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Many people have heard about acupuncture and know it is a kind of alternative medicine. But most of them do not know how acupuncture works and why it is effective in treating some illnesses. This article gives an overview of acupuncture so you can understand this valuable ancient medical science, and possibly know where to get acupuncture treatment when you need it.

What is acupuncture?

As a part of Chinese medicine, acupuncture treatment originates in China. Chinese medicine is based on the theory of meridians and points. According to Chinese medicine, the subtle body of a human being contains the system of meridians and points. Meridians, or channels, are invisible to our physical eyes, but they are important energy routes. Our life force, or Qi, is flowing through the channels 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Said, Blockage or disruptions in the flow of Qi is the cause of various diseases. Acupuncture treats diseases by regulating and balancing the flow of Qi. Points sit on the meridians. Acupuncture works by stimulating the points with acupuncture needles. In an acupuncture treatment session, the therapistinserts acupuncture needles into different points on the client's body.

The tools for acupuncture treatment

Generally, acupuncture needles are 15 mm to 20 mm in length and 0.12 to 0.35 mm in diameter. They areas thin as hairs. Different gauges of acupuncture needles are used on different areas of body. For example, to treat ear points, you need very thin and short needles. Different kinds of needles are available in acupuncture suppliesshops and online stores. When the needles are pushed into the client's body, he may feel a little pain, but he should not feel any discomfort when the needles remain in his body. The needles will be kept in the client's body for 5-20 minutes. It depends on the Chinese medicine diagnosis of the client's condition. The therapist may apply heat or pulse electricity on the acupuncture needles. You can find the accessories in acupuncture supplies shops.

An acupuncture treatment process

The client sits or lies down. Following the local sterilization on the points, the therapist inserts the acupuncture needles in the client's body. The correct angle, direction and depth are very important for a successful treatment. But an experienced therapist knows how to diagnose the diseases and treat them correctly. Generally, after reaching the proper depth, the therapist does not pull out the needles immediately. They use fingers to rotate the needles left and right for 2-3 minutes to stimulate the points sufficiently. Then the needles are kept in the body for 5-20 minutes.

Can I use acupuncture to treat myself?

Yes. But acupuncture is a complex technique that takes time to master. As we mentioned above, you need to know the correct angle, direction, depth of insertion, as well as how long you should keep the needles in the body for different conditions. Besides, there are different kinds of needles in the acupuncture supplies shop. You can get some books to read about acupuncture theory, and try some treatment routines and see the effects. Besides needles, acupuncture supplies may also include Electrical Point Finders, which can help you locate the points precisely.