ACUPUNCTURE
Relaxation / More Comfort / Better Sleep
Acupuncture is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine which also includes herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (Tui na), exercise (qigong or “chi-gung”) and nutritional or dietary therapy.
When most people think about acupuncture, they are familiar with the insertion of hair-thin single use needles for pain control. However, acupuncture has a proven track record of treating and addressing a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions. This therapy (along with other Eastern practices, including yoga, meditation, qi gong and tai chi) is now making inroads in Western medicine as a treatment for mental illness as well as substance abuse.
Acupuncture addresses both physical and mental health conditions simultaneously. Immediate effects include a sense of wellbeing and relaxation, reduced anxiety and depression, and improved sleep. General improvements in health (headaches and other pain, digestive complaints, etc.) make it easier for patients to receive other services (like counseling). Treatment outcomes improve when patients feel better. The effects are immediate, but can also be long lasting, beyond the time the treatment is being given.
Acupuncture involves the stimulation of specific points on the body by the insertion of thin, solid, single use needles. Insertion of the acupuncture needles is usually painless, however when working in an area of high pain, the needles may trigger some mild pain before the numbing takes effects. Mild electrostimulation is sometimes used with the acupuncture needles to enhance the effects. Other means to stimulate or sedate acupuncture points include touch, tapping, or applying seeds or magnets to the acupuncture points.
As a holistic practice, acupuncture seeks to re-establish the body’s healthy equilibrium and function. In the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a vital energy force known as qi (or chi) flows through the body along channels called meridians. When qi flow is blocked, it stagnates and this causes illness and/or pain. Acupuncture unblocks the qi flow, strengthens or calms the qi and directs it to the areas in need.
From the standpoint of Western scientific research, qi is likely to be revealed as some amalgam of endorphins, the bioelectric potential of cell membranes, nervous conduction, circulating hormones or perhaps even photons (light) and infrared radiation (heat). Some of the immediate results of acupuncture reflect stimulating or calming components of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems which make up the autonomic nervous system.
Some military hospitals and installations such as the Restoration and Resilience (R & R) Program at Fort Bliss and the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program (Darnall Army Medical Center, DAMC) at Fort Hood use acupuncture as stress relief for patients and to treat traumatic brain injury and insomnia. Initial research with combat veterans has shown that acupuncture may relieve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms and eases pain and depression with improvements that are relatively rapid and clinically significant. A recent Army study shows that one in four soldiers with combat-caused PTSD turned to acupuncture, herbs, chiropractors or megavitamins for relief.
Acupuncture is part of 5000 year-old medical tradition which originated in China and continues to function as the main health care system in place for hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. While for most of its long and notable history, its practice was confined to Asia, in the past half century, its use and acceptance in the United States, Canada and Europe has seen an unprecedented growth.
Acupuncture has been accepted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, 1997) and the World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) for a wide range of medical conditions and acupuncture has been accepted by major hospitals and insurance companies, especially in California and other states with large Asian populations.
When most people think about acupuncture, they are familiar with the insertion of hair-thin single use needles for pain control. However, acupuncture has a proven track record of treating and addressing a variety of endocrine, circulatory and systemic conditions. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other accepted medical procedures used for the same conditions. This therapy (along with other Eastern practices, including yoga, meditation, qi gong and tai chi) is now making inroads in Western medicine as a treatment for mental illness as well as substance abuse.
Acupuncture addresses both physical and mental health conditions simultaneously. Immediate effects include a sense of wellbeing and relaxation, reduced anxiety and depression, and improved sleep. General improvements in health (headaches and other pain, digestive complaints, etc.) make it easier for patients to receive other services (like counseling). Treatment outcomes improve when patients feel better. The effects are immediate, but can also be long lasting, beyond the time the treatment is being given.
Acupuncture involves the stimulation of specific points on the body by the insertion of thin, solid, single use needles. Insertion of the acupuncture needles is usually painless, however when working in an area of high pain, the needles may trigger some mild pain before the numbing takes effects. Mild electrostimulation is sometimes used with the acupuncture needles to enhance the effects. Other means to stimulate or sedate acupuncture points include touch, tapping, or applying seeds or magnets to the acupuncture points.
As a holistic practice, acupuncture seeks to re-establish the body’s healthy equilibrium and function. In the view of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a vital energy force known as qi (or chi) flows through the body along channels called meridians. When qi flow is blocked, it stagnates and this causes illness and/or pain. Acupuncture unblocks the qi flow, strengthens or calms the qi and directs it to the areas in need.
From the standpoint of Western scientific research, qi is likely to be revealed as some amalgam of endorphins, the bioelectric potential of cell membranes, nervous conduction, circulating hormones or perhaps even photons (light) and infrared radiation (heat). Some of the immediate results of acupuncture reflect stimulating or calming components of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems which make up the autonomic nervous system.
Some military hospitals and installations such as the Restoration and Resilience (R & R) Program at Fort Bliss and the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program (Darnall Army Medical Center, DAMC) at Fort Hood use acupuncture as stress relief for patients and to treat traumatic brain injury and insomnia. Initial research with combat veterans has shown that acupuncture may relieve Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms and eases pain and depression with improvements that are relatively rapid and clinically significant. A recent Army study shows that one in four soldiers with combat-caused PTSD turned to acupuncture, herbs, chiropractors or megavitamins for relief.
Acupuncture is part of 5000 year-old medical tradition which originated in China and continues to function as the main health care system in place for hundreds of millions of individuals worldwide. While for most of its long and notable history, its practice was confined to Asia, in the past half century, its use and acceptance in the United States, Canada and Europe has seen an unprecedented growth.
Acupuncture has been accepted by the National Institutes of Health (NIH, 1997) and the World Health Organization (WHO, 2003) for a wide range of medical conditions and acupuncture has been accepted by major hospitals and insurance companies, especially in California and other states with large Asian populations.
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The statements found within these pages have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If a product, service or treatment is mentioned or recommended in these pages, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information contained herein is meant to be used to educate the reader and is in no way intended to provide individual medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health practitioner. Vet TRIIP™, Inc,. BeneSol, LLC, and their representatives assume no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material.
If you are having a healthcare emergency, call 991 or connect with the Veterans Crisis Line at DIAL 988 then PRESS 1 or Text 838255 or https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/.
Other national resources are available at www.va.gov. For most Texas counties, non-emergency county resources for veterans are available by dialing 311.
Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms. All trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.
This site is owned by BeneSol, LLC © 2012 - 2025 All Rights Reserved.
The statements found within these pages have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. If a product, service or treatment is mentioned or recommended in these pages, it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The information contained herein is meant to be used to educate the reader and is in no way intended to provide individual medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health practitioner. Vet TRIIP™, Inc,. BeneSol, LLC, and their representatives assume no responsibility for the use or misuse of this material.
If you are having a healthcare emergency, call 991 or connect with the Veterans Crisis Line at DIAL 988 then PRESS 1 or Text 838255 or https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/.
Other national resources are available at www.va.gov. For most Texas counties, non-emergency county resources for veterans are available by dialing 311.
Your use of this website indicates your agreement to these terms. All trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks mentioned on this site are the property of their respective owners.
This site is owned by BeneSol, LLC © 2012 - 2025 All Rights Reserved.