Did you know that our plutus health plans allow you to claim towards the cost of alternative practices such as acupuncture?
A key component of traditional Chinese medicine, fine needles are inserted at certain sites in the body for therapeutic or precautionary purposes. Acupuncture can relieve the pain of migraines or chronic tension type headaches, improve sleep, aid digestion and increase overall well-being. Plutus Health CEO Martin Ricketts shares how acupuncture works, the conditions commonly treated and the many benefits of this ancient holistic practice
How does acupuncture work?
Acupuncture is an eastern health care system that originated in China and can be traced back at least 2,500 years. Based on the premise that the flow of energy (Qi) within the body is essential for health, acupuncture can alleviate the symptoms of many ailments. According to this ancient theory, vital energy moves through the body along channels called meridians and it is the disruption of the body’s energy flow that is believed to cause disease. The aim of acupuncture is to correct imbalances of flow at identifiable points in the body.
The most thoroughly studied acupuncture technique involves penetrating the skin with thin metallic needles, which are manipulated manually or by electrical stimulation.
What conditions does acupuncture treat effectively?
The benefits of acupuncture extend to a wide variety of conditions, from emotional disorders like anxiety and depression to persistent digestive upsets. Most commonly, the treatment can be beneficial for managing the pain of an injury or chronic diseases such as arthritis.
Patients of surgery or major dental treatments report positive results and effective pain relief post-acupuncture. And while there is no research to suggest acupuncture can cure cancer, it is used to treat pain and other cancer related symptoms, such as the side effects of chemotherapy, including nausea and vomiting.
There are many other circumstances, such as addiction, stroke rehabilitation, headache, menstrual cramps, osteoarthritis, back pain and asthma where acupuncture may be useful as an additional treatment or be included in a disease management program.
What are the benefits?
Some benefits of choosing acupuncture treatment include limited side effects and being able to combine acupuncture with other treatments safely. It is also a favourable option for those to whom pain medications are not available, due to allergies for example.
Acupuncture is also believed to have considerable preventative benefits, boosting your immune system by helping to find and destroy infections.
Acupuncture is available on the personal and corporate Plutus health plan, and you can claim towards the cost of treatment by a qualified and registered practitioner.
Martin Ricketts is CEO of Plutus Health
