1. You Have Pain
Whether the pain is from a recent injury, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or general stiffness, acupuncture can help. Acupuncture can reduce pain and stimulate the body’s own healing response. It does this by interrupting the pain signals along nerve fibres, increasing circulation to the area, releasing endorphins and stimulating the central nervous system to regulate neurotransmitters and hormones. The release of these chemicals reduce pain, stimulate the immune system and regulate various functions and systems in the body. From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, acupuncture promotes the smooth flow of Qi (energy) and blood throughout the body.
2. You’re Always Tired
If you feel tired even after a long uninterrupted sleep, then you may want to explore the benefits of acupuncture. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) takes into account all systems and organs in the body and can determine where there is an imbalance. Even if all your blood tests have come back normal and your doctor can’t find anything wrong, TCM can identify the ‘root’ cause or imbalance that is causing your fatigue. Treatment is aimed at identifying and strengthening your constitutional weakness, immune system, and digestion to bring your energy back.
3. You’re Stressed
One of the things acupuncture does best is calm the mind and produce a relaxation response in the body. Acupuncture stimulates a release of endorphins (the feel-good chemicals) which help calm the body and mind. Many people feel so relaxed they even fall asleep during treatment and leave with a sense of deep calm. Allowing your body the time to relax at such a deep level, gives the brain a rest and improves cognitive function and memory. It also reduces the physical symptoms of stress such as muscle tightness, headaches, jaw clenching and anxiety. You will find yourself feeling more relaxed throughout the day and having less of a physical reaction to life’s challenges.
4. You’re Constantly Worried, Anxious or Depressed
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a person’s mental and emotional state is directly related to the health of related organ systems in the body. Often the feeling of excessive emotions such as unwarranted worry or anxiety is a result of a physical imbalance in the body. Conversely, excessive emotions can affect the body and cause physical symptoms such as tightness, headaches, pain and hypertension. For example, grief can affect the lungs and oftentimes when a person is grieving, they will experience a flare-up of asthma or a case of bronchitis. It is this relationship that forms the theory of the body-mind connection in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
5. Your Hormones Cause You Grief
Many symptoms of PMS including irregular cycles, cramping, headaches, low back ache and mood changes can be helped with acupuncture. Symptoms associated with menopause such as hot flushes, dryness and fatigue can also be reduced. Acupuncture helps to regulate the endocrine system and balance hormones which can alleviate many of the symptoms associated with unbalanced hormone fluctuations.
6. You Have Poor Digestion
Perhaps you feel bloated after eating, or experience constipation and/or loose stool. In almost all acupuncture treatments, points are included to treat the stomach and digestion. This is because strong digestion is vital for nutrient absorption and the production of qi (energy) in the body. If you are not absorbing the nutrients from your food, then your body doesn’t have the ‘tools’ it needs to repair and function at its best. Acupuncture is excellent at improving digestion by stimulating gastrointestinal secretions, motility and absorption.
7. You Frequently Get Sick or Catch Colds
Acupuncture stimulates the body’s natural healing response. It causes a mild inflammatory reaction which triggers the body’s immune system. Regular treatments can significantly reduce the occurrence of sickness, colds and flu’s. Many people use acupuncture as a preventive measure to keep their immune system strong throughout the year.
8. You Want To Be Proactive About Your Health
Acupuncture is a great way to stay on top of your health. It involves careful observation of complexion, tongue, and pulse which can show signs of problems before the physical symptoms begin. By monitoring your health in this way, we can treat problems before they arise and keep the body systems in optimal condition. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is known that the body is affected differently by each of the four seasons. When seasons are changing, we can adjust the treatment to tonify and strengthen the body systems which are prone to imbalance at that time of year. The holistic nature of TCM diagnosis and acupuncture allow it to address even the most subtle fluctuations in health.
Think Vitality!
