I’m sure that everyone has heard of acupuncture before. The whole needle sticking in your body but not hurting situation that supposedly heals most illnesses. But what exactly is it and what does it do?
As you may have known, acupuncture originates from ancient China. The theory behind acupuncture is that “qi” (pronounced chee) is the energy in our body and an imbalance or blockage of this energy is what causes us to get sick. The qi moves around our body in 12 main channels called Meridians. There are over 350 acupuncture points in the body.
The needle (about the size of a hair) is stuck into specific nerves to stimulate the nerve and cause extra hormones to be produced. It can also increase blood flow. Studies have shown that acupuncture, when used in unison with western medicine, actually increases the benefits of the western medicine. It is also effective in treating chronic pain.
The actual goal of acupuncture is to get your body to heal itself. Paul Magarelli, MD, a medical professor at California’s Yo Sun University states, “We are not animals who are dependent on drugs.” The theory behind acupuncture is the belief that the body is able to heal itself in all situations. It just needs some reminder or stimulation.
If performed safely, there really is no downside to acupuncture. However, make sure that all your medication is made known to your acupuncturist! Some medication, if used alongside acupuncture can be extremely dangerous.
Sources:
https://www.news-medical.net/health/Acupuncture-History.aspx
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/156488.php
https://www.livescience.com/29494-acupuncture.html https://www.webmd.com/pain-management/features/acupuncture-pain-killer#1
Wow, great article Joey! I’ve always been terrified by the idea of a sharp needle being stuck into your body, but now I know if performed safely, it can actually help heal most illnesses. I learned that there are 350 acupuncture spots in the body. In addition, I’ve also learned that the needles are stuck into specific nerves to stimulate the nerve and cause extra hormones to be produced, as well as to increase blood flow. Lastly, I now know that performing acupuncture while taking certain medications can be dangerous. Thanks for sharing!
Great article. I never liked needles but it is cool to know that it gets your body to heal itself. I still don’t want to try it though
Thanks for sharing! I’ve always wondered about how acupuncture really worked. It’s interesting to learn that western medicine and acupuncture can be used together to create the best results! I also wonder how acupuncture points were originally discovered, and how this practice began. Great article!
Great article! I know that a lot of people get acupuncture as a form of healing. I never believed that it would actually work, but I have never tried it myself. Personally I am too scared to stick needles in my body and leave it there. I can’t even handle shots that stick needles for just a minute. After reading your article, I learned how there are soo many spots to get acupuncture. Each spot has a different purpose and heals different areas of the body, which i find to be cool. this could be an alternative if people are allergic or can’t handle regular medications because of its harms and dangers to health.
Great article! It always made me curious about how acupuncture worked. When I was young my mother would always get acupuncture after getting injured. To this day needles scare me, but it made me look at acupuncture in a more positive light. I didn’t know that there were that many places on the body for acupuncture.
This is a very interesting article! I knew that acupuncture was a part of Chinese medication, but I never knew this much information about it. Honestly, I find it surprising that acupuncture doesn’t hurt. It is quite ironic because anybody would think that a needle being poked into you would hurt. Moreover, the science behind acupuncture is quite interesting! Apparently, it can be used at some specific nerves, which will stimulate some extra hormones to be produced, along with an increase in blood flow. But, I think people should use acupuncture more often than using drugs. The truth is, if the same drug is repeatedly used, it will eventually become useless and not help anymore. But, it will also greatly lower and weaken the immune system, if you do not try to naturally cure yourself.
I’ve heard of acupuncture but never thought about what it did. We have learned about Chinese medicine but not in such great detail. It does seem a bit scary with the needles. It kind of scares me that acupuncture is dangerous with certain medicines which makes me wonder why? It does seem cool though! Great article!
Great Article! I was always curious of the concept of acupuncture. It always seemed like a gimmick to me cause sticking needles in someone would make them hurt more, I would imagine, but I didn’t know there was actually a science to this. I also wonder who was the first person to think it was a god idea to stick a bunch of needles in someone. I would probably never try anything like this even though it has been proven to work.
I didn’t know that there were so many acupuncture points in the body. I love that you included a picture that has different pressure points and what they cause. I have never heard of qi, but I think the concept makes sense. I have done acupuncture before even though I hate needles. I’ve heard it works, but it didn’t make me feel any better. Great article!