In the early 1980s, Traditional Chinese Medicine was still considered an exotic form of therapy. Today, it is impossible to imagine the entire western world without it. Many western-oriented medical institutions work with TCM doctors and techniques. For example, acupuncture is used for obstetrics or in the everyday practice of orthopaedics, general medicine, gynaecology, pain therapy and many other areas. In recent years, more research has been done into the mechanisms of action of acupuncture, proving that the methods of TCM are effective far beyond the placebo effect.¹
TCM offers a suitable supplement or alternative to conventional medical treatment. We hear the following statements every day in our treatment pods:
“I always feel tired in the morning and almost can’t get out of bed.”
“I can’t tolerate some foods and have trouble with digestion.”
“Headaches have been with me all my life.”
“My immune system is weakened and I have frequent colds.”
“I struggle to concentrate and often feel sluggish.”
“I can’t get through menstruation without painkillers.”
Do you recognise yourself in any of these statements? Based on the above statements, you probably wouldn’t necessarily go to your General Practicioner straight away, as they are often not seen as too bother some or limiting. But do they not limit you in your daily life? Do you want to get up in the morning with vigour and look forward to the day ahead? You can expect this joy and many other positive side effects from a TCM treatment.
“At last I feel fit and well-rested again.”
“I can enjoy my favourite food again without digestive problems.”
“My immune system is more stable and I feel stronger.”
“My concentration span has increased by a lot and I am reading my favourite books again.”
“I feel more than fine and could embrace life with joy.”
If these statements are still not convincing enough, then we present you with a few scientific facts:
Endorphins and hormones are released in various brain structures by the acupuncture stimulus. These lead to an improvement in mood and, via the release of the body’s own cortisol, to a systemic inhibition of inflammation and pain.¹
Recent study results confirm that acupuncture is an effective option for treating loss of smell and taste after an infectious diseases.²
The results of 39 studies show that acupuncture is sometimes one of the most effective methods for treating allergic rhinitis(hay fever).³
Manual acupuncture proves to be prophylactically beneficial for migraine.⁴
Acupuncture has proven to be a successful measure for sleep disturbances, as it stimulates and regulates brain areas thatare responsible for sleep.⁵
Sources
- März, Dr. med. Ulrich, 2014, Akupunktur und TCM verstehen. Berlin: epubli GmbH
- Drews, T., Hummel, T., Rochlitzer, B. et al., 2022, Acupuncture isassociated with a positive effect on odour discrimination in patients with postinfectious smell loss – a controlled prospective study. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 1329 – 1334. Schweiz: Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Online:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00405-021-06872-9 (10.08.2022) - Yin, Z., Geng, G., Xu, G. et al., 2020, Acupuncture methods for allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Chin Med 15, 109. BioMed Central Ltd. Online:
https://cmjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13020-020-00389-9 (10.08.2022) - Xu S., Yu L., Luo X., et al., 2020,Manual acupuncture versus sham acupuncture and usual care for prophylaxis of episodic migraine without aura: multicentre, randomised clinical trial. BMJ. Online
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32213509/ (10.08.2022) - Wang YK., Li T., Ha LJ., et al., 2020,Effectiveness and cerebral responses of multi-points acupuncture for primary insomnia: apreliminary randomized clinical trial and fMRI study. BMC Complement Med Ther. Online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7430003/ (10.08.2022)
