If you suffer from back pain you probably would not consider acupuncture
as a treatment until you have exhausted many other alternatives.
However, acupuncture is a type of ancient Chinese medicine that's been
around for over 2,500 years and throughout this time it has been used
for back pain relief, increasingly so in these modern times.
While it is not traditionally a part of western medicine, nowadays your
doctor is quite likely to send you for this treatment if you are
suffering from back or neck pain either persistantly or due to accident
or injury.
If you are going to have this therapy you may want to know a little
about how it works. The general belief is that the body has 20 energy
flow patterns called meridians or pathways. Through these pathways it is
thought that the life force or vital energy flows, this is known as the
qi (it is pronounced chee) and is considered to be essential to
maintain good health. There are over 2,000 points on our bodies that
connect with these pathways and it is at these points which the
hair-thin needles are inserted, this is done in varying specific
combinations depending on the treatment required. These actions are
believed to either correct the flow of qi or to reinforce it.
Even though it cannot be proven that this works as a type of pain
relief, it is thought that as a result the central nervous system is
stimulated. Most patients say that they get a pins and needles sensation
on the insertion of the needles and indeed into the duration of the
treatment, which usually lasts about 15 to 30 minutes. Some people
report that they feel energised or even very relaxed so it appears as if
the effect can be is somewhat different depending on the individual.
The acupuncturist will use up to 20 metallic needles during a treatment
session and the depth they are inserted is dependent upon the area,
deeper muscular or fatty areas need more penetration and the scalp for
example would be just below the surface. The practitioner may turn the
needles one way or another depending on what they are trying to achieve,
in my personal experience they were turned on insertion, then again
about half way through the treatment. At no point is the treatment
painful, there is a mere sensation of the needles going in and they do
not feel sharp at all, this is because unlike needles used for
injections, an acupuncture needle’s tip come to a smooth point without
sharp edges. They are also very thin, about 20 times thinner than a
hypodermic needle. In my experience the most troublesome part of the
treatment is lying in the same position without moving for up to 30
minutes, especially if you suffer from back pain or similar.
Although there are many medical experts who believe acupuncture is an
effective way to treat certain conditions such as back pain, there is no
true consensus. Some adhere to the theories of qi and meridians whilst
others attribute acupunctures’ benefits to the biological changes that
are brought about in the body as a result of treatment. Needless to say
there will always be the sceptics who deny that acupuncture has any
effect at all, but in my opinion if you are suffering from ongoing back
pain it is certainly worth trying.
Resource : http://www.articlecity.com/articles/health/article_12508.shtml
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