Acupuncture Treatment To Lose Weight

The School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University recently completed a clinical trial on the use of acupuncture for weight control. After an eight-week treatment, the participants' average body weight decreased by 2.47 kg, with a weight loss of 7.2 kg for the most successful participant, whose Body Mass Index (BMI) dropped by 3.2 kg/m

In cooperation with the Hong Kong Hospital Authority, the School conducted the trial from September 2015 to October 2016 on 72 participants, comprising 13 males and 59 females aged between 18 and 68. The participants had a BMI of 25 or above but none of them had taken any other weight control measures or any medication three months prior to the trial.

The participants were randomly assigned to two groups for the controlled trial: the real acupuncture group and the sham acupuncture group. Each participant underwent a total of 16 sessions of acupuncture treatment over eight weeks. The acupoints on the abdomen include Tianshu, Dahen, Daimai, Qihai, and Zhongwan while those on the lower limbs are Zusanli, Fenlong, and Sanyinjiao. The participants also received auricular acupressure by putting Semen Vaccariae (Wang Bu Liu Xing) embedded within adhesive tape on auricular points of Hunger, Shen men, Spleen and Stomach. According to the Chinese medicine perspective, these acupoints can restore and harmonise the flow of energy in the intestines as well as transform body fluid and expel phlegm.

Acupuncture For Weight Loss

After undergoing acupuncture treatment, the real acupuncture group delivered a decrease of 2.47 kg in average weight and a drop of 1.56 kg/m2 in average BMI. The most successful case recorded weight loss of 7.2 kg with a drop of 3.2 kg/m

Director of the HKBU Hong Kong Chinese Medicine Study Centre and Clinical Division of SCM Professor Bian Zhaoxing is the research team's principal investigator. Other research members included Lecturer of the Clinical Division Dr Yang Junjun, Associate Professor of the Teaching and Research Division Dr Zhang Shiping, and Research Assistant Professor of the Clinical Division Dr Zhong Lidan.

Dr Zhong said that acupuncture has a stimulating effect. The mechanism of acupuncture may be that the stimulation to the serotonin and beta endorphin will suppress appetite and increase lipolysis activity, resulting in weight loss. She explained that this trial provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy and safety of acupuncture on weight control in Hong Kong. It also offers a research basis for future large sample clinical trials and a guideline for developing acupuncture to counter obesity.

Things You Need To Know Before Using Acupuncture For Weight Loss

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Traditional Chinese medicine is widely known for being one of the most practiced holistic health approaches in the world. In the United States, aspects of traditional medicine, such as massage therapy and yoga, are a part of mainstream health and wellness culture.

Acupuncture Found Effective For Obesity Reduction

In this article, we’ll explore whether acupressure is beneficial for weight loss and how to incorporate acupressure into your weight loss journey.

While acupuncture uses needles to stimulate the various pressure points around the body, acupressure is done by stimulating these points through massage therapy.

Acupressure is believed to be effective in reducing stress, boosting digestion, and improving metabolism, all of which play a role in weight management.

Weight Loss Tips: Pressing These 5 Acupressure Points Daily Will Help You Lose Weight

Some pressure points are even thought to influence appetite and blood sugar levels, which makes acupressure a potential complement to traditional weight loss approaches, such as diet and exercise.

In traditional Chinese medicine, each acupressure point on the body exists on an energy pathway called a “meridian.” These meridians are named according to the various organs in the body.

Each acupressure point along a meridian is named using the letters corresponding to that meridian, followed by the location of the point on the pathway. These acupressure points also have corresponding traditional names.

Weight Loss Successes

Below, you will find some of the acupressure points that are believed to influence digestion, metabolism, and other factors related to weight loss.

Located along the stomach meridian, zusanli is believed to influence the organs of the upper abdomen, the parasympathetic nervous system (which controls digestion), and the overall energy of the body.

This point is along the conception vessel meridian. Zhongwan is believed to influence the organs of the upper abdomen, as well as those related to digestion, such as the stomach and intestines.

Acupuncture For Weight Loss: Philadelphia Acupuncture Clinic

Located along the spleen meridian, xuehai is believed to have an impact on blood sugar levels, particularly in the context of diabetes.

This point is located above the kneecap, roughly two inches away from the center of the body at the bottom portion of the thigh muscle.

The research on acupressure and weight loss is limited. However, the current literature suggests that acupressure may be effective in aiding weight loss for individuals with obesity.

How Professional Acupuncture And Thread Embedding Can Help You Lose Weight

Auricular acupressure is a specific type of acupressure that stimulates the pressure points of the ear. The studies included in the analysis compared the use of acupressure alone (or with other interventions) with other experimental treatments or no treatment.

The authors found that auricular acupressure was effective in reducing both overall body weight (BW) and body mass index (BMI) in study participants.

These results remained consistent whether the acupressure was administered alone or with diet and exercise. They also found that a longer acupressure treatment period was associated with a larger impact on reducing BW and BMI.

Acupressure For Weight Loss

Like acupressure research, the literature on using acupuncture as a weight loss tool is limited. Still, similar results have suggested that acupuncture may be effective for aiding in weight loss.

The studies in this analysis compared the use of acupuncture alone with other interventions, such as medications, diet, exercise, or placebo. Researchers investigated classical acupuncture, along with other variations, such as laser acupuncture and auricular acupressure.

The authors found mixed results among the studies, with some studies demonstrating more effective weight loss from acupuncture and others demonstrating no discernible difference between interventions.

Ear Seeds: A Secret Weapon For Weight Loss

When you’re on a weight loss journey, it can be helpful to have a handful of different tools and options at your disposal, such as:

There’s no one-size-fits all approach to healthy weight loss, so it can be helpful to work with a doctor or other healthcare professional to find what works for you.

While the research on acupressure for weight loss is scarce, the current literature suggests that both acupressure and acupuncture may be effective weight loss interventions.

Ear Seeds: Your Secret Weight Loss Tool

Before you dive into using acupressure for weight loss, reach out to a healthcare professional on how you can best incorporate this practice into your journey.

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