Acupuncture

History:

It is believed that the art of Acupuncture has been around since the stone age, however it was first recorded in the Ancient Chinese medical text 'The yellow Emperor's classic of internal medicine which dates back to 100 BCE. The basis of modern acupuncture wasn't established until the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and wasn't used in the west until the 17th century.

Ancient Chinese medicine practitioners believed that the human body has more than 2,000 pressure or acupuncture points, which are connected by pathways. Those pathways create an energy flow across the entire body called "Qi" pronounced "chee". The medical Practitioners believed that a disruption in that energy flow could cause various diseases, and that applying acupuncture needles to certain points could restore or improve the flow of Qi.

What does it treat

Chronic pain: migraines, neck and back pain, sciatica, arthritis, tendonitis

Digestive disorders: IBS, Colitis, Gastritis, and constipation

Urinary and reproductive disorders: PMDD, menstrual cramps, irregular or heavy periods, infertility, menopausal symptoms

Psychological and emotional disorders: Depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia

Symptom management for the negative side effects of chemotherapy and radiation

Seasonal allergies

High blood pressure

Obesity

How does it work?

Acupuncture uses thin needles which are inserted into certain areas of the skin, depending on the ailment being treated. The number of needles and the amount of time they are kept in place is also determined by the ailment being treated. The skin or point in which the needle is inserted becomes stimulated which then sends a message along the nerve to the brain and spinal cord. The message then causes the brain to release endorphins and other chemicals which will alter or take away the pain message being delivered to the brain. The release of the chemicals help the patient feel better both physically and emotionally.

The session can last anywhere from 40-60 minutes.

My 1st Acupuncture session

Acupuncture was never a therapy I really considered for any kind of ailment, whether that be physical or psychological. I was always a skeptic when it came to trying it out, I could never understand how inserting tiny needles into the skin could be beneficial, I always kind of looked at it as a waste of time and a waste of money. HOWEVER, during my journey to bettering my mental health I decided to give it a try anyways. I read into it a little bit before scheduling an appointment just to see what to expect, and surprisingly there has been quite a bit of research and studies done on the effects Acupuncture has on the body and the mind and over the years the research has gotten more and more narrowed down to even looking at how it affects specific body parts down to the specific cells.

I booked the appointment which was scheduled for 2:30pm the following day, filled out all the client paper work that was emailed to me and went to bed.

Around 2pm the next day I headed to the appointment, arrived too early and nervously sat waiting in my car until I decided to head into the establishment. I checked in, and then spent about 30 minutes talking to the practitioner about all my problems regarding depression, anxiety, stress, and headaches, PMDD, and a pesky tight muscle that never seems to go away on my back. I was told about all the benefits of Acupuncture and how it helps with each ailment and what to expect. I was then prompted to take my shoes and socks off and to lay on a very comfortable padded table, which I may add also had a heated blanket underneath so it was super cozy. The practitioner talked me through the whole process, where he was putting the needles and when to expect to feel a prick. I however didn't feel any of the needles go in except for the ones he put on my ear. The pain from the needles being inserted was very minimal, a tiny little prick that stung for less than a half second and then was forgotten about.

Three types of Acupuncture were used on me; trigger point, ear, and warm needle acupuncture.

Trigger point acupuncture uses the motor point of the muscle to cause a spasm or a "twitch" which helps tight muscles relax and weak muscles "wake up". This type of acupuncture was inserted into the fronts of my lower legs, my ankles, the tops of my feet, and my wrists. The top of the foot between the big toe and second toe is called "Great Surge" and using acupuncture at this point helps with depression, headaches, nausea, insomnia, and abdominal distention. The "Great Abyss" is located on the sides of the wrist closest to the thumb, this point helps with anxiety, heart palpitations, chest pain, cough. "The Shinning sea" is located at the border of the inner ankle bone, this location helps with insomnia and releasing fear.

Ear acupuncture is just what the name implies, acupuncture needles inserted around the ear. This type of Acupuncture has a direct effect of the nervous system. Ear acupuncture is used for addiction, recovery, mental health, pain management, and insomnia, it's even been used to help with treatments for PTSD and trauma.

Warm needle acupuncture involves the use of moxibustion or mugwort It is used to help relieve pain and restore muscle function. For me, Mugwort was used, and it smelled much like sage so it was very relaxing. The mugwort was balled up and placed on a few of the trigger point needles, then lit on fire to slowly burn and warm the needles. This effect was very comforting due to the soft warm feel the needles had on my skin.

The first couple of minutes of having the needles in their places I didn't really feel anything, then after a few more minutes I felt like I was melting into the padded table. my body suddenly felt super relaxed, I didn't feel tension or stress, I even started falling asleep, it was a lovely experience.

It has been a couple of hours since my session ended and I still feel pretty relaxed, still no tension or aches and pains, and I actually feel like I might be able to sleep tonight.

I am looking forward to my next acupuncture session.

-Dive. Lift. Jiu-Jitsu. Repeat.

Citations

A. White, E. Ernst, A brief history of acupuncture, Rheumatology, Volume 43, Issue 5, May 2004, Pages 662–663, https://doi.org/10.1093/rheumatology/keg005

https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/history-of-acupuncture

Hao JJ, Mittelman M. Acupuncture: past, present, and future. Glob Adv Health Med. 2014 Jul;3(4):6-8. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2014.042. PMID: 25105069; PMCID: PMC4104560.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/acupuncture

https://hms.harvard.edu/news/exploring-science-acupuncture