Acupuncture and Weight Loss Linkage

WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?
Acupuncture is a kind of Traditional Chinese Medicine that places needles at specific points in the body to treat certain diseases and relieve pain. Proponents of acupuncture believe that a person's life energy, also known as the qi, controls the health of the individual. If there is imbalance in the qi, illness results. Placing needles at acupuncture points restores the balance in the qi, which relieves symptoms.

IS IT SAFE?
In an acupuncture session, you will be asked to lie down on a bed while the practitioner places needles in your body. When the needle is inserted and manipulated, you may feel a small amount of pain, which will eventually subside and will be replaced by a feeling of numbness.

For any intervention, there are always side effects. In acupuncture, you may experience some swelling at the site of injection, fainting and sedation. Needle pricks with infected needles may also result in transmission of certain diseases, such as Hepatitis B. However, acupuncture typically results in only mild side effects, which resolve spontaneously. These side effects are rare when acupuncture is done by a trained practitioner.

ACUPUNCTURE FOR WEIGHT LOSS?
In acupuncture for weight loss, a needle is positioned in the ear, stimulating a specific acupuncture point. This acupuncture point sends signals to your brain, allowing you to experience a feeling of fullness and suppression of your appetite. This is the primary mechanism of action proposed by acupuncture believers.

At the same time, acupuncture releases endorphins in the body, which promote a feeling of relaxation. With less stress, the desire to eat also decreases. Relaxation also promotes better eating habits, such as thoroughly chewing your food prior to swallowing and losing your cravings. Likewise, acupuncture can relieve muscle aches and pains, allowing you to accomplish more physical activity throughout the day.

Acupuncture can allegedly result in 10-30 pounds of weight loss in a month.