“I became overweight about 4th or 5th grade.” and weight has been a struggle ever since. Kevin’s weight peaked at an unhealthy 450lbs. Kevin realized that if he didn’t get healthy and lose the weight, he didn’t have much of a future with his kids. Kevin had a gastric bypass operation and lost about 160lbs. His appetite issue returned and he had an urge to snack between meals.
Instead of taking medication to curb the urge, Kevin tried acupuncture. Tiny needles placed in specific points on the body.
Mayo Clinic Dr. Brent Bower says that many studies show that acupuncture works for headaches, nausea, depression, stress, anxiety and addiction and more. It helps Kevin control his appetite and it’s helping him stay healthy for his kids.
Dr. Bower is the editor of the Mayo Clinic book of alternative medicine. He says acupuncture is particularly helpful for people like Kevin when used in conjunction with good nutrition and exercise. He also says that when done by a trained professional, acupuncture is very safe.
Acupuncture for weight loss stimulates the metabolism and helps to move the bowels and to curb the appetite.
Some people turn to acupuncture as a weight loss method. Here’s how acupuncture can help you achieve your weight loss goals. This form of treatment can solve the energy distribution problem in the body that normally causes weight gain. Chinese medicine proposes that a disruption of the energy flow within the body is a cause of obesity and can lead to a disruption of certain organ functions such as kidneys, spleen and digestive system. This disruption of energy flow also affects an area located within the hypothalamus deep within the brain. It helps control hunger, thirst and body temperature. These disruptions can also cause fat accumulation, water retention and stress development which is a main contributor in extra weight gain.
Acupuncture increases metabolism, improves the cholesterol levels and the functioning of the intestines. Also, it helps in improving mood and reducing stress by releasing specific neurotransmitters in the body. Most importantly, it helps to suppress appetite thereby keeping you feeling fuller, longer. Accupuncture appears to be quite effective at reducing body mass and aiding weight loss when used together with diet and exercise.
Before you start using acupuncture for weight loss, you’ll need to discuss with your acupuncturist the real cause of your weight gain. Some people gain weight as a result of stress – here the best weight loss method will be to help the individual relax more often. For others, habitual eating may be the reason for weight gain. Here, treatment will be focused on problems related to cravings.
When your acupuncturist has identified the problem, they will then be able to decide the appropriate combination of points to use during your treatment. Researchers recommend that pairing acupuncture treatments with other healthy lifestyle choices like portion control, healthy foods and regular physical activity, will lead to amazing results.
Ear Acupuncture for Weight loss
In Chinese medicine, the ear is a microsystem for the entire body. On the ear are points that represent every part of the entire body. On the ear we use points that coincide with the mouth, the stomach and to “calm the mind” which is usually important when people have problems losing weight. During a treatment, the patient would receive treatment in both ears in addition to points on the body as well.