While acupuncture has been around for over 3,500 years, there are a lot of misconceptions shrouding this ancient practice. A lot of people miss out on the great benefits of acupuncture because of these fallacies.
So whether you are just plain curious or keenly interested on taking advantage of the healing wonders of acupuncture, let’s take time to clear the top five common misconceptions:
Acupuncture Hurts – A Lot!
While acupuncturists primarily use needles, these are exceptionally fine and very slender – about the size of a cat whisker. You may or may not feel an initial prick, but any discomfort with ease up or fade on its own as your acupuncturist adjusts the needles.
When the needles are inserted in the right places, they often produce a certain feeling of heaviness, more like a dull ache. Suffice it to say, the “pain” associated with acupuncture is often attributed to the anxiety of the unknown.
Acupuncture Is Just For Treating Pain
While acupuncture offers a great and effective treatment option for treating pain from different causes, it is also used to help with many other health conditions. It is also used to address menstrual problems, digestive disorders and infertility, just to name a few.
Perfectly Healthy Individuals Don’t Need Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a very effective preventative treatment for a myriad of medical conditions. This practice uses a system of evaluation and diagnosis that involves the entire person, meaning it treats the body as a whole. An acupuncturist can help determine and correct imbalances before any symptom occur and develop into a disease.
Acupuncture Is Not For Pregnant Women, Seniors & Children Everyone can take advantage of the healing benefits of acupuncture – from infants to seniors! It is an effective and safe practice and like all other treatment approaches, it takes into account the unique individual circumstances of a person. Special techniques are used for infants and children. In addition, pregnant women can also derive relief from a number of pregnancy-related issues such as back pain and morning sickness. Acupuncturists Are Not Licensed Medical Professionals While this statement may be true 35 years ago, acupuncture today is a licensed and regulated profession. Like other medical professionals, to maintain licensure, acupuncturists pursue continuing education, maintain national board certification and adhere to a strict code of medical ethics.