Six ways acupuncture can benefit your health

By Dr. Alyssa Cochrane, DTCM, R.Ac.

Acupuncture treatments continue to grow in popularity in complimentary alternative medicine (CAM). There are many reasons why people choose to include acupuncture in their health care regime, and the benefits they experience can be as individualized as the points selected and treatment itself.

Six ways acupuncture can benefit your health

1. Stress Relief

Acupuncture is a very relaxing experience! The points are strategically chosen and placed to help you with your health goals- and some of the points are indicated specifically for “calming the mind”. A heated treatment table, ambient sounds, and low lighting are used to enhance the experience so you can focus on your breath and let the points do the work.

Studies show acupuncture can help to calm the nervous system and help the brain release endorphins. Some patients report it is the most relaxing part of their day!

2. Management of Pain Symptoms

Acupuncture aids in pain management as studies show that acupuncture can provide an analgesic, or pain relieving, effect. Additionally, it can help improve local circulation to aid healing, and help calm muscle spasms that increase or agitate pain conditions.

Some of the pain conditions that react well to acupuncture treatment are:

• headache/migraine,
• chronic facial pain,
• fibromyalgia,
• sciatica,
• osteoarthritis,
• rheumatoid arthritis,
• gout,
• sprains,
• postoperative pain,
• gastritis, and
•  TMJ.

3. Improved Digestion

Nausea, vomiting, ulcers, Crohn’s, IBS, and Ulcerative Colitis are all conditions that are indicated as responsive to acupuncture and can benefit from acupuncture being included in symptom management.

Studies show acupuncture can influence gut motility, acid secretion, and have an antispasmodic effect on the digestive tract, which can benefit a wide range of digestive conditions and support everyday digestive health.

Acupuncture can help to reduce inflammation, which can be indicated for period pain and types of infertility, as well as assisting in the regulating of hormones.

Acupuncture is also safe during pregnancy (very helpful for morning sickness!), and is even used to help induce labour and help support breastfeeding!

5. Increased Energy

Acupuncture is indicated for symptom management in insomnia and sleep issues, which can help the body achieve better rest and regulate the body’s melatonin levels.

Additionally, acupuncture can be included in the management of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Both mental and physical fatigue can benefit from acupuncture!

6. Allergy/Asthma Maintenance

Allergic rhinitis responds incredibly well to acupuncture, and other symptoms of hay fever can see benefit from acupuncture treatment, including a shortening of duration of symptoms.

Additionally, studies showed some changes for long term asthma sufferers, with improvement seen in issues with breathlessness.

Sources:

D.W. Spence, L. Kayumov, A. Chen, A. Lowe, U. Jain, M.A. Katzman, et al.

Acupuncture increases nocturnal melatonin secretion and reduces insomnia and anxiety: a preliminary report. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 16 (2004), pp. 19-28

Haker, E., Egekvist, H., & Bjerring, P. (2000, February 14). Effect of sensory stimulation (acupuncture) on sympathetic and parasympathetic activities in healthy subjects. Journal of the Autonomic Nervous System, 79(1), 52-59. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-1838(99)00090-9

Kim, J., Seo, B., Choi, J. et al. Acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome and idiopathic chronic fatigue: a multicenter, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial. Trials 16, 314 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-015-0857-0

Noguchi, E. (2010, August 25). Acupuncture regulates gut motility and secretion via nerve reflexes. Autonomic Neuroscience, 156(1-2), 15-18. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autneu.2010.06.010

Spence et al. Acupuncture increases nocturnal melatonin secretion and reduces insomnia and anxiety: a preliminary report. J Neuropsych Clin Neurosciences 2004; 16: 19-28.

Williamson, L. (1994, November 1). Hay Fever Prophylaxis Using Single Point Acupuncture: A Pilot Study. Acupuncture in Medicine, 12(2), 84-87. doi:https://doi.org/10.1136%2Faim.12.2.84

Wu MT et al. Central nervous pathway for acupuncture stimulation: localization of processing with functional MR imaging of the brain--preliminary experience. Radiology 1999; 212: 133-41.

Xie, Z. Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials (WHO Full Report). In British Acupuncture Council. Retrieved from https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/public-content/public-traditional-acupuncture/4026-who-list-of-conditions.html