All about Acupuncture risks and benefits

by Roberts

There are several alternative treatments and therapies like acupuncture, homeopathy and mediation which do not belong directly to medical science, but are gaining a lot of popularity. Unfortunately, not much research and evaluation has been carried out on these types of alternative treatments, because the process is also not easy.

Some natural herbal products have been popularized for some specific illnesses, but they have not always been successful. Arthritis pain has shown to be cured by extracts from the hot chili pepper or the capsicum or saw palmetto preparations can cure benign prostatic hypertrophy. Another instance of botanical or herbal medicine is the ginkgo, which is used to cure dementia caused by circulation problems.

Acupuncture involves the study of the body with a concentration on its centers and meridians. The points of the body which control various organs and the bodily system are the subjects of study. In acupuncture, pressure is used on these points of the body. This is done by inserting fine steel needles into the points, and then maneuvering them to get the desired effect.

The diagnosis and treatment in acupuncture has its basis on the fact that the ear is the main center of the bodily organs. Let us take an example. If a patient has a liver problem, then the needle is stuck at a certain point on the ear, which directly corresponds to the liver.

The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes in functional methods than giving importance to terms related to structure. The ‘acupuncture points’ are a topic of controversy for many, like the NIH consensus statement, who can still not understand the medicinal value of the points and can therefore not define and characterize them. The TCM believes that there are two opposing and separable forces in the body which have to strike a balance. The two are opposites, because one is the passive and slow force and the other is the active and excited force. They are called yin and yang.

When these forces experience an imbalance, the body is attacked by disease. This is the belief of the Chinese and that is why they use acupuncture at the meridians, so that the forces can be corrected and energy can flow again regularly.

The process of acupuncture has not been found painful by its patients. Sometimes there may be a slight irritability when the needle is inserted, especially when it is in a sensitive part of the body.

We should compare the acupuncture risks benefit ratio. Now if something has no benefit then even a slight risk weighs very heavily? but if? some other therapeutic intervention has the potential to save your life then enormous risks are acceptable.

Before starting an acupuncture treatment, inform your acupuncturist about any medical treatment that you are undergoing, and the same applies to your doctor, who should be aware of your acupuncture treatment. In a normal situation both treatments can work well side by side and problems may arise only if the patient is sensitive to the treatment or if there is a flaw in it.

It has often been recommended to have more research on how acupuncture can be effective for illnesses which are still not treated by it. Some of the physical problems for which acupuncture is commonly used are nausea, migraines and post-operative pain.

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May 22nd, 2008

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