Acupuncture for Emotional Imbalances, Research Paper Example

Introduction

Eating disorders are dramatic illnesses that affect both the victim and their families. The recovery rate for those with eating disorders is poor and plagued by relapses back into the unhealthy eating habits. For most people, when one thinks of an eating disorder horrendous images of starved females with barely enough skin to cover their protruding bones come to mind. However, eating disorders encompass a variety of individuals; some of those individuals are underweight and others are overweight. These types of disorders are very difficult to treat and those who are not able to successfully recover, the risk of serious side effects is imminent.  Both anorexia and bulimia are characterized by distorted body images and a fear of gaining weight. Eating disorders encompasses both physical and mental health.  Traditional Chinese Medicine is effective in treating eating disorders because it attempts to treat the root of the eating disorder (Agras, Crow, Mitchell, Halmi, & Bryson, 2009).

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a holistic approach to treating eating disorders because depression and anxiety usually accompany these disorders. Because anxiety and depression have responded well to acupuncture, the strategy has been incorporated in treating eating disorders. The use of traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years. Chinese medicine is centered on the belief that there is a universal energy called chi, which is present in every person. This energy flows through the body in pathways called meridians. They believe that when the flow of this energy is blocked it will cause illness (Agras, Crow, Mitchell, Halmi, & Bryson, 2009).Acupuncture is used to restore the body’s normal function by freeing up the chi energy.

Review of Literature

Much research has been completed in attempts to gain a greater knowledge about how eating disorders are linked to clinical behaviors (Bamford & Sly. 2010) One study conducted applied acupuncture treatments to clients over a thirteen week session. A total of 125 participants were included. About 76 percent of those participants were females. The participants were divided into two groups. One group received non-traditional Chinese Medicine and the other received acupuncture. At the end of the study, the patients who received acupuncture showed more improvement than those receiving other methods to combat anorexia and bulimia. The results of the study supported the belief that participants receiving acupuncture treatment reported a significant improvement in their quality of life. They reported a reduction of anxiety and perfectionist(Bamford & Sly 2010).

Weight Loss

Overeating is also considered an eating disorder. People who eat to excessively without control are often suffering mental illness. These symptoms are often treated with cognitive behavior therapy. Patients are taught to replace that desire to eat with other tasks like exercising or reading. In recent years, acupuncture has been to help people with weight loss. A study conducted by Cabroglu, Ergene, & Tan, 2006concluded that acupuncture helped those patients to lose weight and maintain the weight loss over time. Of the 87 people in the trial, sixty-nine were able to lose weight. The study was conducted over a period of 2 years. At the end of the study, fifty-eight percent of the participants had maintained a healthy weight.

Conclusion

Individuals suffering from eating disorders have shown significant improvement in the quality of life they live. Acupuncture has been more effective than other forms of treatment because it takes a holistic approach. Eating disorders are often rooted in depression or anxiety issues. Once those issues are treated by acupuncture, the eating disorder usually subsides.

References

Agras, W. S., Crow, S., Mitchell, J. E., Halmi, K., & Bryson, S. (2009). A 4-Year Prospective Study of Eating Disorder NOS compared with Full Eating Disorder Syndromes. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 42(6), 565-570.

Bamford, B., & Sly, R. (2010). Exploring Quality of Life in the Eating Disorders. European Eating Disorders Review, 18(2), 147-153

Cabroglu, M., Ergene, N., & Tan, U. (2006). The Treatment of Obesity by Acupuncture. International Journal of Neuroscience, 116, 165-175.