In 2018, I went to an acupuncturist for neck pain, I was out of alignment and wanted to try something new. To be honest I felt better afterwards but I really didn’t understand the HYPE that is ACUPUNCTURE
In October I was recommended to see a holistic doctor after feeling like something was “off” with my body (read all about that here). Little did I know this doctor specializes in acupuncture. My first treatment was 35 minutes long and I swear it was like I was given all the happy pills in the world. These little needles filled my whole body (which totally freaked me out because having a needle in your forehead is weird to me) BUT I went from anxious and all over the place to calm, collected and at peace. The more I dive deeper into health and learning about our bodies I realize the root of a multitude of things is our stress load. Sickness and disease can be heightened ten fold if you are carrying around excess baggage of unwanted stress.
Acupuncture rids my stress. It allows me to feel calm and enter a meditative state almost immediately.
WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?
Acupuncture is a key proponent of Chinese Medicine. In traditional chinese practice it is considered a way to balance the flow of energy. Chi- the body’s life force is thought to run through pathways in our body. When needles are inserted into specific points on those pathways it balances our energy- alleviating stress, anxiety and anything our body is holding on to. Western practitioners use those same points to stimulate muscles and nerves. This can trigger your body to release endorphins (aka natural pain killers). According to WebMD over 3 million Americans use acupuncture.
Traditional Chinese Medicine explains that health is a result of a harmonious balance of the Yin and Yang.
Illness is yin and yang out of balance. Acupuncture is used to bring the yin and yang into harmonious balance
PAINFUL?
This definitely depends on the technique and the skill of the person administering treatment. Needles are being inserted into your skin, after all….
I’ve had experiences where it does NOT feel good and others where I haven’t felt the needles at all. More often than not, it’s the latter and you barely feel it!
THREE SIMPLE REASONS TO TRY ACUPUNCTURE:
- Mental Health: Acupuncture can offer a reset button for our bodies, provide peaceful relaxation and like I said before completely ward off stressful feelings. Often, any symptoms we have are brought on even more by stress.
- Sleep: Acupuncture is known to be an effective treatment for insomnia. I DEFINITELY have a better night sleep after each session.
- Alleviate Muscle Tension: We all get it, somewhere in our bodies at some point… Acupuncture can help release muscle tension and allow your body’s natural pain killers to kick in
While some acupuncture treatments can be pricey and fall into the “just another wellness trend” category, there are definitely affordable options AND more insurance companies are accepting acupuncture clinics/eastern medicine practitioners. My Acupuncture is 90 dollars a session (my doctor is AMAZING if you are looking for one)…. That’s $90 a month, which is nothing for the value of feeling awesome and RELAXED.
GO TRY IT!
XO,
Brooke