In today's hectic and busy world, many people are making the decision to move away from traditional medicine and move back toward alternative and homeopathic medicine.
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine that many people are finding successful in alleviating a variety health conditions.
Acupuncture is performed by inserting and then manipulating very thin needles into the patients body at different predetermined acupuncture points.
Acupuncture is said to relieve the symptoms of many conditions such as fibromyalgia, headache, low back pain, menstrual cramps and many, many more.
The theory behind acupuncture is that by inserting the needles into certain "points" on your body, your body's energy flow will right itself and become rebalanced.
Though acupuncture has been used for many thousands of years in China, it's only in the last thirty plus years that it's become a an alternative form of medicine in the United States.
Many people have wonderful results with acupuncture and the risks are low when using a qualified practitioner.
The most common complaint is soreness or bleeding at the site where the needle was injected.
Acupuncture clinics are regulated to make certain that new sterile packaged, single use needles are used each time.
If needles where reused, there could be a risk of certain blood borne diseases such as hepatitis or AIDS.
There are certain people who should not have acupuncture performed on themselves such as people who have bleeding disorders or who take blood thinning medicines.
People who have pacemakers should be careful what type of acupuncture they have done because electro-acupuncture, with mild electrical stimulation, could interfere with their pacemaker.
Pregnant women should also avoid acupuncture as it has been known to start labor which would not be desired before the due date.
For some people acupuncture is a very relaxing experience, other people feel as if they are now full of energy.
They are renewed and revived.
Both of these reactions are viewed as proof that your yin and yang are becoming more balanced from the acupuncture.
If you have a painful symptom that acupuncture may help, it is certainly something worth looking into as it's risks are low and the benefits can be phenomenal.