Acupuncture is a common practice in Chinese medicine. Traditionally, it is used to balance the flow of energy (chi or qi) by placing needles along specific pathways of energy in your body. Disruption to the flow of energy can cause disease, so traditional Chinese medicine practitioners use acupuncture to improve health.
Acupuncture has also become a common practice in Western medicine. The insertion points are viewed as places that stimulate nerves, muscles, and connective tissue. Some believe that the stimulation caused
by the acupuncture needles boosts the production of the body’s natural painkillers.
This type of treatment is one that many of our practitioners here at MetaTherapy use. Some of the conditions that acupuncture is used to treat include:
· Headaches (tension headaches, migraines)
· Low back pain
· Neck pain
· Osteoarthritis
· Labour pain
· Menstrual cramps
· Knee pain
· Facial pain
· Sciatica
Now, the big question: what does it feel like? Instinctively, one might think that a treatment that involves sticking a bunch of needles in a person may be painful. Not to worry, acupuncture is actually a relatively pain-free treatment. It consists of the insertion of very thin, sterile needles into a specific part of the body (depending on the condition being treated). There may be slight discomfort when the needle is being inserted, but people often feel nothing at all. There may be an achy sensation once the needle reaches the correct depth, but it goes away very quickly. There should not be any pain or discomfort while the needles are in place or when they are removed. Many patients report that the treatment leaves them feeling very relaxed.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that is also very common at MetaTherapy. In this treatment, two needles are placed at each acupuncture point and electrodes are attached to them. A mild electrical current will pass between the treatment points. The sensations of electroacupuncture are similar to that of normal acupuncture, however, the patient will also feel tingling or vibrations at the treatment points. Electroacupuncture is used to enhance the effects of acupuncture and allow for quicker activation of the sites. While electroacupuncture is used to treat the same conditions as acupuncture, it is often used for chronic pain or stress and inflammation.
Many of MetaTherapy’s therapists are skilled practitioners of acupuncture and electroacupuncture. These treatments are meant to leave you feeling relaxed and pain-free. If you are suffering from any sort of chronic pain or stress, this treatment may be perfect for you!
