4 Reasons Men Need Acupuncture

Listen up dads and dudes, June is Men’s Health Month and it’s time to start taking better care of yourselves. We know you are tough and are probably used to waiting until something is either broken or bleeding to seek out help, but let’s make an exception to this rule. After all, there’s no reason you should still be suffering from the injuries you sustained while scoring touchdowns, breaking records or even from rough-housing with your friends.

We get it, self-care may not be in your vocabulary and you probably don’t want to hear that you (yes, you!) are succumbing to the side-effects of stress, but the sleepless nights, indigestion, anxiety and muscle pain that you are experiencing prove otherwise. Acupuncture is here to help, and not only will it help alleviate stress, but it may even get you back to feeling like you did when you were in High School or College.

Here are four reasons all men need to start getting acupuncture:

Stress

Balancing family, finances, fitness, friends and goals isn’t easy…for anybody. Both men and women are more stressed out than ever before, but it isn’t something that men often talk about. You can try to make it look easy, but your body won’t stay quiet forever and the symptoms of stress will start to creep in. Insomnia, indigestion, and irritability (oh my!) are often the first signs that you need to slow down. If left unchecked, stress can lead to more serious conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Let us help you get that stress in check. Acupuncture has been shown to block hormones associated with the stress response that, when in excess, can have adverse effects on your health.¹ To learn more about how acupuncture helps with stress, visit our blog here.

Sleep

You might fall into bed at the end of a long day only to find yourself unable to relax and fall asleep. Or maybe you work really crazy hours and feel like you are burning the candle at both ends. Regardless of the cause, you are exhausted and would be willing to do just about anything for a good night’s sleep. Good news, there’s acupuncture for that.

Acupuncture has been shown to help people fall asleep easier as well as improve overall quality of sleep. In many cases, acupuncture outperformed drugs in the treatment of insomnia.^2,3,4 If you want to learn more about acupuncture and sleep, visit our blog here.

Pain

Whether it’s old football injuries, gym mishaps or maybe you have been gaming so hard that you developed carpal tunnel, acupuncture can help ease your pain. A pilot study shows promise that the pain relief effects of acupuncture are comparable to moderate doses of morphine, and not to mention much safer.⁵ Furthermore, several studies show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for back, knee and arthritis pain. Stop letting old injuries slow you down and get back to the activities that you enjoy the most.

Recovery and Athletic Performance

If your PR has hit a plateau or you find that after intense exercise you have trouble getting back in the game, then acupuncture needs to be part of your performance and recovery regimen. Acupuncture helps reduce inflammation and oxidative stress that can often inhibit athletic performance.⁶ It has also been shown to promote faster and more effective muscle recovery.⁷ So, gather all your teammates from your city-league softball team and start getting acupuncture right away. Next thing you know you will be taking home the championship title.

These are just four of the many reasons men can benefit from regular acupuncture. We want to help you feel your best, perform your best, and continue to win at life. While you’re at it, why not add cosmetic acupuncture to your treatment. It’s an all-natural anti-aging treatment that will have you looking like you just stepped off the set of the latest Old Spice commercial. We know you fellas want to look good too.

Get started by finding a Modern Acupuncture clinic near you under the location tab on our website. We have clinics all across the country and more opening every month. Book your appointment online or call your local clinic and speak to one of our friendly Zen Advisors.

1. https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1502-acupuncture-blocks-stress-hormones
2. Shao, Yue. "Clinical study on acupuncture for primary insomnia." Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science 15, no. 6 (2017): 410-414.
3. Lin-Peng Wang, Guo, Jing, Cun-Zhi Liu, Jie Zhang, Gui-Ling Wang, Jing-Hong Yi, Jin-Lian Cheng, and R. Musil. "Efficacy of acupuncture for primary insomnia: a randomized controlled clinical trial." Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur 57, no. 4 (2014): 31-32.
4. Wen, Xiuyun, Qian Wu, Jingshu Du, and Wenbin Fu. "Effect of compatibility of Lie Que (LU7) and Zhao Hai (KI6) on insomnia caused by depression: a randomized controlled trial." Biomedical Engineering and Environmental Engineering 145 (2014): 227.
5. Goddard, Greg. "Acupuncture (ST 36) Reduces Jaw Open Reflex in a Rat: A Pilot Study." (2013).
6. Liu, J. Y., and L. M. Liu. "[Influence of electroacupuncture intervention on free radical metabolism in athletes undergoing intensive endurance exercise]." Zhen ci yan jiu= Acupuncture research/[Zhongguo yi xue ke xue yuan Yi xue qing bao yan jiu suo bian ji] 38, no. 1 (2013): 48-51.
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19606508