Jumat, 27 Januari 2012

Can Acupuncture Cure Pain

Acupuncture can cure various pains such as knee pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, arthritis and many types of health ailments. This form of treatment is considered as common and popular in many regions of East Asia.

On the other hand, acupuncture is known as an alternative medicine in the western part of the world.

There are some people who are hesitant to settle for acupuncture to cure pain. Acupuncture is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been around for hundreds of years. It does not depend on modern prescribed drugs or pills. Instead, acupuncture awakens the body's defenses and therapeutic abilities in order to prevent and even cure various diseases and pain.

Westerners have a different view of the body. Compared to the traditional Chinese, Westerners view the body as a physical and actual body mass. But the Chinese have a unique way of looking at the body. There is the qi and the yin and yang which are important to consider in order to discover the solution and even the treatment to a number of disease or pain.

Acupuncture therapy is the most common and well known treatment that is associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine. This treatment involves insertion of acupuncture needs to specific points in the body. The main idea is to increase the circulation of the blood flow and balance the qi or invisible energy in the body.

Traditional Chinese Medicine believed that ailments are caused by a disturbance or disruption of a person's flow of energy and blood throughout his body. The energy and blood may not freely flow because of the blockage or obstruction. In other words, if there is a free flow of blood and energy, there is no pain and disease to talk about. But, if there is no free flow of qi throughout the body, a person feels pain and discomfort.

Acupuncture therapy helps in restoring and maintaining the body's blood and energy flow. The acupuncture needles restore blood and energy movement in order to provide relief from ailments and pain. There have been a number of reviews which show that acupuncture for pain has significant positive results. With these reviews, it just shows that acupuncture can cure pain by restoring and balancing the body's energy and blood flow.

Acupuncture therapy is gaining wide reputation and acceptance. It is even considered as a non-invasive and high quality medicinal alternative. It does not introduce any damaging and detrimental effects to the body. Hence, acupuncture is one of the best options to cure pain and other ailments.

Selasa, 24 Januari 2012

Chronic Pain Can Be Treated With Acupuncture

There are countless people who are suffering from chronic pain. There are even a number of people whose lives are disrupted due to the pain and discomfort that they feel in their body. Chronic pain or discomfort is not like an ordinary pain that appears in a short period of time and can be remedied by prescriptive drugs. Chronic pain is something more serious and when it is left unresolved or untreated, it may lead to more damaging and detrimental effects to a person's life and health condition.

This kind of pain is so severe that a person suffers it for a period of six months. This pain recurs from time to time. A person may feel that it is an ordinary headache or muscle pain. But, actually, this pain or discomfort that he feels is more serious and requires immediate medical attention. The symptoms of chronic pain can be evident when a person suffers from a strange or unusual pain or discomfort that has been constantly recurring over a period of six months. Oftentimes, the pain goes away but when it recurs, the pain can be intolerable or even unbearable.

Nowadays, there are all sorts of ways to treat medical conditions. There are modern ways to remedy a pain. Moreover, there are countless medicines and drugs that a person is required to take everyday in order to feel better and treat his medical condition. However, there are times that these remedies and drugs cause severe side effects to a person's body. It may treat his stomach pain but his liver or kidney is damaged due to overtaking or overdosing of harmful drugs. Hence, a person cannot be sure as to what really works for him in the long run.

Fortunately, these days, there are a number of people who resort to acupuncture. This is a form or Traditional Chinese Medicine that have long been practiced by the ancient Chinese people. It was actually used to treat infections or even fevers. But, nowadays, due to continuous research and extension findings, acupuncture has proven to be an effective treatment to various medical conditions including chronic pain. There are also several ailments that can be cured by acupuncture. These include headache, migraine, PMS, muscle pain, joint pain and other bodily discomfort. Acupuncture continuous to astonish the medical field due to its positive and major results that it can provide to patients who have been suffering from long term ailments.

Senin, 23 Januari 2012

How Acupuncture Works

In the West, the most common definition of how acupuncture works has something to do with the flow or lack of flow of qi throughout the body. Qi is actually known as the invisible flow of energy that runs through the channels of the body. This invisible flow of energy which is known as qi is also referred to as meridians for some people especially practitioners. When a person suffers from a disease, practitioners immediately sense that there is a blockage of qi flow in the body.

Acupuncture which basically involves insertion of small needles into the different channels throughout the body helps unblock and preserved the continuous flow of energy. Although acupuncture is considered as an alternative medicine, there is still a number of scientific evidence that proves and shows how acupuncture works.

It is important to understand and have an in depth insight of how acupuncture works. Firstly, you need to understand that the body needs oxygen. And, oxygen must freely circulate and flow through the body. Secondly, the body contains various channels where the energy and oxygen must freely flow. These channels are the vessels in the blood which carries and transports oxygen. And, when acupuncture needles are inserted into the body, these needles stimulate the nerves and perk them up.

Acupuncture has three principal effects in order to fight and counter the disease. These effects are relieving pain, reducing inflammation and restoring homeostasis. These three principal effects can be achieved by a number of basic ways caused by the acupuncture needles that stimulate the nerves in the body. These acupuncture needles and points create a distention to the region or area of the disease. These needles stimulate and awaken the body's healing potential. Once the healing stimulation begins, the body releases natural pain killing chemicals which are known as endorphins. In addition, a person who has been to an acupuncturist knows that acupuncture sessions create a more relaxing and soothing environment. This environment allows the patient to let go of the tension and release stress which cause the body to suffer from a number of diseases.

In sum, oxygen in the body is known mainly as the qi. This qi sustains life. Consequently, oxygen is carried by blood throughout the body through the vessels. And, when there is insufficiently or lack of oxygen flow in the body, disease occurs. A number of diseases can cause pain, inflammation and even lack of homeostasis. The acupuncture needles and points stimulate the nervous system of the body. Hence, it causes vasodilatation, healing mechanisms, pain killer release and even muscle relaxation.

Jumat, 20 Januari 2012

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine - Controlling High Cholestrol the Natural Way

You've probably seen those commercials for cholesterol medications, typically statin drugs, which discuss the ways that you might develop high cholesterol in the first place. You know, the ones that show a piece of food that might contribute to high cholesterol and then show a photo of a family member who has an uncanny resemblance to that food. I, for one, would never want to have my photo compared to a deviled egg and find a strange similarity but the commercial gets its point across in a memorable way. High cholesterol and hyperlipidemia are often connected to two different things: dietary choices and genetics. However, statin drugs are not your only weapon. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used in combination with smart dietary choices to decrease cholesterol levels in the body and either delay medication usage or decrease reliance on it.

Hyperlipidemia is a term that refers to an elevated level of lipids, or fats, in the blood plasma. The lipids are transported to areas around the body by different proteins and these proteins are the ones that anyone with high cholesterol is familiar with. The main culprits are very-low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL). The proteins carry the lipids to the liver where they are converted to compounds suitable for immediate usage or for storage as adipose, or fat, tissue. Hyperlipidemia occurs when there is an issue with the conversion of VLDL and LDL in the body and too much cholesterol stays in the blood.

In Chinese medicine, hyperlipidemia falls into the category of symptoms caused by excess phlegm dampness and a deficiency of spleen qi. The phlegm dampness is considered a branch symptom since it often develops due to the root issue of spleen qi deficiency. When the spleen qi does not function correctly, it is unable to remove the nutrients from the meal effectively and the excess is left over as lipids, or phlegm dampness, traveling in the blood. Three main factors can lead to a decrease in the functionality of the digestive system and its engine, the spleen qi. The first is an improper diet. An improper diet can tax the digestive system and make it difficult for the spleen. The second is stress. Typically over worry, anger or frustration are reactions to being under constant stress. Worry directly injures the spleen and anger or frustration injures the liver which has a close relationship with the spleen. Just think about how your digestive system might feel a little off when under periods of stress in your life. The final factor is constitutional or genetic. Each person is born with a certain amount of yin energy in their body and as this yin declines it can damage the liver and kidney system, leading down the road of excess phlegm dampness. Regardless of the factor, Chinese medicine, like western medicine, believe that improper dietary choices are the major pre-disposing factor for high cholesterol and hyperlipidemia.

Recent research into the effectiveness of acupuncture on high cholesterol levels has focused on the usage of one particular point, Stomach 40, which is well known to practitioners as a key point to remove phlegm dampness from the system. The research conducted on mice produced results that the researchers concluded could physiologically explain how acupuncture could lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels. In addition to this acupoint, other points located around the body are well suited to decreasing stress levels, transforming dampness, and supplementing spleen qi. A number of herbs have been found to decrease plasma VLDL and LDL as well. These include reishi mushrooms, angelica root, and notoginseng.

As a practicing acupuncturist, I never recommend that patients remove themselves from their medication without consulting their doctor first but if you are watching your diet, exercising, limiting your stress levels and are still not seeing results from your medication, then acupuncture might be an option for you. In addition, many people taking medication have cholesterol levels within acceptable ranges due to the medication itself. If they were to come off the medication, the levels could potentially spike back up. This is a little more of a touchy subject for me as a practitioner. I recommend that patients commit to a treatment plan and dietary changes geared towards decreasing their cholesterol to levels below those produced by medication alone and then speak with their physician about decreasing their dosage. Of course, it is important to remember that you are also getting other health benefits from the acupuncture beyond just the cholesterol lowering capabilities.

So if you are concerned about the potential for high cholesterol or are tired to having to take medication everyday for it, you can have control over your condition. With a diet mainly based on vegetables and whole foods and regular acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments, you just might be able to decrease your cholesterol numbers.

Kamis, 12 Januari 2012

Acupuncture Therapy Treating Various Illness and Pains From Past 3000 Years

It said that medical world is practicing acupuncture therapy for about 3000 years. The acupuncture treatments are based on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) that recognized a subtle energy system circulating through the body. It can be referred as the channel that feeds, nourish, and sustain substances like blood through the circulatory system.

This energy system relates as Qi circulating energy in body. When the Qi system is blocked, the body suffers Illness and disease. Acupuncture therapy restores flow of energy circulation by inserting needles into the acupuncture points. These insertions clear all residing blockages and help to restore the energy circulation in the body.

Acupuncture therapy help cure pains, illness and diseases such as chronic pain and headaches, acute injury-related pain (strains and sprains), digestive disorders, cardiovascular conditions, muscle and nerve conditions, addictive behaviors, gynecological disorders, chemotherapy and radiation side effects, stroke rehabilitation, autoimmune conditions, HIV support therapy and so on.

Moreover, acupuncture treatments can improve health conditions like alleviation from nausea caused by chemotherapy, immune enhancement, weight control, stress, anxiety reduction, insomnia, chronic fatigue, indigestion, irritable bowel, smoking, sinus congestion, infertility, sciatica, headaches, acute and chronic pain (back, neck, joints etc.), menstrual cramp, etc.

Acupuncturists use nine types of needles, and all needles vary in length, width and shape of head. These needles are inserted at the points anywhere in the range of 15 degrees to 90 degrees relative to the skin surface. There are few insertion techniques used by the acupuncturists such as Raising and Thrusting, Twirling or Rotation, Combination of Raising/Thrusting and Rotation, Plucking, Scraping (vibrations sent through the needle), and Trembling (another vibration technique).

Across many countries, acupuncture therapy is widely trusted for treating lower backache, cervical spondylosis, condylitis, arthritic conditions, headaches of all kinds (including migraine), allergic reactions, and relief of muscles spasms by the patients.

Therefore, people suffering from such pains, illness and diseases can opt for acupuncture treatments that offer only satisfaction but no pains. The healthcare institutes provides acupuncture therapy, ayurvedic medicine and massage, herbal medicine, injection therapy, etc, to cure several diseases with in a short span of time.

Fees charged by the physicians are highly reasonable and affordable to all pockets. The pain free treatments ensure full recoveries for life long at reasonable rates can be called as the cheapest treatment obtain ever. Trusting three thousand years old therapy can be the wise decision for best recoveries provided by the reputed and reliable healthcare institutes.