Acupuncture for Weight Loss – No Diet is Needed!

• Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese practice involving the placement of needles to manipulate the flow of energy in the body
• Acupuncture for weight loss works by reducing stress and preventing the food cravings which might derail your diet
• While acupuncture is sometimes said to be pain free, there is some mild discomfort involved in the process

You may have heard claims before about acupuncture for weight loss. If you’ve tried lots of fad diets or weight loss programs, you should consider trying this technique which has been helpful for thousands of people in the United States and around the world. However, even the most ardent supporters of acupuncture massage recommend sticking to an exercise programs and healthy diet while using acupuncture to make your efforts a bit easier.

What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an alternative treatment that originated in China thousands of years ago. The practice involves placing thin needles into the skin where they meant to stimulate or redirect the flow of energy in the body n order to create different results. Pain relief is one of the most common uses of acupuncture but more people are looking into other benefits of the technique, including acupuncture for weight loss.

How Would Acupuncture Help Weight Loss?

No one, not even the practitioners themselves, fully understands how acupuncture works. But the common believe is that because overeating is typically related to stress, using acupuncture to help relief that stress can actually cause a sedating effect in certain parts of the body thus reducing the desire to eat except when truly hungry.

As a result, you would still need to eat a balanced diet and exercise in order to drop pounds but the acupuncture would help in reducing your food cravings and might help you deal with the stress associated with dieting.

How Do I Choose a Practitioner?

The best way to make sure you are working with a trained professional is to visit the American Academy of Acupuncture web site and locate members who are working in your area. Members of professional organizations are much more likely to provide good results and service than someone you find in the phone book.

If you know someone who has successfully used acupuncture for weight loss, ask them to refer you to their practitioner. Not only will this help you find someone with experience in what you’re looking for but your friend may even receive a discount on his or her future services for the referral.

What Should I Expect?

If you’re worried about the technique, some acupuncture education might help reduce your nervousness. The most common concern new patients seem to have is about the pain level of the procedure. Having needles stuck into parts of your body does not seem like a pain free activity. However, most people who do have the procedure say exactly that. That does not mean there isn’t some discomfort during the procedure.

What typically happens is you’ll feel a sharp pain when the needle is inserted into your skin. That pain goes away and may be replaced by an aching sensation once it is placed at its correct depth. The aching may subside or may lessen but is usually bearable. After all of the needles are placed – around a dozen are used during each session – they are left in place for a certain amount of time, usually no longer than 20 minutes. During that time, you may feel the aching but not pain.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.