When someone isn’t feeling well in China, they often go to the acupuncturist for help. In North America, we sadly don’t know much about this treatment, but this article should be a good primer for you. Learn all about how this amazing ancient art can make you feel better all over.
Since acupuncture is a form of alternative treatment, the cost is not likely to be covered by traditional insurance. Sometimes it only takes one treatment to get symptomatic relief, so the cost is not prohibitive. If several treatments are needed the cost of treatment may become too expensive to continue.
Although needles are involved, acupuncture should not be too painful. Keep in mind that the needles are generally a lot thinner than those you encounter in your doctor’s office. Therefore, if you are nervous about getting “stuck,” you really should not be. You will feel them, but you should not experience extreme pain.
The time is an integral component of your acupuncture procedure. Don’t make an appointment too close to when you will be doing strenuous activity. In addition, you should never schedule an appointment in between your busy day because this will only make you more stressed. As a result, you will struggle to relax.
If you are pregnant, past your due date and wanting to get labor started, consider using acupuncture. This pain-free, natural practice can pinpoint specific parts of the body which can bring on contractions and help labor to progress. It is important to only use this past your due date however, so as to avoid pre-term labor which might be dangerous to the baby’s health.
When looking for an acupuncture professional to treat your aches, pains and ailments, be sure to ask if they are nationally certified. Although this will not guarantee that your sessions are perfect and painless, it will guarantee that the specialist you visit has had a lot of formal education and is well qualified to perform the service. You should see the certificates on the wall.
Ask your acupuncturist about insurance. Many alternative treatments, including acupuncture, are now covered by health insurance. If they accept your insurance, you may save tons of money with your ongoing treatment. Otherwise, you will be responsible for paying the fees, and they are usually pretty expensive.
Understand that acupuncture focus on the entire well being of you as a person. In Western culture, it’s often the norm to concentrate on symptoms, what’s ailing you immediately. That’s not true of acupuncture. It looks at the big picture and tries to help your entire body. It’s a major difference in thought.
If you suffer with frequent migraine headaches and have yet to find relief, think about visiting a local acupuncture practice. Often times migraines are caused or exacerbated by stress and physical tension building up in your back and neck muscles. The acupuncture professional you visit should be able to alleviate some of this tension, providing you with some much needed relief.
Be sure to give yourself some extra time to get to your appointment. Rushing in at the last minute will put you into a stressful frame of mind. Stress is an inhibitor to a successful treatment. Giving yourself a few extra minutes to arrive will allow you to calm down from the stressors of the day and let your body have the time to calm down. This calm will make your session be much more useful to you.
Never fight an acupuncture treatment during the middle of it. You’ve made the decision to get this treatment, hopefully reading up prior to the appointment. If you start tensing up or responding poorly (both physically and verbally), you can be sure that the session won’t give you the best results.
Schedule some down time after your appointment to rest. Your body needs complete rest in order to support your treatments in restoring your mind, body and soul. It is important to rest at least two hours immediately following a treatment; then, get at least eight hours of sleep that night.
Do some research about the different kinds of acupuncture before you begin looking for an acupuncture practitioner. American acupuncturists can practice based on traditions from Korea, China or Japan. Always ask about your practitioner’s training and exactly what kind of procedures they use. It is also helpful to find out if one branch of acupuncture is more effective than another for your particular condition.
Some acupuncture professionals will use scraping tools, wood to bring warmth to an area or special magnifying glasses to enhance a session. While these are all normal tools of the trade, they are not ones that we are familiar with in Western medicine. If you are not comfortable with them, declining their use is perfectly fine.
You may find a bit of bruising or some red dots on your skin. It’s entirely typical for an acupuncture treatment to cause these effects. Don’t get alarmed or upset. They will quickly go away and they are very negligible when compared to the benefits of acupuncture.
Avoid drinking alcohol for at least several days after having acupuncture treatments. When you have this type of procedure done, it releases a lot of toxins into your body. These toxins sometimes cause the body to become dehydrated, and having alcohol in your system will only make the situation worse.
All reputable acupuncture providers use new needles for each session. New needles are the only way to ensure they are completely sterile. If you even think that needles are being reused, you need to leave immediately. It is not worth the risk and you can easily find a practitioner who uses clean needles.
When you’re looking for an acupuncturist, make sure they’re NCCAOM certified. To get NCCAOM certification, a practitioner must receive a significant amount of training and pass a national exam. When you’re letting someone stick needles into your body, you want to be sure that they’re an expert on what they’re doing.
It takes a great deal of education to truly understand all of your options for health treatments today. This article has been a great start for you, but continue reading to learn more about all that is available to you. The more you educate yourself, the more sound your decisions can be.
