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HOW DOES ACUPUNCTURE WORK?

An ailment or condition never stands on its own.
In acupuncture, your entire body and mental function are examined. This not only treats your isolated complaints, but you as a whole. This makes acupuncture a good addition to medical treatment (which often just looks at the main problem and can therefore miss the deeper causes). Acupuncture can also help to reduce side effects of medical treatments, such as medication for HIV, chemotherapy and surgery.

It restores the energy balance and stimulates the self-healing capacity of your body.

Acupuncture is a very old and proven medical method that originated in China. It is widely applicable, because many physical and mental complaints can be influenced by restoring the energy balance in the body.

How does acupuncture restore the energy balance?

In ancient China, meridians were distinguished in the human body. These meridians each correspond to an organ in the body. According to Chinese medicine, qi, or energy, flows in these meridians. The circulation of this energy makes up the difference between a living body or inanimate matter.

Ideally, this energy is evenly distributed within and between the meridians. If the energy is not evenly distributed, or if the energy is stagnating somewhere, this can cause issues. Problems can also emerge when the quality of the energy is not appropriate to the situation. For example, when cold or heat has been generated in a meridian, this can cause discomfort. You can then have superficial symptoms such as pain in your muscles or symptoms that manifest much deeper, such as headaches or problems with digestion or menstruation.

Body and mind are seen as one in Chinese medicine. This means that disruption of energy in the meridians can also manifest itself in psychological issues such as irritability, sadness or anxiety.

Acupuncture can be used to treat these psychological symptoms as well.

Your environment is important

 

In Chinese medicine you are also seen as a person in the context of the natural environment. This means that, for example, the seasons, weather conditions, the cycle of day and night and the influence of the social environment are taken into account in acupuncture. In Chinese medicine, for example, it is considered normal in winter that you turn a little more inward and reflect on your life more, but the same behavior is considered rather remarkable when it is high summer.

 

How does an acupuncturist work? An acupuncturist can influence the quality and distribution of energy in your body with needles. It is often necessary to repeat a treatment a number of times, so that your body can structurally adopt the new balance. Other methods can also be effective to influence the balance, such as treatment with moxa (a “cigar” of Artemisia Vulgaris, commonly known as mugwort), which is burned and kept close to your skin, allowing heat to penetrate deep into the meridian. Massage techniques, the use of herbs, exercises and various other methods are further options.

It is therefore also possible to treat you without the use of needles.

 

General practitioner or acupuncturist?

Het is verstandig eerst ernstige oorzaken uit te laten sluiten door je arts.

It is wise to first have serious causes of your condition or ailment excluded by your medical doctor. In case of persistent complaints it is always advisable to consult a doctor. Acupuncture plays its role as complementary medicine. 

This means that a combined approach can work well: exclude and treat serious and acute causes with your medical doctor, and simultaniously deal with overall health and the complaint with the acupuncturist. 

Not sure you what is best for you and your unique situation? You can always contact me without obligation.

Is acupuncture scientifically proven to work?

Although Chinese medicine has a long track record and many are convinced of its efficacy, much scientific research has been needed in recent decades to explore the efficacy of acupuncture for the alleviation of various diseases and symptoms. This research is still continuing and there is a growing list of ailments in which the efficacy of acupuncture has been demonstrated. In 1979, The World Health Organization (WHO) for the first time compiled a list of conditions that can be treated with acupuncture. A revised version followed in 2003, and in 2017 a large study was published by two Australian researchers. In this study, “The Acupuncture Evidence Project,” all scientific research regarding the success rate of acupuncture is summarized. This resulted in the current list of conditions that can be treated with acupuncture and for which the effectiveness has been scientifically demonstrated.

It is important to note that the effectiveness of acupuncture has not yet been investigated for all physical or psychological conditions. This means that there are disorders that are not on the list. More research will follow in the future and the list will become longer, as acupuncture proves to be effective with more and more disorders. So if your complaint is not on the list, do not hesitate to contact me. Chances are that acupuncture also offers a solution for you.

For some disorders, it is known that acupuncture does not have (sufficient) effect. If this is the case, I will certainly indicate that. I will then refer you to a practitioner who may be able to help you further.

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