Friday, March 16, 2018

Acupuncture Eases Tension Headache Pain

The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture has proven to be an effective treatment for tension headache. It not only relieves pain, but also cuts rates of recurrence by almost half, a recent study indicates.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture therapy involves insertion of needles up to 3 inches deep into the body at prescribed acupuncture points, according to licensed acupuncturist Rong Zeng of the New York Good Health Clinic in Manhattan.

However, a new, randomized blind study in Germany involving 270 patients with a similar severity of tension headache has shown that a minimal course of acupuncture works almost as well as the traditional method.

Fewer Headaches After Treatment

Researchers divided the patients into three groups. Over an eight-week period, one group was treated with traditional acupuncture, another received minimal acupuncture (needles inserted only superficially into the skin at non-acupuncture points), and the control group had neither treatment.
The subjects were monitored for four weeks after their period of treatment.

Those who had received traditional acupuncture care subsequently experienced seven fewer headaches. The group that had been given minimal acupuncture therapy had surprisingly similar results -- 6.6 fewer headaches.

The control group did not fare as well, with only 1.5 fewer headaches.
Improvements in headache rates continued for months after the acupuncture treatment, though they began to rise slightly as time went on.

Results Subject to Interpretation

Such a negligable difference in results between traditional and minimal acupuncture treatments possibly indicates that the location of acupuncture points and depth of needle insertion do not make a major difference for treatment of tension headache, the authors of the study suggest.

However, they caution that the possibility of placebo effects should not be overlooked.

"Placebo effect is a factor in all types of medicine," Dr. Zeng noted. In western medicine, for example, blind tests may reveal placebo effects that are similar to responses to trial drugs, she explained.

In any case, it is clear that the patients who received acupuncture treatment experienced fewer headaches. The possibility that placebo effect plays a role in acupuncture does not detract from its efficacy.

Friday, March 9, 2018

Acupuncture: The Alternative Medicine From The Orient

For Mrs. Cooper, life in sunny California in her modest home has become a tug-of-war of aches and pains for this housewife of forty. A mother of five and at the same time managing a home business, she found it very challenging to keep a home and manage a business at the same time while suffering from lower back pains and migraine headaches.  She tried using the traditional medicines prescribed by her doctor but it seems that these only provided temporary relief. One day, her cousin Meredith recommended that she try other alternative medicines to cure her ailments.

At first, Mrs. Cooper was skeptical since she knew that Meredith was into new age stuff like meditation, yoga, organics, herbal medicines, and vegetarianism.  She felt she was entering into new, unfamiliar territory. But upon her cousin's insistence, she tried this ancient Chinese practice called acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a procedure that treats illness through the insertion of needles at specific points in the body. This process is said to alter the body's energy flow into healthier patterns and used to treat a variety of illnesses and heath conditions. According to the World Health Organization (who) acupuncture is an effective treatment for “over forty” medical problems such as chronic pain, headaches and those associated with problems like back injuries and arthritis. But it is limited in treating conditions like broken bones or that requires surgery.

IS ACUPUNCTURE SAFE?

Just make sure you’re getting this treatment from a well-trained acupuncturist and that the acupuncture needles are sterile and disposable. Undergoing this kind of treatment is like receiving an injection. You only feel pain from injections if it is larger diameter and it is a hollow needle. While acupuncture needles are very fine and about the diameter of human hair. When properly inserted by a skilled practitioner, you won't feel pain. However, you may experience a sense of electricity in the area of insertion. This kind of treatment for most patients find it relaxing and more often they fall asleep during treatment.

THE BASIC PHILOSOPHY OF CHINESE MEDICINE

Alternative Chinese medicine like acupuncture views the body as tiny part of the universe, and subject to universal laws of harmony and balance. The Chinese believe that emotions and mental states play a role in causing diseases.  Illnesses are also affected by other factors like the environment, lifestyle, and relationships. Acupuncture is based on the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang and the chi. The chi, or cosmic energy, is an invisible force found in the air, water, food and sunlight. In the body, it is a vital force that creates and animates life.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN VISITING ACUPUNCTURIST

Like a Western medical practitioner, the first thing an acupuncturist will do is to get the patient's medical history and symptoms. This will be followed by a physical examination. He or she will be looking closely at the patient's tongue, pulse, complexion, general behavior, and other signs like coughs or pains. From this, the acupuncturist will be able to determine patterns of symptoms indicating which organs are imbalanced. Acupuncture needles are always sterilized and it is a safe procedure.

In most cases, acupuncture does work ad relieves pain by helping stimulate the release endorphins into the bloodstream.


Friday, March 2, 2018

Acupuncture: Still The Sharp Choice Alternative Pain Relief Method

The ancient Chinese alternative healing method called Acupuncture is now a popular and widely accepted alternative pain relief method in the United States. An estimated 15 million Americans have tried this “unconventional” therapy. It is offered in many chronic pain clinics and is covered by some insurers and managed health organizations. The Chinese therapy of acupuncture has been used for millions of years to treat a range of ailments. Now it looks like Western medicine is getting the point.

The intent of acupuncture therapy is to promote health and alleviate pain and suffering. The method by which this is accomplished, though it may seem strange and mysterious to many, has been tested over thousands of years and continues to be validated today.

The perspective from which an acupuncturist views health and sickness hinges on concepts of “vital energy,” “energy balance” and “energy imbalance.” Just as the Western medical doctor monitors the blood flowing through blood vessels and the messages traveling via the nervous system, the acupuncturist assesses the flow and distribution of this “vital energy” within its pathways, known as “meridians and channels.”

The World Health Organization recommends acupuncture as an alternative pain relief for more than 40 conditions as diverse as asthma and chronic pain. The Food and Drug Administration regulates acupuncture needles as medical devices, the same as it does surgical tools. And in 1997, a National Institutes of Health panel found acupuncture to be an acceptable treatment for many pain conditions, including fibromyalgia and general musculoskeletal pain.

Modern studies have revealed that acupuncture stimulates one or more of the signaling systems, which under certain circumstances, can increase the rate of healing response. This may be sufficient to cure a disease, or it might only reduce its impact (alleviate some symptoms). These findings can explain most of the clinical effects of acupuncture therapy.

It is also no surprise that some rheumatologists recommend acupuncture to be used alongside more conventional treatments. There are a few patients who even perform the acupuncture treatments on themselves.

When performed by a properly trained and licensed practitioner, acupuncture is safe and effective, free from adverse or addictive side effects. Quite often, a sense of relaxation and well-being occurs during and after treatments. While undergoing therapy for one ailment, other problems may resolve concurrently. This is a common side benefit that again demonstrates the value of balancing the quality and quantity of “vital energy” within the entire person.

Licensed acupuncturists know the human anatomy well, and insert needles in a safe fashion. The instruments used to penetrate the skin are either pre-sterilized and disposable after a single use, or disinfected and sterilized in an autoclave, as surgical and dental instruments are, after each use.
Although most evidence supporting acupuncture can be dismissed as anecdotal, trials have been done where acupuncture does show a pain relieving effect above placebo. The effect is not large, of the same magnitude as taking Aspirin or Ibuprofen, but nonetheless it's there and cannot be ignored.


Friday, February 23, 2018

Acupuncture, Is It A Safe Alternative?

Among Asian countries, acupuncture is a very popular alternative pain relief means.  It has been slowly gaining a following in western countries.  Although there is a lack of scientific evidence to explain the efficacy of this treatment, people in the medical field are suggesting this form of treatment to their patients..

Acupuncture is an ancient Asian medicinal art devised 5,000 years ago that involves the use of thin, cylindrical needles that are inserted into specific portions of the body called acupuncture points.  Acupuncture points are said to be scattered all over the body and corresponds to different parts of the body.  The aim of using acupuncture is to restore health and well-being.  Acupuncture is also said to reduce pain and/or induce anesthesia.

Licensed acupuncturists explain that when the needle is inserted into an acupuncture point, there is an increase in blood flow to the area.  Meridians along the acupuncture points in the body are stimulated as the blood flows around the body.  Acupuncture has been proven effective for a number of ailments including: nausea, chronic pain especially in the lower back area, neck pain and headaches.  However,  acupuncturists are unsure as to how this helps alleviate pain, they find that when they insert needles in certain acupuncture points, the pain goes away.  It is because of this lack of explanation that some health professionals raise eyebrows on this form of alternative pain relief method.

There are several ways that acupuncture works to reduce chronic pain. One is to work through the meridians, and increase certain energy centers in the body. As an example, if someone has chronic pain, we would want to stimulate the kidney centres in the body; kidney meridians. If someone has a specific musculoskeletal pain, let's say just a spot in the shoulder, we may want to inject just a couple of needles touching each other, and use electrostimulation to reduce inflammation in that area.

Acupuncture is a generally safe treatment to administer to a patient's body.  It has a very low risk profile and a particularly high success rate.  However, the biggest risk factor lies on the person performing the procedure.  The acupuncture practitioner must be well-trained and licensed to work on 1a patient.  They must know where the acupuncture points are in order to know where the needles should be strategically inserted.  If an untrained person inserts a needle into the spinal cord, or the lungs, there is bound to be a problem to come up.

Unlike other pain reduction and pain management treatments, acupuncture is fairly non-invasive and non-habit forming.  It requires no prescription medications which may cause dependence if used continuously in high doses.  Unlike surgery, you don't have to be cut open during the procedure, and bleeding is very minimal.  Not only does it alleviate pain, it also increases the body's energy level by stimulating the meridian points.  It brings the body into homeostasis and allows people to feel better with very little to no pain at all.


Friday, February 16, 2018

Acupuncture: Ancient Chinese Healing Method for Stress and Disease

Acupuncture, as an alternative medical practice, is now making headway in the Western world. It is now accepted as a drug-free treatment and method of stress relief.  Practiced in China for more than 2,000 years, acupuncture is a therapeutic system that makes use of sterilized needles for the purpose of restoring the body’s equilibrium.  The needles are inserted on specific vital points that correspond to a specific internal organ.  The light insertion of the needle into a vital point is supposed to free the flow of internal energy or “chi.”  

According to Chinese medical theory, any blockage in the flow of chi in the body’s “energy streams” or meridians can an imbalance in the body --- resulting to an illness.  The natural flow of chi ensures a person's general state of health. The focus of acupuncture is on restoring harmony in the flow of the chi throughout the body and, in the process, balancing the metaphysical concepts of yin and yang.

Acupuncture is used to treat a wide range of ailments such as nausea, sinusitis, migraine headaches, lower back pain, knee pain, and chronic pain. Ancient Chinese texts also claim that the acupuncture can be used to treat minor mental and emotional problem such as anxiety disorder.  For this reason, some even compare the Traditional Chinese Medicine method of acupuncture to the Western medical discipline of psychology.  Both are seen as similar disciplines or therapy methods that have a positive effect on the mental health of patients.

The true benefits of acupuncture are found in its efficacy as a non-invasive, drug-free means of alleviating a number of physical ailments. It is also used in conjunction with traditional Chinese herbal cures that are perceived to be as effective as modern pills and medication. Acupuncture is concerned not only with providing cure to specific ailments.

It is also used to determine the causes of physical discomforts and illnesses. Acupuncture practitioners make use of body charts that show the meridians or channels where internal energy flows to different parts of the body. These meridians correspond to the Western medicine layout of the central nervous system and circulatory system.

Studies are still being made by Western doctors and other scientists to determine the efficacy of this Eastern alternative form of healing. Even if acupuncture already accepted in different parts of the world as an alternative healing method, some quarters are still skeptical about its long-term effects.

While there are still no research findings that make the curative claims about acupuncture absolutely undisputable, it is interesting to note the depth of understanding that the Chinese had about the inner workings of the human body thousands of years before the formal organization and practice of Western medicine.

 Perhaps, one day, scientists will finally prove that the differences between Eastern and Western medicine is found mostly in culture and terminology; and that both systems are actually alike in terms of philosophy and theory in the use of the needle as a tool for healing.


Friday, February 9, 2018

Acupuncture: Ancient Needle Work as Pain Relief Treatment

The sight of piercing needles through the skin in specific areas of the body may appear to be painful, but acupuncture is actually an ancient form of pain relief treatment that improves the flow of energy throughout the body. Acupuncture originated in China thousands of years ago and is still being practiced until now.

The National Institutes of Health has sponsored several studies on the effects of acupuncture as pain relief treatment for conditions such as arthritis and other ailments that produce chronic pain.  While western scientists suspect that acupuncture may stimulate the release of chemicals to soothe pain or prompt the body's natural healing abilities, the patient's faith or belief in acupuncture is a big factor in the procedure's success.

According to Dr. Hayes Wilson, chief rheumatologist at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta and national medical adviser to the Arthritis Foundation, says that acupuncture can work for anybody. However, he said that,“...it's going to work for the people who believe in it.” Many pain relief treatments are effective because of the patient's belief in them. People who don't believe that they're going to get better are less likely to get through.

Since the procedure involves risks inherent in needle use, however, there are some conditions where acupuncture is not recommended, such as those with bleeding disorders as well as people who are taking blood-thinning medications. There is also a high risk of spreading infectious disease, accidental piercing of organs, minor bleeding and broken or forgotten needles.

According to Dennis Turk, professor of anesthesiology and pain research at the University of Washington School of Medicine, people make sense out of noxious sensations and determine how bothersome they really are with the help of the brain. Several factors can affect how people perceive sensations, what they decide to do about them, and how they interact with respect to their environment.

One psychological factor that can intensify pain perception is stress. Muscles tend to become tense and may affect tissues that are already tender. Emotionally, the pressure may amplify pain perception. People who are distressed may interpret situations to be more difficult and may lead them to avoid certain types of activities because they are afraid that it will make their pain become worse.

A change in the source of stress can help alleviate the pressure. In the case of a frequent nagging from your spouse, try to find a way to sit down and discuss the problem with open communication. If changing the source of tension is not possible, consider wholesome and positive distraction such as watching a movie, listening to music, or spending time with friends. Pleasurable activities can shift the focus away from the pain temporarily.

Relaxation is another pain relief treatment. Meditation, yoga, deep breathing techniques, progressive muscle relaxation, massage, Tai Chi, and visualization have been proven to be effective pain relief treatment.

Joining support groups or getting individual counseling also help in coping with stress or ailment. However, while there is enough evidence to prove that people who join support groups experience dramatic improvements in their physical and emotional well-being, nevertheless, people who are not open in discussing about their problems may not benefit from this type of stress-management strategy.  Different techniques apply for different people.


Friday, February 2, 2018

Acupuncture for Sinus Headaches

The human body is an amazing thing, and whenever it is working properly it has a wonderful ability to take care of itself.  Whenever our body gets out of balance, however, problems can occur and show up in the form of pain and various diseases.  In order to naturally remove these various maladies from ourselves, it is often necessary for us to seek out the natural balance that we may have lost.  If you are having a difficult time with your sinuses and sinus headaches, it may be a sign of the balance missing from your body.  You can bring this balance back through the use of acupuncture.

Many people are not aware of exactly how large the sinuses are.  They are cavities which reach out into the cheek bones and above the eyes.  Our sinuses are there for a specific reason much the same as everything on our body.  Not only do they filter out the air before it enters into our lungs but they also reduce the risk of brain injury from blunt force trauma to the face and give our faces their unique shape.  For those that suffer from sinus headaches, however, the benefits of their sinuses are outweighed by the trouble that they are causing.

By using acupuncture, you may be able to relieve some of the problems that you are experiencing from sinus headaches.  If you are able to get your body back into alignment with itself through acupuncture and natural healing methods, you may be able to remove the headaches altogether.  By producing various chemicals in the bloodstream through acupuncture along with some of the pain relief that acupuncture is able to bring, you may experience an immediate relief from the headaches that you are having.  With several treatments and a good regimen of natural health, you may be a ball to get rid of the headaches once and for all.

Of course, you will want to speak to your doctor and to your acupuncturist about the treatments in order to make sure that they don't conflict with one another.  More than likely, however, you will be able to experience the relief that is typically found through acupuncture treatments.  Many people experience immediate relief and if you are one of those, you may be wondering why it took you so long to try acupuncture in the first place.