Acupuncture Weight Loss
Acupuncture is a popular medical procedure that can be traced back to its origins in China where for hundreds of years it has been used to treat various ailments with the use of needles.
However, it has taken until 2003 for acupuncture to be popular in the western world for the purpose of weight loss. It all began with the TV station CNN reporting success stories of people who went to weight loss clinics in China that were using acupuncture.
China’s population has become increasingly obese in recent years, attributed to the introduction and growing popularity of most notably the American diet, which is typically high in protein, fat and sugar. The standard American diet is low in fresh vegetables and fruits, often canned or overcooked, leaving no nutrients and live enzymes.
For over 2,000 years people in Asian cultures have benefited from acupuncture weight loss where it has been routinely practiced mainly due to their understanding and their belief that a person becomes overweight because of an unbalanced digestive system.
The stated benefits to acupuncture weight loss are as follows:
Promotes a stronger digestive system,
Controls appetite,
Improves metabolic rate, which means the body burns calories faster.
To achieve weight loss, the body must be able to burn more calories than it can store. Acupuncture provides a way for the body to reduce calorie intake and increase calorie burning.
To carry out any acupuncture weight loss treatment requires a certain procedure by a trained practitioner using thin, sterile needles. In some cases, electrical stimulation or lasers are used in conjunction with the needles. The needles are inserted and left on the patient’s body for half an hour.
There are reported side effects of acupuncture weight loss. Patients experience heat, tingling and some numbness in areas where needles were inserted. Other side effects include feeling dizzy and nauseated, together with getting a headache. One could argue that compared to the side effects of drug-related diet supplements, these are minimal.
In addition to the acupuncture weight loss treatment, patients any sometimes recommended to take herbal supplements.
According to some medical studies on their own, acupuncture weight loss treatments and herbal supplements are not enough to promote weight loss.
Additionally regular exercise and proper diet need to be incorporated to achieve weight loss that is both safe and permanent.
It is normal for the patients body to take a period of time to adjust to the acupuncture weight loss treatments and that it has been noticed that general food cravings and a tendency to eat too much does diminish over time if they exert more patience.
In addition, the patient has noticed that they are less stressed. Stress, can contribute to weight gain, as people tend to eat when stressed or worried.
If acupuncture weight loss treatment is something you are interested in it is recommended to do some research first.
First of all talk to or find people who have undergone acupuncture weight loss treatments and ask them for referrals.
Acupuncture weight loss practitioners must have certification. It may be a good idea to find one who is a doctor with a license by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine to practice acupuncture.
The cost of acupuncture weight loss treatments will vary from place to place and be different from country to country and from one practitioner to the next. If you have a Health Insurance check that this type of treatment is covered.
