Since it is now April, and April begins with “A” I’ll discuss a widely unknown treatment which happens to be provided at our clinic. ACUPUNCTURE!
It is interesting to note the mixed response from the general population. We have individuals who love it and have been able to experience the full benefit from acupuncture treatment. They were skeptics at first, but after treatment and noticing the differences they realized the healing effects of acupuncture treatment. On the other hand, we have individuals who remain skeptics and do not believe it is anything more than a sham treatment (or they are just afraid of the thin, little needles). Either way, this blog post will help guide you through the ultimate efficacy of treatment and why acupuncture is backed by science to aid in the healing process.
If you are unsure what acupuncture is check out What is Acupuncture on this site!
Let’s just forget the fact that acupuncture has been around for nearly 4,000 years, and it has been helping to successfully treat almost all conditions known to human kind or that the World Health Organization and National Institute of Health have both deemed it safe and effective in the treatment of over 800 conditions with minimal side effects (only negative side effects occur if someone who has not been properly trained or is not qualified is providing care). So you can rest assured you’ll be safe from our care! Ultimately, the proof is in how patients respond. Evidence-based and outcome driven success has launched acupuncture into a growing healing art in the United States since it was first introduced in the U.S. back in the 1970s. It has been shown to effectively treat chronic pain, asthma, allergies, vertigo, sexual dysfunction, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, headaches, neck pain, joint pain, and more! I know this from personal experience with treatment of my own patients. Heck, it even helps with smoking cessation! If that isn’t enough check out what the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health has to say!
Even more important is that Korean scientists have been able to prove that acupuncture meridians exist in the body!
“Previously, North Korean scientist Kim Bong-Han proposed that he had found meridians in the early 1960’s. Dr Kim Bong-Han showed over 50 years ago that new tubular structures exist inside and outside of blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, as well as on the surface of internal organs and under the dermis. He believed they were the traditional meridian lines. The meridians were called Bonghan ducts or channels, after his research, but now the existence of this system in various organs has been corroborated by further research. The current Korean researchers now believe the primo-vascular system is in fact the physical component of the Acupuncture Meridian System. And it has also been suggested that this system is involved in channeling the flow of energy and information relayed by biophotons (electromagnetic waves of light) and DNA.”
Read more from this article at Uplift Connect or watch this video/read the subtitles as it discusses the work of Kim Bong-Han (I apologize now for the language barrier). It is a great informative video, but sadly there is not one in English.
Even more evidence proving he existence of acupuncture points and meridians was completed in a study completed by the Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena. They were able to utilize CT imaging to detect location and size of different points!
“The acupuncture points ST36 (Zusanli) and ST37 (Shangjuxu) were shown to have very distinct structural differences than surrounding areas. At the acupuncture points, microvascular densities with bifurcations “can be clearly seen around thick blood vessels” but non-acupuncture point areas showed few thick blood vessels and none showed fine, high density structures. The acupuncture points contained fine structures with more large blood vessels that are several dozen micrometers in size plus beds of high density vascularization of vessels 15-50 micrometers in size. This structure was not found in non-acupuncture point areas.”
This study was mind-blowing! This type of evidence was able to bring more and more credibility to how a needle can provoke a response in the human body to ultimately bring about a healing effect by targeting a specific receptor or point! Did I forget to mention the fact that it is incredibly safe with minimal side effects? If you want to learn more check out this article by Healthcare Medicine Institute.
If that isn’t enough to show that acupuncture is WAY MORE than a sham/placebo effect why not look at the effectiveness it has in treating animals who can’t subjectively say or understand what is happening.
“Acupunture stimulates the body to heal itself. Pretty much it in a nutshell.”
The only arguments for sham/placebo in regards to acupuncture are:
They haven’t fully studied acupuncture.
They have only read a few articles that deem the need for further research (this is the case for almost every single type of treatment for health conditions by the way, including pharmaceuticals).
They haven’t even been treated with acupuncture ether out of fear of needles or fear of understanding how it works.
They don’t understand how it even works.
In other words, those who are skeptics shouldn’t knock it until they try it! This goes the same for Chiropractic care!
LIKE AND FOLLOW us on Facebook to keep up with more frequent health tips and practice events!
Comments