Weight-Loss
Overweight and obesity becomes a noticeable health issue in the United States. Acupuncture for weight-loss became popular in the US when CNN reported successful acupuncture weight-loss clinics in China in 2003.
Diseases, disorders and medications:
Many diseases and disorders have a direct impact on weight, such as: hypothyroid, brain tumors, depression, slow metabolism and other endocrine systems diseases. Pain contributes to weight-gain indirectly. People exercise less because of pain. Many people also blame it on medications. It is a common side effect listed on many drug labels.
Overstressed and cravings:
Modern life creates tremendous stresses. Our activities are scheduled to a fraction of an hour or even minutes. Overstressed life causes sleep deprevation or low-quality sleep resulting in stress building-up. There are stress-eaters who put food into the body when stressed. Some crave chocolate, ice cream, cheese, sugar, etc. Craving food usually indicates imbalances of body chemicals.
Unhealthy lifestyles
We knew that smoking and or drinking too much alcohol is harmful to the body. Some are lack of excesses and have an imbalanced diet, eating only certain types of grains, vegetables and meats
In AHCNJ, weight-loss is one of the most popular treatments. Through the above analysis, you can see that gaining weight is complicated. Therefore, differentiating root causes is most important. If weight gain is related to pain, diseases, depression, to address these conditions takes priority at the beginning. For most people, overstressed, craving and slow metabolisms are common reasons. Treatments include acupuncture, auricular therapy and Chinese herbs. Auricular therapy is the placement of herbal seeds, or tack needles, or magnets on specific ear points. It is widely used and very effective in weight-loss.
Weight-loss is tedious work. A treatment plan consists of a series of treatments usually one to two months. Patients usually experience weight-loss from the very beginning. The final results are varied. A few do not have any changes. Some lost 50 pounds or more. Most patients are satisfied with the results. It depends on your body types, your determinations, and your dedication.
Acupuncture is not a panacea or a wonder cure for weight-loss. Acupuncture is effective in making it easier to lose by balancing the body and making stress, hunger and craving less. Patients have to understand that weight-loss will not come automatically only through acupuncture treatment. Patients have to have a strong commitment to make it happen and are willing to change their lifestyles: eating right, exercising more, no smoking, etc. From this point, treatments serve as lifestyle training for them to lose and or maintain healthy weight.
According to Chinese Medicine, weight-loss is a systematic balancing art. The key is to diagnose what organs and or meridians are out of order and where blockage is located. Through treatment, a body’s harmony is reached and weight-loss will be achieved.
The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is unknown. Researchers believe acupuncture releases “feel good” chemicals in the body called endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect. These are the same chemicals released after intense exercise. These endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems to reduce hunger and cravings, relax the body from stress, frustration and anxiety, and achieve weight-loss! Some theories suggest that acupuncture improves metabolism causing calories to burn at a faster rate.
My patients and I have been pleased by the results. They have more self esteem, will power and energy, less stress on their heart, joint and body, and have a better sense of well being. Immediate benefits for them are that their bodies can fit into dresses or suits that have been sitting in closets for years.