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Endorphins are a Natural High
When people ask me how acupuncture works, there are a number of ways I try to explain it. I start with the Chinese medical theory of Qi, and how this vital energy flows through our bodies. If there is too much or not enough energy, or if that energy gets stuck or is out of balance, then illness and various symptoms arise.
Some people intuitively understand this. Others want a more scientific theory. So then I explain that according to Western medical research there are any number of bio–medically documented effects of acupuncture. You can measure changes in the blood of hormone levels and other blood chemistry. There are PET scan studies that show changes in blood flow to various parts of the brain before, during and after acupuncture has been administered. There are published clinical trials documenting acupuncture's effectiveness for everything from headaches to fertility and post traumatic stress.
One of my favorite stories is the one about Dr. Wen, a neurosurgeon in Hong Kong. Back in 1972, he was using acupuncture to prepare patients for surgery. A number of his patients in his hospital were opiate addicts who could invariably be suffering from withdrawal symptoms by the time the anesthesia wore off.
One day he observed that an opiate addicted patient of his who had received acupuncture prior to surgery did not have withdrawal symptoms afterwards. He repeated this observation with a number of other patients before doing lab research to determine what the active agent was. The answer is endorphins, a neurotransmitter secreted by the pituitary gland.
The term endorphin is short for "endogenous morphine" because these molecules bond to the same receptor sites as morphine and other opiate drugs.
However, the endorphins produced naturally in our bodies can be 20 to 500 times stronger than morphine molecule for molecule! And they don't cause dependence or withdrawal symptoms. Endorphins can be generated actively in a number of ways—including exercise, meditation and sexual activity.
Acupuncture is a passive way to stimulate the body to release these stress and pain relieving chemicals.
Besides decreasing pain and improving mood, they have been shown to have beneficial effects on the immune system and to slow down the aging process.
So what are you waiting for? If you want to feel better, be healthier and live longer, take a hike, chant OM, and make love and get some acupuncture.
Not necessarily in that order.
© 2013 Larry Forsberg. All rights reserved.
Articles posted on this Web site are for personal use only and remain the property of Larry Forsberg, L.Ac.
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