September 22, 2007

Acupuncture Weight Loss — Does it Work?

Tip! In addition to benefits during pregnancy, labor and delivery, acupuncture has been used to promote fertility and to treat infertility. In a small German study, women who used acupuncture in conjunction with in vitro fertilization had a 42.

Acupuncture for weight loss is a modern application of this ancient medical practice. This article reports on the conclusion of it’s safety and effectiveness following an extensive examination of the published evidence. For the complete report, please visit the URL displayed in the author bio.

Acupuncture Weight Loss — Safety

Acupuncture for losing weight is a safe practice when a dieter undergoes 1-3 sessions within 3 to 4 weeks of starting a traditional method of weight loss.

Common side effects, rarely reported by dieters, include headache, nausea, and vertigo (losing balance). Severe adverse events, like neurological damage or death, have never occurred within 3 to 4 weeks of treatment.

Unfortunetly, no conclusions can be made beyond 4 weeks because of a lack of safety data. The studies found to examine acupuncture’s safety do not follow subjects past 4 weeks. The ones that did attempt to follow subjects past 4 weeks, show many inconsistancies.

Until more data becomes available on acupuncture’s safety beyond 4 weeks, no final conclusion can be made.

Acupuncture Weight Loss — Does it Work?

After examining several published studies, acupuncture for weight loss, when combined with traditional methods of dieting like caloric restriction and exercise, does increase the amount of weight loss experienced by dieters.

Tip! Pregnant women seeking to use acupuncture to treat conditions developed during pregnancy should be sure to visit a licensed and experienced acupuncturist. For example, although acupuncture can be used to treat edema, or swelling of the ankles, edema can be an indicator of a serious problem.

In some studies, the difference between those using acupuncture and those not, was statistically significant. However, like the safety data, the conclusion that acupuncture does increase the amount of weight loss can only be made up to 4 weeks.

After 4 weeks, the data becomes inconsistant and incomplete. To make a conclusion beyond 4 weeks will require more data.

Acupuncture as a sole method to help dieters lose weight has not been studied enough to make a conclusion. The studies that are available are not designed properly and do not include enough subjects.

Acupuncture Weight Loss — The Final Verdict

By undergoing 1-3 sessions within 3-4 weeks and when combined with tradtional methods of weight loss, acupuncture does work to increase the amount of weight lost by dieters.

No conclusion can be made on the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture beyond 4 weeks because of a lack of data.

Tip! One notable exception exists, however, in Tai Sophia, Institute, Maryland. Tai Sophia Institute is a graduate school for the healing arts offering three graduate programs in Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine and Applied Healing Arts.

To Healthy Living!

Michael A. Smith, MD

Chief Medical Consultant

Diet Basics Website

Dr. Smith is the Chief Medical Consultant for Diet Basics, a content rich weight loss web site dedicated to all dieters. For the complete report on acupuncture, please visit Acupuncture for Weight Loss.

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Alternative Medicine -A Few Examples

Tip! With increasing research and new findings in medicine there is a universal rise in the Western nations of alternative medicine. In the Eastern part of the world, namely the Orient, some forms of alternative medicine has been practiced for many centuries.

Alternative medicines are considered to be new age products. Ancient oriental traditional medicine blended with rudiments of the scholastic medicine of our western world seem to have proven it’s own right. Just look how many people are searching for these alternative treatment methods. We’re going to take a look at a few of them here.

Acupuncture

The use of acupuncture dates back more than 2,000 years. This is a traditional medicine used in Japan, China, and other Eastern countries. The use of acupuncture is beneficial in that it stimulates areas of the body that have a direct correlation to internal organs. By placing fine needles into specific points, the body is encouraged to promote natural healing, improve function, and provide an overall boost to your system. When these needles are inserted, they go into Meridians, which are channels, somewhat like streams within the body. Just as there might be a boulder sitting in a stream blocking the flow of water, it can be the same for the channels of blood in your system. Acupuncture helps to remove these obstacles by providing stimulation, thus improving health.

Tip! There is really no one ultimate definition of alternative medicine. There are so many various methods and treatments that have been and continue to be investigated and promoted that it is hard to firmly define it.

Biofeedback

Biofeedback is a method used to help blood pressure, muscle tension, heart rate, brain activity, and other bodily functions. Basically, biofeedback is a painless system that is hooked up to your body and then through electrical signals received from tightening of your muscles, you would be able to receive those signals by a light telling you that you are tightening your muscles. This in turn trains you to be aware of when you are bringing on stress and to help you identify when you need to relax your body. Biofeedback is very successful and can be used for migraine headaches, chronic pain, high blood pressure, epilepsy, and much more, which can occur when you tense up.

Tip! Osteopathy: Was originally a form of alternative medicine based on manipulation of the joints. It is still used for chronic back pain.

Therapeutic Massage

You might be thinking, “what does getting a massage do for my health other than to make me feel good?” Actually, therapeutic massage has many benefits. For example, it can help alleviate pain, reduce stress, and promote good health. When a person gets a therapeutic massage, they are actually getting the benefit of function improvement with circulatory, muscular, skeletal, nervous systems, lymphatic, and can even help the body heal after an illness or injury. Depending on what the specific health issue is, there is a Swedish Massage, which is a more relaxing massage good for headaches, back stress, and muscle cramps, Pressure Point Therapy, helpful for some injuries as well as circulation problems, headache and muscle tension, insomnia, anxiety, and more.

Finally, Sports Massage focuses on muscle groups used for different sports. Licensed masseuse can help with the issues mentioned as well as allergies, arthritis, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome, depression, digestive disorders, myofascial pain, limited range of motion, sinusitis, and TMJ. The next time you tell someone you are going to get a massage, you can simply explain that it is for the benefit of your health.

Terje Brooks Ellingsen is a writer and internet publisher. He runs the
website 1st-Self_Improvement.net
Terje is a Sociologist who enjoys contributing to the personal growth and happiness of others. He tries to accomplish this by writing about self help issues from his own experience and knowledge. For example, providing self help products and products for achieving financial independence.

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alternative medicine for acid reflux,asthma,diabetes

The positive effects of alternative herbal medicine has proven helpful to many people suffering with chronic diseases. The natural properties of herbal medicine has less side effects than conventional drugs..Alternative Medicine is as old as the human race. In the beginning, when man was created, he was given free access to use the “Herbs” that were created by God for food and medicinal use. Eastern countries have long been using traditional methods of treating their health problems and diseases. Oriental countries like: China and India and far east countries like: Egypt and ancient Babylon have all used alternative herbal medicine to treat health problems.What is Herbal Medicine? “Herbal Medicine” also called Botanicals and. A herb is a plant or plant part used for its scent, flavor or therapeutic properties. Herbal medicine products are dietary food, supplements or properties that people take to improve their health. Natural herbs and medicine can be helpful to good health. They are sold as tablets, capsules, teas, extracts and fresh or dried. However, some are not effective and some may interact with other drugs you are taking. Consult your doctor before using herbal medicine.Doctors, health professionals and patients in western countries are becoming more receptive […]

Full Article At: KnowHow-Now.com Articles

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