On the planet, very few cures actually exist, if they even do at all. So no, acupuncture is not a new magical cure-all medicine. So many people jump on board with health crazes. Before you know it, everyone is swearing by a product that really has little research behind it. Yet acupuncture is a little different.
Acupuncture has been around for a very, very long time. Acupuncture is believed to have originated in China sometime around the Common Era. Long ago, people used crudely made objects to substitute as needles. Some of these objects were thin bones and stones sharpened to have a point. Over time the practice developed into what we know today as acupuncture.
Acupuncture is traditionally thought to unblock the flow of life energy in our body. Yet today many are skeptical of how, or if the practice even works. According to experts, acupuncture assists in the body’s self-healing process. The needles urge the acupuncture points in the body to trigger healing. Acupuncture is similar to a massage in the aspect that it can involve multiple stimulants.
Some of the other stimulants can include heat, electricity, fire, and or pressure. Cupping can also be associated with acupuncture due to the usage of fire and stimulation to promote healing. Yet overall the goal of acupuncture is to heal or to promote the healing of the body. Over time the human body declines in health. One of the ailments that people can suffer from in old age is dementia.
Dementia is not one specific illness. It is the decline in brain function or mental ability according to alz.org. The loss of brain function triggers severe memory loss and this affects day to day living. When one cannot remember who they are with or where they are at, this creates problems. The person may also have trouble remembering their children or friends. Though memory loss is not the only symptom.
Dementia patients can also lose the ability to communicate effectively. They may lose the ability to speak or use their hands properly. Eventually, the patient can require constant, around the clock care. They might assistance in getting dressed, eating, bathing, and going to the bathroom. Dementia is progressive and this means that over time the symptoms worsen.
Dementia is a terrible disease which affects many families across the globe. Any treatment that could prolong the normalcy of life could be life changing. So can acupuncture really assist in staving off dementia? A study conducted by Min Deng in China shows some results of acupuncture assisting pre-dementia patients. Comparisons were made between Chinese and Western medicinal practices on treatments for dementia.
Medical News Today describes the acupuncture as effective due to it being combined with nimodipine which is a drug used to reduce memory loss. Many patients struggling with Alzheimer’s disease are prescribed this medication. Two groups were created one with the memory loss reducing drug, the other with the drug and acupuncture. All of this occurred over the course of a three-month period. Some of the trails did have negative effects for some participants.
However, over time the conclusion was made that the two treatment options, acupuncture and nimodipine assists in the function of memory. This is helpful to those struggling with dementia which is due to the decline of the brain. Hopefully, more research can be done in the future to provide more evidence for treatment options. This would provide many with more peace of mind when going through the treatment. Yet acupuncture may be a link to multiple treatments in the future.
