Western Science Proving Eastern Theories
Sean W Russell

While acupuncture has been around for hundreds of years (and
acupressure for thousands of years), it has only recently begun
to be validated by western medicine. Many organizations in
western medicine have now admitted that acupuncture does offer
many benefits to its patients. Although many people think
acupuncture is just poking people with needles, its background is
much more scientific than that.

Acupuncture relates to the energy and the flow of it throughout
the body. The flow of the energy through meridians is the
essential component of acupuncture. The needles help to alleviate
any blockage in these pathways throughout the body. By clearing
out a meridian, it allows vital energy to travel through the
body. This in turn, allows the body to work as it should.

Acupuncture is part of Oriental tradition and is widely accepted
there as a form of medical treatment. It has slowly gained
credibility over the years in the western hemisphere. Today, a
large percentage of hospitals in the United States use it to
treat pain.

It has been proven to help the body in several different ways.
They include reducing pain levels, as well as making pain more
tolerable. It can help regulate your emotions and keep you from
getting too high or too low. It undoubtedly can increase your
energy, which almost everyone could use. It has also been proven
to help you perform your everyday tasks more efficiently and
generally enhance your quality of life. It also can help reduce
dependency on medications that you might be using too frequently.
In China acupuncture is also used as anesthesia on patients.

Large organizations have gradually accepted acupuncture and admit
the amazing effects it can have on a person. The World Health
Organization (WHO) recognizes acupuncture to treat over 30
different conditions or diseases. The list includes but is not
limited to: Headache, migraine, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Peripheral
neuropathies, Cervicobrachial syndrome, "Frozen Shoulder",
"Tennis Elbow", Sciatica and low back pain, and Osteoarthritis.
It has also been shown to help common sicknesses like cold and
flu.

Several studies involving placebo and double blind aspects have
proven the benefits of acupuncture. One study had one group of
patients actually receive treatment. Another group thought they
were getting acupuncture. The second group witnessed a tool like
a theatrical knife that retracted when pushed against the skin.
The patients felt a poke of the needle; however, it never
actually penetrated the skin. The study showed that the group who
actually received treatment had much better results than the
group that didn't.

Another study used brain imaging to determine pain levels in its
test subjects. Pain was induced in all of the subjects. Then some
were given acupuncture directly after. Those that were treated
showed a much lower pain level in the brain. These studies helped
to prove that acupuncture helps healing as well as pain
management.

Overall, acupuncture is a treatment that has been proven to be
extremely beneficial to nearly everyone. Whether you suffer from
back pain, arthritis, or a host of other diseases, acupuncture
may help. However, the only way to know for sure is to try it out
for your self.




---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sean is a Chinese and Western Herbalist and formulates
for Dimmak Herbs. Visit Dimmak Herbs Herbal Supplements
(http://www.dimmakherbs.com) for more information and
product related to this article. To keep up daily with
herbal and health tips visit The Blog of Health and Herbs (http://www.blogofherbs.com)