Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a Chinese medical practice that treats illness
and provides local anesthesia by the insertion of needles at
predetermined sites of the body. Acupuncture may also follow
many other forms. The word acupuncture comes from the Latin
word acus, meaning needle, and pungere, meaning puncture. The
Chinese call acupuncture Chen Chiu.

I had acupuncture performed on me several times by a doctor who was trained in China. She had been a nurse, and was very happy practicing nursing, but her aptitude was recognized and she was pulled out of her hospital and trained to be a doctor. She treated me after my car accident in 1990 with a combination of herbs, acupuncture, massage, and Tui Na, during which she attempted to push the herniated discs in my lower back into their original place.

Acupuncture is used in the treatment of a wide variety of
medical problems. It is used for ear, nose, and throat disorders,
respiratory disorders, Gastrointestinal disorders, Eye disorders, and
Neurological and Muscular disorders. The needles used in
acupuncture are usually only inserted from 1/4 to 1 inch deep into
the skin. There is usually no pain in acupuncture. Usually if any
pain it is only mild. Most of the needles now used in acupuncture
are disposable needles. Acupuncture does not always only involve
needles. They may also use other methods such as moxibustion,
cupping, electronic stimulation, magneotherapy and various types
of massage. There are also many different styles of acupuncture
practiced all over the world.

There are many things to consider when choosing an
acupuncturist. Acupuncture is a licensed and regulated healthcare
profession in about half the states in the United States. There are
many acupuncture practices which are not certified, so when
choosing one some research is required. If you get acupuncture
usually between five to fifteen sessions are required, depending on
the severity of the complaint. Many acute conditions only require
a single treatment. The main thing to remember when receiving
acupuncture is to simply relax. After acupuncture treatments
much of the pain may be gone after the first treatment, or in some
cases it takes more. In some cases the pain may become worse;
this is known as the rebound effect.