8 Great Reasons to Try Acupuncture

Over my 19 years of practicing complementary medicine, since earning a master’s degree in Oriental Medicine, the most common question I hear from people is:

“Will acupuncture treat my _________?” Fill in the blank.

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About 90% of the time the answer is YES! Acupuncture is a 3,500+-year-old body of knowledge that has treated over a quarter of the world’s population as the main form of medicine. It is part of the ancient practice of Traditional Chinese medicine.

I’ve seen many people benefit from acupuncture for a vast array of conditions, too many to list in a short blog. So, I will give you the eight most common reasons people use acupuncture.

8 Most Common Reasons People Use Acupuncture

1. Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: The research continues to increase on using acupuncture to treat chronic pain. In many cases, acupuncture can reduce the need for medications. NSAIDs and over-the-counter pain medications such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or Excedrin can be hard on your kidneys and liver. Opioids can cause unwanted side effects and dependence. Acupuncture can greatly reduce your need to use these pain medications.
2. Migraine and Chronic Headaches: Surveys show that 1 in 6 Americans (1 in 5 women) suffer from migraine and chronic headaches. Western medicine relies almost exclusively on medications, either oral or injectable, to tackle this common problem. Chinese medicine has been used to treat headaches for thousands of years. The reason it works so well for headaches is because Chinese medicine or acupuncture is designed to treat the individual, not the symptoms. For example, two people with a migraine may be treated in two different ways depending on the person.
3. Autoimmune and Chronic Illness: One of the best reasons to try acupuncture is for illnesses that may be chronic and persistent, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Crohn’s disease and other autoimmune illnesses. It’s also very effective for neurological diseases like Multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, etc. Acupuncture has been shown to relieve symptoms, decrease the need for medications and slow the progression of the disease.
4. Women’s Health: There is a huge body of knowledge in Chinese medicine related to women’s health issues. Many ancient texts are written specifically for this branch of medicine. Acupuncture is wonderful for regulating menstruation, helping menstrual pain, assisting with fertility and ovulation, treating menopausal symptoms, PMS, endometriosis and more.
5. Anxiety and Stress: It may seem counterintuitive that inserting needles in the body would bring about deep relaxation, but it does! In fact, it is common to fall into a peaceful sleep while the needles are inserted into your body. The scientific reason for this is that acupuncture releases brain chemicals called “endorphins” – the feel-good hormones that we get from meditation, exercise and falling in love. Chinese medicine takes into account that emotions can cause illness just as much as the environment. By balancing the body with acupuncture, the mood becomes level and the mind becomes at ease.
6. Addiction, Smoking Cessation and Weight Loss: Much like anxiety and stress-related problems, our entire society struggles with addictive behaviors of one kind or another. Acupuncture has a sub-category called auricular acupuncture, which is done by stimulating specific points on the ear. In New York City in 1978, a physician named Michael Smith discovered what is now called the NADA protocol, or sometimes called “battlefield acupuncture”. He used five points on the ear to effectively treat heroin and cocaine addictions. This method is now being used for PTSD, depression, addiction and more.
7. Boosting Your Immune System: If you are susceptible to illness and seem to catch whatever bug is going around, consider boosting your immune system with ongoing acupuncture. Acupuncture is most effective when it is used to prevent illness. Unfortunately, many people only try acupuncture after everything else has failed. Although acupuncture can help in those instances, it can have a powerful effect on keeping you healthy!
8. Cancer Care: Acupuncture can be beneficial to people living with cancer in many ways. It reduces nausea related to chemotherapy, aids in post-surgical pain and speeds up the healing process. It jump-starts the immune system, which is much needed after chemotherapy. It has been helpful in neuropathy, which can occur after chemotherapy. It is wonderful to aid to increase energy levels as well as sleep and digestion.

I hope this blog gives you an understanding of just some of the ways acupuncture can benefit you or those you love to improve your health and how you feel.

You can learn more about acupuncture, including what to expect at an appointment, how it feels, and more.