As an ex-medical student the basis of acupuncture are understandable as alternative medicines are beneficial when the right ones are administered. When a slipped disc saw me in pain and nothing was relieving it a visit to a chiropractor/naturopath whom was known to me proved to be the answer. It was my first experience with acupuncture and other such methods of healing but the end result was great.
The needles do not hurt. In fact, one hardly knows they are in. Lying on the table relaxing was also a part of the therapy and the gentle music was putting me into a state of drowsiness. After half an hour or so the needles are removed and a gentle massage applied. This treatment went on three days a week for around three weeks and then twice a week for another three or four.
By the end the pain was gone and my back has been strong and able to support me with no problems ever since. Then my vet started administering it to animals who, like humans, get problems with their backs and also arthritis. So what is the healing properties of the treatment and how effective is it?
It is basically some 2,000 years old having originated in China it is used widely to treat physical, emotional, and mental problems. While it is not recognised by the medical profession as effective there are people like me who would differ with that judgment.
The Chinese base their knowledge on the body having what are term yin and yang properties. While it is a theory that emerged from Toaism it is based on the theory that everything in the universe has to sides opposing one another. To bring the body into balance these two sides are stimulated and that is when pain is released.
Whether this simple explanation is of benefit to the reader or not my suggestion is to try acupuncture for yourself and do some research. For me it not only worked but has sustained the healing over a number of years.
Acupuncture – The Ancient Tradition Behind EFT Emotional Freedom Techniques
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is a healing tool based on the theory that our emotions and physical symptoms are linked to the underlying energy system of the body. That energy system is the acupuncture meridian system known to the Chinese for thousands of years.
EFT was developed by Stanford Engineer Gary Craig, who discovered the basic theory in 1991 and continues to this day to develop and improve on EFT applications.
The underpinning theory of EFT is simple, yet sheds a whole new light on our emotional experiences and how we interpret them.
Gary Craig’s EFT discovery statement asserts that: “The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system.” He believes that “our unresolved negative emotions are major contributors to most physical pains and diseases.”
How Does EFT Work?
Chinese Medicine and the ancient Indian Science of Ayurveda both support the concept that our emotional experiences, in particular resentments, hurts and anger, contribute significantly to the development of disease in the human body.
While the EFT theory that all negative emotions are caused by a disruption in the energy system of the body may sound odd at first, the idea is far from new. In fact, it’s 5,000 years old and was more recently enforced by Albert Einstein who taught that everything is made of energy.
The reason EFT works so well is purely because it embraces the secrets of Eastern healing traditions that have been overlooked by the west.
Acupuncture is finally attracting interest, and research has been conducted to try and figure out how and why it works. Yet that research will always seek to put acupuncture in a box that makes sense to what conforms in the West. The impressive results of acupuncture have been called a placebo effect, when, in truth, they are due to an ancient understanding of meridian energy circuitry which runs throughout all living creatures.
EFT & Acupuncture
In acupuncture, points are carefully selected by practitioners trained to read the maps of the meridian system. EFT is based on a select few of these potent points known to excel in giving emotional and physical relief to anyone who simply learns where they are and how to use them. EFT doesn’t require expert knowledge, or the use of needles, the points are simply stimulated by tapping on them with the fingertips.
We need only look to the fact that in China hundreds of people every day undergo heart surgery using nothing but acupuncture for anaesthesia, to realise that anything based on the solid healing foundation that acupuncture has to offer is worth exploring further.
Gary Craig developed EFT as an incredibly user friendly access point to the benefits of acupuncture and the healing potential latent within us all to deal with our physical and emotional pain. EFT’s track record for relieving negative emotions, anxiety and trauma has earned it the descriptive title of “acupuncture for the emotions, but without the needles.”
The EFT Challenge
There’s an old saying that we should judge a tree by its fruits. The fruits of EFT can be quickly and easily tasted by learning the basics and setting EFT to work on dissolving any negative emotion. EFT takes just 5 minutes to learn, and then you can put it to the test of your own direct experience.
Benefits Of Acupuncture Therapy
Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medical treatment that has been in practice for over 2,000 years. Acupuncture therapy is now used by practitioners in mainstream medicine to complement courses of treatment for patients suffering from more than 40 different medical conditions. There are many benefits of acupuncture enjoyed by patients all over the world. Here, just two of those benefits will be discussed: pain relief and treatment of medical conditions.
Pain Relief
The most widespread use of acupuncture is in the treatment of pain. The World Health Organization and the National Institutes of Health in the U.S. list acupuncture as an effective treatment for chronic pain associated with a variety of different injuries and medical disorders, including:
Arthritis
Dental Pain
Facial pain
Headaches
Knee pain
Labor pains
Low back pain
Migraines
Neck pain
Postoperative pain
Sciatica
Sprains
Tennis elbow
Treatment of Medical Conditions
In addition to pain management, acupuncture has also been proven effective for the treatment of all of the following:
Allergies
Colic
Depression
Dysentery
Gastritis and gastrointestinal disorders
Hypertension
Hypotension
Morning sickness
Side effects, including nausea and vomiting, of radiation therapy and chemotherapy
Stroke rehabilitation
Several studies are currently underway to examine the potential of acupuncture therapy in the treatment of a wide range of other medical disorders and diseases. The list of medical conditions that can be treated with acupuncture therapy is therefore expected to grow exponentially in the coming decades.
How to Choose an Acupuncturist
If you have been thinking about getting acupuncture therapy for your medical condition, you need to make sure the acupuncturist you choose is licensed and certified. The following are four steps you should take if you are considering acupuncture therapy:
1. Get recommendations from your medical doctor or from friends and family members you trust.
2. Research the acupuncturist’s training and credentials. Finding a naturopathic doctor who performs acupuncture therapy is the best choice. At a minimum, the practitioner you choose should be licensed by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
3. Have a face-to-face interview with the acupuncturist. Ask questions about your treatment, including the benefits you can expect and how much it will cost.
4. Check with your insurance provider to find out if the treatment is covered under your insurance policy.
These are the major benefits of acupuncture in support of the In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF):
1. Acupuncture improves your immune system, constitutional health and well-being.
2. Acupuncture helps regulate fertility hormone levels including FSH and LH, and improve the function of hypothalamic pituitary-ovarian axis that goes out of balance under continuous stress.
3. Acupuncture helps to reduce symptoms arising from medication treatment, such as headaches, sensation of heat that disturbs sleep, nausea, tiredness. It regulates cortisol and prolactin levels during the IVF medication intake.
4. Acupuncture during IVF has a major impact on the quality of the endometrium and greatly improves pelvic blood flow, thus making it more receptive to the embryo and promoting implantation.
5. Acupuncture reduces pain and discomfort, especially following the egg retrieval procedure.
6. Acupuncture reduces the chance of miscarriage by regulating the hormonal balance, and by promoting production of healthy eggs and healthy sperm, as well as optimising the endometrial lining for the reception of the embryo.
7. Acupuncture supports your emotions and prevents anxiety, a major contributor to stress symptoms that can lead to low appetite, bowel movement disturbances and poor sleep patterns.
8. Acupuncture helps improve the oocyte quality, essential to increase the chances of successful fertilisation.
9. Acupuncture is a treatment of choice to support healthy sperm of your partner, as studies have shown that it improves sperm quality and promotes sperm mobility and motility. It enhances the local circulation by improving the local blood flow, lowering scrotal temperature and helps increase the testosterone levels.
10. Acupuncture treatments have an overall benefit to your health and have a cumulative effect, so the benefits you receive during your course of treatments remain with you for the next couple of months even when your treatments are completed.