Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese therapeutic technique. Acupuncture has a history of over 2500 years and comes from China. It has now become very popular throughout Europe and Asia too.Today people are moving more away from western medicine and moving more towards acupuncture, mainly when western medicine has no answer to their medical ailment or they do not like the other options given them, be it surgery or drugs or even when they have been told that nothing else can be done.
They turn to acupuncture for pain relief, for chronic illness, for acute injuries, for various side effects brought on by other medications, for incurable conditions, during cancer treatments etc. Arthritis is a condition that causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around joints. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis, and each type is characterized by joint and musculoskeletal pain, often the result of inflammation of the joint lining. Arthritis affects hundreds of millions of people across the globe. Approximately 50% of people older than 65 live with arthritis, but it can affect people of all ages, even young children. Although symptoms vary in each person, those with arthritis find that the condition will interfere with daily activities at some point. Due to the pain and stiffness, patients may have trouble getting out of bed, writing, sewing, buttoning clothes, dressing, walking, and climbing stairs, for example. But this is not always the case.
Some days are better than others, and the severity of symptoms can change from day to day. Sometimes living with the loss of function and movement is more difficult than the pain of arthritis itself. Acupuncture alleviates pain and improves movement for patients suffering from it, whether it is arthritis of the knee, hip, shoulder, hand or back. The effectiveness applies to both rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) conditions, and treatments focus on controlling the painful symptoms as well as balancing the immune system. The majority of our patients see immediate results after just a few treatments and experience positive long-term benefits in combination with Chinese formulas and regular exercise.
Lower Back Pain – Acupuncture treatment for low back pain is usually rather straightforward and the condition responds extremely well to acupuncture, Chinese formulas, herbs and herbal plasters. In fact, major studies have shown that acupuncture care serves to re-establish normal health care of the low back. For cases arising out of simple overexertion, strain or knotted muscles, acupuncture increases blood flow to the afflicted area(s), relaxes the muscles, eases pain and relieves inflammation. Even arthritic joints are affected by muscle spasms and can be effectively treated. Your acupuncturist can help.
Constipation – The term “constipation” can mean infrequent or hard stools, or it can refer to difficulty passing stools. Constipation may involve pain during the passage of a bowel movement, the inability to have a bowel movement after straining for longer than 10 minutes, or no bowel movements at all for more than 3 days. The most common causes of constipation include a diet with not enough fiber, lack of physical activity, stress, travel, inadequate intake of fluid each day, or delay in going to the bathroom when the urge to defecate presents itself. Other causes are IBS, pregnancy, thyroid conditions, depression, neurological diseases, or certain medications.
Constipation and diarrhea, while very common, are two of the least discussed physical complaints. The effects of irregular bowel movements are often poor food absorption, fatigue, sallow complexion, frequent break-outs, pain in the lower abdomen, upset in appetite and weight control, and more. When someone is not eliminating their waste at a regular rate and consistency, it is a sign of a deeper imbalance within the body. Regular acupuncture combined with Chinese herbs can have a positive effect on gastrointestinal motility. The treatment will either be used to relax a more spastic colon or to stimulate peristalsis. Within the concepts and theories of TCM, there is a more complete method of interpreting digestive disorders. When someone has stool that is very dry or stubborn to pass, herbs will be given to moisten the intestines and long-term treatment will focus on re-establishing a moister digestive environment.
When someone has chronic, explosive diarrhea that burns or causes other pain, acupuncture will help calm the large intestine and herbs will be administered to remove toxins such as bacteria or viruses and to clear heat from the digestive system. Likewise, when someone experiences chronic watery painless diarrhea, acupuncture will be used to tonify the digestive system and herbs will be administered to warm the digestion so that food is transformed into usable energy more efficiently. Fibromyalgia For those who suffer from fibromyalgia, acupuncture is critical for keeping the body in harmony. Within Traditional Chinese Medicine practice, fibromyalgia is generally regarded as a deficiency disorder, manifesting as a deficiency of qi, yin or yang. However, an excess can also be present, usually one of dampness or damp-heat. Treatment, in most cases, seeks to address the underlying deficiencies by moving the qi and blood and strengthening the overall visceral organs of the spleen, heart or kidney. Left untreated, this vicious cycle will continue and, over time, will lead to increased pain and muscle tightness, a loss of movement, and difficulty sleeping.
Chronic fatigue is a difficult condition to address, but acupuncture and custom herbal formulas for which TCM is so justly famous and highly effective in fibromyalgia treatment. It is not uncommon for those with fibromyalgia to receive treatments three to four times a month to keep everything mobile and relaxed. The biggest concern in treating people with fibromyalgia is that their muscles have a diminished healing ability. For this reason, acupuncture treatments are usually modified slightly to decrease the stress in a patient and keep the qi and blood moving.Conditions which include the eyes and mouth such as simple cataract, dry eyes, conjunctivitis, retinitis and toothache, pharyngitis, dry mouth condition known as xerostomia and post extraction pain. Heart problems such as poor circulation, stroke recovery, hypertension. It also helps in conditions like hiccough, gastritis, gastric ulcers, colitis, constipation, lack of energy and chronic fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, mood swings, post traumatic shock, dizziness, in post operative treatment, in complaints that cannot be diagnosed, Achilles tendonitis and golfer's elbow.
Do you just treat symptoms with Acupuncture?
It is possible to effectively treat acute conditions or symptoms, such as a runny nose or back pain. The aim of Acupuncture, though, is to identify and treat the underlying cause(s) of the problem. This is called the "root" of the problem, and it is said that Acupuncture treats the root, rather than chasing the leaves (the symptoms).Sometimes, while working on the root, it is necessary and beneficial to address some of the leaves simultaneously, but it is inherent in the medicine of acupuncture that the root is never ignored. People come for acupuncture for myriad reasons: for pain relief, for another option when they don't like the surgical or drug options they've been offered, for balance knowing that the medications only relieve symptoms and do nothing for real healing, in desperation when they've been told there's nothing more that can be done, for relief of unwanted side effects from necessary medications, for supportive therapy during cancer treatment and for palliative care for an "incurable" condition, as well as for true primary preventive care and wellness maintenance.
By Ricky Hussey
