Acupuncture for Weight Control
Are you a holistic practitioner experienced in acupuncture? Then you are surely the one that many are looking for. Acupuncture is a traditional energy healing technique which believes that every state of disease or illness in the human body is caused due to an imbalance in the bioenergy in the body and this balance is brought about by certain corrective measures using needles, seeds, magnets, etc. and many people around the world today believe in its ability to treat pain, nausea, vomiting, arthritis, stress, etc. Acupuncture is also used as a holistic health care measure to help in weight control. With all these pros, the place you need to be is at The Alternative Health Connection. Many individuals suffering from obesity and over-weight are searching for the right holistic practitioner to help them reduce and maintain their weight with acupuncture.
Weight control is never an easy thing. It involves a lot of strenuous work along with a permanent change in eating habits and regular workouts. In spite of all this hard work, weight control might not be permanent because habits have not been changed. There is also the risk of side effects from many types of treatments. But acupuncture is a form of holistic medicine which helps in bringing about weight loss easily and has no side effects what so ever. So the number of people seeking help from practitioners of holistic medicine is increasing by the day. Every single day, hundreds of people scan through the databases to find an experienced acupuncturist in their locality. With this form of holistic health care you could also help people deal with stress, frustration and other ailments. It is the most perfect form of holistic medicine to assist the fat burning metabolism of the body.
How to Lose the Weight and Keep It Off with Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine.
Weight loss co
mes under the topic of "Weight Control", because we are concerned with the loss and MAINTENANCE of loss of weight. This is a multi-faceted problem, and a good program involves diet, exercise and stress reduction techniques. Chinese acupressure and digestive aid exercises are also useful tools in the battle with weight loss.Acupuncture is an ADJUNCT therapy. It is not a panacea or a wonder cure in the treatment of weight control. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to lose and maintain that loss if the patient is willing to change their lifestyle. The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is unknown but we know that acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear release endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger overeating and bingeing on fattening foods. Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems that are running too fast- or in this case too slow—i.e., the metabolism and the will power.
The Acupuncture Treatment
In order for the acupuncturist to choose the correct points for you, you must first come in for a consultation to discuss your particular pattern of overeating, and let the practitioner know in your intake form if there are any real digestive difficulties. Then the acupuncturist would check your pulse to discern the general state of your energy and measure the health of your stomach energy in particular, and then they would look at your tongue to check for cracks, peeling or puffiness on the stomach area, or a suspicious yellow or thick white coating that might indicate troublesome heat or coldness in the stomach and would provide some clues as to why the person was gaining weight.
The Acupuncture Points
Then, armed with this information, the acupuncturist would devise a treatment protocol using a combination of ear and body points. Although the Chinese developed the system of auricular (ear) acupuncture a long time ago, as one of the various Microsystems of the body containing all the points relating to the major organs and body parts, a Frenchman by the name of Nogier, discovered many more acupuncture points on the ear that pertain to Western medicine such as points called "Adrenal", "Pituitary", "FSH", "Ovary", "Thyroid", etc.
Many of the points from both ear acupuncture systems that are important for weight loss treatments are:
* Mouth - for the impulsive eater who may also smoke a lot and talk a lot
* Stomach - for the person who eats even after they're full or who's constantly nibbling
* Hungry - for general appetite control
* Lung - for food addicts, and people who love chocolate, sweets
* Shenmen - a calming point, for the psychology overlay for anxiety, anger, frustration,
insecurity
* Endocrine - for water retention that's responsible for some of the weight gain
* Adrenal and Ovary - if weight gain is due to menopause or P.M.S.
* Spleen - for sugar imbalances and hormonal disturbances
* Kidney - for water retention, and nervous system and hormonal imbalances
* Thyroid - for slow metabolism
The practitioner chooses two or more of these points for each treatment depending upon the patient's problem and personality profile regarding overeating.
Next, body points would be selected.
During the first few treatments, most likely the "Four Gate" points (LI 4, Liver3) would be used to circulate the energy throughout the body and calm the nervous system. Ren 12, the front collecting point of the stomach energy would be chosen for many treatments, as would Stomach 36, three inches distal to the eye of the knee that tonifies the energy and helps circulate oxygen and blood of the whole body and of the stomach in particular. Then, based on the diagnosis, the practitioner may add Stomach, 40, the master point for mucous, or Kidney 7 or 10 for edema or water retention.
The acupuncturist may use electro stimulation on some of these acupuncture points to increase the endorphin release and stimulate the metabolism. The needles would be kept in place for around thirty to forty-five minutes depending on how much support was needed for the patient, and after the needles are removed, ear tacs with adhesive on them are often placed in the same spots on the ear to continue the stimulation between treatments. The way it works is this: when the patient feels an urge to eat, s/he applies mild pressure to the point or rubs it back and forth for about 20 seconds. This type of acupressure stimulates the point, causes a mild endorphin release, relaxes the patient and helps them to regain their willpower or resolve about resisting the temptation to eat. The patient removes the tacs at home after three days and throws them away or takes them out sooner if there is any irritation or discomfort. It is a good idea to also remove oneself from the location, person or food that triggers the resistance to the diet or contributes to the breakdown of willpower. For example, one might want to stay away from the kitchen and refrigerator between meals.
The Treatment Plan
The number of acupuncture treatments necessary depends on the patient's goals for losing weight, the speed at which they want to lose, and their commitment to keeping the weight off. If the overeating is severe, a treatment every day for the first five days is appropriate and can then taper off the second week to every other day and the third week to every three days. For the average patient who wants to lose between five to ten pounds, one treatment every three days or twice a week until they reach their goal is appropriate, and then a booster treatment once every two weeks is optimal. After a few booster treatments, the patient and practitioner will mutually decide when to terminate frequent treatments and then can aim to meet approximately four times a year at the change of seasons when energy levels are unstable and tonification and harmonizing of one's system is appropriate for everyone.
