Acupuncture

Energy Based Therapies – Acupuncture, Qi gong (Chee-gung), Reiki

Energy based therapies influence and optimize the flow of energy that surrounds and permeates your body in order to maintain or restore health. Illness could result when the energy flow is blocked or insufficient. The goal of energy therapy is to correct this energy flow and restore health. Energy therapies include:
Acupuncture Therapy
- Acupuncture originated in China and other parts of Asia.
- Acupuncture seeks to influence pathways of energy, called qi(chee) that flow through he body and help maintain vitality and balance.
- Acupuncture aims to correct the flow, to restore balance and harmony in your body.
- Acupuncture affects regulation of the body’s nervous system, encouraging the release of chemicals that act as natural painkillers and adjusting immune cell function.
- Acupuncture may alter brain chemicals and hormones that control blood pressure, blood flow and body temperature regulation.
- Acupuncture replies on 2,000 acupuncture points on body that access the meridians of qi.
- The practitioner penetrates your skin at these points with thin, solid, metallic needles.
- The practitioner manipulates it with hands or stimulates them with electrical impulse.
- Generally, no pain or very minimal pain is felt.
- Once the needles are in place, you may rest for a while before the practitioner gently removes the needles.
- Acupuncture is most often used for post-surgical or chemotherapy related nausea, pain management, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, stroke rehabilitation, sports injuries, mood disorders, chronic fatigue, insomnia, stress management, migraines, tension headaches, anxiety, tinnitus, infertility and menstrual irregularities.

Qi gong Therapy
- This is an ancient Chinese practice.
- This therapy uses physical postures, breathing techniques and mental focus to maintain health, promote healing and increase vitality.
- Many forms of qi gong exist but all fall into three common categories – martial, medical and spiritual.
- These forms can range from internal and meditative to the more external and physical.
- Movements in qi gong are rhythmic and gentle, making them easily adaptable for all age groups, even if you are physically impaired.
- Qi gong takes a holistic approach, incorporating changes in diet, exercise and lifestyle.
- Qi gong is most often used for lowering blood pressure, stress relief, improving immune system function, pain relief and increasing flexibility, balance and strength.

Reiki
- It is derived from Japanese words for universal life energy.
- Reiki practitioners believe they can channel healing energy by placing their hands just above or lightly on you when you are receiving treatment.
- The goal is to access your healing energy and use it to facilitate your own healing.
- The practitioner uses a series of 12 to 15 different hand positions that are related to energy centers in your body.
- Each position is held for 2-5 minutes or until the practitioner senses the flow of energy slow or stop.
- The number of sessions depends on your health needs.
- Trained practitioners claim an ability to perform reiki from a distance if you are not in office or clinic.
- Reiki is often used for a state of relaxation, balance and well being, certain health conditions such as fibromyalgia, disease progression and nerve pain.

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What are different types of Acupuncture techniques ?

Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve overall health. The needles may be inserted, manipulated for a minute or two and removed or they may be left for fifteen to thirty minutes without any stimulation. Thin needles are used to stimulate
specific points in the body. These points lie on energy pathways called meridians.
Acupuncture treatments are designed to improve the flow and balance of energy along these
meridians.
There are a lot of different ways of practicing acupuncture :
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)
The human body is filled with lines or channels through which the energy of the body flows.
These channels function as points of entry into the body, called acupuncture points.
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting fine sterile stainless steel needles into these
points to remove blockages and imbalances in the body’s energy flow.
- Japanese Acupuncture
The practitioner uses touch diagnose ailments and to find the exact location of the
relevant acupuncture point. Once the correct points are located, the practitioner uses
a guiding tube to shallowly insert very thin needles.
- Korean Hand Acupuncture
In Korean hand acupuncture, a subtype of Korean acupuncture generally, the hand is seen
as a microcosm of the body, and practitioners can assess and address conditions anywhere
on a patient’s body simply by applying treatment to the hands.
- Auricular acupuncture
It believes that the ear is a microcosm of the body. This means that acupuncture needles are placed on certain points on the ear so it can treat certain addiction disorders.
- Classical Acupuncture
The five elements are fire, earth, metal, water and wood, which correspond to emotions that
must remain in balance in order to maintain health. A practitioner using this technique
assesses factors such as skin color, vocal sound, body odor, emotional state, and pulse,
using the information gathered to diagnose and treat the imbalance.

What is Acupuncture therapy – Benefits and Side effects

Pain can affect almost every system in the body and develops from many sources. It can occur
from a chronic immune disorder, after an infection, from a physical injury, or from emotional
stress. Acupuncture treatment includes piercing of long, stainless steel and sterilized needles
on the pressure points of the skin. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese method of treating
ailments. The word acupuncture is made of two parts – ‘acus’ – which means a needle, and
‘puncture’. Although I feel the pain in my back, the perception of pain is created in the brain.
Acupuncture works not only to heal the pain locally, in my back, but also in my brain.

The diagnosis of a patient includes many things like patient’s medical history and lifestyle,
examining the skin and tongue,listening to breathing sounds,pulse recording. It also includes
harm to internal organs, improper sterilization of the needles can cause infection, weakening of
your body’s system due to the reaction of needles and bleeding in the needle inserted areas.

Acupuncture therapy claims to be useful for treating a wide variety of conditions. These include
physical as well as psychological or emotional issues. It can be used to encourage continued
good health, relieve pain, prevent illness, or treat an existing illness. acupuncture may
provide symptomatic relief in many conditions like migraines, lower backaches, headaches,
fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. Acupuncture may also offer relief for certain postoperative
pains including dental pain, chemotherapy induced nausea and vomiting, tennis elbow and chronic menstrual cramps.
The most common side effect experienced is soreness, bleeding or bruising where the needles are inserted.