Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Can Acupuncture Be Used as an Alternative or Complementary Medicine to Help with Weight Loss?

One of the most common questions I get from patients inquiring about the acupuncture clinic I run is whether acupuncture can help people with weight loss. The answer is yes. Acupuncture can be a very effective tool in the struggle to take off the pounds, and I certainly recommend it as a complementary therapy to a patient’s diet and exercise regime. However, please note that I said that I recommend acupuncture as a complementary therapy, not as an alternative therapy for weight loss. Acupuncture can bolster a patient’s resilience, help fight cravings, and enhance a patient’s ability to respond positively to good diet and exercise choices, but acupuncture can not fight the fight for the patient. The works still has to be done.

What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a form of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that was developed in China at least 3,000 years ago, and may date back as many as 5,000 years. A word made up of the roots “acus” meaning needle, and “puncture” meaning the piercing of the skin, acupuncture literally translates to “puncture with needles.” By placing hair-fine needles into the skin at strategic points in the body known as “acupuncture points,” acupuncture can help to promote healing, alleviate pain, calm spasms and ticking, bolster the immune system, and generally encourage good health in myriad ways.