Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine ritual performed by practitioners. It works by stimulating certain points on the body using different techniques. The most common technique is inserting thin metal needs through a person’s skin. The goal in doing this is to help release any blockages in the flow of qi to maintain health. Qi (pronounced chee) is Chinese for life force or vital energy. Traditionally, qi is used to keep tabs on a person’s balance, including, emotional, mental, spiritual and physical aspects.
Acupuncture is a relatively safe procedure and most people have not experienced complications or side effects from it. However, if the practitioner is not qualified to perform it, then a person may experience side effects or something more serious like an infection from contaminated needles or the puncturing of the organs. You can find a qualified practitioner through health care providers or regular physicians. They can also be found online. If you need one, you should check out their references to make sure they are legitimate. In order to practice acupuncture, a practitioner should have a license; at least in most states, it is a requirement. However, a licensed practitioner does not always guarantee that they will receive the best treatment and care. There are lots of people that use this traditional Chinese procedure each year. Even with that, there have been some issues with practitioners using unclean needles and performing incomplete acupuncture treatments. To prevent infection, practitioners are required to use a clean set of disposable needles for each treatment. The needles should be in a sealed package for each person. The areas on the skin where the needles will go should be swabbed with alcohol prior to administering the acupuncture treatment.
When you visit the practitioner for the first time, they will want to know your medical condition, behavior and your overall lifestyle. They will want to know everything so that they can provide the proper treatment. If you are on medication, you will need to advise them of that. The acupuncture procedure is usually painless for most people. There are some that may experience a little pain with the insertion of the needles. If you do feel pain during the procedure, it can be from the needle being placed wrong, a needle defect or you make a sudden movement while the needle is being inserted. The number of treatments can last for several weeks, depending on what the practitioner advises you on. Check with your insurance company prior to starting the treatment to see if they will cover this procedure, since many time coverage tends to be quite limited.