There are thousands of individuals who are inflicted with physical and mental ailments and many people are diagnosed with these problems every year. What is troubling, though, is the fact that many times these patients are simply given prescription medications to treat the symptoms that they have as though prescription drugs are the miracle workers of society prancing around giving help to anyone who needs it. However, one method that many people don’t give weight to is acupuncture. There are many reasons that even the mention of the alternative therapy of acupuncture may make heads turn, but it seems as though Western society is becoming too dependent as a whole on prescription medications. Everything from Zoloft to Xanax is given to patients in order to treat everything from Major Depression to common viral infections.

However, there needs to be more studies done about the effectiveness of the therapy of acupuncture and how it would eventually be able to help, if not replace, prescription drugs altogether. Just about 10 years ago, though, in 1998, the University of Arizona completed a double-blind study about the effectiveness of acupuncture.

In this study, patients who were suffering from Depression were treated with acupuncture while the other group was subjected to bouts of psychotherapy and prescription medication. In the end of the study by the university, they found that the patients who were inflicted with Depression had most of their symptoms relieved by the therapy of acupuncture. There have been other private studies done since then, however, none large enough that really attracted any authorities in the medical field. But still, the fact that the research at the University of Arizona pointed in the favor of acupuncture, it begs the question of why nothing has been done about it.

Since it has been shown that acupuncture can successfully treat Depression symptoms then there must definitely be more fund money and research that sheds light on the fact and reaches the conclusion that America and Western society must incorporate the therapy of acupuncture more wholly into the treatment of different ailments.

One of the problems with replacing prescription drugs with acupuncture, though, is the fact that prescription drugs are scientifically based. Whereas the effects of prescription drugs can clearly be seen by monitoring the pictures in patient’s brain, acupuncture can not be readily studied, therefore, the physiological affects of such a therapy is not readily embraced. But why does Western society and America in general have a fear of the unknown? Perhaps the reason lies that many people consider their wealth to lie in the information and knowledge that they know.

All in all, though, acupuncture has already been proven to be effective by the thousands of people living in America and Western society who care to learn more about the therapy. It is now time to infiltrate the medical field and bombard all the researchers and physicians with accurate pictures of just how it works, and how it can be an effective way to get rid of the need for prescription drugs!

When dealing with age-old therapies one of the best things to do is to always keep your guard up. Even though you may think that you’ve heard quite a lot about the benefits of acupuncture and aromatherapy, chances are that you have never experienced the benefits personally. However, another good thing to do would be to actually experience the effects personally, however positive or negative, if you are constantly wondering whether these therapy methods will actually work. Acupuncture is a totally different therapy from aromatherapy, however, both of these forms of treatments evolved a very long time ago. Acupuncture evolved from the Chinese culture, but aromatherapy evolved from thousands of years ago in ancient civilizations.

How Each Therapy Differs

When discussing acupuncture and aromatherapy it is first best to differentiate between the two therapies. Even though the sounds of the name seem to give off what the therapies are all about, you just may be surprised at the many people who mistake one of those therapies for the other. Perhaps the reason that both of them originated so long ago is the reason that many people get them confused.

But nevertheless, acupuncture deals with long and thin needles that are inserted into the skin at certain pressure points in the body. You may have seen pictures or movies where there have been people laying on hospital beds or another kind of surface with long needles sticking out of their backs or stomachs. The Chinese believed that doing this would ward off any and all sicknesses that eventually came your way. Additionally, thousands of testimonials can be read and listened to about the benefits of performing this therapy.

On the other hand, aromatherapy is very much different from acupuncture. Whereas acupuncture deals with sticking needles into your skin, aromatherapy deals with inhaling oils or applying some kind of oils to your skin. There are several methods to getting the oils into your body, but the oils are said to help your health in virtually every way possible.

Which Has More Benefits

The ancient civilizations from long ago all believed that each of these alternative therapies had their benefits. However, the Chinese believed that Acupuncture was the best therapy technique, and those in other parts of the world believed that aromatherapy was the cure to all that ails you. It is undisputable, however, that each of these therapies, acupuncture and aromatherapy, both of cured many thousands of peoples since their evolution. No scientist or researcher knows the exact reason why, and that is a little troubling considering that these techniques have been around since the beginning of time.

All in all, though, each of these techniques seem to have their own benefits in their own right. Acupuncture is a very excellent technique that was used by the Chinese, and many other people decided to start using it. However, the same goes for the aromatherapy cures and techniques. It really just comes down to personal preference, though, and finding the right therapy that works for you!

There are hundreds of thousands of individuals within the United States and elsewhere who have seemed to embrace the idea and practice of acupuncture as something that is real and can be used to treat a wide variety of issues. On the other hand there are hundreds of thousands of other people who are on the exact opposite of the fence. Some people believe the idea of acupuncture is a myth, while others know to the core of their being that acupuncture therapy is real, not imagined. Whatever the case in your belief system, though, chances are that you have at least heard of the acupuncture myth controversy that some people have started in the United States and throughout the world.

Why Acupuncture is Considered a Myth

Many people consider acupuncture to be a myth because there are already so many myths in the Chinese culture that have not yet been debunked. Further to that, many people logically process the thought that just because the Chinese considered the acupuncture therapy to be real thousands of years ago does not mean that the traditions were carried on and the affects were real. For many, the idea of acupuncture leads to imagery of ancient Chinese people concocting special recipes that only serve as to buffer the whole myth of acupuncture therapy. Some people say that these people simply don’t know what they’re talking about. Acupuncture professionals in the Chinese culture have rejected those who say that acupuncture therapy is a total myth.

Why Acupuncture is Considered Very Real

As mentioned, by professional and authoritative Chinese experts in Asia as well as other countries throughout the world reject the idea that the whole concept of acupuncture therapy could be a myth. What is the reason that they reject that notion, though? The main reason, and perhaps the most important reason, too, is the fact that these acupuncture experts have actually experienced the healing properties of the process of acupuncture. For these people, they are confident by the fact that they are able to heal through this very delicate process and are confused as to why anybody would doubt the whole miracle!

Any Middle Ground?

We have heard arguments for the myth side of acupuncture and we have also heard arguments for the reasoning behind believing in acupuncture, but is there any middle ground to the issue? Is it possible that there could be some myths associated with the medicine techniques, but most of the acupuncture therapy is actually a real thing? On the contrary, though, there can hardly be any middle ground to something or some idea that is either false or true. Many acupuncture defenders contend that their way of healing is the absolute right way and they also say that if one is to be too skeptical about the whole issue then the best thing to do would be to try it out for themselves! Indeed, personal experience is what is most important, and the issue of acupuncture certainly warrants the experience!

Acupuncture is a therapy that has long been held in high esteem because of the beliefs that the Chinese had about its capabilities. However, if you are currently living with arthritis then there is something that you should know about the acupuncture therapy. For starters, there have been arthritis patients who have experienced a great relief from the arthritis pain that they have felt. Whether or not acupuncture works for everyone dealing with this kind of chronic pain is unknown, but what is known is that the therapy does work and there should be lots more research being poured into this age-old technique.

Theories about Why Acupuncture Cures Arthritis

Many chronic arthritis have said that they feel instantly better after a round of the acupuncture therapy. This is not only an astounding finding, but many people and researchers don’t exactly know why it works. However, the only existing and current theory comes from the Chinese because they believed that the therapy of acupuncture could cure pretty much any pain in the body. For starters, the Chinese believe that there are various acupoints located along points in the body that trigger the pain that is felt, especially during a bout of chronic arthritis. If acupuncture needles are then pointed towards those acupoints in the body, it is believed that the pain will cease and the individual can go on living a healthy life.

This theory certainly is held true over the very many lives that have tried it. More than ten million Americans currently suffer from some form of arthritis, and many of those patients feel as if they have nothing to lose when trying acupuncture. Indeed, they do not have anything to lose, because the Chinese believed that this form of therapy, even if it wouldn’t work for some people, certainly would not be of harm to anyone.

Where to Receive Arthritis Acupuncture

If one is looking to find a cure for their arthritis and they are looking for an acupuncture cure specifically, there are many places one can go in order to try this age-old therapy. For starters, universities and colleges along with research centers are usually more than happy to take on arthritis patients in their effort to find out more about why acupuncture does work. Along with these kinds of establishments, though, there are also set acupuncture therapists that work alongside patients in their private offices, and these are the offices where the more individualized acupuncture care can take place. If one is not able to find an acupuncture therapist in his or her own city or town then chances are that they will have to drive a short distance to find someone who is interested in the therapy.

Nevertheless, though, there are thousands of places across the United States that are interested in pursuing the art of acupuncture in order to cure arthritis. What arthritis patients do know and what acupuncture therapists have known for quite some time is that the therapy does work well and it only take a little bit of believe and confidence in order to know that one will actually get better from the terrible and plaguing arthritis.

There are different types of acupuncture. Whichever you decide to use, they are designed to do the same thing and that is to relieve pain or treat certain diseases.

The first is called TCM based acupuncture. Here, it uses eight principles of complementary opposites to create harmony in the body. These include yin/yang, internal/external, excess/deficiency, hot/cold.

Next is called French energetic acupuncture. This is often used by MD acupuncturists. Meridian patterns are emphasized here particularly the yin-yang pairs of primary meridians.

Korean hand acupuncture is another as practitioners believe that the hands and feet have concentrations of qi, and that applying acupuncture needles to these areas is effective for the entire body.

There is also auricular acupuncture where it is believed that the ear is a microcosm of the body. This means that acupuncture needles are placed on certain points on the ear so it can treat certain addiction disorders.

Myofascially-based acupuncture is often utilized by physical therapists as it involves feeling the meridian lines in search of tender points before applying needles as this is where abnormal energy flows.

Japanese styles of acupuncture referred to as “meridian therapy,” tend to put more emphasis on needling technique and feeling meridians in diagnosis.

Impulses of electromagnetic energy can also be used as the body generates tiny but electrical discharges which influence the function, growth and maturity of certain types of cells. By inserting the needles in these areas, it stimulates and alters the neurotransmitters in the body thus making the patient feel better after treatment. This is also sometimes used for diagnosis and testing.

There are also other forms of acupuncture that do not use needles. For instance there is sonopuncture that uses an ultrasound device that transmits sound waves to points in the body to treat a patient. Some practitioners use a tuning fork or other vibration devices.

Acupressure is another. Here, the professional will use their hands to relieve the pain. This can be used on it sown or with other manual healing techniques.

The number of treatments you will need depends on the patient’s condition. On average this could be from 10 to 5 treatments and 2 to 3 times a week. How much it will cost also varies as this could be from $40 to $150. Some insurance companies and HMO’s now cover that or partially so you should check if this is included in your policy.

Anyone can try acupuncture to relieve pain or prevent one but many practitioners decline to see someone during pregnancy. But if you have already started, it is generally safe to do so until the infant is born.

Some acupuncturists may ask you to take in some herbs as part of the treatment. Since you have no idea what it can do, have this checked first by your local doctor to make sure this is safe as this could interact with the drugs you are taking causing side effects.

Which type of acupuncture should you try? That is up to you. All of them are effective so discuss this with your doctor and do some research so you know what you are getting yourself into. Each of these is painless so just relax and let the professional do the rest.

Just like conventional medicine, don’t expect an improvement overnight as this takes time so just keep an open mind.