Inserting needles into your skin as a form of treatment may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But you’ll be surprised how beneficial acupuncture can be. Since its goal is to balance your body’s flow of energy to promote overall health, it can treat a number of physical and mental conditions so you feel good inside and out.
Another great thing about it is that you can use it alone or alongside other conventional medical treatments, depending on your condition. If you’re still not convinced that acupuncture can help with your recovery, below are a few conditions that show positive results after regular sessions.
1. Carpal tunnel syndrome
Carpal tunnel syndrome causes pain, tingling sensation, weakness, or numbness in your hands and wrists. Frequent and repetitive motions often cause it, such as typing, using a mouse, playing certain sports, pregnancy, or joint diseases. It compresses or irritates your median nerves, limiting your range of motion.
In a research of 60 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, results show that acupuncture significantly improved their symptoms after receiving treatment for 4 weeks. Its effects can also last 3 months after the treatments, deeming it a safe and suitable method for treating carpal tunnel syndrome.
2. Allergic rhinitis
Allergic rhinitis or hay fever is your immune’s systems reaction to pollen or other allergens in the environment. Considering some can experience it all year round, dealing with its symptoms can be a nuisance.
Good thing acupuncture can identify and treat its underlying cause, so you’ll no longer have to deal with a runny nose and constant sneezing. It helps relieve nasal congestion and strengthens your immune system, alleviating the pain and symptoms associated with allergic rhinitis. This can be an excellent alternative for those who don’t want to rely on medication or don’t respond to antihistamines.
3. Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis or more commonly known as arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that often affects the knees, hands, spine, or hips. The cartilage in your joints breaks down over time, and the bone within begins to change. When left untreated, its pain and symptoms get worse over time.
Although the damage it creates can’t be reversed, you can minimize the pain and symptoms with acupuncture since it stimulates your central nervous system and releases endorphins and oxytocin – which are your body’s natural painkilling and mood-boosting hormones.
According to a 2018 research review, it’s concluded that acupuncture alone or combined with other medical treatments can be beneficial for managing your arthritis and improving your function and quality of life.
4. Depression and anxiety
Depression is a mood disorder that causes feelings of sadness and loss of interest. While anxiety disorder causes persistent and excessive feelings of worry and fear. These two are the most common mental disorders, but they’re luckily treatable with therapy and medication.
But if you don’t respond to conventional treatment, you can try acupuncture as an alternative method. According to Beth Conroy of Beth Conroy Acupuncture, needles are inserted at certain points of your body to help release endorphins, so it boosts your mood and reduces depressive episodes. It also balances your body’s energy flow to reduce the frequency of anxiety attacks and symptoms of depression.
5. Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a disorder that causes musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, mood, sleep, and memory issues. Some also experience tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety, and depression.
There’s currently no cure for fibromyalgia, but you can minimize the symptoms by accompanying your medical treatments with acupuncture. In a study, 8 female patients with fibromyalgia were given once-a-week acupuncture treatments for 2 months. Results show a reduction in pain sensitivity and threshold among the patients. There were also improvements in their anxiety, depression, and overall quality of health.
6. Sciatica
Sciatica causes pain or numbness in your sciatic nerve, which affects your lower back, hips, buttocks, and legs. The condition is often caused by a herniated disk or bone overgrowth that puts excess pressure on your sciatic nerve.
Mild sciatica can clear up after a few weeks, but more severe cases will need surgery. Considering the condition also comes with pain or muscle weakness, you can use acupuncture as a complementary treatment to reduce your symptoms.
It stimulates your nerves to release endorphins and reduces inflammation. It also reactivates your weak muscles and improves your blood circulation to speed up recovery.
Ready to start your acupuncture treatment?
For easing pain and symptoms, Beth Conroy Acupuncture can help. Beth is a healer and licensed acupuncturist specializing in trigger point release therapy, TCM traditional Chinese medicine, esoteric acupuncture, and Kikki Matsumoto acupuncture. She also offers a range of treatments, including dry needling, cupping, electrostimulation acupuncture, gua sha, tuina massage, and more. For questions and inquiries, feel free to contact them now and book your first appointment.