Ageing is an unavoidable change in life and its connection with acupuncture has been talked about for a while.
Acupuncture is a system of medical treatment based on applying small thin needles or pressure to specific points in the body to treat pain. It is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine.
Dr Raman Kapur, Chairman of the Department of Medical Acupuncture at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi talked about the anti-ageing effects of acupuncture and how it addresses stress, a major cause of premature ageing.
“In today’s age, our erratic lifestyles, lack of sleep, high-stress situations and poor dietary choices have impacted the ageing process. In the last few years, acupuncture has been showing evidence of addressing factors like stress and inflammation,” Dr Raman Kapur told IndiaToday.In.
“Stress is now the biggest killer of humans. Acupuncture can slow ageing by reducing stress, which contributes to major diseases like silent heart attacks, diabetes and hypertension. In the last 15 years of my practice, I have seen a startling number of people coming to me with stress, school children even,” added Dr Kapur.
Stress, which can cause premature ageing, affects the body internally and externally. Various organs connected to stress can cause inflammation, hampering the body’s healing process.
This stress can lead to premature wrinkles, fine lines, greying and thinning of hair.
Acupuncture, said the expert, activates the parasympathetic nervous system (the part that conserves energy to be used later) which “helps to counter stress and helps relaxation.” “It gives a youthful appearance,” he said. It also manages the stress hormone cortisol.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine suggested that serum cortisol levels increased significantly after needling on the traditional acupuncture loci. “The beneficial effect of acupuncture in the treatment of functional disorders, therefore, may be mediated by cortisol or other hormones and neurohormones,” the study authors wrote.
As per Dr Kapur, another factor that quickens the rate of ageing is insomnia. India, which has a high incidence of sleep disorders and insomnia, is quite prevalent among older adults.
Acupuncture provides a non-pharmacological treatment to ensure the hormone melatonin promotes sleep, the expert added.
“In our 24-hour biological clock, our sleep–wake cycle gets affected when we don’t get quality sleep. With the advancement of technology, super pulse lazers are now available to help apply pressure on particular points of hormonal regulation, including melatonin, which helps with sleep. Just by putting a needle in the head without any pain, it can help with hormonal regulation of melatonin,” said Dr Kapur.
In acupuncture, collagen is a major aspect that provides elasticity to the skin. “We only use Guasha and lazer at facial points and collagen on the face. Through a probe, we penetrate the collagen to acupuncture points. It gives a natural change and a glow,” he said.
The expert shared that erratic lifestyles coupled with lack of sleep, lack of exercise and stress have increased the speed of ageing in younger populations, especially among teenagers and people in their 20s.
While acupuncture can help in dealing with stress, hormonal imbalance, and the blood circulatory system, severe diseases need proper medical consultation
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/
