In this age, when alternative medicine is being sought after like never before, acupuncture brings much-needed relief in terms of safety, efficacy and cost. Acupuncture, the ancient Chinese art of healing, involves inserting tiny needles (a painless procedure) into areas of the body, stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities and promoting physical and emotional well-being.

The scientific explanation behind this is that, inserting needles at these pressure points stimulates the nervous system that in turn releases chemicals in the muscles, spinal chord and brain. This helps in improving the body’s energy levels and the biochemical balance. The therapy is useful in relieving pain, treating palsy, mental disorders, enhancing immunity and many more.

Amchi Mumbai has taken to this alternative therapy in a big way, reflective of which are various acupuncture clinics in the city that offer such treatment. Dr Ajit Mistry’s clinic Acupuncture – The Drugless Therapy is one such place that offers treatment for pain management, slip disc, sciatica as well as customised detox programmes for substance abuse. Dr Shah’s Hospital at Vile Parle and Jogeshwari is also well known for curing nervous disorders, tension, aches and other ailments.

With believers in this therapy on the rise, some clinics have gone a step ahead to offer beauty-enhancement treatments for skin with blemishes. And with advancement of technology, select practitioners in the city have replaced the needles with laser, making it a less-intimidating option.

Now with no side effects and no threat of the needles, Acupuncture does seem a more enticing option. What say?