The Benefits of Acupuncture for Seniors
Medical costs for seniors continue to rise as more and more medications are being prescribed. Traditional Chinese Medicine practices, specifically acupuncture, are effective and cost efficient for many age-related problems. In fact, I had the honor of being quoted in a blog post dedicated to this topic. Check it out here.
Clinical trials have shown that both acupuncture and acupressure are effective in older adults with fewer side effects as compared to western medicine. Acupuncture isn’t painful. The needles are so thin that most people don’t even feel them. You don’t need to believe in it or anything in particular for it to work and there are almost no side effects. There have been countless research studies that have shown that acupuncture is effective.
What Conditions Can Acupuncture Treat?
Acupuncture treats the same conditions in seniors as in anyone (from pain, such as chronic back pain and headaches to digestive issues, to insomnia and anxiety, and everything in between). See a list a comprehensive list of what acupuncture treats here.
There are a few medical issues that are especially common in seniors, such as a slowing of digestion, depression, hypertension, pain, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Results from recent research studies have found positive effects for acupuncture on these issues. For instance, a study published in The Journal of Affective Disorders found that participants who received 12 laser acupuncture sessions showed reduced symptoms of depression. Similarly, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine published a study which found that weekly acupuncture treatments for 6-10 weeks lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Finally, a recent review of 1,763 participants found that acupuncture treatment significantly reduced pain in patients with osteoarthritis. Patients who received acupuncture reported gains in mobility and a better quality of life. The trials found that the longer treatment periods resulted in greater reductions in pain.
How Seniors Benefit From Acupuncture
Seniors especially benefit from acupuncture because more seniors are looking for an integrated approach to address their health concerns and to stay healthy and active as they age.
Traditional Chinese medicine is based on deep rooted theories from thousands of years ago, two of the easiest ways of explaining it and how it relates to the elderly population is based on the yin and yang and the kidneys in the 5 elements. The theory of yin and yang relates to how everything must be balanced in order to create perfect harmony within the human body.
When you are born, babies are considered pure yang, as you grow it becomes more balanced and as we age we lose more of both, but more so yang. Yin is defined as night, moon, female, cold, slow, soft, passive, and the black part of the yin/yang symbol. Yang is defined as day, sun, male, heat, fast, hard, active, and the white part of the yin/yang symbol. In yin we think of: fluids which can be blood or secretions in the body. In yang we think of more along the lines of function, how things work in the body. So, as we age, we lose both but in theory when there is less or deficient yang we think of an old man who moves slow and likes to be covered as he gets cold easy.
The kidneys is what stores our essence or jing which is typically allotted at birth, it is something you inherit from your parents. The kidneys are in charge of development, reproduction, bones and fluids. As you age you lose your essence, acupuncture and herbs can help boost the kidneys and provide a more graceful approach to ageing.
Acupuncture is a holistic way to treat a countless number of ailments. If you or your loved one suffers from chronic pain, indigestion, digestive issues, anxiety, or just needs some extra relation time, acupuncture is the perfect option. In addition to treating medical conditions, receiving regular acupuncture has been shown to give people more energy, help with sleep, improve mindset and gain clarity.
Here at Natural Point Acupuncture, we specialize in treating seniors. Schedule your appointment today!
