A practice that is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Acupuncture as a holistic health therapy is one of the most beneficial holistic therapies available today. You may find it hard to believe that sticking needles all over the body can lead to improved physical and mental health, but this is exactly the premise of acupuncture! There are so many listed benefits of acupuncture that you may wonder why you’ve not started it yet.What is Acupuncture While it’s actually a very ancient Chinese treatment that was aimed at longevity of life, today acupuncture is a holistic health therapy that encompasses much more than that: It’s used to treat almost every common ailment under the sun! Acupuncture is a holistic healing treatment that focuses on the use of needles to streamline energy flow in the body using the concept of Qi, which suggests that the body only works when energy flows smoothly within.Let’s look at energy in the form of waves. If the waves are interrupted by anything –swelling, inflammation, pain – then the flow of the waves is interrupted thus leading to illness, fatigue and stress. According to the Chinese, Qi is the life force that flows through everything and everyone. If your Qi is not in order, you’re likely to have body illness or mental fatigue and stress. Acupuncture is thus used to relieve these symptoms by restoring your Qi to its natural state. Benefits of Acupuncture for Holistic Health There are many benefits of acupuncture for holistic health. Here are a few key ones:Pain Relief Acupuncture is increasingly used as a holistic aid for pain relief. Be it a headache, migraine, backache, shoulder pain, knee pain or any other type of pain caused by stress or diseases such as osteoarthritis, it’s acupuncture to the rescue. To provide pain relief, there are approximately eighty-four points within the human body that connect to the meridians – the pathways of energy flow. A proper, experienced acupuncturist will determine which ones to use to help you achieve pain relief from your specific complaint.  If you feel chronic pain in the back or knees, you’re also a prime candidate for acupuncture, although in this case, the treatment may have to continue for an extended period of time – a few months – before you notice that the pain is completely gone!  Increase in FertilityMost women with unexplained fertility use acupuncture as a means to getting pregnant. This is because acupuncture helps increase blood flow to the reproductive organs – the uterus and ovaries – leading to better quality of eggs and higher chances of a natural pregnancy. Acupuncture also helps holistically to balance the body’s hormones before and during pregnancy and reduces levels of stress which may inhibit pregnancy. However, it may be worth your while to note that there are specific acupuncture points that should not be used during your pregnancy, so it’s best to use an acupuncture clinic with experienced acupuncturists who have knowledge of what they’re doing.Decrease Progression of Mental Illnesses According to a list published by the WHO, acupuncture is a holistic treatment used to slow down the progression of diseases such as depression and anxiety disorders. In a study done in 2013, there is significant proof that acupuncture can do the same job of drugs such as Prozac if the right acupuncture points are used.Insomnia Treatment One of the key benefits of acupuncture for holistic health is that is helps treat insomnia. Insomnia is a disease that plagues thousands of people across the world. It not only affects the sleep function but also leads to an increase in stress, a lack of body co-ordination and a slower decision-making process. Some of the key acupuncture points used for curing insomnia are the Neiguan Point, the Shenmen Point, the Anmien Point and the Shimien Point. Acupuncture works as a sleep aid by increasing the production of melatonin, which is also known as the sleep hormone.Holistic Treatment of Respiratory DisordersAnother of the key benefits of acupuncture for holistic health is the fact that it is used to treat some common respiratory disorders such as asthma, common cold, sinusitis and flu. Acupuncture aids in alleviating the symptoms of these disorders by increasing blood circulation and boosting immunity thus stopping many viruses from entering the lungs and causing respiratory issues.