By Jordyn Cormier
If you suffer from chronic pain or health issues, you've probably considered (or been told to consider) acupuncture. But, if you can't fathom how a little, painless "needle" is going to fix your migraines or help with your hormonal imbalance, you're not alone. Acupuncture is a highly misunderstood practice, especially in Western medicine.
Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. In a session, the "needle" is used to stimulate specific, powerful sites (acupoints) along meridian lines, which is though to promote healing throughout the body's various systems. Acupuncture has been successfully used to treat pain, PTSD, arthritis, chronic stress, addiction, insomnia, migraines, digestive disorders and much more. But there is no steadfast answer as to how or why acupuncture works. Here are four of the most common hypotheses for how acupuncture helps to restore balance to the body:
1. Unblock Energy Flow
In Eastern medicine, acupuncture is said to release energy blockages in the body. Energy or qi, flows through specific meridian lines in the body. By releasing areas of congestion and stagnation through acupuncture, qi is allowed to flow unfettered and promote health and balance. If your energy life-force is healthy, the physical body follows. Unfortunately, this explanation isn't widely accepted in Western medicine
2. Placebo Effect
Many doctors in Western medicine believe that the bulk of the benefits seen with acupuncture are heavily rooted in the mind-bending placebo effect. Whether this is true or not, the mind is a powerful source of healing energy. If acupuncture can unlock that energy successfully, why complain? Utilize it as a healing tool. Placebos should not be dismissed so quickly.
3. Stimulate the Body's Healing Powers
Some believe that stimulating nerves with the fine needle activates the body's internal healing mechanisms. In turn, the brain sends signals to that area in order to restore balance, when it may not have been actively addressing that area before. The action of inserting "needles" gently into the skin may increase hormone production and chemical signaling by drawing attention to important, neglected areas of our vast bodies, and alerting the brain that it is time to "clean house." It also helps that many people find acupuncture very relaxing and soothing for chronic stress, which also signals to the brain that it has the time and space to restore and repair the body.
4. Fascial Release
Perhaps the most recent theory as to how acupuncture works addresses the fascia. Fascia has been getting a lot of attention lately as it is becoming more recognized for its responsibilities in proper body function. Fascia is essentially an extensive compression sock that keeps your whole body contained. The issue is, with imbalance and inactivity, areas of fascia can become stiff, thick and unhealthy, leading to pain, inflammation and mis-signaling in the body.
According to a study conducted at University of Burlington, more than 80 percent of acupuncture points lie where connective tissue planes converge. With this in mind, it is possible that acupuncture could release stagnant, essential points in the fascia, so as to enable chemical messages to pass through more easily. This could explain why a "needle" in your ankle could help you with pain in your lower back.
If you're skeptical of acupuncture because no one is certain how or why it works, consider this: Western medicine still doesn't know exactly how the certain pills/drugs works either, yet millions take them every day. If you ask me, acupuncture is a lot less risky.
Of course, neither acupuncture or acupressure will miraculously heal all that ails you. Without a balanced and healthy lifestyle, acupuncture can only help you so much. Work to keep a clean diet, be mindful of stress levels, exercise regularly and be kind to yourself. Acupuncture is just another powerful modality of healing to assist you on life's journey.
Reposted with permission from our media associate Care2.
Here are three new films to watch this Earth Week that will transport you from pole to pole and introduce you to the scientists and activists working to save our shared home.
1. The Year Earth Changed
Where to Watch: Apple TV+
When to Watch: From April 16
The coronavirus pandemic has brought home the stakes of humanity's impact on the environment. But the lockdowns also proved how quickly nature can recover when humans give it the space. Birds sang in empty cities, whales surfaced in Glacier Bay and capybara roamed the South American suburbs.
The Year Earth Changed captures this unique year with footage from more than 30 lockdowned cities between May 2020 to January 2021. Narrated by renowned wildlife broadcaster David Attenborough, the film explores what positive lessons we can take from the experience of a quieter, less trafficked world.
"What the film shows is that the natural world can bounce back remarkably quickly when we take a step back and reduce our impact as we did during lockdown," executive producer Alice Keens-Soper of BBC Studios Natural History Unit told EcoWatch. "If we are willing to make even small changes to our habits, the natural world can flourish. We need to learn how to co-exist with nature and understand that we are not separate from it- for example if we closed some of our beaches at for a few weeks during the turtle breeding we see that it can make a huge difference to their success. There are many ways that we can adapt our behavior to allow the natural world to thrive as it did in lockdown."
2. After Antarctica
Where to Watch: San Francisco International Film Festival
When to Watch: 12 a.m. PST April 9 to 11:59 p.m. April 18
In 1989, Will Steger led an international team of six scientists and explorers to be the first humans to cross Antarctica by dogsled. Steger and his team weren't just in it for the adventure. They also wanted to draw attention to the ways in which the climate crisis was already transforming the icy continent and to rally support for the renewal of the Antarctic Treaty, which would keep the continent safe from extractive industries.
In After Antarctica, award-winning filmmaker Tasha Van Zandt follows Steger 30 years later as he travels the Arctic this time, reflecting on his original journey and once again bringing awareness to changes in a polar landscape. The film intersperses this contemporary journey with footage from the original expedition, some of which has never been seen before.
"Will's life journey as an explorer and climate activist has led him not only to see more of the polar world than anyone else alive today, but to being an eyewitness to the changes occurring across both poles," Van Zandt told EcoWatch. "But now, these changes are happening in all of our own backyards and we have all become eyewitnesses. Through my journey with Will, I have learned that although we cannot always control change, we can change our response. I feel strongly that this is a message that resonates when we look at the current state of the world, as we each have power and control over how we choose to respond to hardships, and we all have the power to unite with others through collective action around a common goal."
After Antarctica is available to stream once you purchase a ticket to the San Francisco International Film Festival. If you miss it this weekend, it will screen again at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival from May 13 to May 23.
Tasha Van Zandt
3. The Race to Save the World
Where to Watch: Virtual Cinema
When to Watch: From Earth Day, April 22
While many films about the climate crisis seek to raise awareness about the extent of the problem, The Race to Save the World focuses on the people who are trying to stop it. The film tells the story of climate activists ranging from 15-year-old Aji to 72-year-old Miriam who are working to create a sustainable future. It follows them from the streets to the courtroom to their homes, and explores the impact of their advocacy on their personal lives and relationships.
Emmy award-winning documentary filmmaker Joe Gantz told EcoWatch that he wanted to make a film about climate change, but did not want to depress viewers with overwhelming statistics. Instead, he chose to inspire them by sharing the stories of people trying to make a difference.
"Unless millions of people take to the streets and make their voices heard for a livable future, the politicians are not going to get on board to help make the changes needed for a sustainable future," Gantz told Ecowatch. "I think that The Race To Save The World will energize and inspire people to take action so that future generations, as well as the plants, animals and ecosystems, can survive and thrive on this planet."
Check back with EcoWatch on the morning of Earth Day for a special preview of this inspiring film!