Acupuncture treatment – Information for patients
The philosophical and theoretical basis of acupuncture treatment was developed more than 2 years ago.000 years in the context of the traditional Chinese medicine formulated. At the center of this system of medicine is the idea of a life force flowing in the body, also called life energy, Chinese Qi, on whose effect all expressions of life are based.
Life energy is in constant flow, always moving, effecting change. The functions of internal organs such as breathing, digestion of food, body defense, muscle movements are also produced by the life energy. Similar to the way rivers flow through the land, energy pathways called meridians run through the body and supply it with vital energy.
Acupuncture points are located on these pathways, which can be used to influence and regulate the flow of energy.
When one is healthy, the life energy flows in harmony, the functions of the organs are strong and undisturbed. According to the Chinese conception, diseases are due to a disturbance in the flow of the life energy Qi, either a weakness or an abundance of the life forces is present.
Blockages in the vital energy flow can also cause pain or other health disorders and diseases.
Acupuncture treatment – The needling of acupuncture points
Needling of acupuncture points has a harmonizing effect, fullness is dampened, weakness is stimulated and blockages are released, so that an undisturbed harmonious flow is promoted.
During the acupuncture session, a variety of changes occur in the body. These trigger different sensations and feelings: The insertion of the acupuncture needles leads to a brief puncture pain, which is usually felt light and superficial. After needling the acupuncture points, one often experiences a feeling of heaviness and pressure at the injection sites, which is called De Qi feeling by the Chinese. Rarely there is also a feeling of slight electrification. This „needle sensation“ can be felt to different degrees.
After the needles lie for a few minutes, the body relaxes. Arms and legs often feel heavier. There is a feeling of stronger physical presence. Often one begins to perceive the movement of life energy in the body in the form of a feeling of flowing. At first this flow is very gentle, then it usually becomes slow, after a few sessions it becomes stronger and stronger.
In the beginning, it usually flows in the head from the top of the skull down into the neck and chest. Later, the flow becomes more pronounced in the lower part of the body as well. You feel a flow of life energy from the head through the chest, abdomen, pelvis into the legs and finally into the feet. During acupuncture, one does not focus attention on a single part of the body, but gently observes the overall flow.
At the top of the skull lies an important energy center, called the crown chakra by the Indians, which is of great importance for the energies in the body. Attention should always come back to this point, where the beginning of flow is often noticed. Over and over again, while the acupuncture needles are lying down, one relaxes by letting go and not „holding on to anything“. One should always let go of everything and thus relax more and more.
Relaxing during the acupuncture session
Deep calm breathing, into the chest, with a prolonged period of exhalation, releasing all tension, can also be crucial to the success of therapy. Deep breathing brings increased oxygen and thus increased energy into the body. Prolonged exhalation releases tension and leads to an improvement in the flow of energy through the body.
When tensions are released, physical sensations such as trembling, tingling, feelings of cold or heat, dizziness can occur, but also feelings such as anger, restlessness, sadness or fear are felt. These sensations and feelings are an expression of the clearing of the tensions and blockages that often underlie the disease.
Thoughts can always come up during acupuncture, one should not think about their contents, nor concentrate on certain thought contents, but let the thoughts pass by like a movie.
As a rule, 2 acupuncture treatments are performed a week, in series of 10-12 treatments. Then a break of 2-3 weeks is usually taken. If the course of therapy or the severity of the disease makes it necessary, further treatment series are required. 3-4 months after completion of acupuncture treatment, 2-4 acupuncture sessions are recommended as a refresher, which helps to stabilize the healing success.