If you are about to have a major surgery, you may want to look into acupuncture for both preparing yourself before having the surgery and recovering after the surgery.
Most major surgeries can be quite debilitating and some will require considerable rehabilitation.
However, acupuncture may help you lessen the time needed to fully recover from the surgery and get back on your feet once again.
Using Acupuncture Before Surgery Why would someone get an acupuncture treatment prior to having a surgical process done? Well, some argue that acupuncture can help boost the immune system when specific points in the body are stimulated, and having your immune system as strong as possible before surgery may help accelerate your healing and lesson the recovery time.
Furthermore, acupuncture may also help lessen the stress and tension patients feel before an impending surgery, which may help both emotionally and physically.
Using Acupuncture After A Surgery When acupuncture is used after a surgery, some patients seem to recover quicker than those who have not taken advantage of the process.
The recovery period may be anywhere from several weeks to a couple months quicker, depending on the type of surgery that was done and the recovery period involved.
There are many factors, of course, the impact how quickly a patient will recover from a surgery and there are a wide variety of rehabilitative processes as well to help with this recovery.
Acupuncture ideally is one of many different kinds of rehabilitative treatments, including physical therapy, that help a patient recover as quickly and pain free as possible.
Acupuncture treatments can generally be started the day after surgery.
Trained acupuncture therapists will usually use distal points to help promote blood circulation around areas that are bandaged or have been operated on.
Furthermore, acupuncture can be used to bring some pain relief and reduce swelling.
Finally, as with the pre-surgery acupuncture treatment, post-surgery acupuncture can work on improving immune system functioning in order to speed the healing process.
Often it is best when acupuncture is used in conjunction with physical therapy processes that also encourage blood flow and circulation.
Although the scientific evidence supporting the benefits of acupuncture and surgery are not well documented, this is also not an area that has been studied extensively by the scientific community either.
It is unlikely that acupuncture will pose any harm to a patient as long as it is used in conjunction with other approved therapies.
But as with all treatments, you should consult with your physician regarding your plans for acupuncture treatment prior and post surgery.