Does the thought of needles pricking you all over your body make your muscles involuntarily spasm? Relax, Acupuncture isn’t nearly as painful as it looks. In fact, once you try it, you’d understand just why this ancient Oriental therapy has garnered such a major fan following worldwide. Not only is acupuncture a sure shot way to say goodbye to aches and pains, it can offer a more holistic approach to heal many other common ailments.

“We see that most of our patients come to as a last resort, once their doctors have told them that their problems cannot safely be cured using medical drugs. It makes most therapists wish that more and more people would understand the healing potential of acupuncture, because it truly offers a safe way to treat many ailments without the risk of collateral damage allopathic drugs are guaranteed to bring about”, says Pamin Lepcha, an acupuncture therapist working with Suyog Therapy Centre for Alternative Therapies, Delhi.

It’s safe, it’s affordable, it saves time and it comes with absolutely no side effects. So here are 5 reasons why trying acupuncture is a must for those who find that their urban lifestyle has exposed their minds and bodies to common ailments.

1. It’s a sure shot way to beat pain

Whether it is a tennis elbow or you pulled a muscle at the gym, acupuncture can bring pain relief. In fact, it isn’t just effective against pain brought on by injuries, but it also a more holistic approach to counteract pain brought by migraines, surgeries or internal organ diseases. A clinical study compared acupuncture, physiotherapy, injection and oral anti-inflammatory therapy in shoulder-cuff lesions found that the end result of all was the same, with acupuncture being the best option in the long run because it came with no side effects. Especially for those who depend on painkillers on a regular basis, the risk of liver damage with the excessive use of drugs makes acupuncture a more viable and safer option.

2. It’s a natural way to keep allergies at bay

If you are sick of a runny nose, congested lungs and watery eyes which make you dread the changing season, acupuncture is definitely worth a shot. Why? Acupuncture is a therapy where a fine disposable needle is inserted in to pressure points, hence triggering an immune response and dilating blood vessels for improved blood flow. As a result, toxins are eliminated from the body faster. Also, these Acu-points are chosen carefully, as these are the sites on your body with the highest concentration of blood vessels and nerves, to trigger the body’s natural self-defense mechanisms through higher electrical conductance.

3. It’s a great way to revive the mind and body

Feel fatigued and tired all the time or suffer from a sluggish metabolism? Acupuncturists can find the triggers in your body that is the reason behind your problem and offer a simple fix. By treating the root cause of the reason, acupuncture becomes a powerful medicine to boost your energy. What is even better is that every therapy offered is tailored to cater to an individual’s specific problem – be it lack of energy, diminished concentration power and focus, loss of memory or insomnia.

4. It works wonders to treat depression and anxiety

Modern lifestyle has given birth to so many stress-related diseases, depression is one of the most common amongst these. Acupuncture follows a “mind/ body/ spirit” philosophy because as a traditional Chinese medicine, it understands that there is a deep correlation between the three. Any imbalance caused in one directly affects others, and sometimes the reason behind your depression can be nothing more than a sluggish liver functioning. Since acupuncture results in a release of endorphins, it relieves signs of stress and promotes a feeling of well being.

5. It’s a holistic way to improve digestion

With stress come lifestyle diseases like poor digestion or a sensitive digestive system. The result - constipation, diarrhea, acidity and other gastrointestinal digestive problems have become increasingly popular, and acupuncture is the safest and most trusted way to resolve these problems. In fact, acupuncturists believe that a healthy digestive system is a key to a healthy body, mind, and spirit, as the inability to digest food properly results in poorer body functioning as a whole.

The TakeAway

Today, even the WHO (World Health Organization) accepts Acupuncture as a safe and holistic treatment for many common ailments that mar the quality of your life. Be it toothaches, PMS, sexual dysfunction, sciatica, osteoarthritis, asthma, gastrointestinal disorders or sinus allergies, acupuncture has a cure for them all! So can you really afford to turn a blind eye towards this holistic Chinese medicinal therapy anymore, when in all earnestness, a session with an acupuncturist will cost you far lesser than a trip to your doctor? Go on, get pricked.

Get Started with Fitness:

Mumbai | Delhi | Pune | Bangalore Gurgaon | Noida | Hyderabad | Ahmedabad 

Not looking for a membership?

Book a workout session near you without buying a membership via Fitternity's Pay-Per-Session here