Acupuncture for Internal Medicine
I recently had a question put to me as to whether acupuncture could be useful for internal medicine, for instance an intestinal disorder. The answer is yes. One of acupuncture’s main benefits is the regulatory effect that is has on the human nervous system. When the nervous system is balanced and in a state of homeostasis, every other system in the body will necessarily be affected for the better, including the circulatory systems and organ systems. In addition, utilizing pertinent acupoints on the corresponding acupuncture channels can affect internal organ systems directly. The needling of Stomach 36 for instance, along with electro stimulation has been shown to increase peristalsis according to a study published on Pub Med and Medline http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8257835.
So not only can acupuncture help to regulate and bring to homeostasis the main control system of the entire body: the nervous system, it also has been shown to enhance the immune system by increasing natural killer cells and helper T lymphocytes http://www.hawaii.edu/hivandaids/The_Mechanism_of_Acupuncture_and_Clinical_Applications.pdf, and to positively affect the functions of the internal organs themselves. Not to mention, it just plain makes you feel better:)
Here’s a link to one woman’s experience with acupuncture in treating diverticulitis. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/5792722/how_can_acupuncture_help_with_diverticulitis.html?cat=5
So in short, acupuncture is not only a fantastic answer for many types of pain, injuries and other orthopedic issues, it is also a great way to treat many types of internal medicine concerns. Here is a partial list of the conditions known to be treatable by acupuncture:
•Addictions, Anxiety, Arthritis, Asthma, Allergies
• Bronchitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Chronic Fatigue, Colitis, Common Cold, Constipation
• Dental Pain, Depression, Diarrhea, Digestive Problems, Dizziness, Dysentery
• Emotional Problems, Eye Problems
• Facial Paralysis, Fatigue, Fibromyalgia
• Gingivitis
• Headaches, Hiccups
• Infertility, Incontinence, Indigestion, IBS
• Low Back Pain
• Menopause, Menstrual irregularities, Migraines, Morning Sickness
• Nausea
• Osteoarthritis
• Pain, PMS
• Reproductive problems, Rhinitis
• Sciatica, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Shoulder Pain, Sinusitis, Sleep Disorders, Smoking Addictions, Sore Throat, Stress
• Tennis Elbow, Tonsillitis, Tooth Pain, Trigeminal Neuralgia
• UTI’s
