the more serious symptoms such as edema and high blood pressure can be treated with acupuncture, but it is important that a physician is also involved in these determinations, as these could be symptoms of major complications. The last trimester has the usual symptoms of backache and joint pain, as the joints loosen in preparation for labor. Acupuncture will address these, and also influence the energy in the mother’s body to align the baby properly for delivery.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Accupuncture story from informed sources.

Acupuncture can also be used in labor, and can also be used to induce labor for women that are overdue. When a mother uses acupuncture to induce labor, frequently there is a distinct feeling of warmth and relaxation. One reason for this is that acupuncture techniques are also able to release stress and anxious feelings, which is a great benefit to the woman facing labor. Compare this feeling to the feeling when a woman is given an injection of oxytocin to start labor. Acupuncture can also be used to increase the energy of the mother during labor.

Once the labor has finished, an acupuncture practitioner’s job is not done. Sometimes women bleed after delivery, and insertion of a needle into the proper acupuncture point can stop the blood flow. Several acupuncture treatments over the course of several weeks after delivery can minimize depression, anxiety, and help the body regain its balance more quickly.

More midwives are getting training in acupuncture techniques. Most states have a certification program for acupuncturists, and women considering using acupuncture during their pregnancy should look for this certificate. There is also a certification program nationally for the use of herbs, which is an optional method of treatment in addition to the acupuncture. Many times they go hand in hand, but neither one require the other in order to be effective. Acupuncture is a wonderful tool for the expectant mother, and a well-trained and certified acupuncturist and midwife is a wonderful start for both mother and baby.

Those who only know one or two facts about Accupuncture can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, still letting you get the Automated Traffic Blueprints for cheap