What Are the Benefits of Acupuncture? 11 Benefits

Medically Reviewed on 12/7/2022
What Are the Benefits of Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help reduce chronic pain, including back and neck pain, headaches, and even digestive problems

Acupuncture is a practice in traditional Chinese medicine that can help reduce chronic pain and improve the quality of life in people with musculoskeletal disorders. 

This ancient therapeutic approach offers several other physical, mental, and emotional benefits as well.

What can acupuncture treat?

Conditions that acupuncture can treat include:

11 benefits of acupuncture

1. Reduces joint and back pain

Pain relief is one of the major benefits of acupuncture, especially joint and back pain. It can lessen inflammation in affected areas.

2. Headache relief

Acupuncture needles placed precisely near certain nerves provide a pain-reducing effect. Headaches and recurring migraines may improve due to the release of endorphins, which helps you feel less discomfort.

3. Better sleep 

Acupuncture can help your body produce optimal melatonin levels, which regulate your sleep and waking cycle. Low melatonin levels can cause insomnia, frequent nighttime awakenings, or chronic fatigue, primarily due to lifestyle and poor sleep habits. Acupuncture can help restore your natural ability to fall and stay asleep without difficulty.

4. Improved mood

Acupuncture can provide significant relief from hormone imbalances, which are to blame for mood swings and depression. The central nervous system is stimulated during acupuncture, causing it to release endorphins and other mood-enhancing chemicals. Your body gets support to fight off the negative effects of prolonged anxiety

5. Immune system support

The immune system is the body's first line of defense. In addition to boosting the immune system's ability to prevent infections and other threats, acupuncture helps speed up the healing process. Acupuncture can also balance the immune system if it is overactive and causes various autoimmune diseases.

6. Increased energy

Acupuncture can boost energy and help you overcome fatigue. By stimulating the right cerebral pathways, it can help increase physical stamina and the ability to think clearly. When the body's energy environment is balanced, the body obtains a stabilized state with all organs functioning optimally.

7. Blood pressure control

Regular acupuncture treatment may help your cardiovascular system to function at its best, which lowers blood pressure, boosts the efficiency of the heart muscle, and helps improve cardiac fitness.

8. Reduced allergic reactions

Seasonal allergies and other common allergies can be effectively treated with regular acupuncture sessions. Allergens are less likely to cause damage, and the frequency of attacks can be significantly reduced by enhancing your natural immunity and self-healing abilities. 

9. Digestive support

Acupuncture promotes the healthy functioning of the digestive system by rebalancing anything that may be off-balance. Acupuncture can support the treatment of gastrointestinal problems, whether they are sudden or severe symptoms of long-term diseases (including gallstones, Crohn's disease, and inflammatory bowel disease).

10. Boosts fertility

The hormone-balancing ability of acupuncture can help support reproductive health and promote adequate production of male and female hormones. Acupuncture may also support a healthy pregnancy and position the unborn child in the uterus optimally for a natural delivery.

11. Improves eye health

Eye strain is a common complaint nowadays, especially with the increased use of phones and other devices. Acupuncture eases eye strain and can help with issues such as night blindness or lazy eye.

How does acupuncture work?

According to Chinese philosophy, the body is a collection of channels that allow energy to flow when it is in good condition. When the body is ill, however, it produces blockages that can lead to disease. Acupuncture aims to improve the body's natural energy flow.

Trained practitioners stimulate places on the body by inserting small needles into the skin. One of the most popular applications of acupuncture is to alleviate chronic pain without using drugs that may have undesirable side effects.

Most research on acupuncture to date has focused on determining whether pain can be safely reduced by acupuncture. It is anticipated that in the upcoming years, experts will continue to investigate whether it might help with other problems, such as anxiety, depression, inflammation, hot flashes, chemotherapy side effects, and insomnia.

QUESTION

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Medically Reviewed on 12/7/2022
References
Image Source: iStock image

Acupuncture https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/acupuncture/about/pac-20392763

Acupuncture https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/acupuncture

Acupuncture https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/4767-acupuncture

Acupuncture https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532287/