Acupuncture is a form of natural healing that has been around for over 5,000 years and not only practiced in China but also by the Egyptians, Eskimos, Arabs, and Brazilians. The aim of acupuncture is to balance Qi in the body, which is the energy force, or the vital energy in the body and to eventually release chi (the negative energy) in the person if there is an accumulation of it. Acupuncture looks at the body as a whole as opposed to individual parts and believes that if all parts are in harmony then this will contribute to a healthier person overall.

Acupuncture is a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and like most forms of alternative medicine, individuals look to it when they feel that traditional medicine is not doing enough to help them or else they are looking for a form of treatment that can complement the Western medicine and/or treatments they are presently receiving.

When doing research on branches of alternative medicine a person definitely wants to know right away if a particular type of natural healing methods can do just that- heal. Let's take a look at whether acupuncture can actual heal or not.

In order to discover whether acupuncture will help your particular medical condition, you must speak with a qualified practitioner of acupuncture. He or she will want to know your extensive medical history including any allergies you have and what illnesses and injuries you have suffered in the past. Only after learning your history can a potential form of treatment be decided upon.

As a general rule if the traditional Western medicine and/or treatment are not proving to be as successful as a person hoped it would be then it is time to consider an alternative route such as acupuncture. Also, if you are paying for expensive medications and you are going broke then acupuncture might be a worthwhile option to consider for your medical needs.

Another time when acupuncture is often desirable is if a person is bravely suffering a number of side effects due to the form of treatment they are presently taking. There tend to be very few side effects to acupuncture if a qualified professional does it.

There are many health conditions that can be helped with acupuncture treatments. Some examples of the respiratory diseases that acupuncture can help include acute sinusitis, acute rhinitis, acute tonsillitis and the common cold. Acute bronchitis and bronchial asthma are both bronchopulmonary diseases that acupuncture has been shown to have excellent results in helping. The eye disorders acupuncture helps include acute conjunctivitis, cataract that has no complications, myopia, and central retinitis.

The mouth cavity disorders acupuncture helps include toothaches, gingivitis, pharyngitis, and pain or discomfort that sometimes takes place after a tooth is extracted. The orthopedic disorders acupuncture helps include periarthritis humeroscapularis, tennis elbow, lower back pain, rheumatoid arthritis and sciatica.

Finally, acupuncture also improves gastrointestinal disorders as well as neurological disorders. The gastrointestinal disorders it helps include hiccups, gastroptosis, spasms that take place in the cardia and the esophagus, gastric hyperacidity, acute and chronic gastritis, chronic duodenal ulcer, acute bacterial dysentery, acute as well as chronic colitis, constipation, diarrhea, and paralytic ileus.

The neurologic disorders it helps include headaches and migraines in particular, facial paralysis, trigeminal neuralgia, peripheral neuropathy, meniere's syndrome, intercostals neuralgia, nocturnal enuresis, paralysis after an apoplectic fit, neurogenic bladder dysfunction, and paralysis that is caused by poliomyelitis.

Acunpuncture has become a viable and acceptible alternative to traditional treatments.

BlueWaterArticles.com: - A Brief Review of Acupuncture

About the Author

Scott Meyers is a staff writer for Its Entirely Natural, a resource for helping you achieve a naturally healthy body, mind, and spirit. You may contact our writers through the web site. Follow this link for more information on Traditional Chinese Medicine.