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Monthly Archives : May, 2011

Acupuncture Philadelphia and Hives

Hives, known less as Urticaria, is a skin disease typically manifested as skin wheals.  The condition appears and disappears suddenly leaving no marks on the skin.  A person with hives experiences severe itching and burning heat on the affected part.  It can occur repeatedly and last for long periods.  Hives can manifest usually in the face, neck or limbs.  They can occur through exposure to cold, sunlight, stress or eating of certain food.

Hives is an allergic reaction and may be categorized as:

Allergens/Environmental factors – Various allergens from nature such as pollen, house-dust, buffalo dander, fungi or even temperature changes have been known to cause hives.

Food allergens – Dairy, gluten and poultry products as wells as synthetic and natural food additives and flavor enhancing products food articles can potentially trigger allergic reactions.
Drugs – Synthetic drugs are big factors for urticaria.  Antibiotics such as penicillin; anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and indomethacin; vaccinations; foreign sera; hormonal pills or tablets, contraceptive pills can all trigger severe urticaria.

Systemic and general disease – Urticaria may happen due to some systemic or general internal disease such as hormonal imbalances (hyperthyroidism), SLE, polycythaemia, reticuloses among others.  Hives may occur also as an antecedent to cancer.

Acupuncture Philadelphia has been proven to be effective in treating hives even for people who have difficulties curing it.  Majority of studies done with acupuncture treatment of hives show that more than 90% of subjects with hives have manifested substantial improvement of symptoms after treatment with acupuncture.

Wind-heat Type – This type of symptom include extreme pruritus, burning sensation and red wheals on the involved area and red tongue with thin and yellow coating.   The goal is to expel pathogenic Wind and remove pathogenic Heat.

Wind-cold Type – Symptoms usually include severe itching, pale or light-colored wheals and aversion to wind and cold.  The tongue is pale with thin and white coating and the pulse is shallow and weak. Therapy involves removing pathogenic Wind and Cold.

External insufficiency Type – Symptoms include wheals of frequent recurrences.  This type of allergy usually becomes chronic and healing time takes a considerable time to happen. Cold factors usually are the cause of this disease. The patient experiences weakness, the tongue is pale with thin and white coating and the pulse is weak. The aim is to replenish chi and strengthen the immune system to better resist the disease and improve blood circulation to remove pathogenic Wind.

Clearly the environment is a major factor in development of urticaria.  The best defense for this type of disease is to boost the immune system by eating nutritious food that does not trigger an allergic reaction.  It is also recommended that taking herbal remedies, vitamins and minerals can strengthen body resistance.  Regular exercise is a good way to improve blood circulation.

Benefits of Bellvue Acupuncture Analgesia

Bellvue Acupuncture analgesia is a procedure for the removal of pain by acupuncture.  This process enables the body to lose the sensation of pain by stimulating certain points as the patient goes through an operation or surgery fully conscious.  Countless studies and applications have shown that acupuncture analgesia is 100% safe. Millions of surgeries that have used acupuncture analgesia have been done in China and the US none of which led to a fatality.  Acupuncture analgesia does not produce any side effects.  This prevents any incidents related to conventional anesthesia to occur.  Acupuncture analgesia cannot lead to complications such as respiratory tract infection, gastrointestinal dysfunction, abdominal distension and retention of urine.  It is very useful for elderly patients because their weakened body makes them prone to side effects caused by conventional anesthesia.  Since acupuncture regulates the physiological health of the individual, vital statistics such as blood pressure, pulse and respiration during surgery remain relatively normal in most cases. After the operation, the vital statistics still remain normal, resulting in immediate restoration of appetite and ambulatory ability and the prompt healing of wound.

During operation, the patient under acupuncture analgesia can communicate with the surgeons.  This helps the surgeon better assess the situation as the operation progresses.  Acupuncture analgesia does not require any high tech equipment to help monitor pain progression.  The patient himself is the gauge of how the surgery is progressing.  Acupuncture analgesia can be performed in the most sophisticated hospital operating room setting and in a setting bereft of the most modern medical technology with still the same benefit and effect on the patient.  Acupuncture analgesia was discovered in China during the 1950‘s.  Countless research have been done to explain this phenomena.  With 60 years of research, many conclusions and results have been recorded.  Because of its fundamental perspective on the intangible aspects of nature, acupuncture has baffled Western medical science to figure out how it works and how to harness and manipulate it.  So there are still many unanswered questions.  Its mechanics have been recorded with many studies still to be done to draw a complete explanation of this procedure.  Acupuncture analgesia has the ability to up the threshold of pain and endurance.  Still, there are patients who suffered from incomplete analgesia and muscular stiffness usually occurring in stomach operations. In this type of situation, the application of small amounts of drug anesthesia or inserting some acupuncture points with needles will alleviate the pain and distress of the patient undergoing a stomach operation.  With most operations; however, acupuncture analgesia is safe and effective.  Even in open-heart surgery, the patient remains conscious and communicating with the surgeons.  The patient needs to be in a relaxed and comfortable state in order to be given acupuncture anesthesia.  Acupuncture analgesia will not be 100% effective on patient who is unable to remain calm and composed.

Acupuncture Philadelphia and Digestive Problems

Nature is our benefactor and best friend.  Respecting nature will only give us happiness, good health and blessings.  However, in the so-called modern days of life, we have virtually forgotten what has provided us good health.  Nowadays, the phenomena of fast foods have allowed our bodies to be badly nourished.  The foods we eat are heavily laced with preservatives and genetically modified food products.  The diet soft drinks many people drink are sweetened with the carcinogenic and Parkinson’s disease causing aspartame, which was banned in the 70’s and 80’s by the US FDA for causing a wide range of diseases but brought back in the market through corruption and bribery.  Modern day living has given us a stressful and anxiety filled lifestyle.  It has estranged our souls from meaningful relationships and has provided distractions like TV, which has degraded our intellect and stifled our quest for truth and wisdom.  Digestive disorders have arisen due to poor nutrition and many therapies have risen to try to treat these disorders.  Acupuncture Philadelphia treatment is one of the most popular alternative forms of treatment for a wide range of diseases including digestive illnesses.  It is about treating the body of sicknesses by inserting needles in specific body points to gain a desired outcome.

Acupuncture is based on the belief that that the body has energy points all along it where energy called chi flows throughout the body nourishing it with life giving energy.  It is chi that makes the body live, grow and reproduce.  These energy points are called meridians.  Acupuncturists believe that the spleen controls gastrointestinal functions so any digestive disorders entail the treatment of the spleen. The meridians connected to the spleen are the stomach, spleen and large intestine meridians and as such, these meridians may be inserted with needles. Sometimes the acupuncturist would include herbal medicines in their treatment.  Acupuncture treatment is very effective in treating digestive problems such as bacterial and gastrointestinal (GI) infections, GI bleeding, heartburn, gastritis and ulcers among others.  Acupuncture helps release hormones that help stabilize the imbalances in the digestive system.  Furthermore, the needles enable muscle relaxation, which gives better muscle movement, enhancing blood flow and the generation of lymph. The improved blood flow brings with it beneficial substances and nutrients that nourishes body organs relieving them of any pain they may have.  Acupuncture is a very safe treatment.  Some people are worried of infection because needles used are not replaced with new ones.  That is simply not the case.  Acupuncturists use new packaged sterilized and disposable needles per person to avoid cross infection.  If one really wants to be sure of safety, then one should look for a reputable and experienced acupuncturist recommended even by medical professionals.

Bellvue Acupuncture and Autism

Autism cases are rising around the world with about 1 out of 500 children now suffering from this disorder up from 1 to 1000 cases just years before.  Many suspect that autism is linked to vaccines that carry mercury preservatives such as merthiolate.  Mercury is known to destroy human cells, especially cell neurons in the brain.  Many parents are already concerned that some pharmaceutical drugs can actually harm a child are now looking at alternative therapies for their children’s health.  The Western medical approach in dealing with autism is to place autistic children in facilities that help them to better their social and communication skills.  This implies that Western science has no real treatment for autism.  In fact, it may have even created this disorder.  One popular and very safe alternative treatment is acupuncture.  Curiously, autism is not known in traditional Chinese medicine, which means that there is not enough research done to determine the etiology of this debilitating disorder.  Some studies have shown that acupuncture helps children at least in terms of giving them symptomatic relief.  Bellvue Acupuncture is all about inserting hair thin needles in certain points in the body to help treat an ailment.  Though it may be a daunting event for the child and the parents at the start, the benefit given by acupuncture in the short and long term seems worth the initial trouble. Acupuncture necessitates long periods of laying still and the invasive insertion of needles, which could be quite testing for a child, especially one who is suffering from autism.  Nowadays, pediatric acupuncture does not require younger children to lay down still.

Studies were made to study the influence of acupuncture on the brains of autistic children. The treatments were done once every other day for a length of four months. They showed that 91% of the children exhibited extraordinary improvement and the rest had substantial improvement in blood flow to the brain. Prior to treatment unequal blood flow was observed between the left and right cerebrum and between the left and right frontal lobes.  After treatment, both the left and right cerebrum and the left and right lobes were getting equal and adequate blood nourishment.  Medical acupuncture researchers in Hong Know have discovered the efficacy of tongue acupuncture in helping children with autism.  It is a relatively new form of acupuncture (discovered over 20 years ago) and is a very beneficial form of acupuncture for autistic children.  Traditional Chinese medicine believes that that the tongue and heart are connected through meridians.  Meridians connected to the tongue can affect the other major organs of the body and this is why tongue acupuncture can be effective in treating certain sicknesses.  Besides acupuncture, proper nutrition and diet is also recommended.  Vitamin D, avoidance of gluten and dairy products are known to alleviate symptoms of autism.

Three Types of Acupuncture Seattle

Acupuncture, an ancient medical technique used by the Chinese for a wide range of their health problems.  It is a treatment whereby well-being and good health is achieved by the use of fine needles inserted into the individual’s skin at certain points.  These points correspond to energy pathways called meridians that are connected to various parts of the body.  The meridians are groups of networks where chi, Chinese word for vital energy, flows.  Chi is the force that keeps the human body healthy and makes it grow.  Sometimes, the meridians develop blockages at certain organs or parts of the body.  The blockages hinder and stagnates chi flow causing other parts of the body to suffer due to energy deficiency.  This energy deficiency then manifests as illness and sickness in the body.  Acupuncture Seattle unblocks the meridians and allows normal chi flow again throughout the body thus restoring good health.   There are 14 meridian networks with at least 350 acupunctures in the body.  Acupuncture not only removes obstacles to chi flow, it also regulates and controls chi flow.  Chi flowing rapidly around the body is also detrimental to an individual’s health and acupuncture sees to it that normal chi flow is always achieved to give the body the optimal health that it needs.  There are three types of acupuncture school of thought developed after acupuncture became popular in the West.  The first is traditional acupuncture or traditional yin-yang acupuncture.  This is the acupuncture practiced by the ancient Chinese for thousands of years.  It emphasizes the importance of yin-yang balance as the key element to a person’s health.  The second is Western or medical acupuncture and the third is the Five Elements acupuncture. These three systems are inherently the same in use of acupuncture points and in procedures of diagnosis. They diverge in treatment methods and in explaining the cause of the health problem.

In Five Element Acupuncture, the basis of sickness and ailments are caused by physical conditions and emotional stress.  The Five Element Acupuncture believes that extreme emotions such as stress and anxiety ought to be addressed to mitigate a person’s physical pain.  Treating extreme emotions usually take a little longer to heal than most physical health issues.  That is why the Five Elements procedure entails a longer treatment process since it aims to treat both the mind and the physical body.  The Yin-Yang type of acupuncture focuses on the restoration of the balance of yin and yang energies of the body.  Western Acupuncture has a more pragmatic approach than the other two types of acupuncture and integrates Western medical innovations to the traditional Chinese techniques with emphasis in treating or relieving pain.  This can be seen in the use of acupuncture as an anesthetic for surgical and dental procedures.  Western acupuncture is also used as an analgesic for relief of pain and discomfort for a number of health issues.

Arthritic Pain and Acupuncture Louisville

Arthritis is one of the most common health disorders in the United States.  It is a debilitating ailment affecting about 70 million people in the US.  As a person ages, he/she becomes more prone to arthritic pain. It is a fact that most people reaching 50 and above manifest some symptoms of arthritis.  This is due to joint degeneration, which causes the arthritis.  Still, arthritis can also strike people at any phase in life. Acupuncture Louisville and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in general can be effective in helping relieve the symptoms of arthritis.  There are two types of arthritis:  osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  The two have distinct causes, risks and consequences; however, both share a common symptom of nagging and tenacious joint pain.  The most common type of arthritis in the United States is osteoarthritis, which affects about 21 million people, mostly old people.  With osteoarthritis, the joint cartilage weakens and wears out, which causes friction between bones causing pain and stiffness.  Osteoarthritis strikes the joints in the extremities of the body, namely the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, spine, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles.  Repetitive chores or work using the hands, elbows and shoulders can result in the onset of osteoarthritis.  A physically repetitive job where one always bends, stoops or squats may cause osteoarthritis eventually.  Rheumatoid arthritis is characterized by swelling of the synovium.  This causes pain, stiffness, inflammation, warmth and redness in the affected area.  The joint becomes misshapen, which affects and severely limits its range of motion.

TCM believes that arthritis happens when chi flow becomes stagnant due to a blockage in energy pathways called meridians. In Chinese, this chi blockage is called Bi.  Bi can be treated with acupuncture coupled with Chinese herbal medicine.  Acupuncture with Chinese herbal treatment is very capable of taking away the pain and swelling caused by arthritis.  The acupuncturist selects certain acupuncture points and herbs depending on the body area where the blockage is located.  TCM understands that arthritis can have different causes (according to TCM viewpoint) and deigns to understand what particular type of circumstance caused the arthritis.  The acupuncturist, besides acupuncture, will recommend to the patient a proper lifestyle such as light exercises and nutrition such as foods low in uric acid to minimize their arthritic problem.  The diagnosis and appropriate treatment approach depends on the outcome of the physical examination of the acupuncturist on the patient.  Acupuncture points for arthritic pain are potentially located all over the body.  Tiny fine needles are inserted in the legs, arms, shoulders and toe.  People have different reactions to the insertion of these needles.  Some may feel pain while some may feel a very slight tingling sensation as the needles are inserted.  Once the needles are in the skin, a relaxing and calming effect is immediately felt in the mind and body.

High Blood Pressure and Acupuncture St Helens

High blood pressure affects more than 30% of the population of the United States.  Last year, high blood pressure cost the United States $76.6 billion in health care expenses, including medications and lost productivity.  High blood pressure or hypertension is usually caused by a poor and stressful lifestyle; however, some individuals do acquire it genetically.  It can also be caused by alcoholism, smoking, predilection for high-caloric fast foods and sweets and aging.  The symptoms of hypertension are headache, nausea and restlessness among others.  Without proper maintenance, hypertension can lead to stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetes and obesity.  The usual Western medical remedy for high blood pressure is by medications.  Long-term use of these medications builds up toxins in the body resulting in kidney and liver failure and other disorders.  Acupuncture is one of the most safest and potent methods for treating hypertension.

Acupuncture St Helens was already being used in China for thousands of years.  It is part of traditional Chinese medicine.  The Chinese believe that there over a thousand acupuncture sites or points in the body and these points are connected to energy networks called meridians, which in turn connect to the various organs, tissues and body parts in the body.  Fine needles are inserted on the skin at prescribed depths at certain strategic points to heal a particular health problem.  Acupuncture is proven an effective treatment for disorders such as sleeplessness, headaches, body, muscle and joint pain, migraine, diabetes and hypertension among others.  It has many ways to treat hypertension. One of these is known as electro-acupuncture, which is about inserting a couple of fine needles at specific sites in the body.  Then, low-frequency electrical pulses are pumped from one needle to the other to stimulate the brain to help calm the excited state of the cardiovascular system.  This reduces heart activity and lessens the need for oxygen.  This process helps greatly in the lowering of high blood pressure.  This procedure lasts 30 minutes per session and should be handled by a qualified professional acupuncturist.

For treatment of hypertension, acupuncture is oftentimes accompanied by herbal medicine therapy.  The use of certain herbs combined with acupuncture always speeds up the treatment process.  Some of these herbs can assist in controlling hypertensive symptoms such as headaches or vertigo.  Some herbs such as the chrysanthemum flower can help with the hypertension itself since the flower is known to be a vasodilator.  Most of these herbs are taken as tea or in powder form.

Acupuncture regulates the body systems and aids in normalizing bodily functions – blood pressure is one of them.  Acupuncture helps the body to relax and be in a state of calm and elation.  This reduces stress greatly.  Acupuncture is the best remedy there is for this oftentimes-lethal disease.

Cigarette Smoking and Acupuncture Davis

Any smoker can quit anytime.  It is the resolve to permanently stop smoking that is the challenging part.  Most people fail this challenge and some may, through sheer will power, overcome their nicotine addiction but with a price.  Many smokers who have quit cold turkey develop heart problems and high blood pressure because of the extreme stress of fighting the nicotine addiction.  Many people can reflect on the long-term damage of smoking as a motivation to stop smoking.  There are other less stressful ways, of overcoming nicotine addiction.  There are tobacco treatment people or a treatment program to assist you in quitting completely.  One could also opt for a more natural treatment approach for nicotine addiction.  One very effective treatment is acupuncture therapy for nicotine addiction.  Acupuncture  Davis is an integral part and probably the most important treatment program of traditional Chinese medicine.  Acupuncture is proven to help with a number of health and emotional conditions, including stress.  Acupuncture became known as a treatment for addiction in the 1970s when an individual reported being cured of his opium withdrawal symptoms after being treated with electroacupuncture.  Many are still unconvinced of the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating nicotine withdrawal symptoms but more evidence shows that this is not the case.  Nicotine patches help with the smoking cessation part but it does not really cure the root cause of the problem, which is the nicotine addiction.  Acupuncture, on the other hand addresses both the withdrawal symptoms and the addiction itself.

When first meeting with an acupuncturist, the acupuncturist may ask the patient a few questions to orient himself or herself with the patient’s smoking habits.  Next, a physical examination of blood pressure, pulse and inspection of the tongue is conducted on the patient.  The acupuncturist will need to ask about the patient’s emotional and physical symptoms in order for the former to better diagnose the problem and allowing for the best possible approach to treat the addiction.  The treatment is just as focused at allaying the mental pressure or stress, fears, cravings, irascibility, and the anxiety of the patient as it is with relieving the physical symptoms of the nicotine addiction. Moreover and more importantly, the treatment also detoxifies the body of nicotine and other toxins gained from long-term smoking.  Auricular acupuncture is the commonly used approach for nicotine addiction treatment.  Each needle is inserted in specific areas on the ear.  These areas correspond to organs and body parts affected by the smoking including the sympathetic nervous system.   Ear points used associate with the shenmen, kidneys, sympathetic nervous system, lungs and mouth.  The length of the treatment depend on how much nicotine and other toxins are in the body and how severe the withdrawal symptoms of a patient is.  Usually, a session lasts 30 to 40 minutes with sessions twice a week.  Sometimes ear tacks are used to help prolong the effectiveness of the treatment.