Risks and benefits of Acupuncture
There are several alternative treatments and therapies like acupuncture, homeopathy and mediation which do not belong directly to medical science, but are gaining a lot of popularity. Unfortunately, not much research and evaluation has been carried out on these types of alternative treatments, because the process is also not easy.
Alternative treatments that become popular are often not the most interesting prospects. In botanical medicine, for example, there is research showing the benefit of herbal products such as ginkgo for improving dementia due to circulation problems; benign prostatic hypertrophy with saw palmetto preparations; and arthritis pain with extracts of the hot chili pepper (capsicum).
The actual practice of acupuncture involves understanding the centers and meridians of the body, and where the points that control various organs and bodily systems are. It involves the use of pressure, often applied by inserting fine steel needles into the body, at those points and manipulating those needles to achieve certain effects.
The diagnosis and treatment in acupuncture has its basis on the fact that the ear is the main center of the bodily organs. Let us take an example. If a patient has a liver problem, then the needle is stuck at a certain point on the ear, which directly corresponds to the liver.
The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes in functional methods than giving importance to terms related to structure. The 'acupuncture points' are a topic of controversy for many, like the NIH consensus statement, who can still not understand the medicinal value of the points and can therefore not define and characterize them. The TCM believes that there are two opposing and separable forces in the body which have to strike a balance. The two are opposites, because one is the passive and slow force and the other is the active and excited force. They are called yin and yang.
All about Acupuncture risks and benefits Disease hits a person when the forces become imbalanced, which is the belief of the Chinese. In order to bring back normalcy and health into the body, the flow of energy in the body meridians have to be regularized. Hence the yin and the yang are rebalanced and the Chi is unblocked. Normally, acupuncture is used for pain relief in addition to normal medical treatment of any kind.
Acupuncture is not a painful process. When the needles are inserted at certain body points, there may be a slight irritation, especially on the face or on certain points of the body, which are more delicate than others.
It is interesting to compare the risks of acupuncture in relation to its benefits. If there is even a slight risk involved in the treatment and it is not proving to be beneficial at all, people will not opt for it. But if the therapy can be life saving, then people are ready to take bigger risks.
Before undergoing any acupuncture treatment your family doctor should be informed about it. Also the acupuncturist should be kept informed about any medical treatment that you are undergoing. There are several factors which can make the situation worse when you are undergoing treatment. First of all it depends on how experienced the acupuncturist is, and then how sensitive you are to the treatment and lastly, the gravity of your problem.
Studies suggest that there are a number of conditions which acupuncture can help to treat, including post-operative pain , migraines , and nausea . More high-quality research is needed into the effectiveness of acupuncture on other conditions.
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