Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) address both the physiological and psychological aspects of weight loss. A comprehensive TCM therapy for weight includes promoting better digestion, calming emotions, reducing appetite, improving metabolism, and eliminating food cravings.
According to TCM, the root of excess weight is an imbalance within the body caused by malfunctioning of several organ systems. In Traditional Chinese medicine, there are healthy and unhealthy ways of treating obesity. Unhealthy of way of treating obesity is using substances which damages the body. Substances that are damaging are comprised of medicinals that purge essential nutrients from the body, or diuretics that may cause electrolyte imbalance and renal dysfunction, or diaphoretics like herba ephedrae which is used for weight reduction as a form of "speed." None of these are healthy long-term solutions to lose weight. On the other hand, healthy ways of weight loss is a treatment addressing individual's own metabolic reasons for being overweight. With this method, each patient receives their own individually tailored treatment plan using herbs, acupuncture and diet and lifestyle modifications. Such individualized treatment brings the patient back to a health state of optimal weight.
Many modern researches have found that the use of acupuncture and Chinese herbs are very effective in weight loss.
- A 2003 study published in The Journal of Medical Acupuncture found that participants receiving acupuncture lost more than three times more weight than the control group.
- In a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia in 1998, 95 percent of the participants receiving electro-stimulation on acupuncture points reported appetite suppression. The results showed that the acupuncture group was more likely to experience a reduced appetite and to lose weight than the control group.
From a Western perspective, acupuncture and Chinese herbs have been shown to have an effect on the function of the nervous system, endocrine system, digestive system, food cravings, metabolism. All of which can help to energize the body, maximize the absorption of nutrients, regulate elimination, control overeating, suppress the appetite, and reduce anxiety.
The beauty of acupuncture is that each treatment is catered to the needs of the individual patient. Acupuncture points on the body will be chosen for overall well being with the objective of increasing the metabolism.
Generally treatments are scheduled once or twice a week for 8 to 12 weeks or until the goal weight has been reached. The treatments include a combination of ear and body acupuncture, ear tacks or pellets to leave on in-between treatments, herbs, food and lifestyle recommendations.
Acupuncture points on the ears have been found to be particularly effective for weight loss. The human ear has been described as a micro-system of the body.
Most patients report a marked decline in appetite and cravings with acupuncture and herbs.
The herbs used for a weight loss treatment are for promoting healthy digestion, energizing the body, and improve elimination of water, toxins, and waste products.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine are powerful tools for healthy weight loss, by itself or as a part of other weight management programs.
The following is an article from Dr. Oz show on Tue 09/22/2009
Chinese acupuncture is finally getting under the skin of dieters by tapping
into the body's many hidden energy meridians. The ancient practice of
acupuncture helps to heal a host of ailments, and practitioners of Western
medicine now embrace it to quell chronic pain, postoperative pain, nausea and
vomiting, high blood pressure, addictions and weight loss. When fine needles are
barely inserted into the skin along strategic points on the body it can restore
balance to the flow of energy along rivers of Qi (pronounced chee), or life
force.
There are many reasons people become overweight – hormone imbalances, slowed
metabolism, overeating, poor nutrition and lack of exercise are some of the most
common.
Using acupuncture to tackle weight loss is a multi-pronged approach.
Pinning Down the Benefits
The rationale for using acupuncture for weight control is based in the
premise that weight gain could be the result of disturbed energy flow to and
from the regulating center of the brain, called the hypothalamus. The
hypothalamus is responsible for maintaining “homeostasis” or functional balance
that allows the body to run like a finely tuned instrument. It is the body's
dispatch center that regulates hormones and neurochemicals, and helps to control
body temperature, circadian rhythm, thirst and hunger.
Of particular interest is the ability of acupuncture to influence obesity
hormones. Research measuring the effectiveness of acupuncture for weight loss
found treatments increased ghrelin, a hormone that controls meal initiation and
decreased leptin, the hormone that regulates fat storage and metabolism.
The guiding principal is that acupuncture can power up any other weight
control strategy by curbing appetite, quelling cravings, boosting metabolism,
improving digestion, regulating obesity-related hormones and enhancing the way
nutrients are used. It also strengthens the function of the liver, the organ
that produces many chemicals critical for digestion, processing nutrients and
breaking down of fats. Acupuncture may also increase tone in the smooth muscle
of the stomach to help people know that they are full.
Earmark of Acupuncture
To pinpoint the Qi for effective weight control, acupuncturists take aim at 4
acupuncture points on the ear – the hunger point, Shen Men point, stomach point,
and endocrine point. A few tiny sterilized needles are inserted along these
invisible channels to decrease the "heat" generated along these meridians and to
stimulate centers that trigger the release of neurochemicals and hormones.
During some courses of treatment, the needles are covered with tape so that
they can be left in place for a few days. Patients later remove them at home or
during follow-up visits to the acupuncturist. Some practitioners may also use
"ear seeds" that patient wear home that can be massaged periodically to help
with difficult-to-control urges.
Electroacupuncture Therapy for Weight Loss Reduces Serum Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and LDL Cholesterol Levels in Obese Women
Abstract
Our results suggest that EA application in obese women may decrease the serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL cholesterol levels by increasing the serum beta endorphin level. This lipolytic effect of EA may also reduce the morbidity of obesity by mobilizing the energy stores that result in weight reduction.
Source: Cabioglu Acupuncture Treatment Clinic, Selçuklu 42040, Konya, Turkey, 2005.