How Acupuncture Helps To Lose Weight
Acupuncture is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has been around for about 5,000 years. It is the practice of inserting very thin needles to stimulate pathways or meridians in the body to treat many illnesses and diseases especially to relieve pain from chronic disorders.Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners or TCM physicians claim that acupuncture can help you to lose body fat by making you feel full and so will eat less. This curbs excess caloric consumption in the patient treated with acupuncture and is a great help in the patient’s weight loss program.
When coupled with a healthy diet and exercise, acupuncture is an effective weight loss agent. Acupuncture facilitates the weight loss process in three significant ways:
- Acupuncture regulates appetite and tames cravings.
- Acupuncture gently adjusts the body’s metabolism to initiate weight loss.
- Acupuncture, when locally applied to targeted fat deposits, increases blood flow in the area.
This increased vascular activity carries away deposits from clusters of fat cells. Targeting fat deposits of specific areas can help to actually reshape the body. It is important that acupuncture modulates a responsible regimen for weight management to prevent the negative effects of dramatic weight loss on the body’s immune system, muscle strength and tone. Acupuncture can control cravings, so whichever diet you choose, it will be easy for you.
Acupuncture treatment raise your metabolic rate and help you to burn more calories to speed up weight loss. Some Chinese medicine practitioners say that acupuncture stimulates the production of a hormone called endorphins and this hormone helps to lower body fat, insulin and lipid levels in the bloodstream thus less insulin is converted into body fat. Acupuncture can help you lose weight by strengthening your digestive system. Doing this helps control your appetite and therefore weight loss is achieved. Some theories suggest that acupuncture improves metabolism causing you to burn calories at a faster rate.
Acupuncture for weight loss involves poking the skin with thin stainless steel needles that are moved by hand or by electric stimulation. Sometimes the needles are combined with lasers. The needles are left in place for about 30 minutes. You can expect to feel heat, tingling and perhaps numbness. In addition to the weight loss that can be achieved with acupuncture, you can also regulate your menstrual cycle, alleviate mood swings, and eliminate fatigue.
Here is how it works
1. A doctor gives you an herbal prescription that is to be taken weekly.
2. You visit the doctor for a series of treatments. After the fourth treatment the electric stimulation is increased. The doctor may revise your prescription.
3. After a few treatments, you should begin to feel full more quickly than you used to.
4. After the 10th treatment you should take a two-week break to focus on your diet and exercise plan.
It takes time for the body to adjust to acupuncture for weight loss. But patients have reported that with patience, food cravings and overeating do disappear. The cost for weight loss acupuncture treatment varies. Your first visit can cost between $50-$125. Subsequent visits range from $30-$80. Physicians charge more than general practitioner and not all insurance companies cover treatment.
Common side effects from acupuncture weight for loss include dizziness, headaches and nausea.
TCM physicians often stress that to achieve good weight loss results from your program and maintaining your weight, acupuncture treatment alone is not enough. To lose weight effectively and keep the fats off permanently, acupuncture treatment must be combined with healthy eating habits and regular exercises.
