Acupuncture for Health and Wellness

Acupuncture is an ancient medicinal technique that has been used for thousands of years. It is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which aims to improve the flow of qi (life force or energy) through the body. The traditional belief is that a blockage of qi in the body limits the effectiveness of organs in the body and can create many ailments. Releasing the qi to flow through the body can improve organ function, relieve pain, and increase overall quality of life. Medical knowledge has come a long way since the origins of acupuncture to improve the flow of qi in the body but acupuncture is still considered an effective way of treating and assisting with medical conditions and has migrated from China to be used all across the world.

The overarching basic understanding of acupuncture is simply the insertion of needles into the body to relieve symptoms that a given person is experiencing. However, it also involves the application of heat, electrical stimulation, and pressure, both with and without needles, to target certain areas and trigger specific responses from the body. The acupuncture points, or acupoints, are carefully identified based on specific symptoms a patient is experiencing. The style and intensity of the needling is adjusted to effect the results you and your acupuncturist would like to achieve.

Acupuncture has been proven to be effective on a large number of health conditions One study published in May of 2010 in Nature Neuroscience identified that acupuncture influences the production of adenosine in the body which is a natural amino acid produced by the body to help with pain relief. In fact, another study from 2016 indicated that acupuncture is more effective for pain relief than morphine.

In addition to these astounding figures about the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain relief, there are a number of other treatment applications for acupuncture. Another of the most popular uses is stress relief which has a plethora of supplementary benefits as stress can cause a multitude of disorders or dysfunctions within the body. When stress levels are decreased, patients can experience overwhelming relief in many aspects of their health and overall wellbeing.

Acupuncture is often utilized to treat issues of women’s health, such as infertility, PMS, PMDD, menopause, and pregnancy. It has been clinically proven to help with nausea, morning sickness, hot flashes, migraines, period related pain, depression and anxiety, and can even be used to help induce labor. Additionally, acupuncture is effectively used to help regulate the endocrine system, which is responsible for hormone production, and thereby helping to balance hormones in the body, improving reproductive function in the body.

Other uses for acupuncture include neurological disorders, respiratory functions, emotional disorders, and digestive issues. There are also applications for acupuncture that include that relief of side effects and symptoms from cancer treatment.

At Denver Holistic Medicine, acupuncture is also used as an integral part of our holistic treatment plans. We provide full health consultations before determining how to best treat our patients. If you think that you might be interested in trying acupuncture to help with conditions and ailments you are experiencing or to improve your general quality of life, contact us today to find out more about our services. We have two highly trained acupuncturists on staff to provide the best treatment possible.