Shifting Body, Mind

Surprising Things An Acupuncturist Can Help You With...

Acupuncture, a form of alternative medicine and core component of Traditional Asian Medicine, is a welcome antidote to the prescription meds and quick-fix interventions typical of Western medical culture. By inserting thin needles into specific meridian points, it's thought to help relieve the symptoms of a wide variety of conditions by shifting your body from attack mode to a more balanced, restful state. As unscientific as it may sound, it's becoming an increasingly accepted practice. Even the National Institutes of Heath is getting on board by saying that promising results have emerged illustrating the efficacy of acupuncture for certain ailments. 

Soothe Sore Throats

It's best if you catch it early, but a combination of Acupuncture, cupping (suction that mobilizes blood flow), gua sha (scraping skin using oils and the side of a flat tool), and herbs can help kick things like sore throat, In Asian medicine, colds and flus are known as wind invasions or external pathogenic factors and can take the form of either wind heat (inflammation) or wind cold (an unshakeable cold feeling). A combo of these treatments is thought to draw out the invaders and help relieve your symptoms.

Help with That Time of the Month

Acupuncture is incredibly effective in dealing with hormonal issues like PMS, mood swings, and cramps. Plus, it can help to regulate periods.

Coupled with a regimen of Natural Herbs, it can nourish, balance, and strengthen your internal organs, so the monthly monster isn't so disruptive.

Relieve Carpal Tunnel Pain

Acupuncture helps unblock and loosen the blood and chi that is stagnating and causing pain in the wrist's tightened fascia. 

The National Institutes of Health states that it may be useful as part of a comprehensive pain-management program.

Get You High

By working on a meridian matrix that affects the central nervous system, Acupuncture initiates the release of endorphins that put you in a state of calm. People who get Acupuncture therapy regularly refer to this (naturally and legally) euphoric state as Acu-land, a magical place where you're totally blissed out.

Give You a Flatter Stomach

The spleen and stomach are the main organs associated with digestion, and by keeping them in balance, you can treat a number of disorders associated with the digestive tract.

Regular treatment can help reduce bloating, treat acid reflux, soothe heartburn by regulating acid secretion and speeding digestion, and even help you lose weight.

Make Things Better in the Bedroom

Acupuncturists, unlike most MDs, take a holistic approach to your health, so they try to make the physical, mental, and emotional connections that may be preventing you from having a fulfilling sex life. By calming the nervous system, Acupuncture treatments can help alleviate the stress and tension that can get in the way of good sex, 

When emotional energy gets stuck, the body tightens and constricts, but Acupuncturists can use needles to help break up this stagnation and allow for smoother flow to sexual organs. Also, if you have polycystic ovaries, it's thought to help relieve physical pain to make sex more enjoyable.

Ease Asthma Symptoms

Acupuncturists say the practice helps lubricate the lungs and opens up air passages so people can rely less on their inhalers. According to the National Institutes of Health, Acupuncture may be useful as an adjunct treatment. (Note: It's never a substitute for an inhaler. Always talk to your primary care doctor before you even think of abandoning it.)