Acupuncture, A Natural Alternative for Weight Loss
Dr. Ning Li

Often, one of the first signs of spring is that we become “possessed” with how to shed the extra pounds that winter has added to our frame. We look at the scale and see the affects of shorter days, longer nights, less exercise and more comfort food. We feel the guilt!

What steps can we take to get rid of these unwanted pounds? For many of us, exercise and starvation are not alternatives. We prefer to eat normally, return to a realistic level of exercise, and be as happy as we were before the winter doldrums set in, but without the added pounds. Most of us prefer a natural alternative to weight loss that is cost-effective and does not involve getting surgery, liposuction, or taking a regimen of pills that “promises” to help you lose 15 pounds in two days. Acupuncture is a natural alternative for weight loss that can help shrink us back down to size in both a healthy and economical way.

Yes, you have heard of acupuncture being used for managing pain for your low back, for depression, and for migraines. But have you ever heard that acupuncture can be used successfully for weight loss? Well, it works! Once we understand how acupuncture is used to control the urge to eat, we can then understand how acupuncture can help us lose the weight.

Acupuncture is an adjunct therapy for weight loss, most effective when the patient is also willing to change his or her lifestyle. We know that when acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points on the body, and in the ear, the body releases endorphins. Endorphins have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with the stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger over-eating or binging on fattening foods. Endorphins also affect the digestive and hormonal systems, so acupuncture can help rebalance organ systems that are too fast, or in some cases too slow.

Acupuncture helps to control compulsive eating and to make us feel good about ourselves. But without proper nutritional counseling, the treatments may not help address the underlying causes of obesity and weight gain. Making a commitment to change the way that we eat must also be adopted. With this in mind, a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates helps in controlling yo-yo dieting, for example losing weight in the spring and summer, then gaining the weight back in the fall and winter. Adopting a healthy lifestyle helps us succeed in controlling weight gain in the future.

Changing to a healthy diet and also learning how to control the appetite for wanting excess food helps you to succeed in losing those unwanted winter pounds. On average, over 60% of patients can lose up to 10 pounds per month when acupuncture is used in conjunction with exercise and nutritious eating. An average session costs $60, and typically several sessions are needed over several months. The effects of acupuncture usually last for a while, but with steady treatments and controlling the diet, results will be effective for a year or more.

Dr. Li received her medical doctorate in Oriental Medicine in 1990 from Changchun College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, an accredited college by the National Higher Education Committee, Ministry of Education, People’s Republic of China. She practiced as a Doctor of Oriental Medicine for 10 years at Changchun Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (1990-1994) at Jilin province and Nankai University Hospital (1994-2000) at Tianjin in Chin. In the US, she is certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM) and is licensed in North Carolina. She is also a member of American Association of Oriental Medicine. Dr. Li uses acupuncture, cupping technique, moxibustion, acupressure, and Chinese herbs for pain management, frozen shoulder, fatigue, lumbago, and weight loss. Call Dr. Li at her office in Greensboro on Battleground Ave., 336-988-2251, or at the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, 336-605-7077.