Acupuncture And Weight Loss
Title: Can Acupuncture Help Weight Loss?
Author: annieb
There is a growing obesity epidemic in Western culture. In the United
States, obesity is the second most frequent cause of preventable death -
behind cigarette smoking. Not to mention the millions of people who
suffer from weight related health problems and complications every year.
However, successful long term weight loss is incredibly difficult for
most people to achieve. Many people have tried diets that may cause some
weight loss and then they gain back the weight they lost plus some
additional pounds.
This is why more and more, people are turning to alternative therapies
such as acupuncture to try to handle their weight problem once and for
all.
Acupuncture is a practice that is more than 5,000 years old,
significantly older than Western medicinal therapies and practices.
It involves what most people think of when they think about
acupuncture. Inserting fine needles into particular spots on the skin that are
believed to help the body function properly, or to relieve pain.
In the case of overweight patients, the acupuncturist will first ask a
variety of questions and perform an examination. The purpose is to
understand the main causes of the person's excess weight. Perhaps it is
merely behavioral, or there could be a physiological reason as well.
Once the root causes of the problem are identified, the acupuncturist
will then insert needles into different areas of the body in order to
help alter the body's functioning in a way that will promote weight loss.
For example, an acupuncturist who is seeking to encourage weight loss
in a patient will probably use a multi-targeted approach. They may
attempt to lower the body's weight by increasing the output of the
pituitary gland.
They would also probably work on reducing cravings for certain foods or
they would attempt to encourage a decrease in natural appetite.
Certain needle placements are even thought to lower insulin levels or lipid
levels in the blood.
A benefit of this type of weight loss treatment is that unlike certain
medications or other therapies, there are potentially harmful side
effects and no chance for addiction. It is a perfectly natural means of
boosting the patient's weight loss efforts.
The treatment will need to be repeated on a rather regular basis in
order to maintain the effects. However, the acupuncture specialist will
instruct the patient that the treatment on its own is not likely to be
enough to result in long term, permanent weight loss.
Attention should also be paid to diet and exercise. The acupuncturist
may provide the patient with certain guidelines as to what to avoid
eating in order to promote the regular flow of energy throughout the body
as well.
About the author:
Annie Beal makes it easy for anyone to feel better
naturally with acupuncture and acupressure. To
receive your free 7-part mini-course visit:
http://www.acupuncturegold.com/tips.html
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http://www.article-host.com/article.detail.php/11535/64/AlternativMedicine/Health/7/Can Acupuncture Help Weight Loss?e

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