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Acupuncture is Just as Effective Without Needles


NeedlesAcupuncture works, but it appears to work equally well with or without needle penetration. This conclusion was drawn from a treatment study involving cancer patients suffering from nausea during radiotherapy.

In a series of acupuncture studies that involved more than 200 patients who were undergoing radiation treatment, roughly half received traditional acupuncture with needles penetrating the skin in particular points, while the others received simulated acupuncture instead, with a telescopic, blunt placebo needle that merely touched their skin.

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Afterwards, 95 percent of the patients in both groups felt that the treatment had helped relieve nausea, and 67 percent had experienced other positive effects such as improved sleep, brighter mood, and less pain. Both groups felt considerably better than a separate control group that received no acupuncture of any kind.

The acupuncture was performed by physiotherapists two or three times a week during the five week long period of their radiation treatment.

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Acupuncture Beats Drug to Treat Hot Flashes

acupunctureAcupuncture works as well as Effexor, a drug commonly used to combat hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms that can accompany breast cancer treatment.

In fact, the benefits of acupuncture last longer than the effects of Effexor, and without any bad side effects. After 12 weeks of treatment, symptoms were reduced for 15 additional weeks for women who had undergone acupuncture, compared with just two weeks for those who had taken Effexor.

Not only were no bad side effects associated with acupuncture, women who underwent the treatment reported increased energy and overall sense of well-being. Those taking Effexor reported side effects including nausea, headache, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, increased blood pressure, fatigue and anxiety.

Sources:
  • American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Meeting September 21-25, 2008 Boston, MA
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Acupuncture Can Give You a Lift Without Facing the Knife

A face full of needles may not be your idea of spa heaven. Yet as more and more of us seek natural alternatives to lasers and Botox, cosmetic acupuncture could well become the new “facelift” of choice.

They are tiny needles, and Most people really don’t feel them go in at all.

The treatment begins with cleansing. Then the needles go in: first a couple in the legs, which stings a little, then one on the belly. Still manageable. Then the face. This feels like red ant bites along the jaw, brows, smile lines and crow’s feet. Ouch. Jimenez, calm and efficient, expresses surprise at your low pain threshold and – perhaps because you are beginning to beg for mercy – the acupunture specialist stops at 12 needles (normally you would get about 14 in the face). Once in, they are, indeed, painless.
Point of the exercise: a half-hour relaxing with up to 14 needles in your face can help boost your skin tone and make you look younger

Cosmetic acupunture
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The pros

# Not a syringe, scalpel or laser in sight.
# Relaxing and holistic: your overall health really matters.
# Nurturing: Gemma Jimenez is sympathetic and kind DResults: it really does seem to make a short-term difference.

The cons

# Time consuming: initially you need sessions two to three times a week, then once every three weeks for maintenance.
# Ouch: the needles can smart.
# Pricey: over a lifetime, on a purely cost basis, you might be better off with a scalpel.

You may click to see :->-Acupuncture face-lift guide

Sources: Telegraph.co.uk

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Acupunture

Acupuncture

 Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that originated in China over 5,000 years ago. It is based on the belief that living beings have a vital energy, called “qi”, that circulates through twelve invisible energy lines known as meridians on the body. Each meridian is associated with a different organ system. An imbalance in the flow of qi throughout a meridian  is how disease begins. Acupuncturists insert needles into specified points along meridian lines to influence the restore balance to the flow of qi. There are over 1,000 acupuncture points on the body

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Traditional Chinese medicine states that health is dependent on energy. If this energy flow is disrupted by infection, pain or anxiety then physical symptoms are triggered. By inserting fine, solid needles into these channels, the flow of energy – and the patient’s health – is restored.

As these channels are not mappable according to conventional western ideas of anatomy, acupuncture is sometimes considered unscientific. However, studies show it can trigger the release of endorphins – the body’s natural painkillers – as well as stimulate some nerve fibres that block pain. In skilled hands, acupuncture is safe and relatively painless. Most practitioners recommend six to eight treatments. Western medicine accepts its benefits for relief of pain-related conditions, such back problems and migraines, but it is also commonly used for other ailments, such as sinus and bladder conditions. A practitioner should be registered with the local health authority.

There are specific points best avoided in pregnancy although acupuncture is effective for morning sickness. It is often cited as helping people to quit smoking, and though there is little consistent evidence, withdrawal symptoms from other harder drugs may be lessened. More controversially, a report earlier this year in the British Medical Journal reported that women treated with acupuncture could increase IVF success by 65%.

In 1997, acupuncture needles were reclassified from “experimental” to “medical device” by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The National Institutes of Health released a consensus statment in the same year endorsing acupuncture for the treatment of a variety of conditions such as post-operative pain, tennis elbow, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Acupuncture is one of the best known of the alternative therapies. The FDA estimates that people in the United States spend more than $500 million annually on acupuncture treatments. Many people have insurance coverage for acupuncture.There are numerous theories about how acupuncture works. Some of them are:

*acupuncture stimulates the release of pain-relieving endorphins
*acupuncture influences the release of neurotransmitters, substances that transmit nerve impulses to the brain
*acupuncture influences the autonomic nervous system
*acupuncture stimulates circulation
*acupuncture influences the electrical currents of the body

*It relieves migraines and tension headaches
Resources:

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/treatmentsad/a/acupuncture.htm?utm_term=what%20is%20acupuncture&utm_content=p1-main-1-title&utm_medium=sem&utm_source=msn&utm_campaign=adid-c0830049-61b6-4bdd-a4ae-5c8fe1422f7f-0-ab_mse_ocode-29597&ad=semD&an=msn_s&am=exact&q=what%20is%20acupuncture&dqi=&o=29597&l=sem&qsrc=999&askid=c0830049-61b6-4bdd-a4ae-5c8fe1422f7f-0-ab_mse

TIMESONLINE:11Th. May”08

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Acupuncture ‘Boosts IVF Chances’

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Acupuncture may increase the success rates of fertility treatment, according to a study.

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……………………………..Researchers studied more than 1,300 women

.The Dutch and US research, published in the British Medical Journal, found for every 10 IVF cycles with acupuncture, there would be one extra pregnancy.

However, the study, which looked at more than 1,300 women, hinted that patients at European clinics might not benefit as strongly.

A UK alternative medicine expert said he was not convinced by the results.

Approximately 10% to 15% of British couples have difficulty conceiving at some point in their lives and look for specialist fertility treatment.

IVF involves fertilising the egg with sperm outside the woman’s body then putting the resulting embryo back into the womb.

Some couples face repeated expensive attempts to achieve a pregnancy.

Acupuncture has been used for centuries in China to regulate female fertility, and in recent years, scientists have been looking at whether it could boost IVF chances.

Studies have been mixed, with some showing benefits, and some even showing a reduced chance of conceiving.

The latest research, from the VU University in Amsterdam and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, combined the results of seven trials involving 1,366 women in an attempt to provide a clearer picture of the benefits.

They found that, looking at all the research together, women who underwent acupuncture were 65% more likely to have a successful embryo transfer compared with those who underwent a “sham” version of the treatment, or no extra treatment at all.

In real terms, this would mean that for every 10 women receiving acupuncture, there would be one extra successful embryo transfer.

European doubt

However, many of the studies were conducted in Chinese clinics which had a lower pregnancy rate than the average European clinic.

When only the three studies reaching this average – success in 28% of IVF cycles – were included, a different picture emerged.

Here, there was no evidence of any extra benefit from acupuncture, suggesting that offering the treatment in Europe might not offer as great, or any, increases in success rates.

In addition, a leading researcher into alternative treatments, Professor Edzard Ernst, from the Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth said he was dubious about the reliability of the acupuncture trials

He said: “On the face of it, these results sound fantastic. I would, however, be very cautious as much of the observed effect could be due to a placebo response.

“IVF may not seem to be “placebo-prone” but it probably is: if women expect it to be helpful they are more relaxed which, in turn, would affect pregnancy rates.”


Sources:
BBC NEWS,8Th.Feb,’08

Click to see also :
Acupuncture ‘boosts IVF success’
Acupuncture ‘pregnancy pain cure’
Acupuncture ‘deactivates brain’
Acupuncture ‘cuts blood pressure’
Acupuncture ‘beats headache pain’
Acupuncture fights morning sickness
Acupuncture helps heart patients
Acupuncture ‘cures dental gagging’
Acupuncture ‘works for arthritis’

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