As fall is approaching, many people start to feel “under the weather”. You start to notice in yourself and the people around you experiencing sickness such as colds, the flu, and depression that rise in times of gray, rain, and snow. So what do you do about it? Many go to the drugstore and buy suppressants, downers, uppers, and all kinds of chemically manufactured products to make them forget that they aren’t feeling well.
But those “fixes” simply mask symptoms. There is no real question as to why you are feeling under the weather. It is time to find the source and fix the problem, not just mask the symptoms for another day.
A great way to find and fix your actual illnesses is acupuncture. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that uses filiform needles in meridian points of your body to unblock your qi, pronounced, "chee". Your qi is made up of the two opposing and complimentary forces in your body, the yin and the yang.
When your qi is blocked, or your yin and yang force within your body overpowers each other and you start to notice that you do not feel as well as you should. The illnesses can take many different forms. From insomnia, to a cold, to diabetes or cancer, your blocked qi can react in many ways. So seeing a licensed acupuncturist is a helpful way to eliminate many problems.
Check with your doctor, and with your insurance, as many plans do cover this form of “Alternative Medicine”, and find a licensed practitioner in your area. Then, make an appointment.
On your first visit, make sure to tell the acupuncturist why you are there. Then, most will look at your tongue, feel your pulse, and check your eyes. They are looking for more than just the symptoms. These doctor’s are checking your qi, and your yin/yang balance. Based on what they see, they may then have you lie down on their exam table, and start to insert the small, hair like needles into your meridian points.
Then, it is time to relax, sleep, meditate.
Treatments can last weeks, or even months. Your doctor may prescribe herbs or poultices, and tell you to come back once a week, or twice. And hopefully, within a few treatments, your symptoms will start to disappear, and your illnesses will go away.
Of course, research whom you go to see first. Make sure they are licensed, and make sure your doctor knows about all the different kinds of treatments you receive.