I see a lot of patients in my practice that are battling serious diseases – cancer, heart failure, diabetes – or very painful injuries – torn ligaments, back pain. These patients have found that acupuncture can help relieve pain, ease symptoms and strengthen their body to better fight the disease or condition.
But, it should be noted that acupuncture has been shown to be effective in helping ease less life-threatening conditions – fatigue, stress and even some of the signs of aging. Yes, you heard me right…acupuncture is becoming a hot new beauty treatment!
This should not come as a surprise as acupuncture is designed to free up the flow of the body’s natural energy, or qi. When it is able to do so, the body can relax, function properly – in short, it is rejuvenated and you can actually look younger and more vibrant.
Take for instance, this WebMD article about “Acupuncture is the New Facelift.” In the patient example discussed in the piece, a woman has 30-40 thin acupuncture needles applied to her body and face, which stimulates the production of collagen and elastin and “plumps up” the skin for a youthful glow and fewer wrinkles.
Another recent article in O Magazine had editors investigating and sampling new beauty treatments and regimens to report back to readers on the experience and their effectiveness. They spoke to a cosmetic acupuncturist, who said that the treatments can “result in firmer skin, a reduction of wrinkles and a tightening of the jowls.” She went on to say that her patients have reported “healthy side effects, such as improved digestion, better quality sleep, increased energy and a sense of overall well-being.” The editor’s final assessment: “Hey, doc, sign me up!”
Now, is acupuncture a fix-all for wrinkles or aging? Is it the fountain of youth? No, of course not…but, increasingly, people are turning to acupuncture as a key component of more effective beauty regimens and a step in improving overall health. And who doesn’t want that?
