The science behind acupuncture is the disruption or blockage of what is termed “qi” in the body by the acupuncturist. This “qi” is often dubbed the “body’s life energy” and is purported to be the genesis of many health problems. How? 

When qi is balanced, health is restored or you stay healthy. But, an imbalance of qi leads to a charade of health problems. An acupuncturist tries to balance this qi hence the wisdom behind acupuncture. 

Acupuncture—How it works 

Scientists are still finding it difficult to figure out how acupuncture works. Many theories have been brought forward, the most logical one being that it assists in the release of endorphins. Endorphins are just a body’s natural pain relief drug. It is released when your acupuncturist inserts needles in your body. 

During acupuncture, your autonomic nervous system is also affected as it is evident that your heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase. 

Health benefits of acupuncture 

The health benefits of acupuncture depend on the individual or patient as our body though similar anatomically differs to some extent physiologically. 

Secondly, to get the best out of acupuncture (as done by your acupuncturist), you may have to undergo multiple sessions. 

Thing is, despite the little research on acupuncture, below are some of its proven benefits. 

Treat lower back pain 

Over the years, people have gone to an acupuncturist to help them treat their lower back pain, especially if they are looking for non-drug methods. Generally, acupuncture doesn’t come with terrible complications such as severe pain, so it is relatively safer to try if you’re tired of consuming drugs. 

However, how long acupuncture can sustain the cure of your lower back pain is not yet established. Even your acupuncturist can’t guarantee you that. 

To treat migraine 

Research spanning half a year has been conducted on trial participants who have never undergone an acupuncture session by an acupuncturist and those who have. After the period elapsed, it was discovered that acupuncture was able to cut down how frequent migraine symptoms occur in a patient by almost 50%. 

This proved that acupuncture was nearly as effective as the drugs used in treating migraines. 

To treat knee pain

Many people with knee pain have gone to an acupuncturist to help them fix their knee pain. Was it successful? Well, a review of tons of research found some evidence that people with osteoarthritis or knee pain had improvement in limb movement with acupuncture therapy. This goes on to show that acupuncture can temporarily relieve knee pain and improve joint movement. 

An acupuncturist can also work on people who just underwent knee replacement surgery as this will drastically cut down the consumption of painkillers. 

Additionally, people can use acupuncture to improve the appearance of the skin on their bodies, especially their faces. This is known as cosmetic acupuncture. 

Side effects of acupuncture 

Your acupuncturist may tell you acupuncture has minimal side effects. They are right. These side effects include nausea, slight bruising, dizziness, skin rash, etc. The good thing is not everyone experiences this. 

Have you had acupuncture? Tell us your thoughts in the comment session!