What first comes to mind when you think of acupuncture? Probably somebody sitting there with several needles inserted just about anywhere on their body from the earlobe to the wrist. In fact, this is a reasonably accurate description of an acupuncture session, with these treatments lasting anywhere from a minute to over half an hour depending on the symptoms being treated. The needles themselves are usually only inserted a little way into the skin – far enough to hold them in place and no deeper, although an acupuncture practitioner may insert a needle deeper at certain points if necessary. During insertion of the needle sometimes they are twirled into place, sometimes having been warmed prior to insertion, whilst on other occasions, heat is applied to the needles once they are in the skin.
As a rule acupuncture patients feel no discomfort when the needles are inserted, manipulated or removed, other than the very rare slight twinge. Generally, the treatment gives the patient a sense of well-being accompanied by a rush of energy and feeling warmer. Although there are some patients who feel no difference during the sessions they are likely to notice their symptoms changing as weeks go by.
There are some forms of acupuncture that do not use needles. The thinking behind them, however, is identical to traditional acupuncture methods, with an emphasis on the correct flow of energy in a healthy body and a fundamental knowledge of how the body works, as well as acupuncture points. The major difference is in the use of alternative methods to stimulate the acupuncture points. Sonopuncture, for example, uses a device that produces sound waves placed on the acupuncture point. Similarly, vibrating devices such as tuning forks can also be used. These methods are gaining popularity although there is little evidence yet as to how effective they are over the more traditional needle-based acupuncture method.
In use since the middle of the twentieth century, the application of low voltage electrical currents to acupuncture points is sometimes practiced in conjunction with the insertion of a needle, sometimes simply by touching the skin with a small wire connected to the electric current. The effect is that of a slight tingling only, with no pain. During the 1930s and 1940s research was carried out in both Europe and America about the uses of electricity in western medicine although interest seems to have waned since then.
Acupressure is the most widely known variant of traditional acupuncture and uses no device other than the human hand. In this method, a finger is pressed on the acupuncture point – in fact for the relief of minor symptoms such as headaches it can even be self-administered by the layman by simply following a diagram of the correct pressure points on the hands or feet. It can also be integrated into other massage techniques such as shiatsu to great effect. It’s important to bear in mind, however, that a professional acupressure practitioner will have a full understanding of the entire acupuncture system – there is a lot more to acupuncture than simply finding the points on a diagram!
The adaptability of acupuncture therapy is demonstrated in applications as varied as the use of friction, magnets, suction and even laser beams, although the use of heat in acupuncture remains the most traditional of the alternatives. Whichever application is used, be it needle-based acupuncture or an offshoot, acupuncture is a therapy which has helped people for centuries. As an alternative or compliment to western medicine, acupuncture is here to stay.
Typical medicines just target the disease and work to treat the disease but despite all the benefits, these have a lot of side effects. So, in chiropractic treatments, there is no medicine involved and in this treatment, the specialized and qualified chiropractor use their hands to treat the patient. The most powerful benefit of the chiropractic treatment is that there is no medicine involve and no side effect of the treatment. As well as, these treatments are too cheap in price. The basic goal of Jacksonville Chiropractic and Acupuncture treatment center is to improve the health of the patient with their hands to reduce the pain and illness from the patient’s body. In the majority cases, the ratio of avoiding illness and healthiness in people is getting higher day by day. So, we will recommend you to visit our clinic for better healthcare facilities.
