Being on Pins and Needles is Actually Good for You, Kind of…

by Staff Writer

“On pins and needles” can mean you are experiencing a tense, stressful, or painful situation. It can also mean “waiting” for something important to occur. In this case, “on pins and needles” is a great way to describe the feelings that can occur with an acupuncture treatment. You can experience a tingling sensation because your Qi (energy flow or life force) is no longer blocked and your body is starting to return to a healthy state.

Acupuncture is often categorized as an alternative, or new, medicine and not always readily recognized as a viable treatment source. However, Acupuncture is older than Western medicine and dates back as long as 5,000 plus years. Chinese doctors, who immigrated to our country, introduced acupuncture in the U.S. back in the 1800’s.

The similarity to Western medicine is that the acupuncture specialist takes a detailed health history and spends time talking with the patient about their concerns and desired outcomes from treatment. From an examination of the patient’s tongue and checking the pulse in both wrists, the acupuncture specialist has an excellent idea of the state of the patient’s health and areas that need treatment. This is where the similarities end. Traditional Chinese medicine treats the whole patient, not just the symptoms. The idea is to bring the body back to a state of well-rounded health, not just put a Band-Aid on a sore spot.

Terminology is different than Western medicine. For example, a kidney deficiency does not relate just to that organ. The TCM Kidney is rather a description of a host of different  systems for sustaining life and is involved with reproduction, development, maturation, the lungs, bones, teeth, ears, and hair on your head.  So, having a kidney imbalance means the Qi is ‘blocked’ as it relates to all of those bodily activities, functions and the emotions you display.

It is the job of the acupuncture specialist to determine the “acupoints” in the body for precise needle placement. Once inserted, the needles stimulate and repair the unbalanced, or blocked, flow of Qi in the body. Balancing the body restores the patient to a positive state of health. Acupuncture is not necessarily painful. If you are hesitant about treatments, discuss this with your specialist. Feeling stressful about treatments will not produce the results you or your practitioner want to achieve.

As well as treating many common conditions, such as migraines, allergies, asthma, stress, smoking cessation, fertility issues, and joint pain, weight loss in one area for treatment where acupuncture can be particularly helpful. Acupuncture when combined with a proper diet, such as the Paleo diet program, and exercise can produce excellent results. The Paleo program will help to clear the toxins from the body and acupuncture realigns and balances the flow of Qi. As with any weight loss program, you will also only see results based on what you put into the program. If you are committed, you will lose the weight.

If you are considering acupuncture for a health condition, be sure you see a licensed acupuncture specialist. To achieve licensing requires many hours of education and passing national certifications. Call MN Clinic of Integrated Medicine in Minneapolis, We have two licensed acupuncturists, Sandra and Mason McClellan. Mason McClellan LAc is particularly knowledgeable in the areas of acupuncture, weight loss and the Paleo approach.  He is available to help you’re a healthy weight and live a healthy life.

Contact the Minnesota Clinic of Integrated Medicine at 952-294-9978