With the holidays right around the corner, many feel stressed about the extra pounds that come with all those holiday treats. Often, I’m asked if I can do acupuncture for weight loss. Here’s the answer: Acupuncture can help support healthy weight loss, BUT diet modifications and exercise are still the most important tools to get the job done and reach your desired weight.
Acupuncture creates overall balance in the body. By re-establishing balance in the body, it can function optimally, metabolizing what you put in and efficiently getting rid of the waste. Acupuncture helps balance out the emotions too. Reducing stress, depression, and anxiety can put a halt to unhealthy eating habits that we turn to for emotional support. Specific cravings can also be targeted with acupuncture. Got a sweet tooth? Acupuncture can help reduce cravings, making it easier for you to make healthier choices.
Acupuncture treatment for weight loss will usually focus on using points in the ear in combination with body points. In Chinese medicine, the entire body is depicted on the ear, so a huge variety of conditions can be treated by just using ear points. After the treatment, the practitioner may send you home with ear seeds. Ear seeds sit on top of the skin and are attached with a small piece of tape. The small seeds sits on top of the acupuncture point to continue stimulating that area to prolong the effect of the acupuncture treatment. Ear seeds can be left on for 3-5 days and need to be pressed on daily to stimulate the point. Keep in mind, weekly acupuncture visits will be needed initially to encourage and support optimal weight loss.
Acupuncture can be an excellent tool for weight loss when combined with diet modifications and regular exercise. Happy holidays!
