Are you looking to lose weight? So you have friends, co-workers, or family members who have tried acupuncture for anxiety, PTSD, depression, pain, and told you about their experiences? Has it led to you wondering if acupuncture could be the key to helping you with your goal of losing weight? To help you, we have created this guide so you can make the best choice in treatment on the road to achieving your personal health and wellness goals for weight loss.

Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Many people want to know if acupuncture can help with weight loss. Through different studies and scientific research, acupuncture has indeed been found to be beneficial in helping with weight loss.

Can you Lose Weight with Only Acupuncture Treatments?

If you choose to use acupuncture for weight loss, do you have to do anything else? Or do you just have to go to acupuncture sessions and treatments? On its own acupuncture is a complimentary weight loss technique. The chances of acupuncture alone leading to weight loss are not very high.

Essentially acupuncture is a technique that helps with weight loss when combined with other treatments and lifestyle changes like diet, nutrition, and exercise. This one study concluded that when combined with diet and nutritional restrictions was an effective supportive treatment option for obesity and weight loss.

Does Acupuncture Work for Weight Loss

There have been two studies and many trials that have aimed at discovering the answer to the question. Does acupuncture work for weight loss? What has been found and documented is that acupuncture can not only be helpful but it can also be effective in a highly positive way to any weight loss program.

Why is Acupuncture a Beneficial Supportive Treatment Option for Weight Loss?

Acupuncture is beneficial to a weight loss program or plan because of two aspects that it reduces:

  1. Stress

  2. Inflammation

Both of these two aspects play a role in a person's level of weight gain as well as their ability to lose weight.

This one study found that acupuncture helped with weight loss by helping reduce inflammation and levels of:

  • Anthropometric parameters

  • Lipid profile

  • Anti-Hsp-antibodies

13 Acupuncture Points for Weight Loss

Would you like to know which acupuncture points are often used for supporting weight loss? According to this one study, the following thirteen points on the body can be helpful:

  1. Hegu (LI4)

  2. Quchi (LI11)

  3. Liangmen (ST21)

  4. Tianshu (ST25)

  5. Zusanli (ST36)

  6. Fenglong (ST40)

  7. Neiting(ST44)

  8. Sanyinjiao(SP6)

  9. Daheng (SP15)

  10. Neiguan (PC6)

  11. Taichong (LR3)

  12. Guanyuan (CV4)

  13. Zhongwan (CV12)

8 Ear Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Sometimes a type of acupuncture that is used for treating and supporting weight loss is ear acupuncture - this is also known as auricular acupuncture. According to this one study, the following eight ear points can be helpful:

  1. Shenmen

  2. Mouth

  3. Stomach

  4. Sanjiao

  5. Liver

  6. Spleen

  7. Endocrine

  8. Hunger

How Many Acupuncture Sessions are Required for Weight Loss?

The number of acupuncture sessions that are required for weight loss will depend on each individual person. Some people may only need 3-6 sessions at a weekly frequency. Others may find that 6-12 or more sessions is what they need. In addition weekly, may not be the treatment frequency that best serves your needs. For example, this study found that for the participants in their research, acupuncture sessions twice weekly, for each session was 30 minutes was the most effective over the course of six months.

The key to here is to talk to your acupuncturist and come up with a treatment plan when you first start acupuncture treatment for weight loss.

What will Acupuncture for Weight Loss Cost?

What you will end up paying when choosing acupuncture as a supportive treatment option for weight loss, there are many factors that influence what you will pay:

  1. Location

  2. Number of sessions

  3. Frequency of sessions

  4. Cost per session

  5. Packages

  6. Discounts

The average cost per session is anywhere from $75-$160. If you want to know more about what acupuncture may cost you for weight loss in your area, read: How Much Does Acupuncture Cost?

More Information

Would you like more information on acupuncture? Check out these resources:

References:

Abdi, H., Zhao, B., Darbandi, M., Ghayour-Mobarhan, M., Tavallaie, S., Rahsepar, A. A., Parizadeh, S. M., Safariyan, M., Nemati, M., Mohammadi, M., Abbasi-Parizad, P., Darbandi, S., Akhlaghi, S., ... Ferns, G. A. (2012). The effects of body acupuncture on obesity: anthropometric parameters, lipid profile, nd inflammatory and immunologic markers. TheScientificWorldJournal, 2012, 603539. Retrieved February 18, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3353309/

Acupuncture: In Depth. (2017, February 21). Retrieved February 14, 2019, from https://nccih.nih.gov/health/acupuncture/introduction

Ismail, L. A., Ibrahim, A. A., Abdel-Latif, G. A., El-Haleem, D. A., Helmy, G., Labib, L. M., & El-Masry, M. K. (2015). Effect of Acupuncture on Body Weight Reduction and Inflammatory Mediators in Egyptian Obese Patients. Open access Macedonian journal of medical sciences, 3(1), 85-90. Retrieved February 18, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4877795/