Research suggests that Acupuncture can be an effective treatment option for various types of diseases and painful conditions, and experts believe it could also be used as a complementary therapy to replace several accepted pharmacological interventions. The beneficial effects of acupuncture have been investigated in several inflammatory diseases that include: rhinitis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, epicondylitis, vasculitis, and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Researchers found out how acupuncture reduces inflammation in several laboratory controlled scientific investigations. In fact, they discovered how acupuncture successfully regulates a proinflammatory biochemical in our brain, which results in anti-inflammatory responses. They also mapped out the neural pathways that are stimulated by acupuncture and how it boosts the anti-inflammatory effects on our body.
Further studies suggest that acupuncture can modulate inflammation
A team of researchers led by several renowned neuroscientists at Harvard Medical School has successfully used acupuncture to treat inflammation in several laboratory mice. In their study, they have discovered that acupuncture can trigger an anti-inflammatory response in animals with bacterially induced systemic inflammation.
In fact, the team found three distinct factors on how acupuncture affected the response, but it requires several sessions with a focus on intensity and timing of treatment. This means the more substantial the stimulation is in specific acupoints or meridians, the better the results are. This discovery represents a critical step toward defining the neuroanatomical mechanisms of our body.
It also offers a roadmap for treating inflammatory diseases using a more natural and safe treatment method.
How acupuncture limits the need for orally given corticosteroids
Corticosteroids and inhaled adrenergic agonists are oral medications used by patients with bronchial asthma to alleviate the symptoms of their condition. In an open trial in the UK, patients with bronchial asthma were treated by acupuncture. The results are considered favourable, and the treatment suppresses the daily intake of orally given corticosteroids by up to 50%.
The initial treatment includes 20 consecutive sessions, and patients also received ten follow-up treatments to consolidate the curative effects of acupuncture. Experts believed that at least 30 sessions should be administered within three months to initiate this effect.
Is acupuncture the right alternative treatment for you?
Medical experts in western countries have long recognised acupuncture as an effective treatment for chronic pain, but there’s nothing magical about acupuncture. In fact, its primary purpose is to activate our body’s own self-healing mechanism.
Before you make the final decision on the treatment option that is best for you, you should first ask your doctor about acupuncture and some recommendations that he or she can provide. They may know a licensed practitioner in your area that can administer this type of alternative treatment.
We learn more about acupuncture each year and the benefits of this natural treatment alternative, making it an effective and safe treatment that you can consider to help with inflammation.
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