Did you know Acupuncture for weight loss exists?!

Acupuncture is known to benefit many ailments. Weight loss is one of the imbalances it can help with. Weight loss in Traditional Chinese Medicine is a practice that has been around for centuries. Previously it would only be used by the aristocrats and higher echelons of society for beautification. As centuries continued more people in society had the luxury of time & wealth to partake in Acupuncture for Weight Loss treatments (if it was necessary). As a society today, we live in a much faster pace of life. The cost of this is we are more stressed, have less time & don’t exercise as much as we did in previous generations.

Overweight conditions & obesity are on the rise. From this, a solution to help alleviate this overtime can be Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) & Acupuncture for weight loss. Weight loss can be broken down into the following:

• Weakness of Earth Organs
• Ailments resulting from weak earth organs
• Diet

In TCM, weight loss is focused on boosting up the Earth Element organs and pathologies. Stomach & Spleen/Pancreas are the organs of the body which represents the Earth element. Both the Spleen/Pancreas & Stomach have different functions in TCM. The large picture summary of both organs though is that they relate to digestion.

Earth in TCM is centering, grounding, & is related to thought and digestion. The pathology of Earth is called dampness and phlegm. Imagine earth when it is dry. It is stable, warming, possibly cooling depending on the temperature. However, dampness is like the Earth when there is a torrent of water. It becomes stuck, stagnant, & muddy. This is physically related to mucous in the body. Another manifestation could be fatigue, low energy & a clouded mind. Phlegm is dampness clumped together after a long period of time. Phlegm is dampness distilled and concentrated. Physically this can manifest as nodules under the skin, cholesterol, or actual physical phlegm.

Weight loss is a time process. There is no quick fix. TCM & Acupuncture can benefit weight loss in helping the body come back into balance. It can support the Earth organs and bring them back to their optimal function. Once the Earth organs start to balance out, weight loss is a natural effect. Acupuncture particularly is quite effective in “jumping” the organs back since it uses Needle (metal) which is the child of Earth. Also, Acupuncture works with the muscles which correlate to Earth.

In talking about weight loss, Diet & Exercise must be talked about to help benefit the Acupuncture treatment plan. Acupuncture for weight loss can greatly benefit, but a plan of action via lifestyle must be implemented for long-term success.  A general rule of thumb to help weight loss from a TCM food therapy perspective would be to eat foods which don’t take much effort to digest. The easier it is to digest, the easier it is for the Earth element to rebuild itself. Congee would be an excellent example of a low impact food to boost metabolism.

Weight Loss is highly unique to the individual.  In Traditional Chinese Medicine through a professional, one can get a formal TCM diagnosis via questions, pulse & tongue to get a customized treatment. We offer two services, community acupuncture & private acupuncture to help you. Book now. 

Note: This is a general information article & one should go to a Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac) or Traditional Chinese Practitioner (TCM.P) for an individualized diagnosis of your specific condition.