The practice of acupuncture has been around for about three millennia. It continues to be used today as an effective complementary therapy to treat a variety of maladies. At Better Health & Wellness Center, we offer acupuncture in Melbourne, FL to help treat whatever is ailing you. If you’d like to learn more about what acupuncture is, where it came from, and how it’s practiced today, read our guide that provides you with a brief history lesson into the practice.
Origins
Acupuncture therapy was created in China about 3,000 years ago. Practitioners of ancient Chinese medicine established Qi flow channels and experimented to identify needle insertion points to target these channels. With the insertion of acupuncture needles, energy flow channels are opened and Qi flows more freely through you. Eating a healthy diet, utilizing herbs, and massage therapy have always been complementary therapies to be used with acupuncture.
Modern history
The practice didn’t reach the Western world until the late 1600s when an employee of the East India Company brought it westward from Japan. Acupuncture was practiced into the first half of the 1800s and even became wildly popular in Britain and America. However, it was eventually seen as discredited and no longer widely practiced by the mid-19th century.
With acupuncture out of widespread practice until the mid-1900s, it became renowned once again as US physicians visited China to learn more about surgical analgesic properties and other benefits from the source. Interest was rekindled after a member of the US Press Corps received therapy as part of emergency acupuncture treatment in Beijing, China. This helped to bring acupuncture back into the mainstream of practice.
Since then, Chinese scholars have worked to find practical applications of acupuncture with Western medical practice to enhance the effects of both. This has led to improvements in methods and treatment with acupuncture over 50 years.
Current practices
Acupuncture is widely practiced today as a way to realign your body’s energy to help heal itself. The practice of needles is still utilized as they’re inserted into meridians to help open energy channels within the body. This stimulates the nervous system to promote natural healing in the body. It’s used to treat conditions that include but are not limited to:
The use of acupuncture has proven to be effective in treating both acute and chronic conditions. Patients will need to speak with their practitioner to decide a course of treatment based on the condition they’re trying to treat.
Acupuncture in the future
We’ve already seen various applications of acupuncture, such as the invention of Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) in 2001. Richard C. Niemtzow, MD, Ph.D., MPH utilized gold Aiguille in the ear as an effective method for reducing pain with few side effects. This can be used as a long-term treatment that is minimally invasive.
In addition to new advancements in the practice of acupuncture, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) includes acupuncture as it falls under the inclusion of the “Non-discrimination in Health Care” language in the Act. This allows acupuncture practitioners to provide services to clients with insurance without holding the title of a medical doctor (MD).
Contact us for treatment
If you’re interested in trying acupuncture in Melbourne, FL, get in touch with our clinic by calling 321-259-8250 or send a message using our contact form. We look forward to working with you and helping enjoy the benefits of acupuncture at Better Health & Wellness Center.
