What is acupuncture for weight loss?
Acupuncture for weight loss utilizes traditional Chinese medicine techniques, such as acupuncture, to stimulate specific acupoints on the body. This stimulation regulates the body's endocrine system, ultimately leading to weight loss. Acupuncture for weight loss is considered relatively safe and reliable, as it works by stimulating relevant acupoints to regulate the body's endocrine system and thus achieve weight loss.
Acupuncture for weight loss, as a method that doesn't require excessive exercise or a strict diet, has become a popular choice for many women seeking quick results. But is acupuncture for weight loss really that magical? This article will share some common misconceptions about acupuncture for weight loss, helping you better understand this method and avoid common mistakes, ensuring a healthy and effective approach.
Myth 1: Anyone can lose weight quickly.
Is acupuncture effective for weight loss? To answer this question, we first need to dispel a misconception: that "anyone can lose weight quickly." In fact, acupuncture causes some people to lose significant weight in a short period, while others see no change in weight. Why is this?
Doctors believe that the more overweight a person is, the more body fat they have, and the more effective acupuncture will be for weight loss. However, some people are not severely overweight, so the effects of acupuncture are less noticeable. It's important to understand that any weight loss method or remedy needs to be adjusted gradually, and different people respond differently to acupuncture.
Myth 2: Anyone can do acupuncture for weight loss.
There are certain requirements for people who want to undergo acupuncture for weight loss. For example, those who are ill; those with bleeding disorders such as hemophilia , coagulation disorders, or anemia ; those who have donated blood less than a month ago; and those with poor heart function or who wear pacemakers are not suitable candidates for acupuncture for weight loss. Furthermore, acupuncture is not recommended for those under 20 years of age or those with physiological obesity. Therefore, acupuncture for weight loss is not suitable for everyone.
Myth 3: The more needles you get, the better your weight loss results.
According to professional doctors, many beauty salons and weight loss centers use 30 to 40 acupuncture needles in a single session, with customers believing that the more needles used, the better the weight loss effect. While acupuncture for weight loss is indeed effective for simple obesity caused by metabolic disorders, excessively frequent or forceful needle insertion can lead to acupoint fatigue, clinically known as increased tolerance.
Experienced acupuncturists will consider changing acupoints when performing long-term treatments, instead of always inserting needles into the same group of acupoints. This is to consciously avoid the body developing "acupoint fatigue," because once tolerance is developed, the sensation of the acupoints will become abnormal, and even if the intensity of stimulation is increased, the effect will not be as good as before.
Secondly, as we all know, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emphasizes diagnosis and treatment based on syndrome differentiation, and acupuncture for weight loss is no exception. Experts say that for every person who comes to the acupuncture department for weight loss treatment, after confirming that they are a suitable candidate, their constitution must also be assessed. Acupuncture for weight loss has a basic set of needling techniques, but for people with different constitutions, it is necessary to combine syndrome differentiation with acupuncture point selection. For example, for obese people with spleen deficiency and dampness obstruction , in addition to the main acupuncture points, points such as Yinlingquan and Gongsun should be added. Therefore, it is clear that acupuncture for weight loss also requires professional knowledge. It has its own rules and methods, emphasizing the selection of acupuncture points. Only a dozen or so acupuncture points are truly effective for weight loss; needling other acupuncture points is ineffective, and if the wrong points are accidentally needled, it may even lead to adverse consequences. Only by selecting the right acupuncture points for the specific syndrome can good results be achieved.
Myth 4: Extremely quick results
The effects of acupuncture for weight loss vary from person to person; some see results quickly, while others see results slowly. This is because acupuncture for weight loss doesn't reduce weight, but rather reduces fat. The more you exceed your ideal weight, the more fat you generally have, and the more pronounced the effects of acupuncture for weight loss will be.
The effectiveness of weight loss also depends on whether it is a whole-body weight loss . Some localized weight loss methods , such as abdominal weight loss, have obvious effects but not significant weight loss.
Furthermore, the effectiveness of weight loss is also related to the characteristics of fat; soft fat is reduced faster and more noticeably, while hard fat shows less effect. Any weight loss method requires gradual adjustment, and everyone's response to acupuncture is different, necessitating continuous treatment. Expecting to achieve a slender figure after just a few acupuncture sessions is unrealistic.
Myth 5: Easily infected
Many people mistakenly believe that acupuncture can cause infection, and therefore dare not try acupuncture for weight loss. In fact, the needles used in acupuncture are very fine, and for the skin, most acupuncture is only a minor trauma. The body's repair mechanism is usually very quick. Unless there is other damage or infection, and unless there are embedded needles (a type of ear acupuncture) that require protection from water, other body acupuncture has almost no impact on daily life. Bathing and swimming are not a problem.
Myth 6: You can't wash your hair when applying ear pins.
The doctor replied: It's not that you can't wash your hair when getting ear studs, but you should try to avoid getting your ears wet. The reason why regular ear studs shouldn't get wet is to prevent the adhesive from losing its stickiness. If it's an embedded stud, it needs to be kept away from water. Therefore, you can try wearing ear covers before washing your hair.
Myth 7: Dietary adjustments and physical exercise are not necessary.
Acupuncture combined with a proper diet is even more effective. The principle of dietary control is: do not eat if you are not hungry, and eat only when you are hungry. Eat vegetables , lean meat, and eggs until you are full. Avoid sweets, fatty meat, potatoes, lotus root, and vermicelli.
Experts caution that while acupuncture for weight loss has a dual mechanism of suppressing excessive appetite and promoting energy metabolism, it doesn't mean that obese patients can "successfully lose weight simply by lying in bed with their eyes closed and receiving a few acupuncture needles." The healthy weight loss regimens recommended for obese patients undergoing treatment also suggest maintaining a light diet, controlling portion sizes, reducing starchy foods and sugar intake, and regularly consuming vegetables, soy products, lean meat, and dairy products. Fried foods, nuts, desserts, and cold drinks should be avoided, along with increased physical exercise. Experts say, "Die control and exercise are still necessary during acupuncture for weight loss. However, the acupuncture techniques can also suppress excessive appetite and promote energy metabolism, making the results more effective and faster than simply 'diet control + exercise'."
Myth 8: Acupuncture is not suitable after childbirth or abortion if menstruation has not resumed.
Experts say that many new mothers are eager to lose weight immediately after completing their postpartum confinement period. "The endocrine levels of women after childbirth are gradually recovering, and according to clinical experience, acupuncture for weight loss during this period is indeed quite effective." However, she cautions new mothers who intend to lose weight through acupuncture to wait until they have weaned their children before trying it. "This is because acupuncture for weight loss requires dietary adjustments, such as temporarily replacing pork, beef, and lamb with fish and chicken. However, for women who are still breastfeeding, this may affect the nutritional composition of breast milk, so the treatment should only begin after the child has been weaned."
In addition, women who are menstruating or whose menstrual cycles have not returned to normal after childbirth or abortion are also temporarily unsuitable for acupuncture weight loss. Experts explain that this is because acupuncture weight loss requires the use of the "Guiding Qi Back to its Origin" formula in abdominal acupuncture. "Abdominal acupuncture theory believes that a person's innate essence, from the formless vital energy to the formation of the embryo, depends entirely on the navel system. The large abdomen, centered on the Shenque point, not only has a known circulatory system related to the circulation of Qi and blood throughout the body, but also possesses a higher regulatory system for the whole body, which has a regulatory effect on the endocrine system, nervous system, and metabolism. At the same time, it can also improve the patient's physical abilities. However, women who are menstruating or whose menstrual cycles have not returned to normal after childbirth or abortion may experience increased menstrual flow, so treatment should be avoided during this period."
Myth 9: Acupuncture for weight loss is a one-time solution.
It's not true that one treatment is enough to achieve results. Acupuncture for weight loss involves adjusting the body and requires repeated treatments and continuous reinforcement to establish a new state.
Generally, intensive treatment needs to be continued for more than 3 months (6 months to 1 year for particularly obese individuals). After the course of treatment is stopped, the weight can generally be maintained at a normal level for 1 to 3 years.
