Top 5 Benefits of Acupuncture

It may sound absurd to some that inserting fine needles at specific points in your body can actually have therapeutic effects for a range of diseases and conditions. Nonetheless, this ancient Chinese medical technique continues to withstand the test of time, having proven its clinical efficacy throughout the world for well over 2,500 years. Here are a few of the many merits acupuncture can offer, supporting evidence for which is increasing day by day. Read on for our Top 5 Benefits of Acupuncture!

1. Pain Relief
Pain is a valuable tool in preventing you from further damaging your body. However, pain in most cases causes discomfort, and can decrease your quality of life and suspend recovery. The precise placement of acupuncture needles near specific nerves can help bring about a significant decrease in pain caused by injuries or even migraines.

2. Mood Enhancement
Whether you are experiencing fluctuating moods, prolonged anxiety or even depression, acupuncture can offer relief. Your central nervous system (CNS) becomes stimulated during and after needle puncturing, releasing endorphins which uplift your mood. This process may help with everyday life worries, chronic stress, and even imbalanced hormone levels.

3. Helps Improve Sleep Quality
Poor sleeping habits, insomnia, and frequently waking up at night are more common than ever due to our modern hectic lifestyles. Acupuncture may help restore sleep patterns by increasing the production of your body’s natural regulating sleep hormone, melatonin. It also promotes wellbeing and relaxation, thus improving your sleep-wake cycles.

4. Immune System Support
You’re challenged daily to fight against pollutants and harmful microorganisms, thus it’s crucial that your body’s defence mechanisms are functioning optimally. Acupuncture not only boosts the ability of your immune system to combat external threats; it also enhances self-healing too. In addition, it may help balance an overactive immune function, thus lowering the symptoms of allergies for example.

5. Digestive Support
Many suffer from gastrointestinal problems, for which treatment by conventional methods is difficult or even futile. Acupuncture can help support the healthy functioning of your digestive system treating many problems; from acute manifestations such as gallstones, to more serious long-term chronic issues such as Crohn’s Disease and inflammatory bowel disease, (IBS).

Acupuncture is often considered a form of alternative medicine. In recent years though, the practice of acupuncture has increasingly been accepted by main government health organisations and the general public with small steps being attempted to integrate it into the Western medical paradigm. It is generally very safe, but make sure your acupuncture practitioner is a member of a recognised national acupuncture organisation or a qualified healthcare professional. Have you ever had acupuncture, how did it go? Let us know about your experience in the comments below, join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Check out these other articles to help switch your Fit ON for life!)