Acupuncture For Weight Loss

Obesity, caused by everything from stress and poor diet to illness and sedentary lifestyle, has become increasingly common in recent years, and it is a major contributor to many serious illnesses. Many people find it difficult to stick to fad diets that guarantee quick, easy weight loss. This is because there is no such thing.

A healthy body weight can only be achieved through an overall healthy lifestyle that includes healthy eating habits, regular exercise, and… acupuncture? Apart from acupuncture there are other effective home remedies that play a vital role in making your body slim and fit without any side effects. Examples of great remedies for weight loss include Aloe Vera, Bee Pollen, Honey and cinnamon, Coconut oil, Garlic, Lemons, Oolong tea, and Topiramate.

That’s right, this ancient Chinese practice is now being used quite effectively to help people lose weight and keep it off. Acupuncture involves inserting thin needles into specific points in the body in order to stimulate certain nerves and energy centers and trigger healing. In the case of weight loss, the practitioner focuses mainly on the thyroid, mouth, stomach, spleen, and endocrine glands with the goal of regulating hormones that effect metabolism, appetite, and the absorption of nutrients.

Does Acupuncture work for Weight Loss? Yes, the thin needles that are inserted in such a way to regulate the production of certain hormones that play a primary role in metabolism, appetite regulation and nutrition absorption. Acupuncture unblocks the flow of qi (means the fundamental life force in Chinese philosophy) in the body and releases the blockage and restore the balance between yin and yang.

Acupuncture is easy, safe, convenient, and effective, and it comes with no unwanted side effects, but remember that it is not a quick fix. It works gradually, and it works best as a supplement to an overall healthy lifestyle. Let’s take a more in-depth look at why it’s so effective. For many people, stress, anxiety, and frustration are major triggers for over-eating. An acupuncturist can insert needles in a way that triggers the release endorphins in the body, thereby reducing stress. It helps to reduce the stress and anxiety and there by overeating.

Ghrelin hormone induces feelings of hunger while leptin induce feelings of fullness and satisfaction. Acupuncture can be used to manipulate hormone levels in order to suppress the appetite and make you feel satiated. Secretions of pituitary gland increase the rate of metabolism and help to stimulate the thyroid gland. The process of acupuncture re-energizes the hypothalamus and stimulates the pituitary which activates a sluggish thyroid gland and speeds up the metabolism. This automatically makes the body to use its idle and stored fats and finally helps to burn excess fat rather than storing it.

Most people schedule 1-3 acupuncture sessions per week and start seeing results after about 9 weeks. During each session with an acupuncturist, he or she will insert many thin, sterilized needles into specific points on the body with the goal of suppressing the appetite, reducing stress, reducing cholesterol levels, improving blood circulation and increasing metabolism. These needles are about the thickness of a human hair and are relatively painless, though some people experience numbness and tingling. Once inserted, the needles remain in place, just beneath the skin, for 30 - 45 minutes.

Acupuncture therapy also involves breathing exercises, herbal treatments, massage, and diet and lifestyle advice. Results vary from person to person. Different acupuncture points are selected for different types of treatment. Attend these sessions regularly until you reach the desired weight loss. The frequency and number of sessions depend upon the individual weight loss goals.

To lose 5 to 10 pounds you have to attend for every 3 days or twice a week. 60 - 120 per session. Initial treatments are more comprehensive and cost more. Once a patient has reached his or her goals, they see their acupuncturist 3-4 times a year to ensure that they remain on track.

Techniques include massage therapy, electro-stimulation, cupping, moxibustion, and others, and may or may not be covered by your insurance. It may come as a surprise, but the ear is an essential point of focus during acupuncture sessions aimed at weight loss. There are about 130 acupuncture points on the ear, and they are stimulated using small tacks and seed-sized beads or magnets. The most common points of this process are shenmen, Tranquility and point zero ear acupuncture point. Mouth, endocrine point, small intestine, thyroid gland, spleen and hunger points are some of the points that also help to lose weight.

Whenever the person (who is in this treatment) gets food cravings in between the meals then mild pressure is applied to these points or ear staples are rubbed. Then it stimulates the release of endorphins that induces a feeling of relaxation and contentment. There are many points on ear that helps in curbing the appetite and getting these food cravings under your control.

Acupuncturist inserts the needles on the specific areas on the ear and stimulates them manually. Sometimes, ear acupuncture involves passing high-frequency electrical currents through the needles for extra stimulation. These ear seeds made from Vaccaria plant can be placed for up to 2 weeks with adhesive tape. Ear tacks are tiny needles with an adhesive backing can be placed for up to a week.

Ear stapling is similar to getting your ears pierced. It’s relatively painless and poses no serious risks. Ear staples penetrate pressure points that trigger feelings of fullness and suppress the appetite, and they can be left in place for a few weeks or a few months, depending on your weight loss goals.

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