Acupuncture: Unveiled
by: BiKuntan
Total views: 204 | Word Count: 545
For centuries, Eastern medicinal practices have touted the benefits to the human body of acupuncture. For many people, the thought of having such a procedure done on their own bodies is crazy, especially considering the amount of criticism that is given to the practice's legitimacy as well that the amount of negative press the procedure gets in the popular media. Many people don't know what you can expect from the acupuncture procedure as well as the side effects and limits.
However, the procedures of Chinese acupuncture are well refined, having been practiced for many years, and even today, the practice is found to be a safe procedure and has been proven to provide some people with relief to symptoms of disorders that they have been saddled with for years. Here is a basic look at what you can expect from the acupuncture procedure as well as the side effects and limits:
Sterile needles, made almost exclusively today from stainless steel, are used in the beginning of the acupuncture procedure. These needles are sterilized with Ethylene Oxide, which also functions to preserve the needle's construction. The acupuncturist is able to get a secure grip on the needles during their placement on the body because they have a wire coating.
The acupuncturist will take the needles and, referencing an acupuncture model which typically contains a reference of the human body and where the needles should be inserted into the skin based on the malady being treated, begin puncturing the patient's skin. A specific treatment of one disorder may require the placement of a few dozen needles in a cluster in one or two places on the body, but some patients request a full body treatment, which can include hundreds of needles placed in the skin.
Moxibustion, a process in which the needles are heated after being placed in the skin, may also be required for some acupuncture treatments. The needles will be heated by the acupuncturist using burning herbs. It is common for the herbs to be located on the end of the needle extending from the skin and burned after the needle's insertion. The heat provides therapy to the tissue inside the body in contact with the needle.
Acupuncture is considered to be an invasive treatment and includes some risks. Minor bleeding from the site of the procedure is the main risk of the treatment - this appears in approximately 3 of every 100 patients. Most commonly, the bleeding ceases within a minute of the needle's removal from the skin, however, this differs depending on the patient.
There are also some less common, but more serious, risks involved, such as hematoma, or bruising below the skin at the treatment site, dizziness arising from fear of needles or anxiety, very rare instances of nerve injury, brain damage, lung or kidney damage from mistakenly placed needles, and the slight chance of miscarriage in very specific treatment.
While there are some risks, acupuncture does have many benefits to the human body. Acupuncture can relieve tension headaches, lower back pains, nausea, vomiting, and some lower symptomatic fibromyalgia. When considering the known and perceived benefits, such as tension and stress relief, it becomes apparent that acupuncture is a reliable treatment option. There are great benefits in understanding the acupuncture treatment as well as its side effects and limits.
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