Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient system of healing, developed over thousands of years as part of the traditional Chinese medicine. Acupuncture is a word of Latin origin wherein ‘acus’ means, needle, and ‘pungere’ refers to prick. Acupuncture by definition is the insertion, manipulation, and removal of needles from the body, and the use of other modalities and procedures at specific locations on the body, for the prevention, cure, or correction of a malady, illness, injury, pain, or other condition or disorder by controlling and regulating the flow and balance of energy and functioning of the patient to restore and maintain health. Acupuncture shall not be considered surgery.
Special needles are inserted into the acupuncture points, which are located just beneath the epidermis. In theory, inserting these needles helps correct the flow of energy within the body and thus restores health.
Acupuncture is based on the belief that health is determined by a balanced flow of Qi, also referred to as "Chi". Qi is circulated through the blood stream via fourteen energy ducts called meridians. Each one of these pathways or channels through which Qi flows is linked to an internal organ system. There are over 1,000 acupuncture points within the meridian system that can be stimulated to enhance the flow of Qi. Acupuncture diagnoses illness by seeking blockages in the body's meridians. By correcting the flow of Qi at a specific meridian, the illness or disease is cured. Acupuncture is also one of the few medical practices that do not involve side effects. The whole fundament of acupuncture is to make whatever is abnormal or sub-normal, normal.
The use of needles is inevitable in Acupuncture. A range of different types of needles is used for specific effect. There are the Filiform Needles, the Embedding Needles, the Plum Blossom Needles, the Three-edged Needles (prismatic) and the Hot Needles. The Embedding needles are also called the Press needles. The thin, usually disposable, needles rarely draw blood, and any discomfort is mild. The practitioners of acupuncture also use heat, pressure, friction, suction, or impulses of electromagnetic energy to stimulate the points. In addition to the classic needles and practice used in Acupuncture, new research and experiments have made some more specialized forms of the medicine popular in recent times. Homeo-puncture is a practice that combines Acupuncture and Homeopathy. In this form of Acupuncture the needle is either dipped in the homeopathy medicine before treating the patient, or the Acupuncture points are sedated by using a syringe with the Homeopathy medicine in it. Another super specialty in Acupuncture is Aqua-puncture. In this form of treatment the acupuncture points are either sedated or stimulated by using a syringe with sterile water. This form of treatment is gaining much popularity and is as effective as the traditional form of acupuncture. The more recent developments in the field of acupuncture have made it less time consuming and much more effective. The World Health Organization (WHO) has listed over 100 disorders that may be amenable to acupuncture treatment, including respiratory, eye, mouth gastrointestinal, neurological, orthopedic, broncho-pulmonary, reproductive, hypertension, insomnia, skin, arthritic, allergic, and addictive disorders. Traditional medicines no longer sit on the sidelines of the world but walk hand in hand with modern science. Acupuncture is thus a Complementary medicine.
The WHO, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the American Medical Association (AMA) and various government reports have all studied and commented on the efficacy of acupuncture. There is general agreement that acupuncture is safe when administered by well-trained practitioners using sterile needles.

The Meridians

Meridians are imaginary pathways through which the Qi energy of the body is believed to travel. There are in all fourteen meridians. Each meridian travels a specific path under the skin. Traditionally, the internal Organs have never been regarded as independent anatomical entities. Rather, attention has centered upon the functional and pathological interrelationships between the channel network and the Organs. So close is this identification that each of the twelve traditional Primary channels bears the name of one or another of the vital Organs. The Qi travel in a specific direction along the path of the meridians and each meridian is connected to the following one. These meridians are also called Channels. The fourteen meridians are Lung Channel, Large Intestine Channel, Stomach Channel, Spleen Channel, Heart Channel, Small Intestine Channel, Urinary Bladder Channel, Kidney Channel, Pericardium Channel, San Jiao Channel, Gall Bladder Channel, Liver Channel, Du Channel and Ren Channel. For Example: The Lung Meridian is connected to the Large Intestine Meridian and that is connected to the stomach meridian and so on. Every meridian has a number of points along its way. Even though every point on a meridian has its indications and use, there are a few points on every Channel that are more important and commonly used. The twelve primary pathways run vertically, bilaterally, and symmetrically and every channel corresponds to and connects internally with one of the twelve ZangFu("organs"). This means that there are six yin and six yang channels. There are three yin and three yang channels on each arm, and three yin and three yang channels on each leg.
The three yin channels of the hand (Lung, Pericardium, and Heart) begin on the chest and travel along the inner surface (mostly the anterior portion) of the arm to the hand.
The three yang channels of the hand (Large intestine, San Jiao, and Small intestine) begin on the hand and travel along the outer surface (mostly the posterior portion) of the arm to the head.
The three yin channels of the foot (Spleen, Liver, and Kidney) begin on the foot and travel along the inner surface (mostly posterior and medial portion) of the leg to the chest.
The three yang channels of the foot (Stomach, Gallbladder, and Urinary Bladder) begin on the face, in the region of the eye, and travel down the body and along the outer surface (mostly the anterior and lateral portion) of the leg to the foot.
Beauty Therapy
Every person who has the minutest interest in the way they look has at some point in time visited a Beauty Salon. A Beauty Salon is the primary source of any beauty therapy. Beauty Salons were not very popular in the olden times. Housewives hardly had money or inclination to pay someone and get treatments done, nor were women that bothered about the way their skin or face looked. A housewife’s main source of self-worth came from how well she kept house and how well she cooked, not how beautiful she looked. But as women started stepping out of the houses to earn money and walk side by side with men, they started having the money to look better and also the inclination to spend money to feel better about themselves by looking desirable. Beauty Therapy or Beauty Treatments can be defined as procedures that enhance someone's personal outer beauty. These treatments include a long list of facials, manicures, pedicures and deep cleaning, etc. Beauty industry now commands a handsome share in every national economy. The fashion and beauty businesses are one of the few that haven’t been hit by the on-going recession. Millions of dollars are spent each year on research to bring out new and improved products for women of all ages. Beauty Salons also make a fair share of profit by selling products to the clients. New services are constantly added to the long list of beauty regimes suggested in these salons. And even though one may feel that all this is taken advantage of only by women, they are wrong. Men have regular salon days too. Men having facials, manicures and pedicures, massages, clean-ups, trims or spa treatments are a norm now. Women look down upon men who do not take good care of themselves in terms of looks.
Even though these Beauty Salon or Spa treatments have an immediate affect on the way a person may look, they are still temporary.
The Drawback
Cosmetic acupuncture is a gentle yet highly effective alternative to cosmetic surgery, botox, collagen injections, dermabrasion etc. Although the roots of Cosmetic acupuncture lie in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and the techniques have been used for thousands of years, an acupuncturist may not be very aware of the use of beauty therapies alongside acupuncture to enhance the beauty and radiance of the patient. Traditionally a Doctor practices his respective field and leaves it at that. Not many Alternative Medicine practitioners do courses involving different fields. A Beauty Salon on the other hand, can only work on a superficial level and is not concerned about the underlying problem, if any. As a result, both the therapies as individual are insufficient in providing the desired effect for the client.
Prof. Dr. Verekar is perhaps the only practitioner who has successfully bridged a gap between these two different fields. He has researched enough and found an effective module of treatment that can be taken advantage of by the common people at economical rates and permanent effects. He has also researched the ancient scriptures of the Vedas and discovered may uses of Ayurvedic herbs that can be used to enhance looks and beautify skin. During his long founded research on beauty, Dr. Verekar realized that he should be professionally qualified even in the field of beauty therapies to understand and treat problems and clients better, and decided to study for CIDESCO. CIDESCO, is one of the most respected examinations held for the field of beauty and cosmetology in the world. It is also the most respected and is recognized all over the world. Dr. Verekar presented a thesis on nose-beautification at the practical examination followed by a demonstration, which was very well received. He passed this exam in 2009.
Now being professionally well qualified in both fields and having tremendous experience of over 30 years with different patients, Dr. Verekar is the best person for the job.

The Tao

With origins in Taoist philosophy, acupuncture evolved from observing that a disorder was associated with an increased sensitivity in specific areas of skin. These were consistently linked to a specific organ and followed a defined topographical pattern. These patterns or meridians serve as pathways for life-force energy called Qi (pronounced chee). The body is endowed at birth with a fixed amount of Qi, which is then depleted through activities of daily living and supplemented by energy obtained from food or air. Energy imbalance, whether excessive or lacking, is the cause of all illness; the absence of Qi is death. Qi circulates throughout the body in a well-defined cycle, moving from meridian to meridian and from organ to organ. Qi is characterized by the dynamic interaction of two antagonistic, yet complimentary energy forces called yin and yang, each of which includes a portion of the other. Yin, the feminine, is associated with cold, dark, passive, and that which is deep or hidden. In contrast, yang, the masculine, represents heat, light, active, and that which is on the surface. Yin and Yang are constantly interacting and changing, and one never exists in isolation from the other. According to Chinese tradition, all substances are formed from fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. Fire contains the most yang and water the most yin. The elements are created or destroyed by specific cyclical interactions. For example, fire melts metal, metal cuts down wood, wood covers earth, earth absorbs water, and water puts out fire. To each element is assigned one yin and one yang organ. Under this model, a bad heart (a fire organ) will adversely affect the lungs (a metal organ), which will in turn affect the liver (wood). Each organ has a meridian associated with it containing a series of acupuncture points. Stimulating these points regulates energy flow in the meridians. Overall, it is a closed system in which the excess of energy in one area reduces the energy in another area. Eastern medicine is interactive and holistic - everything affects everything. In contrast, western medicine emphasizes component parts (e.g., kidney) without seeing a relationship to the whole. The focus is on the symptoms, which according to Eastern medicine are merely the "footprints" left by energy imbalances.

Cosmetic Acupuncture

Cosmetic Acupuncture is basically Acupuncture treatments performed to enhance or beautify a face or body. Cosmetic Acupuncture is not a popular genre in Alternative Medicines. Only a handful of excellent Acupuncturist can take credit for successfully practicing this form of Acupuncture. Prof. Dr. Verekar is the very best practitioner of this genre. He is also responsible for a lot of research in this field. He is by far the only doctor to give non-surgical nose jobs. Whilst most people wouldn’t mind looking a few years younger, the notion of allowing a surgeon to take a knife to your face is more than a little off-putting. As a non-surgical alternative, cosmetic acupuncture can deliver a fresh-faced radiance while diminishing the signature signs of aging. More importantly, the treatment addresses the underlying causes of ageing, which can be preferable to masking the symptoms with invasive procedures.
Cosmetic Acupuncture basically is the acupuncture treatment offered to improve muscle tone, decrease puffiness around the eyes, firm sagging skin, eliminate or reduce fine wrinkles, even out skin tone and improve luster of complexion.
The purpose of Cosmetic Acupuncture is to create a younger and more vibrant appearance. The weakness of most conventional cosmetic therapies is that they do little or nothing to enhance the client’s underlying health condition. It’s primarily because cosmetic acupuncture fully embraces the principle of ‘inner health/outer beauty’, that it works so well - and that the results last longer. Cosmetic Acupuncture treatment is like a gardener tending to the soil of a plant to produce a healthy flower, rather than superficially trying to polish a petal.
While the initial desire to look younger may be a simple case of vanity, the effects can prove far more profound than merely improving one’s appearance. As Acupuncture works from the inside out, the effects are also felt. The client is left feeling refreshed and rejuvenated from inside.
The Wellness Clinic is the only Clinic of its kind. Dr.Prakash Verekar is a highly qualified and renowned Acupuncturist who has acquired complete knowledge of all the above-mentioned therapies to treat a wide variety of skin ailments and problems.
Dr.Verekar's procedures are holistic, natural and comprehensive. The results of cosmetic acupuncture anti-aging treatments reflect not only a change in the external appearance, but also an improvement in total body wellness. Specifically,    
    * More radiant, beautiful skin.
    * Disappearance of fine lines.
    * Smoothing of deep lines.
    * Fading of age spots.
    * More toned muscles.
    * Enhanced overall appearance and good health.
Additionally, there are positive side effects to
the facial skin rejuvenation that include
    * Clearing of acne and rosacea.
    * Reduced depression and less anxiety.