Using needles to adjust bodily functions to optimum levels is the principle behind acupuncture. Both ancient Chinese and modern Western practitioners have used this technique to relieve many sufferers of chronic disease. Needling is a relatively safe, beneficial treatment strategy that can be used to reduce pain, improve healing, and increase general well-being.

There are two broad categories of acupuncture practice today, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and medical acupuncture. In medical acupuncture, the practitioners are graduates of western medical schools. Their application of needles is not based on the traditional acupuncture points, but on anatomic data. These acupuncturists use shorter needles and the insertions are shallower. They also tend to use fewer needles and leave them inserted for shorter periods of time.

There is a broad and extensive list of ailments which can be treated with acupuncture. The conditions run the gamut from asthma to constipation, anxiety to weight loss. Most TCM practitioners believe that any health condition results from an imbalance in Qi flow, therefore amenable to needle therapy. Control of pain is the most well researched of all of the indications for acupuncture. Migraines, premenstrual syndrome, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and neuralgias are but a few examples. The theory behind its effectiveness is also medically accepted and well researched, called the gate-control theory of pain.

It is important to emphasize that acupuncture is used only on top of existing medical therapy. At no time should a patient discontinue medication or ignore medical instructions in favor of needle puncture. In modern medicine, the use of traditional techniques with proven results has become a widely accepted practice. Acupuncture has proven its worth time and again. Modern practice guidelines make it effective, reproducible, and safe.

Today’s world can fill the very busy individual with a lot of stress. Without some way of removing this stress from your system, you’re placing yourself in danger from a lot of stress-related diseases. You might suffer from insomnia or headaches or very serious heart diseases.

You could take anti-stress pills to help you relax but, like me, you might also be worried about the side effects these pills could have. The good news is that you could try acupuncture at least once to see if it could help you manage the stress. It certainly couldn’t hurt to try acupuncture if all you’re after is stress relief.

If it works, though, then you can say you’ve found a good treatment for stress that doesn’t rely on those dangerous chemicals and pills.

How does sticking needles into your body help manage the stress?

In traditional Chinese medicine, much of the treatments depend on an understanding of the balance in our bodies and its internal organs. Stress is also affected by this imbalance. By sticking these very thin needles past the surface of our skin, the acupuncturist stimulates nerves in our body. The needles could also help your body by stimulating its circulation. With the circulation between the organs of the body improved, a lot of the body’s wastes could be cleansed properly. A good massage would help give you a very relaxing sleep that night and an acupuncturist could help you with your sleep as well.

Acupuncture comes from two Latin words namely “acus” which means needle in English and “pungere” which means prick. Some of the techniques of acupuncture do not even use needles anymore. The history of acupuncture is first discussed in an ancient Chinese medical text called the “Huang Di Nei Jing” or The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine.

In the 17th century, a man by the name of Waichi Sugiyama wanted to make this procedure painless for the patient so he developed the insertion tube, a small cylindrical tube through which the needle is inserted. It was only in 1995 that the US Food and Drug Administration decided to classify the needles used for acupuncture as medical instruments and assured the public that they are both safe and effective.

To further promote acupuncture, the NIH or National Institute of Health in 1997 has stated that this technique is very useful in treating various health conditions. These include ear, nose, throat, respiratory, gastrointestinal, eye, nervous system and muscular disorders. In some cases, acupuncture is able to prevent some of them from happening.

This was further strengthened by the fact that the side effects of acupuncture are much less than that of conventional drugs that are being sold by pharmaceutical companies.

So that people can avail of acupuncture, another recommendation by the NIH is for US companies to provide full coverage for certain conditions. Some examples of these include addictions, autism, chronic low back pain, migraines and osteoarthritis of the knee.

If you look at the history of acupuncture, not much has changed since the needle technique used back then is still being used today.

You will find more on the history of acupuncture here