Category Archives: Acupuncture News

Acupuncture News

May 2016

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6 Alternative Treatments to Help with Arthritis

Exercise

For those with arthritis, exercise, no matter how little you do, is one of the best natural treatments. For those with severe arthritis, even the smallest amount of walking can make a difference. Swimming is one of the best forms of exercise for those with arthritis because it puts the least amount of impact on the joints. Strengthening exercises are also recommended to keep muscles and joints strong.

 

Acupuncture

One of the most common reasons people seek out acupuncture is for arthritis relief. Acupuncture can help relieve pain from arthritis and increase blood flow and circulation, reducing inflammation. Through the specific placement of needles on acupuncture points on the body, acupuncture realigns the body back to balance.

 

Capsaicin Cream

Made from the chemical that gives chili peppers their heat, Capsaicin cream has been known to relieve arthritis pain. The cream works by decreasing the body’s pain receptors and as a result, lessening the overall pain caused by arthritis. The cream can be bought without a prescription at your local drug store.

 

Fish Oil

Fish oil is beneficial for numerous reasons, one of them being its anti-inflammatory properties. Because it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, trials have found that the oil can reduce morning stiffness and the need for pain medication for those with arthritis. Fish oil is a supplement that is safe and recommended to take every day for the most beneficial effects.

 

Mind-Body

Mind-body techniques like meditation, relaxation and tai chi have been seen to improve overall quality of life for those with arthritis. Tai Chi is a martial art that involves slow, easy movements along with deep breathing. This exercise can improve the body’s motion and physical fitness without being too demanding on the joints and muscles. Although meditation and relaxation do not necessarily reduce pain, they have been found to improve mood and health in arthritis patients dealing with chronic pain.

 

Diet

Studies have shown that some patients benefit from changes in their diet by eliminating food that may contribute to their arthritis pain. By removing allergens from the diet, overall inflammation can be reduced. Common diets that have been seen to be beneficial include a mediterranean diet rich in nuts, fish, vegetables, fruit and olive oil. Foods that are not recommended include red meat and dairy as those can cause inflammatory reactions.

 

Sources:

http://bit.ly/1YtHTib

 

 

Acupuncture News

April 2016

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Acupuncture for Immune Deficiency

There are more than 80 chronic illnesses that are immune related including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, and celiac disease.

 

Autoimmune diseases result when the immune system mistakenly attacks its own body’s tissues. Immune deficiency is more common than most people think; around 20 percent of the population suffers from some form of an autoimmune disorder, according to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association.

 

Although symptoms vary greatly depending on the specific disease, commons symptoms include chronic fatigue, joint pain, muscle weakness, weight loss, dry eyes and abdominal pain.

 

Autoimmune diseases are not always easily treated, as they are a chronic illness with no known cure. However, there are natural ways to ease and reduce symptoms such as acupuncture treatment.

 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is believed that immune deficiencies come from an imbalance in the body. When there is a stagnation in the body’s natural energy flow, called Qi, the body becomes out of balance, whether it is from a deficiency or excess of yin or yang.

 

Acupuncture works by addressing the body as a whole. By using specific acupuncture points on the body, the treatment is able to release any blockages and return the body back to its natural balance.

 

Research has shown that acupuncture can affect the release of hormones, proteins and chemicals in the body, which can affect blood pressure and the immune system.

 

Although there is no cure, immune deficiencies can be managed properly to have the best quality of life possible. Acupuncture has also been shown to help boost mood and lower stress and anxiety, which can be triggers for increased symptoms.

 

If you think you may have an autoimmune disease and are not getting a diagnosis, don’t give up. Immune deficiencies are hard to diagnose because of the wide range of symptoms. It may take multiple doctors to get a correct diagnosis.

 

Acupuncture is a safe, non-invasive treatment option that can decrease symptoms and improve overall well being.

 

https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Treating+Autoimmune+Disorders+with+Acupuncture+and+Oriental+Medicine+

 

http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune-information/questions-and-answers/

 

 

Acupuncture News

March 2016

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Ways for a healthy brain

The second week of March is Brain Awareness Week. This is a perfect time to explore ways to keep your noggin working and healthy. Below are easy, simple ways to keep your brain in good shape.

 

A healthy diet is a healthy mind

There are many reasons to keep a healthy lifestyle and feed your body with foods that make you feel and perform your best. Diets that are low in saturated fats and cholesterol and higher in omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to promote brain health and protect brain cells. Taking a fish oil supplement with DHA or eating fish such as salmon can help improve brain development at any age. DHA, a type of omega-3, may also help prevent certain neurological disorders. Vitamin E and lutein can also help brain health. Incorporate leafy greens such as spinach and kale into your lunch or dinners.

 

Keep your brain stimulated

At any age, brain exercises are a great thing to get into the habit of. Keeping your brain stimulated can help retain your memory as you get older as well as your capability to learn new skills. The brain is never done learning. Exercises like reading, crosswords, number problems and games like sudoku can help keep your brain stay active and working. If you find yourself experiencing chronic stress, practice daily meditation for as little as five minutes a day to help reduce inflammation and support immune health, which are both controlled by the same area of the brain.

 

Socialize

Keeping in touch with friends and family and continuously working on building relationships helps your emotional state as well as your physical health. Surround yourself with people who challenge you, understand you and keep a positive tone. Join organizations or clubs you are interested in and make new connections. Feeling connected to others is always important for your mental wellbeing.

 

Quit the bad habits

If you smoke, now is never a better time to quit. Consuming an excess in substances such as alcohol, cigarettes and other drugs can lower cognitive processes and decrease overall functioning and health.

 

Acupuncture

In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is believed that the spleen, kidney and heart organs all impact mental capacity and brain activity. These organs influence memory, concentration and recall. When one of these organs is experiencing deficiency or an imbalance, our brain can not function to its fullest. Acupuncture addresses the organs with specific points on the body to return the body back to balance and health.
Sources: http://bit.ly/1PZsyVf

 

 

 

 

 

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News, Research

Acupuncture and HIV

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More than 1 million Americans are living with human immunodeficiency virus, known as HIV. HIV is not curable, although many live long lives after being initially infected. HIV destroys the body’s T-cells, which makes it harder to fight off infections and disease.

Acupuncture can help promote immunity, treat side effects of medications, and be a complementary therapy for HIV treatment. Many patients with HIV/AIDS suffer from pain and anxiety. Acupuncture can help lower stress in patients as well as pain that results from their decreased immune system.

Patients have found that acupuncture can help relieve symptoms of fatigue, chest tightness, flu-like symptoms and digestion issues that are associated with HIV. Acupuncture proves to improve quality of life for those living with HIV and increase their energy level and mood. Treatment can lower stress and anxiety levels, which are usually high in HIV patients due to the nature of such a serious disease.

Because there are not only physical effects of HIV, but mental and emotional as well, acupuncture is a great complementary treatment to help both the body and mind handle the changes that are occurring because of the illness. Being diagnosed with HIV can be traumatizing in itself, acupuncture treatment can help calm the mind and improve overall quality of life. Although HIV is not curable, it can be managed.

“Acupuncture is one additive method of maintenance, which can help improve the quality of life for patients with HIV through balancing the forces through an individualized baseline.” – Claudia Briones

Professionals have concluded that patients who are stressed, anxious and depressed can adversely affect their health. For this reason, acupuncture works well to lower these feelings.

Most people with HIV are taking some sort of medication to help their T-cell count. Because acupuncture treatment is completely natural and involves no drugs, it can be used at the same time as Western medicine to help manage symptoms and side effects.

Acupuncture works by addressing the body as a whole. When the body’s natural energy flow is blocked or stagnated due to illness, an individual does not have optimal health. Treatment works by returning the body back to it’s natural flow and restoring health to organs and the entire body and mind.

A study done at the University of Boston found that acupuncture treatment improved overall quality of life in HIV patients.

It is believed in Traditional Chinese Medicine that HIV, which causes a high susceptibility to infections, are heat toxins in the body and burn the system out, damaging the cooling part of the body. This causes an imbalance between yin and yang in the body. This imbalance is a disruption in the body’s qi, or natural energy flow.

“CAM treatments are supportive rather than curative by nature, which helps an individual with HIV not feel like they are in limbo between life and death, but rather feeling, and truly being, alive.” – Complementary Therapies for the Treatment of HIV: In Search of the Evidence. International Journal of STD and AIDS.

Contact an acupuncturist today if you or someone you know is living with HIV and wants to consider a natural, safe, complementary treatment.

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News

7 Tips to be Stress-Free During the Holidays

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Keep a routine

It is especially easy to lose your normal routine during the holidays due to festivities and the special occasions that tend to happen this time of year. Don’t abandon your healthy habits, keep your usual routine of diet and exercise, which is especially important when holiday foods and drinks come around. Try keeping a calendar to keep better track of your schedule.

Prioritize

It is easy to take on too much during this time of year. On top of your normal schedule, there is the obligation to see family, attend gatherings and gift-giving. You can only do so much! Prioritize and don’t be afraid to say no if you simply don’t have enough time to commit to something. The holiday season is busy and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be.

Watch the wallet

There is nothing that will stress you out more in the long run than spending too much money during the holidays. Make a budget and stick with it. It is incredibly easy to overspend during this time. Budget and allow yourself to spend a certain amount for the entire season, you’ll thank yourself after the holidays are over.

Make time for yourself

Although it is the season for giving, make sure to make time for yourself too. It can be stressful and overwhelming when you try to constantly please others. It is ok to say no to events that you may feel obligated to go to. One of the most important ways to stay stress-free this season is to give yourself time to relax. Do yoga, read or any other activity you like to do to relax.

Try acupuncture

There is no better time than now to try acupuncture. If you are feeling under the weather, stressed and not at your best health, acupuncture can help. Acupuncture can help lower stress levels, boost your immune system and leave you feeling relaxed. Give it a shot!

Give Back

Volunteer at your local food back or donate to a clothing drive. Giving back to the community is always important, but especially during the holidays. Spending time helping out doesn’t just help others, but can benefit you as well.

Don’t sweat the small things

Holidays are meant for family, friends and for celebration. Don’t sweat the small stuff. This is a time to relax and be thankful for the people in your life. Material objects come and go, but relationships will be there and are the most important thing of all. Put your job and your stress on the backburner for a bit and enjoy the people who mean the most around you.

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News

Acupuncture to Quit Smoking

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Acupuncture has beenused to treat addictionfor many years. Curbing addiction, specifically when it comes to smoking, is not something that can be done overnight. There will be times when you think you won’t be able to stay smoke-free and want to give up. Considering acupuncture treatment when you are trying to quit can have great effects on helping you back on the road to better health. Acupuncture works by addressing the body as a whole. Illness arises when there is a blockage or stagnation in our natural energy flow. By using acupuncture p oints, this treatment helps to release these blockages and return the body back to its natural flow.
The acupuncture point specifically used to help curb smoking urges
is called “Tim Mee” and is located on the inside of the arm. This point
helps change the body’s perception of nicotine. This point combined
with others can help reduce cravings.
Not only can acupuncture help curb addiction, but aid in
symptoms of withdrawal from nicotine once you quit. Symptoms
like jitters, mood swings and restlessness are common when
quitting smoking. When you feel anxious from these feelings, it is
even easier to feel the need for a cigarette. Specific acupuncture
points can help relax and detoxify the body to lower withdrawal
symptoms.
A study done at the University of Oslo, Norway, found that those
who were trying to quit smoking and received acupuncture
treatment reported a reduced craving for smoking and a greater
distaste for tobacco.
Acupuncture can not completely eliminate addiction, but it a great
aid in the recovery process after quitting. The first and hardest
step is to decide to quit, there are many treatments including
acupuncture that can help you on the way therein after.
Contact an acupuncturist and learn how acupuncture can help you
stay smoke free for a healthier body, mind and spirit.

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News

Acupuncture and Diabetes

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The rate of diabetes in America is alarming, 29 million Americans to be exact. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030 the number of people with diabetes worldwide will double from the current 380 million people who currently suffer from the disease.
Living with a chronic illness like diabetes does not only affect someone’s physical health, but mental and emotional as well.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, diabetes represents a deficiency and dysfunction in the spleen and pancreatic system.
If the spleen/pancreatic system’s function declines, it cannot produce the insulin necessary to handle glucose in the bloodstream, which causes a variety of diabetic symptoms. Chinese medicine has had an understanding of diabetes for thousands of years. It is known as aiaoke, which means an emaciation-thirst, as diabetes can cause a person to lose weight and have extreme thirst. In ancient times, type 2 diabetes was found in the wealthiest people because of their diet that was high in fatty and sugary foods.
The TCM theory behind diabetes states that diabetes is a result of an imbalance of yin. Because of the imbalance, the body’s natural energy flow called qi becomes out of balance and blocked.
A report done in 1994 in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine looked at 60 patients with diabetes and found that 2/3rds of the patients in the group receiving acupuncture noticed an effect and improvement in their symptoms. The other group received a diabetes pill, and researchers concluded that although both had therapeutic effects, acupuncture was more effective in prevention including cardiovascular diseases.
Although a lot of Westerners don’t think of acupuncture as a treatment for chronic disease, specific acupuncture points on the body have been proven to be effective for diabetes.
Unlike prescription medication, acupuncture has almost no side effects and is completely natural. The treatment is painless, and along with treating your illness, acupuncture can leave you feeling relaxed and calm. If you or someone you know is suffering with diabetes, ask an acupuncturist how they can help you on the road back to better health.

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News, Research

Acupuncture and Depression

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depressionAccording to Reuters Health, a new study suggests that people suffering from depression can receive the same benefits from acupuncture that they would from counseling to help their depression. The study looked at 755 people with depression and found that one in three people who received acupuncture or counseling did not have depression after three months, whereas people who were not receiving either treatment had a lesser chance of eliminating their depression. Another study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that electroacupuncture was just as effective as the antidepressant Prozac in reducing depression symptoms. Acupuncture is a safe alternative to prescription medications such as antidepressants and just as effective, if not more. If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, ask us how acupuncture can help you back on the road to better health!

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News, Research

3 Ways to Prepare For Seasonal Changes

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As the transition from summer to fall begins, changes start to happen externally as well as internally. The days become shorter and the air gets cooler; our bodies change to adapt as well. Here are three ways to prepare for the fall season ahead along with the beginning of the yin cycle.

1) Let go of negativity

The autumn season represents the time when positivitythe lungs and large intestine are of the utmost importance. This season is especially an important time to let of negative energy in your life. Negativity doesn’t just affect your psychological health but your physical health as well. You can help get rid toxicity in your life by being aware of the causes and surrounding yourself with positive energy and people who make you happy.

2) Spend time outside

Because fall is focused on the lungs, spending more time outside canoutdoors help strengthen this organ and increase your immune system as cold and flu season starts to emerge. Spend time in nature away from city pollution where you can breathe clean, cool air. Autumn time is the perfect opportunity to do this and refresh and strengthen the lungs.

3) Try acupunctureacupuncture

Acupuncture treatment can help you physically as well as mentally
prepare for the change in seasons. Some find it difficult to let go of the summer season and transition to shorter, cooler days. Acupuncture can ease this transition and make sure your body and energy are flowing properly.

Acupuncture, Acupuncture News, Research

Can Acupuncture Effectively Treat Psoriasis?

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Affecting approximately 125 million people – or about 2-3% of the global population – psoriasis is one of the most common autoimmune diseases in the world. It’s characterized by the chronic formation of skin lesions, red patches, papules and plaque. These formations may appear in localized areas of the body or throughout the entire body, depending on an individual’s condition.

psoriasisPsoriasis is known to trigger intense bouts of itching. The sensation can be so intense that it causes the individual to scratch infection-prone sores into his or her skin. Regardless of how bad it itches, you should never scratch your psoriasis, as it will only make the condition worse.

As with most autoimmune diseases and disorders, psoriasis is caused by an overactive immune system. The immune system is responsible for fending off potentially harmful viral and bacterial infections. It does this by producing key inflammatory hormones. Normally, it produces the right amount of these hormones, but there are times when it produces too much; resulting in conditions such as psoriasis.

The good news is that acupuncture may offer relief of psoriasis and its related symptoms. Acupuncture can have very positive effects on the immune system. When we are sick or dealing with chronic illness, our bodies are not able to function properly. This can be due to the body’s natural energy being restricted or blocked. Acupuncture works by treating the whole body and releasing any abnormalities through acupuncture points. By doing so, the body is able to function as it should and the immune system is strengthened because of this.

With psoriasis, the Spleen 10 xue hai acupuncture point is a popular choice because it targets the immune system.

One study found acupuncture to be effective at treating psoriasis, particularly when western medicine has been exhausted. “Our experience indicates that acupuncture is induced an effective therapeutic modality for psoriasis, particularly when the western medical management is unsuccessful. We speculated about the possible involvement of the cutaneous reticuloendothelial system in the clearance of the skin lesions,” wrote the study’s researchers.

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Sources:

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