Acupuncture, an age-old technique drawing its roots from traditional Chinese medicine, uses tiny, metallic needles to penetrate the skin and stimulate specific points. A safe technique, acupuncture has been extensively researched and practiced to treat a variety of health conditions. Most often, acupuncture is known to treat chronic pain – for example, joint pain, low back pain, and headaches. But did you know acupuncture does more to keep us well?
- Gets you a better night’s rest!
We’ve likely all experienced a lack of sleep and how that affects our day-to-day. We immediately notice changes in our energy, focus, and mood. Our stress levels increase and we may find ourselves less able to remember things we have to do or what has been said to us. Long-term sleep deprivation, known as insomnia, can lead to health issues including weight gain, high blood pressure, and heart disease.1
Acupuncture can help us optimize our sleep – a vital task for repair and restoration. A review study recently found that acupuncture significantly improved several sleep measures including increases in total sleep time and efficiency, and a reduction in the number of times one wakes during the night.2
- Provides Zen and reduces your anxiety.
As the largest group of mental disorders, anxiety continues to be a leading cause of disability in western societies. From physical symptoms such as increased heart rate and blood pressure, nausea and vomiting, stomach upset, and pain to mental emotional symptoms such as difficulty concentrating and feelings of despair, acupuncture can be a very helpful and supportive treatment in reducing feelings of anxiety. A number of studies have shown acupuncture to have a positive effect on anxiety with little side-effects when compared to other treatments.3
- Helps your skin to glow.
Did you know? Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Organs have the important function of keeping us alive and healthy and our skin plays key roles in supporting our immune system and eliminating waste. For example, when you spend some time in a sauna or throw on some shoes and go for a run, the act of sweating releases heat and flushes out waste.
Acupuncture supports this natural detoxification function of the skin and targets the causes of skin concerns to clear up your skin from within. Research shows acupuncture improves acne and eczema by stimulating meridians to improve flow within the body. Acupuncture also modulates hormones which is key in the treatment of acne as it can be due to a fluctuation of hormone levels.4
Acupuncture is also a great pause to your day-to-day life, giving you an opportunity to have a rest and enjoy some personal time – a typical acupuncture treat is 30-45 minutes. Treat yourself to some self-care!
