If you are one of those who are afraid of needles, then you probably would shun the idea of trying acupuncture. But before you abandon the thought, allow me to share my personal experience.

Acupuncture is an age-old practice (3,000 years old, in fact) in traditional Chinese medicine and is an alternative form of medicine. The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has even recognized its safety and efficacy for treating a wide range of health conditions. It is a technique used to stimulate specific points on the body to instigate natural self-healing and address pain or other ailments by inserting very thin needles through the skin.

Many personal testimonies swear by this method, and other studies are only beginning to discover the role of acupuncture in helping other health concerns. The benefits of acupuncture include improved condition from chronic pains felt in the lower back, neck, and the knees. It also helps reduce headaches and migraines. In case-controlled clinical studies, the different health concerns that Acupuncture effectively addresses are: Stroke, pregnancy-related conditions like natural induction of labor and correction of baby’s position in the womb, sprain, dysmenorrhoea, and allergic rhinitis among many others. Also many other probable evidence from personal accounts of people show that there is therapeutic benefits in acupuncture in cases such as Bell’s Palsy, infertility, insomnia, asthma, obesity, mental health conditions like depression and schizophrenia, and addiction-related conditions.

Most of us are familiar with acupuncture the way traditional Chinese medicine do, but there are quite a number of other kinds or styles that apply different theories and techniques and mainly targets the same acupuncture points. These are:

• Japanese Style Acupuncture
• Korean Acupuncture
• Korean Hand Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Muxibustion
• Auricular Acupuncture
• Medical Acupuncture
• French Energetic Acupuncture
• Electroacupuncture
• Cupping (or otherwise known as Ventosa)

Generally, the risks of undergoing acupuncture are quite low given that you are being treated by a certified and expert acupuncturist, who uses sterile needles in his/her practice. Some of the possible side-effects seen are soreness and minor bruising, but even these effects show that the acupuncture is working because you body is responding to heal itself. The only adverse effect is if it is done poorly and improperly by someone who is inexperienced in this method.

For me, my-go-to place to get acupuncture treatment is Centro Holistico. And it is such a treat because it near to my house. While Centro Holistico has regular medical acupuncturist, the doctors who usually do my acupuncture are Dra. Candy Drilon-Dalman and Dra. Frances Vera Bernardino.

I usually avail their cosmetic facial acupuncture and general acupuncture. Centro Holistico’s facility is top-rate, with beds that are state-of-the art, excellent interiors, and a relaxing ambience that will make you feel right at home.

If you must know, I have always feared needles. I have these horrific thoughts like what if I bleed, what if they hit the wrong point, what if my skin swells? So on my first time having this treatment at Centro Holistico, these things played out in my head. But being the professionals and experts that they are, the doctors use special needles that are relatively pain free and very safe. How I wish I have tried acupuncture years ago when my headache and stress were persistent!

While there are many styles of acupuncture, Centro Holistico focuses on the methods of traditional Chinese medicine. To restore the flow of ‘qi’ and help your blood and other body fluids circulate naturally within your bodies, they use specialized needles to address target points as well as utilize other modalities such as ventosa, acupressure, and electro acupuncture.

The treatment lasted for 40 minutes. I felt significant improvement since the night I got home and in the next days after my acupuncture. I had good sleep, had really good mood the days that followed, and experienced better digestion. I also noticed that my mind was sharper and my energy was much better.  I really felt total stress relief after my session. So I strongly recommend this to highly stressed people!

I also tried their Cosmetic Acupuncture. And can I just say, I love this treatment!

Cosmetic Acupuncture is a natural way to give you a facial lift and remove wrinkles without any surgeries. Did you know that aside from signs of aging, you can get wrinkles merely because of your skin’s malnutrition (due to poor diet, overexertion, spleen and stomach deficiency or over-indulgence) and exhaustion of essence-blood? Yes! So even if you are only in your late 20s, you can easily go wrinkly when you don’t take care of your skin.

Suffice it to say that after I had this treatment, I saw the radiance of my face return and felt my facial skin tighten like it was when I was way younger. Also, the blood circulation around my face noticeably improved and made my facial muscles relax, hence the natural and youthful glow.

So for someone who was once a needle-phobic, I am now a convert. I love having acupuncture sessions and I’m so happy to go to Centro Holistico whenever I feel the need to have one. If you’d like to try this one out, head out to Centro Holistico’s branches near you.