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Acupuncture

What's Acupuncture?

Acupuncture, originating from ancient China and Korea over 3000 years ago, involves the strategic insertion of thin needles into specific points on the body. This holistic approach aims to rebalance the flow of energy (Qi) and blood, facilitating healing in targeted areas or organs. By stimulating the nervous system and triggering the release of beta-endorphins, acupuncture effectively manages pain with minimal side effects. Additionally, it provides relief from stress and anxiety, promoting emotional well-being and emotional regulation.

Acupuncture Stockholm
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From past to present

Acupuncture has ancient origins in China and Korea, evolving through centuries of experimentation. Early Eastern civilizations recognized that specific points on the body correlated with ailments and pressing these points with sharp stones could restore health.

Moreover, ancient physicians observed the interconnection between human health and natural cycles like day-night rhythms, seasonal changes, weather patterns, and dietary habits, leading to the development of herbal remedies.

For over 3800 years, Eastern cultures relied solely on traditional medicine until the formalization of European Medicine in universities and hospitals. However, recent decades have seen a convergence of Eastern and Western medical practices, with both recognizing the efficacy of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and cupping therapy.

The Scientific Evidence Behind Acupuncture

Over the past 70 years, acupuncture has been the subject of more than 13,000 scientific studies across 60 countries. These studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in treating 117 different conditions, with 100 of them being endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Moreover, acupuncture has been shown to be cost-effective, safe, and devoid of side effects.

Acupuncture treatments offer several positive effects on patients:

  1. The insertion of needles triggers "spinal reflex effects," stimulating muscle relaxation and inducing changes in visceral organs by signaling the central nervous system.

  2. Acupuncture enhances brain connectivity and reduces activity in areas associated with stress and illness. It also improves regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, the primary system for hormone regulation and physiological stress responses.

  3. Additionally, acupuncture regulates parasympathetic activity, which is responsible for rest, relaxation, digestion, and tissue healing.

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WHO Recommends Acupuncture as effective treatment for:​

  1. Abdominal pain 

  2. Acne vulgaris

  3. Adverse reactions to radio/chemotherapy

  4. Alcohol dependence and detoxification

  5. Allergic rhinitis (including hay fever)

  6. Bell’s palsy

  7. Biliary colic

  8. Bronchial asthma

  9. Cancer pain (non applicable in Sweden)

  10. Cardiac neurosis

  11. Chloasma

  12. Cholecystitis (chronic)

  13. Choroidopathy, central serous

  14. Cholelithiasis

  15. Colour blindness

  16. Competition stress syndrome

  17. Craniocerebral injury, closed

  18. Deafness

  19. Depression

  20. Diabetes mellitus, non-insulin-dependent

  21. Dysentery, acute bacillary

  22. Dysmenorrhea, primary

  23. Earache

  24. Epidemic haemorrhagic fever

  25. Epigastralgia, acute

  26. Epistaxis, simple 

  27. Eye pain due to subconjunctival injection

  28. Facial pain

  29. Facial spasm

  30. Female infertility

  31. Female urethral syndrome

  32. Fibromyalgia and fasciitis

  33. Gastrokinetic disturbance

  34. Gouty arthritis

  35. Headache

  36. Hepatitis B virus carrier status

  37. Herpes zoster 

  38. Hyperlipaemia

  39. Hypertension, essential

  40. Hypo-ovarianism

  41. Hypophrenia

  42. Hypotension, primary

  43. Induction of labour

  44. Insomnia

  45. Irritable colon syndrome (IBS)

  46. Knee pain

  47. Labour pain

  48. Lactation, deficiency

  49. Leukopenia

  50. Low back pain

  51. Male sexual dysfunction, non-organic

  52. Malposition of fetus

  53. Ménière disease

  54. Morning sickness

  55. Nausea and vomiting

  56. Neck pain

  57. Neuralgia, post-herpetic

  58. Neurodermatitis

  59. Neuropathic bladder due to spinal cord injury

  60. Obesity

  61. Opium, cocaine and heroin dependence

  62. Osteoarthritis

  63. Pain due to endoscopic examination

  64. Pain in dentistry 

  65. Pain in thromboangiitis obliterans

  66. Periarthritis of shoulder

  67. Polycystic ovary syndrome

  68. Postoperative pain

  69. Postextubation in children

  70. Postoperative convalescence

  71. Premenstrual syndrome

  72. Prostatitis, chronic

  73. Pruritus

  74. Pulmonary heart disease, chronic

  75. Radicular and pseudoradicular pain syndrome

  76. Raynaud syndrome, primary

  77. Recurrent lower urinary-tract infection

  78. Reflex sympathetic dystrophy

  79. Renal colic

  80. Retention of urine

  81. Rheumatoid arthritis

  82. Sciatica

  83. Schizophrenia

  84. Sialism, drug-induced

  85. Sjögren syndrome

  86. Small airway obstruction

  87. Sore throat (including tonsillitis)

  88. Spine pain, acute

  89. Sprain

  90. Stiff neck

  91. Stroke

  92. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction

  93. Tennis elbow

  94. Tietze syndrome

  95. Tobacco dependence

  96. Tourette syndrome

  97. Ulcerative colitis, chronic

  98. Urolithiasis

  99. Vascular dementia

  100. Whooping cough (pertussis)

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