Unless you're freaked out by needles, you might have
considered acupuncture as an alternative pain relief treatment. This
traditional form of Chinese medicine dates back thousands of years and is based on
targeting specific trigger points in your body using small, thin needles.
Research finds that it may help alleviate some health issues, like back
pain, sports injuries, or even anxiety.
Modern
acupuncture is mostly used to stimulate your nerves, muscles, and blood flow.
And in the past few years, there's been some buzz surrounding acupuncture's
ability to help you shed pounds, too. In a study published in the British Medical Journal, Korean researchers
randomly assigned 91 overweight people to a group receiving treatment at five
ear acupuncture points, one ear acupuncture point, or a sham control group.
They found that those receiving acupuncture saw their body mass index (BMI)—a
marker of their weight—decrease by roughly six percent after eight weeks.
But can simply sticking a few needles in your body really
help you shed pounds?
The science
behind it isn't quite clear yet. There's a theory that putting these needles on
the outer part of your ear stimulates various trigger points that may play a
role in your appetite and metabolism, explains Sharon Zarabi, R.D., who works
as the bariatric program director at Lenox Hill Hospital, where she counsels
patients on nutrition and weight loss.
However, the association between acupuncture and weight loss isn't that
cut and dry, says Tim Rhudy, M.S., L.Ac., an acupuncturist at Delmar Wellness
Center in New York.
The reason?
When you're feeling stressed, your autonomic nervous system gives you a burst
of adrenaline and floods your body with the hormone cortisol. This
increases your appetite, potentially causing you to overeat. With acupuncture,
the needles—which are very small and flexible and not at all like the ones you
see in your doctor's office—work to release the tension in your muscles by
releasing feel-good endorphins, which helps put you in a calmer state. Relieving
this underlying stress, in theory, would help calm your appetite.
"Acupuncture is like a reset button for the
autonomic nervous system," says Rhudy.
However, he is
quick to point out that this stress-reducing effect doesn't translate directly
to weight loss. "If you don't want to diet or exercise, all the
acupuncture in the world won't make you lose weight," Rhudy says.
While you'll
feel relaxed on the acupuncture table, and maybe even not as hungry, snacking
on a donut later in your day still means you're taking in empty calories.
Zarabi backs this up. "Acupuncture doesn’t cause weight loss
directly," she says.
That's not to say you shouldn't give acupuncture a try if
you're curious about it. If performed by a professional using sterile needs,
you probably won't experience any side effects, she says. However, you should
let your acupuncturist know if you wear a pacemaker, as the needles may
interfere with its operation, or if you're on any medications like blood
thinners, since your chances of bleeding or bruising may increase, according to
the Mayo Clinic.
A typical
session lasts about 15 to 20 minutes, and an average of 30 needles are placed
wherever your tightest muscles are, says Rhudy. While you won't be two pounds
lighter when you leave, you'll likely feel as though the weight of the world
was just lifted off your shoulders.
No comments:
Post a Comment