Does Acupuncture actually work? What does it do?

Question

I suffer lots of migraines and a friend said acupuncture can help. is this true?

Answer 1

The purpose of acupuncture in TCM is the rebalancing of opposing energy forces in different parts of the body. In Western terms, acupuncture is used most commonly as an adjunctive treatment for the relief of chronic or acute pain. In the United States, acupuncture is most widely used to treat pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders, but it has also been used in the treatment of headaches, other painful disorders, and nausea and vomiting. In addition to these disorders, acupuncture has been used to treat a variety of disorders such as asthma, infertility, depression, anxiety, HIV infection, and fibromyalgia, although its efficacy in relieving these disorders is largely unproven. Acupuncture should not be used to treat traumatic injuries and other emergency conditions requiring immediate surgery. Also, while it appears to have benefits in relieving symptoms such as pain under the proper circumstances, it has not been shown to alter the underlying course of a disease. The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is not known. Studies have demonstrated a variety of physiologic effects such as release in the brain of various chemicals and hormones, alteration of immune function, blood pressure, and body temperature.

Answer 2

Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating needles into "acupuncture points" on the body. According to acupunctural teachings this will restore health and well-being. Whether acupuncture is efficacious or a placebo is subject to scientific research. There is no scientific consensus over whether or not evidence supports efficacy. It can be used to treat migraine.

Answer 3

This is the official World health organisation list for conditions treatable by acupuncture:
http://tcm.health-info.org/WHO-treatment-list.htm

I can't find the WHO link but it exists somewhere on the net.

As for the likes of Thad that are a tad narrow-minded on these things i suggest this reading:
"Acupuncture has been proven effective in relieving postoperative pain, nausea during pregnancy, nausea and vomiting resulting from chemotherapy, and dental pain with extremely low side effects. It can also alleviate anxiety, panic disorders and insomnia." from here: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs134/en/

On a more personal note it works for me for all sorts of things but migraine is not one of the succes stories with me and acupuncture. Sometimes it works, sometimes it don't. Most of my migraine are stress-induced though. But reflexology (which works on the meridians too, works a treat when i suffer from my stress-induced migraines.) I call them migraines because i get light-sensitive)

Answer 4

No, I've never personally encountered anyone who said it helped them.

This is what it is:
Acupuncture is also thought to decrease pain by increasing the release of chemicals that block pain, called endorphins. Many acu-points are near nerves. When stimulated, these nerves cause a dull ache or feeling of fullness in the muscle. The stimulated muscle sends a message to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), causing the release of endorphins (morphine-like chemicals produced in our own bodies during times of pain or stress). Endorphins, along with other neurotransmitters (body chemicals that modify nerve impulses), block the message of pain from being delivered up to the brain.

Answer 5

ACUPUNCTURE DOES WORK !!!

For acupuncture practitioners, to start. It pays the mortgage, puts food on the table, so to speak, and if one's got a gullible and vast enough customer base, it can also sends the little byproducts to college, and them's are responsible for same, to Caribean vacations.

Answer 6

For headaches I suggest that you see a chiropractor that works on your body's energy fields.
The chiropractor will help with the alignment of your spine, without pulling you around, but by working with certain pressure points in your body.
It worked much better than accupunture for me personally - no more headaches as I go for alignment once a month.
Also helps to check your diet and find the culprits that causes the migraines - sugar, coffee etc

Answer 7

i didnt think so untill i watched a medical trial that few doctors were doing on tv(i believe with the idea to proof that i doesnt work) BUT at the end there was very positive results coming back from the many people that took part,so i guess you should give it a go,aparantly does something that affects the part of the brain that send the signals that you feel pain,i'm booking myself for few sesions soon for my back pain,i say:GIVE IT A TRY!!!why not??!
Good luck,i hope it helps=)

Answer 8

Accupuncture is the oldest form of health care and has helped many people and it does work. Most forms of health care that do not work, quickly lose their popularity.

Chiropractic care usually works better for migraines. If you have not tried Chiropractic, you should give it a try.

Answer 9

You should start by not wanting to get pregnant, just have sex everyday or every other day and don't think about getting pregnant, just have fun with your partner. Get more useful information and guides to get pregnant here https://tr.im/5qUwG
after sex-put a pillow under your butt or prop your feet up on the wall so your pelvis is tilted
eat healthy
back off caffiene
workout, even if its just a 20 minute walk a day, be active.

Answer 10

This is quite correct. You can feel the miracle yourself. You must have noticed that sometimes getting some accidental punch in any part of a body, you get some sensation on some other part of the body. That is the theory, which works in accupuncture. Your inner body parts have nerve connections to some other outer body parts. the pinch on the relative outer parts get the effect on the inner body parts to make them active to work properly.