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Writer's picturePhysician Lim Chen Sing | 林晨欣

Acupuncture Effective For Weight Loss

Is acupuncture effective for weight loss?

With the improvement of living standards, the number of obese people in our country is also having a gradually increase trend. Obesity not only affects our appearance, but also poses a threat to our health. TCM believes that the occurrence of obesity is related to the innate endowment, improper diet and abnormal lifestyle, its pathogenesis is Yang Qi deficiency and excessive of phlegm and dampness, revealing that the occurrence of obesity is cause by the accumulation and stagnation of dampness and phlegm due to imbalance diet and lack of exercise.



In Singapore and Malaysia, dampness and phlegm can easily retain in our body due to damp-heat environment, greasy food and lack of activity due to travelling by car, which could eventually lead to obese.


Acupuncture is a treatment method of TCM, which has the functions of dredging the meridians, harmonizing Yin and Yang and strengthening body healthy-Qi to dispel evil-Qi. It is also easy to operate, safe and economical as well. Acupuncture for weight loss is guided by the theory of meridians and collaterals. It can regulate meridians and Yin-Yang of the whole body, suppressing appetite and promotes metabolism of the body by stimulating different acupoints to achieve the purpose of weight loss.


How does acupuncture lose weight?

  • Regulate lipid metabolism: Acupuncture can regulate the process of lipid metabolism, reduce the content of lipid peroxides in the human body, and promote the metabolism of fats to achieve weight loss.

  • Regulate the nervous system: By regulating the nervous system, acupuncture can reduce hunger, prolonging the gastric emptying time after meals, inhibiting excessive secretion of gastric acid and correcting abnormal appetite. At the same time, acupuncture can also promote intestinal peristalsis and gastrointestinal digestion to achieve the purpose of slimming.

  • Regulate the endocrine system: Acupuncture corrects endocrine disorders and accelerates fat metabolism by regulating the "hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal cortex" and "sympathetic-adrenal cortex" systems to achieve weight loss.


What are the types of acupuncture to lose weight?

The common types of acupuncture for weight loss include body acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, moxibustion, auricular acupuncture, thread embedding and cupping method. The details of each method are as follows:

  • Body acupuncture, electro-acupuncture, and moxibustion method: The most common acupuncture methods, using the principles of TCM syndrome differentiation, acupuncture is performed on specified acupoints of the body, and electro-acupuncture is added to enhance the stimulation effect. For deficiency and cold syndrome, moxibustion can also be added to regulate physique of patients and reconcile the yin and yang of the body to achieve the purpose of losing weight.

  • Auricular (ear) acupuncture method: Auricular acupuncture can be divided into vaccaria (Wang Bu Liu Xing) seed sticking- pressure method, buried-needle method and acupuncture method. TCM believes that the ear and the whole-body viscera meridians have a close connection, the auricle can reflect the pathological changes of the internal organs of human body, when the corresponding points are stimulated, it can adjust the physiological functions of the body and treat diseases of the internal organs.

  • Thread embedding method: Thread embedding method is an extension and development of traditional acupuncture methods. This specific method is to embed medical absorbable thread into specific acupoints, so that the thread can stimulate the acupoints continuously to achieve the purpose of weight loss.

  • Cupping method: Cupping method is also known as fire cupping. According to the condition of the patient, apply cupping on corresponding parts to achieve the effect of moving Qi and activating blood to lose weight.




In addition, acupuncture combined with TCM herbs can achieve a better effect of slimming.

Yong Kang TCM clinic provides:

  • Acupuncture;

  • TCM Tuina;

  • Guasha;

  • Cupping;

  • Aerobics cupping;

  • Fuyang Tou Jiu (Moxibustion)


How long does it take for acupuncture to lose weight?

The course of acupuncture for weight loss varies from person to person. Generally, the body responds greatly within 1-4 weeks of the start of acupuncture treatment, with faster weight loss and waist circumference reduction, and it enters into a stable and slow weight loss period in 4-12 weeks. Therefore, it is better to adhere to acupuncture treatment for more than six months in order to achieve a consolidating effect of the weight loss treatment.


Does weight lose rebound after acupuncture?

We need to be clear that all weight loss methods are inseparable from the balance of diet and exercise, rebound of weight depends more on the lifestyle after the end of acupuncture treatment. From clinical observation, we found that when a patient develops a balanced diet during the acupuncture treatment, the calorie intake and consumption are still in balance after the acupuncture treatment sessions ended, hence it will not rebound.



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