Reduce your BMI with Ear Acupuncture
In a 2013 study, researchers found a 5-point acupuncture prescription using the ear alone was able to reduce both participants’ waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). The five points included Shen Men (Spirit Gate), Stomach, Spleen, Hunger and Endocrine. The points were stimulated using leave-in ear tacks (2 mm in length acupuncture needles adhered to the ear with a miniature band-aid) for eight weeks, yielding a 6.1% reduction in BMI.
Chinese Medicine on Weight Loss
Sustainable Change
What I appreciate about Chinese medicine is that it is a medicine that helps the body help itself. If you notice, this point prescription is not only helping to curb excessive appetites (Hunger Point) and calm our anxieties (Spirit Gate), but also focuses on regulating the endocrine hormones (Endocrine) and the organs directly involved in digestion and energy production (Stomach and Spleen). It’s not a cure-all, and it’s not a fix. It’s support working towards sustainable change.
Multi-Tiered Approach
Acupuncture is just one method of many within Chinese medicine designed to help the body help itself. We East Asian Medicine Practitioners also regularly prescribe Chinese herbs, dietary therapy and physical exercises. One book I like to recommend my patients interested in learning more about Chinese medicine approaches to weight loss is, “TCM: A Natural Guide to Weight Loss That Lasts” by Dr. Nan Lu. The book features quizzes to help you figure out which [Chinese medicine] organs are out of balance and what foods can help. As well, it features qi gong exercises specific to weight loss. For recipes from his program, visit: The Dragon’s Way Recipes for Self-healing.
About Auricular Acupuncture
Traditionally, acupuncture refers to the needling of [points along the meridians of] the body, as documented in written records dating back 2000 years. However, as the specialty developed over time, practitioners started finding that certain parts of the body, such as the hands and the ears, were actually homunculi that could treat conditions *anywhere* in the body. (A homunculi is a full-body map or “miniature adult.”) Auricular acupuncture, therefore, is the treatment of the whole body by stimulating points along the homunculus found on the ear. Pretty cool, huh?
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24342715
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1218-auricular-acupuncture-weight-loss-found-effective
Original article and pictures take i0.wp.com site
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