Do you want to lose weight ? Stop smoking? Balance your hormones? Boost your libido? Or simply manage your stress? What if you could solve these issues by doing absolutely nothing? How? Thanks to a natural technique: acupuncture!
What is acupuncture?
Acupuncture is one of the traditional Chinese medicine branches (TCM) which aims to balance the circulation of vital energy (Qi) in the body.
In TCM, the body is crossed by twelve meridians, which uphold the harmonious circulation of Qi, once stimulated by acupuncture needles,. The meridians are connected to different organs of the body and work in duality:
- Liver & gall bladder
- Heart & small intestine
- Stomach & spleen
- Lung & large intestine
- Kidney & bladder
Interesting fact: In TCM, each organ is connected to an emotion, so the balance of internal organs has an impact on emotions:
- Anger (Nu) is associated with Liver
- Joy (Xi) with Heart
- Sadness (You) with Lung
- Worries (Si) with Spleen/Pancreas
- Fear (Kong) with Kidneys
Benefits of acupuncture
Acupuncture has many benefits for the body. Indeed, it helps to:
relieve physical pain (fibromyalgia, digestive problems, back and neck pain, migraines, etc.)
strengthen the immune system
reduce stress & anxiety
improve sleep disorders
balance hormones
regulate menstrual cycles
And many others.
Note that in acupuncture: the disruption of energy flow (Qi) can cause diseases (through symptoms).
My experience with acupuncture
Why did I decide to try acupuncture?
To put things in context: in 2019, I was suffering from the symptoms of Hashimoto's autoimmune disease (before being diagnosed). So I was desperately looking for a solution to my problems and I was open to try out anything!
During this life chapter, I had a lot of medical investigation appointments and I was experiencing unbearable symptoms on a daily basis (fatigue, dizziness, blurred vision, anxiety, cold extremities, weight gain, brain fog, depression, etc).
I saw different doctors (GPs, gynecologist, ophthalmologist, ENT specialist, dentist, physiotherapist) and they all came to the same conclusion: it was all in my head. At that point, I decided to try out alternative medicines. And acupuncture was in first position on my list.
One of my roommates told me the incredible story of her father who had lost part of his vision, then recovered it (and stabilized it) thanks to acupuncture. So I wanted to experience it myself!
To be honest, I finally had a glimmer of hope. And I was more than determined to try it out!
How did I find my acupuncturist?
As I often say, the best way to find a good doctor/therapist is to check Google reviews. And that is how I found my first acupuncturist. At that time, I lived in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). My first session was with a German acupuncturist who in the end redirected me to one of his French-German colleagues, which made things easier for me.
How much does acupuncture cost?
It can vary between 50 and 100 euros. You can also check with your health insurance, in case it covers this type of treatments.
My personal experience with acupuncture
My first acupuncture session was such a great experience.
When I entered the room, I directly felt warmth and kindness from my acupuncturist. She made me feel comfortable and explained to me how acupuncture works. The session lasted about 1h-1h30 (only for the first session).
For the first time in five months of diagnosis research, I had a different experience on the patient perspective (compared with conventional medical professionals): my acupuncturist listened to me and researched the potential causes of my imbalances.
We actually reviewed my daily habits together: diet, sleep cycles, menstruation, digestion, symptoms, etc. Then, she took my Chinese pulse and looked at my tongue. It was apparently so dehydrated that she wanted to get a picture for her "bad examples" catalogue. I find it quite funny today!
Then, I laid down on a massage table, with some relaxing music in the background. She started placing the needles on my body. I felt no pain. But, I did feel my body reacting. I remember strange sensations in my arms while the needles were put on the opposite part of my body. I also had some anxiety rising, but then a return to calm and I could finally let myself go to relaxation. And I needed that so badly. At the end of the session, I was fully rested.
The following days, some changes were happening in my body. Following the first session, my periods returned to normal cycles (after months of irregular periods). My blurred vision improved and most important, I understood that I probably had a hormonal imbalance. Because I could have listed all the symptoms I was experiencing for five months. So I went to an endocrinologist and was finally diagnosed with an autoimmune thyroiditis.
In the end, I have continued the acupuncture sessions until I left Germany. I have seen benefits both on my physical and mental health. These sessions have helped me a lot and I still feel grateful for that. I can now express more self-kindness with a better connection to my body.
For the little story, one day, after my Saturday morning acupuncture session, I felt quite tired. My acupuncturist asked me what my weekend plans were. I simply replied, “I feel tired, but I will go for a walk, then I will do this, this, that and that. »
She looked at me (without any judgment) and said, “People like you are funny. Your body is tired and you keep pushing your limits. If you are tired, then rest! » I blurted out a few words, not really convinced: "I should, but it's a waste of time." Then on my way home, I finally realized that my body had been sending me signals for months, but I kept ignoring them.
And that is when I decided to make some changes to be aligned with myself. So without acupuncture (and this acupuncturist clearly), I would never have understood the importance of the mind-body connection. So, a big thanks to her!
Anaïs Damour
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