Acupuncture
This wellness therapy has become so widespread that people are even taking their dogs in for treatment. But for people, this therapy has been around for eons.
Good for helping with: chronic pain, anxiety/depression, high blood pressure, stress management, infertility, sexual dysfunction, asthma, insomnia, menopause, and a variety of other ailments.
Theory behind the therapy:
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical practice that is based on treating the entire body, rather than just the illness. The practice is designed based on the theory of “meridians,” or energetic lay lines that exist in a corresponding pair throughout the human body. Meridians are not technically physically identifiable, but have been tied to various pressure points. Along each meridian lie “acupoints,” although not all meridians have the same amount of acupoints. Acupoints can be thought of as access points to qi, or the flow of energy throughout the body.
It is at the sites of these acupoints that practitioners insert fine needles to change the pattern of the flow of energy. While acupuncture uses needles, the same concept can be thought of when you rub your back or temples. Needles simply take it a step further. The therapy is usually used over time in regular sessions to treat the body’s energy rather than the specific condition. The sheer timeless nature of acupuncture – it has been around for thousands of years — speaks to the effectiveness of the therapy.
What people say:
Western-based medicine is becoming more accepting of practices like acupuncture, though some holdouts remain. For some, how it works is still a mystery and reason for skepticism over its effectiveness. However, for those who have experienced the therapy, especially for chronic pain, it seems to do wonders. Experienced acupuncture patients also recommend regularly using the therapy, otherwise the effects are negligible.
