Two specific contraindications deserve special mention: patients with an AICD should avoid any electromagnetic stimulation that might be used as a form of acupuncture. Also, it is not recommended that patients that suffer or are predisposed to suffer from psychosis or delusions undergo acupuncture as well.
The World Health Organisation recommends acupuncture for over 100 conditions - Holistic Health Oxford | Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine in Oxford.
Acupuncture is effective as first-line or adjunct medication for treatment of chronic inflammation associated disorders such as allergic rhinitis, anxiety, asthma, atherosclerosis, and associated myocardial infarction, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, stress, and Crohn's disease.
Possible risks of acupuncture are the following: Bleeding, bruising, and soreness may occur at the insertion sites. Unsterilized needles may lead to infection. In rare cases, a needle may break and damage an internal organ.
The effects of a course of acupuncture treatment for patients with chronic pain do not appear to decrease importantly over 12 months. Patients can generally be reassured that treatment effects persist.
"After decades of research and hundreds of acupuncture pain trials, including thousands of patients, we still have no clear mechanism of action, insufficient evidence for clinically worthwhile benefit, and possible harms. Therefore, doctors should not recommend acupuncture for pain," they conclude.
But Ma's team also discovered that acupuncture can worsen inflammation when administered at the wrong time, suggesting the ancient healing technique can be harmful if not practiced properly.
If you have a bleeding disorder, such as haemophilia, or are taking anticoagulants, talk to your GP before you have acupuncture. Acupuncture is also not usually advised if you have a metal allergy or an infection in the area where needles may be inserted.
After two or three sessions, you should start to notice improvements in certain areas. Eventually, you will observe an overall sense of wellness, including your psychological and physical health.
One recurring theme of critics is that the concept of acupuncture points has no scientific validity. Meanwhile, the subject of whether-or-not acupuncture points “exist” has been given too little attention within the acupuncture research community.
Located along the governing meridian, renzhong is thought to have an influence on weight, especially obesity. This point is located on the philtrum, less than 1 inch below where the nostrils meet.
Most patients have an appointment once a week. Others get treatment more or less often, depending on how long the effects last. Your acupuncturist will recommend a schedule that is right for you. You may not get the full benefits of acupuncture on the first or second treatment.
They were looking at severe pain cases, and they considered a success if pain was reduced by at least 50 percent. And when they compared the two side by side, acupuncture had a 92 percent success rate while morphine had a 78 percent success rate.
What to Expect After Treatment: In general, people tend to feel relaxed after an acupuncture treatment. And the days following might even mean better sleep, digestion, and an overall sense of well-being. But some patients report having a deeper, more intense effect in the days following a session.
Can acupuncture make things worse? Temporarily, yes, but it's not common. If you've been ill for a long time, or your issues are quite complex with lots of different things going on when you have acupuncture treatment it can move a lot of stuck energy.
Acupuncture is recognized as safe and beneficial for many conditions, but it's not a cure-all for everything — you should still be taking your medications. But while it may not eliminate your symptoms, it could still ease them. So it may be worth a try, especially when it comes to chronic pain.
When it does help, it can be immediate, or it may take several treatments. Most patients have usually improved after 8 treatments. There is a subset of chronic pain patients that require more acupuncture treatments to maintain maximum benefit.
Avoid Caffeine Before Your Appointment
Do not drink coffee for at least two hours before your acupuncture treatment. Because it is a stimulant, coffee increases your body's fight-or-flight response, something which acupuncture seeks to lessen. Visit our website to schedule an acupuncture treatment today.
Acupuncture has the potential to detox the body of drugs, alcohol, chemicals, and toxins, according to recent studies. Meanwhile, others report that Acupuncture simply decreases the side effects of a regular detox.
If a needle hits a small nerve, muscle, or blood vessel, you may feel some pain or a more intense sensation. A single sensation is OK as long as it's brief. Points on the extremities are more likely to produce stronger reactions in the form of dull aches or tingling sensations.
Acupuncture can help with weight loss by regulating hormone production, improving the metabolism, optimizing digestion, reducing inflammation, suppressing the appetite, lessening water retention and optimizing other bodily functions that are related to obesity and weight loss.