Acupuncture is a common medical practice that can be used to treat a whole myriad of conditions. It might be used to treat general pain, or it might be used to treat more complicated mental or emotional conditions. Acupuncture focuses on healing the body as a whole, and not just the symptoms. When considering acupuncture, it is important to understand exactly what to expect during treatment.
Understanding Meridians
When acupuncture first started, acupuncturists’ focused on something called meridians in the body. These meridians were really sectioned off areas through which the life force of the body flowed. When this life force became trapped, the acupuncturist would find where it was trapped and use acupuncture to treat it and help it flow more freely. There are 12 major meridians in the body. Each meridian is responsible for one major organ in the body. Depending on the client’s issues, the needles will be inserted into the appropriate corresponding meridian.
Understanding the Tools
When most people think about acupuncture, they become very concerned regarding the acupuncture needles involved. Needles are a common phobia which many people are not comfortable with. However, the needles involved in an acupuncture visit can be as much as 50 times thinner than the average hypodermic needle. In addition, hypodermic needles are designed to remove skin and inject or remove fluid. This is usually what causes the pain. Acupuncture needles as solid and extremely thin. Generally, any pain that is felt is extremely minimal and lasts less than a second.
Understanding the Process
Following the insertion, the acupuncture needles will be left in anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Many clients fall asleep during treatment and don’t notice how much time has passed. Following acupuncture, the needles will be removed. This is not a painful process. After the needles have been removed, most clients report feeling energized or relaxed. In addition, there is usually no visible signs that the acupuncture needles were there at all. For more sensitive clients, there might be mild bruising, but this is a pretty uncommon occurrence.
Acupuncture can be used to help with any number of problems. People have used acupuncture for neck and back pain, for addiction problems including smoking and for simple relaxation. In face, even the US Air Force has used acupuncture for the treatment of certain conditions. Acupuncture has been around since the Stone Age. This practice has been used to help a myriad of conditions and many people have enjoyed the benefits of acupuncture. While the needles can be a bit intimidating at first, many people who were initially squeamish find that their worries were unfounded.
