What are the benefits of acupuncture?

Acupuncture offers an important complementary and alternative approach to help alleviate and treat pain in geriatrics. Many believe that acupuncture and other alternative therapies are the best kept secret for geriatric care. Learn about the benefits of acupuncture for the geriatric population.

Acupuncture: Benefits in the geriatric population

What are the benefits of acupuncture for the elderly?

1. Acupuncture returns the body to a state of health

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine is based on the concept of 'qi' (pronounced 'chi'), which means 'vital energy'. This natural energy is continuously generated and flows within twelve main meridians of the body. The two polarities known as 'yin' and 'yang' balance help energy to flow in each of the meridians to return the body to a good state of health. The causes of the most common pathologies cause these energies to become unbalanced, which leads to illness. Acupuncture helps treat illness by restoring and normalizing the flow and balance of 'qi' in the meridians to return the body to a state of health.

2. There is no use of drugs in acupuncture

Rather than treating the symptoms, acupuncture helps treat the source of the pain — naturally — without drug intervention. This is one of the main benefits of acupuncture in the geriatric population.

Acupuncture allows relief of symptoms without the side effects of medications. One of the biggest problems in western medicine is the use of drugs in the elderly. In fact, the CCDP (Center for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States of America) estimates that each year 177,000 geriatric adults resort to hospital emergencies due to problems associated with medications.

The Doctor. Leslie Kernisan, geriatrician says:

“Most geriatric adults are not regularly reviewed and many problems can arise. Medications, at this stage of life, are more likely to cause side effects, interactions and emergencies due to adverse events.”

If natural forms of treatment, such as acupuncture, are used we have a wonderful alternative to medication.

3. Acupuncture benefits the respiratory system

The World Health Organization (WHO) has validated many health benefits associated with acupuncture.

Upper respiratory tract disorders that have been shown to benefit from acupuncture:

• acute rhinitis
• acute sinusitis
• acute tonsillitis
• cold and flu

In these respiratory diseases there was relief of symptoms with acupuncture treatments.

4. Acupuncture helps treat eye pathologies

The WHO reports results on the following eye diseases, which are quite common in the elderly:

• acute conjunctivitis
• falls
• Myopia

5. Acupuncture helps treat oral pathologies

As we age, our gums and teeth tend to take the damage from aging and neglect. According to studies and clinical trials by the University of Maryland Medical Center, UC San Diego and the WHO, acupuncture can help alleviate and treat oral disorders:

• Acute and chronic pharyngitis
• Gingivitis
• tooth extraction pain
• Temporomandibular joint disorders
• Toothache

6. Acupuncture helps treat emotional and mental problems

From anxiety and depression, to insomnia, acupuncture helps treat many emotional and mental issues. Unfortunately the elderly suffer many of these problems that occur associated with pain and other changes related to aging.

Traditional Chinese Medicine recognizes the body and mind interacting as one, meaning that emotions have a physiological effect on the body. By channeling the 'qi' energy, acupuncture is able to help the elderly to relax and live in a more balanced emotional reality. The CDC and Psych Central recognize acupuncture as a valid treatment for many mental and emotional health issues.

7. Acupuncture Helps Relieve Arthritis

Acupuncture can be effective in treating chronic pain conditions such as arthritis. Acupuncture can help alleviate disability and pain in some arthritic conditions, but not in all situations. Rheumatoid arthritis is usually controlled using acupuncture.

The frequency, duration and number of treatments vary, but acupuncture is a common natural method for reducing inflammatory arthritis conditions, relieving discomfort and preventing edema, improving quality of life.