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There are many different methods of weight reduction; acupuncture, an ancient Chinese practice that dates back thousands of years is one very good solution for someone who is struggling with his/herweight as it works in a natural way.

The therapy involves placing needles in pressure points throughout the body, and each pressure point is connected to a specific organ in the body. The needles work by stimulating and improving the organ function, which in turn leads to an increase in metabolism and speeding up weight loss. Some studies have shown that acupuncture helps to stimulate the production of endorphin, a hormone which stabilizes insulin and lipid levels in the bloodstream, thereby converting less insulin into body fat.

Ear acupuncture is especially found to be very effective for weight reduction. Auricular acupuncture points are typically stimulated using small tacks and then seed-sized beads or magnets taped to these points in order to enhance the effectiveness. The most commonly used auricular points are shenmen, small intestine, hunger point, mouth and endocrine points. Whenever a patient gets food cravings in between meals, mild pressure can be applied to the ear staples to stimulate the release of endorphin which relaxes the patient and helps to control unnecessary food cravings.

A qualified acupuncturist will select pressure points based on a patient’s diagnosis, and then inserts acupuncture needles into these points for about 30-45 minutes each treatment session. Usually, different combinations of acupuncture points will be used for each treatment, as every patient is likely to display different symptoms. Generally, treatment is scheduled once or twice a week and continued for 8-12 weeks until the target weight reduction is achieved. To slim down successfully and keep the weight off permanently, acupuncture therapy is best combined with body and auricular (ear) acupuncture, herbs and supplements, Qigong exercises, abdominal massage as well as a change in diet and lifestyle.

Dr. Wu Yue
TCM Physician