How is your yin? Well, how about your yang?

needle

Yin (dark, passive, cold, negative) and yang (light, active, warm, positive) cannot exist

without each other. The more balanced your yin and yang is, the better you should feel.

You can help your body regain its balance through alternative medicine. Alternative

medicine can help with those pesky problems that a lot of teens face every day - pain from

sports injuries, stress, low energy, insomnia, migraines, depression and even test

anxiety. Alternative medicine is especially beneficial to those of us who want to avoid

the use of narcotics and other drugs.

Alternative medicine is any medicine not classified as conventional medicine. Practices of

alternative medicine are very diverse and can include things like massage, herbal

supplements, meditation and acupuncture. Alternative medicine can be used alone or, more

often, combined with conventional medicine, which is called complementary medicine.

Many teens already know the benefits of alternative medicine. How many times have you

heard a friend say, "I would love to have a professional massage," or, "I feel much better

after I exercise"? Massage and exercise are great examples of alternative medicine.

Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine that uses the insertion of needles in your

body to treat ailments. These tiny needles are placed in specific points, depending on

what you are being treated for. So how does it work?

Daniel Smith, a physician at the Aerospace Medicine Clinic at Hill Air Force Base in

Layton, says, "It's all about energy movement. To understand it, you have to understand qi

(pronounced "chee"), the life essence that gives force to all animate objects. Acupuncture

uses points in your body as channels that tap into that energy and stimulates it or

dampens it."

Acupuncture can be used to treat many physical issues like acute pain, chronic pain and

low energy. It can also be used to treat emotional issues like addictions, stress and

insomnia. This may be because acupuncture causes an increased production of endorphins in

your brain, which has a calming effect.

Many teens are likely to be dealing with such problems and acupuncture could be a great

way to help. Some acupuncturists even believe that teenagers are one of the most

beneficial patients and most likely to get better results.

"Some notice a difference of energy in 24 hours," Smith says.

I decided to try acupuncture and was a little nervous at first. I made my sister go first

and once I saw how relaxed and pain free she looked, I was much calmer! The biggest worry

I had was that it would hurt when the needles were inserted, but I was wrong. The needles

did not hurt me at all.

Acupuncture needles are incredibly thin and not at all like the needles you would see

while getting a shot at the doctor's office. Some patients can't even feel the needles in

their body. Like most patients, I felt a small prick when the needle was inserted and an

oddly-unpainful ache when it had reached its specific point in my body.

After the needles are in place, the practitioner may add electric pulses to them or move

the needles gently. The needles will generally remain in place for 5 to 30 minutes.

When acupuncture is delivered correctly by a qualified practitioner, there is very little

risk. Smith says you might develop a little bruise, but the risk of side efffects or a

serious medical complication is extremely small. Acupuncture is considered very safe and

each needle is individually packed in a sterile Band-Aid like wrapper.

One common treatment that can be very effective for exhaustion is called the "Mega Mu

Shu." The needles are placed in the lower back near the kidneys (which are considered the

most important organ in Eastern medicine) and then stimulated with electricity for 10-12

minutes.

Immediately after a treatment you may feel tired, and then you will have "one of the best

night's sleep ever." After that, you should feel more energized and focused.

This is the treatment I received and I really liked it. Immediately afterward I felt

somewhat tired and dizzy, but this passed after a few minutes. That night I really did

sleep soundly and the next day I felt more awake and attentive. This treatment has also

been seen to help teens recover from an illness, and when a friend had mononucleosis, it

helped her recover in days rather than months.

Although acupuncture may not be for everyone, it can be worth considering alone or with

other treatments. As Smith says, "You can combine Western medicine with Eastern medicine."

Asian countries have been practicing acupuncture for thousands of years and it has become

increasingly popular in other countries. It's safe, effective and natural.

Smith summed it up by saying, "I used to make fun of this. I've seen people who have

greatly benefited. I don't laugh at it anymore."