Archive for the ‘Acupuncture’ Category:
Written on December 28th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Even though there is truly a laundry list of ailments that the ancient Chinese civilization believed that acupuncture could cure, many people contend that this therapy will not work for everything even though that is what the Chinese cultures used it to do. Infertility is a definite and real issue that many people question whether or not acupuncture will work for. Many people who are troubled by their infertility problems have most likely already tried numerous other alternative therapies and tricks, so there is mainly nothing else to lose. There are many ancient Chinese civilizations and individuals who believed that acupuncture worked for infertility because of the ways that they practiced it. If you are thinking about having a session for your infertility troubles, here are some issues related to infertility that one should think about before getting the treatment done:
Low Sperm Count and Bad Eggs
When one thinks of infertility problems what mainly comes to mind is women who are unable to carry children or impregnate for some reason or another. Even though there are plenty of women with these problems, men also suffer from infertility problems and one area that they suffer from is low sperm count. It is very possible that a man is not able to have children, or very unlikely anyway, because of his low sperm count that Mother Nature dealt him. However, acupuncture is able to cure this through very long needles being pinned throughout the body.
Females are also encouraged to undergo acupuncture because of bad egg problems that they may encounter. There may be unexplained problems with the eggs that they do have, but acupuncture will also cure these eggs. Many times, however, acupuncture requires laying naked on a bed designed for acupuncture, and this is one of the times that it would require doing so. However, acupuncture therapists know how to properly treat infertility and many people have already been cured of the problem.
Ovulation Gone Awry
Another reason that females may have to worry about infertility problems is because one reason or another their ovulation system has gone awry. Even though these problems are horrible and devastating to deal with, many people have already tried the age-old technique of acupuncture to deal successfully with this problem. There are hundreds of professional acupuncturists that are ready to deal with this type of infertility problem.
As far as the actual treating of infertility with acupuncture goes, there are actually several ways that one can go about getting treatments. In other words, there are actually several kinds of acupuncture needles that can be chosen to work the problem. For instance, electrical needles can be used, along with herbal remedies that can be combined to help infertility problems.
All in all, though, it simply depends on the decision of the individual and what he or she wants to do about his or her infertility problems. The issue of infertility can be quite embarrassing for many individuals, but successfully treating these problems with acupuncture is definitely the way to go!
Tags: problems infertility acupuncture
Written on December 27th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Have you ever had an uncontrollable urge to be pierced by a dozen needles? This is the image most people get when someone mentions the word “acupuncture”. It comes as no surprise that most view this technique with suspicion, even downright horror. The fact is, however, that this relatively painless ancient Chinese technique has helped relieve the symptoms of millions of people. Properly used, it can help in the management of many medical conditions including chronic pain and fatigue.
How does needle puncture work?
Practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine believe in energy flows. This energy, called Qi, circulates around the body using pathways called meridians. Meridians run very close to the surface of the skin in certain areas and can be accessed by needles. Much like plumbing, these pipes can get blocked or go the wrong way, causing health problems. The insertion of needles at these points is aimed to help loosen blocks and normalize flow.
It sounds like a made-up explanation with no basis in reality, but there are numerous scientific studies which support the effects of acupuncture. Although the exact scientific basis is still unknown, recent theories seem to suggest involvement of complicated neurochemical effects in the brain, nerve to spinal cord impulse modulation, and microscopic connective tissue changes.
What risks and side effects are of concern?
The use of things not completely understood for the treatment of medical conditions is nothing new. Penicillin and aspirin were used for decades solely on the basis of their beneficial effects, without doctors knowing exactly how they worked. Results are what are truly important. However, it is equally important is to ensure that the technique is used safely.
Like other strategies used in treating health conditions, acupuncture may have some side effects. Medications have side effects and allergic reactions, surgeries have risk of infection and complications. For needle puncture, there is a risk of injury, rare infections, minor bleeding, small bruises, and some dizziness.
You can minimize the possible side effects by choosing a licensed acupuncturist. Most countries either have government licensing in place or have professional organizations with very strict rules and regulations.
How do treatments go?
An acupuncturist will do an initial evaluation of your medical history and your body’s current state. Multiple pressure points are palpated, and a regimen of treatment is formulated. Most courses involve a series of 10 to 20 treatment sessions, each lasting 30 to 90 minutes. Needles will be carefully placed at the required points and kept in place for some time. Most patients report a feeling of mild sensation at the site of the puncture, but no real pain.
Right after each acupuncture session, you will feel a bit tired and may need to rest. Some people feel an increase in their energy levels. The response to acupuncture is very individual. In some cases there is immediate relief of symptoms. For some patients, the beneficial effects may only be noticed after undergoing a few sessions. Do not be alarmed and keep your acupuncturist updated on what you are feeling to ensure everything is going as expected.
You need never fear the thought of needles ever again. Acupuncture is a beneficial treatment with a long history of effectiveness. It is used to complement current medical therapy and should not replace currently existing medications or treatments.
The safe application of this once exclusively Chinese therapy can now be experienced by chronic disease sufferers worldwide.
Tags: acupuncture treatment technique
Written on December 24th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Many different illnesses are able to be treated using the procedure of acupuncture and one of those illnesses that is able to be easily treated is Depression. Even though Depression is a mental illness and not a physical ailment, the whole process of acupuncture is able to cure almost any mental disorder that the Chinese used back in ancient civilizations to cure. There is no doubt, also, that ancient Chinese individuals and society did suffer from the horrible affects that some people call Depression. Of course, Depression has lots of other names and there are actually many other mental illnesses that should be able to be treated with acupuncture. Aside from Depression, though, many types of anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, along with a whole plethora of other mental illnesses, need to be treated with this revolutionary medicine that has been available in China for the past thousand of years but has just been introduced to the United States in recent decades.
One important issue, thought, that’s important to note when trying to treat Depression or any other mental illness with acupuncture, is the fact that those who undergo the process should have some remote belief that they will be cured. For example, if a person has claimed that they have literally tried everything to overcome their Depression in their life and they don’t believe anything else will help them then chances are that they won’t benefit very much from acupuncture. On the other hand, there are also plenty of people who would more than likely be ready and willing to put their trust in a medicine form that was their last hope to heal their body and mind.
If one is going to use acupuncture in order to treat Depression, though, another good issue to realize is just how acupuncture works on the body in order to heal the mind from its ailments. After all, Depression is not just simply a physical ailment at times but many times it can take over one’s whole mind. In the acupuncture therapy it is believed that the same positive effects that are felt throughout the body are also felt within the mind. Indeed, though, this mindset has worked for many people when treating their Depression and other mental illnesses. Just because negative feelings are left in the mind doesn’t mean that the needles associated with acupuncture is not able to help them.
Furthermore, there have been plenty of individuals all over the world besides China and the Far East countries that have had success with acupuncture therapy. For starters, many people here in the United States have had success with this age-old technique, however, they may be fearful to speak up just because of what others may think. If you have had acupuncture performed on you, though, then you probably already know the positive effects it can have. If you have been suffering from Depression, though, the best thing to do would be to not only seek out an acupuncture therapist, but to witness to other people about the benefits of acupuncture once it has been established that you have truly been healed!
Tags: acupuncture depression illnesses
Written on December 21st, 2009 by adminno shouts
The foundation of acupuncture rests on the relevance of an individual’s chi in maintaining bodily and mental health. It is believed that chi is present in every living creature, and flows through specific pathways in the body. Health problems arise when the flow of chi on the body is blocked. As a result, a person may feel persistent headaches, muscle pain, fever, weakness, or in the worst case, becomes afflicted with more serious health conditions.
A Deeper Explanation of Acupuncture
Acupuncture has its origins in ancient Chinese philosophy and practice. More than ten thousand years ago, during the Old Stone Age of China, stones were fashioned into knives for medical purposes. After several years, during the New Stone Age, these stones were eventually made into needles intended for the same therapeutic end. These accounts are further evidenced by unearthed stone needles found to be of the same types used during the New Stone Age.
There are basically 14 pathways throughout the body where chi flows continuously. These are called the meridian points. In order for chi to course through the body unobstructed, there has to be a balance between the strengths of yin and yang. In ancient Chinese philosophy, yin and yang represent the forces of the universe- yin is for feminine, while yang is for masculine. Every single thing in the universe is believed to contain both yin and yang for harmony.
When the yin and yang are not balanced, chi cannot stream through the body liberally. Therefore, the meridian points through which chi courses through need to be stimulated. This is done by the insertion of hair-thin, disposable needles in specific areas on a person’s body to induce bodily harmony and bring about healing.
A certified and trained acupuncturist will be able to carry out an excellent therapy session for the patient. Trainings for acupuncturists are given in order for them to obtain their licenses. A poor practitioner may not be proficient enough with the practice and could end up jeopardizing the results of the entire procedure. Nowadays, it is wise to verify on a practitioner’s credentials to ensure a safe and effective acupuncture treatment.
What This Ancient Method Does
One of the foremost effects of acupuncture on the body is relaxation. Stress is frequently pinpointed as the main precursor for a host of physical ailments. There are particular points all over the body that direct the flow of harmony and relaxation and when these are enthused, the patient becomes more at ease.
Another positive effect of this alternative therapy is increased pain control. During a session, a patient will usually feel very minimal pain as the thin needles are being inserted gradually. However, the needles are deliberately placed in varying depths, depending on the health requirements of the patient. When the needles reach the right depth, the patient will feel deeper pain, although the entire procedure is not necessarily painful.
It is also recommended for relief from chemotherapy fatigue as well as chemotherapy-related nausea. It has also been found to be largely effective for back pains, migraines, menstrual cramps, and as a pain controller for patients after undergoing surgical operations.
Variations of Conventional Acupuncture
Auriculotherapy or ear acupuncture is one of the variations of conventional acupuncture. In this practice, it is believed that the ear provides a map for all the major bodily organs. A specific area or point on the ear corresponds to a particular organ, such as the heart, kidneys, or liver. Thus, the needles are placed in particular points around the ear and on the ear cartilage.
Staplepuncture is a method used in smoking cessation, wherein staples are placed for a certain period anywhere on the ear area to provide stimulation.
Indeed there is growing evidence that this traditional Oriental practice can rival any modern forms of treatment. If you are one of the many people who are looking for a widely recognized and time honored therapeutic practice, acupuncture may just be the alternative treatment for you.
Tags: acupuncture practice foundation
Written on December 18th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Studies have shown that there is an increase in the number of children that have been diagnosed with autism. Until now, doctors have not yet found a cure to this illness which is why some parents want to experiment with alternative forms of treatment and one example is acupuncture.
Acupuncture is a holistic approach in treating and preventing certain diseases. Its main tool are very thin needles that are inserted to targeted points in the body. The body has about 400 of them linked through a system known as meridians or pathways. Once these are stimulated, these are supposed to create balance in the body.
Autism on the other hand is a brain disorder that is long term. This disease is characterized by deficits in language, social communication and cognition. Children who are diagnosed with this illness may also suffer from secondary problems such as aggression, irritability, stereotypes, hyperactivity, negativism, volatile emotions, temper tantrums, short attention span and obsessive-compulsive behavior.
Preliminary studies have shown that acupuncture may provide symptomatic relief to children suffering from autism. Although difficult at first, it is believed that it is rewarding in the long run. This is because while conventional therapy and treatment requires that the child stay still, acupuncture doesn’t. Some say it’s a quick prick at the vital points in the body.
A group of children in the US participated in a test to see how effective acupuncture is among children. There are 22 respondents and each of them was given the treatment once every other day for four months.
After the treatment 20 out of the 22 respondents showed remarkable improvement. In fact 2 of them has cerebral blood flow. The only thing that did not change prior to treatment and after was the blood flow between the left and right cerebrum as it showed no differences.
Aside from traditional acupuncture to help children with autism, a preliminary study in Hong Kong is trying to see if tongue acupuncture can produce better results.
Results have showed that of 30 respondents in the test, majority showed functional improvement of various degrees depending on the age and severity of their disabilities. Some improvement was noticeable within a few TAC sessions, especially for drooling, spasticity (scissoring or tiptoeing), ataxia, and poor balance in walking. Functional improvement was noted after one to two courses of TAC. Most children tolerated TAC well, with only occasional pain and minor bleeding in some patients.
The reason why tongue acupuncture is being experimented with is because there is a connection between the tongue and the heart through the meridians that spread to all the organs in the body. It is believed that the points on the tongue can influence the state of the other body organs thus giving relief to the one suffering from autism.
But many believe that acupuncture alone cannot help autism sufferers. It has to be combined with other things like maintaining a certain diet to help improve one’s mood and communication schools. Although it is only short term, it is better than nothing until a cure is found.
When will the cure be found? Only time can tell as there are many other questions that have to be answered in order for doctors to further understand neurological disabilities. Doctors who are conducting research believe that an interdisciplinary approach is needed given that acupuncture has shown positive results in helping children with autism.
Tags: acupuncture children treatment
Written on December 15th, 2009 by adminno shouts
There are a lot of people who are overweight. For those who are obese, perhaps surgery is the best option but for those who can’t, they can try to see if acupuncture can help take out the excess weight.
Acupuncture is a form of holistic healthcare that uses needles to help treat a patient. Unlike the cartoon where the balloon will pop and all the air will go out, the needles that are inserted into the vital points will stimulate the body to release endorphins thus helping the person control their appetite.
But before needles are inserted, the specialist will first ask the patient some questions and perform an examination. This is needed to understand the main cause for the person to be overweight.
Part of examination is to help the acupuncturist figure out where the needles will be inserted. Your pulse will give the person an idea on your general state of energy and the general health of your stomach.
You will also have to open your mouth and show your tongue to check for cracks, peelings or puffiness on the stomach area as this provides clues to why you are overweight.
Once he or she knows the reason, this is the time that the needles are inserted into different parts of the body. One way is called the multi-targeted approach which is designed to lower the body’s weight by increasing the output of the pituitary gland.
The areas where the needles will be inserted will be in the ear and in two of three body points. These areas could also include the mouth, the stomach, the lung, the endocrine, the spleen, kidney or thyroid.
During the initial treatment, the “Four Gate” points would be used to circulate energy throughout the entire body. It is also possible that electro simulation will also be done to increase endorphin release and stimulate metabolism.
These needles will be kept in place for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how much support is needed. These are then removed and replaced with ear tacs with adhesives to make sure they are in the same spot as the needles.
These ear tacs work by applying mild pressure whenever he or she feels hungry. It causes a mild endorphin release and helps the patient relax making it possible to use their willpower and resist the temptation to eat.
The patient will also have to reduce cravings on certain food by cutting down the intake. Some studies suggest that this can also lower insulin levels or lipid levels in the blood.
The best part about acupuncture is that there are no harmful side effects and no chance for an addiction to occur. The patient will have to come back for regular treatment and have to pay attention to one’s diet and exercise regularly as needles can only do so much to control one’s weight.
The number of treatments for someone who is overweight varies depending on how many pounds they want to lose, the speed at which they want to lose it and their commitment to sticking to the plan.
The average patient on the other hand who wants to lose 5 to 10 pounds will have to come for treatment every three days or twice a week then once this is attained, once every two weeks. It is up to the person until when the treatment will be done which shows that acupuncture can help you lose weight.
Tags: inserted overweight acupuncture
Written on December 12th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Today’s world can fill the very busy individual with a lot of stress. Without some way of removing this stress from your system, you’re placing yourself in danger from a lot of stress-related diseases. You might suffer from insomnia or headaches or very serious heart diseases.
You could take anti-stress pills to help you relax but, like me, you might also be worried about the side effects these pills could have. The good news is that you could try acupuncture at least once to see if it could help you manage the stress. It certainly couldn’t hurt to try acupuncture if all you’re after is stress relief.
If you find it doesn’t work for you, then you can just easily stop taking acupuncture treatments. If it works, though, then you can say you’ve found a good treatment for stress that doesn’t rely on those dangerous chemicals and pills.
How does sticking needles into your body help manage the stress?
In traditional Chinese medicine, much of the treatments depend on an understanding of the balance in our bodies and its internal organs. The sicknesses we sometimes develop are seen to be caused by imbalances in our lifestyles and environment. Stress is also affected by this imbalance. That is why when there is something wrong with your body, you’d typically have less of an ability to deal with stress. You’d get more irritable and find it really to difficult to relax.
By sticking these very thin needles past the surface of our skin, the acupuncturist stimulates nerves in our body. These nerves send signals to our brain and scientists believe that the brain then releases its natural painkillers into our system. This immediately causes a feeling of relaxation for many people.
The needles could also help your body by stimulating its circulation. With the circulation between the organs of the body improved, a lot of the body’s wastes could be cleansed properly. Your organs would also receive the full benefit of the oxygen from your lungs making its way into the cells of your body without any blockages. This makes your organs much healthier and leaves you feeling much better in the long term as well.
You can think of a session with the acupuncturist as very much like massage therapy. A good massage would help give you a very relaxing sleep that night and an acupuncturist could help you with your sleep as well. You might immediately start to feel drowsy as soon as the right nerves are stimulated by the acupuncturist’s needles.
You might be asking yourself how you’d be able to relax if you’re suffering from the pain of the needles attached to your body. What you might not realize is that because of the thinness of the needles, you would hardly feel anything. The most that many people claim they feel is a kind of tingling feeling where the needles are. And that is actually a sign that the process is working,
Acupuncture is a practice that helps you use your bodies’ own ability to manage stress properly. This leaves you healthier, and more importantly, prevents any of the serious diseases that could come from unbalanced, stressful lifestyles.
It might not be something to replace regular trips to the doctor but with its many possible benefits, acupuncture might be worth trying out very soon.
Tags: acupuncture diseases treatments
Written on December 9th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Since 1982, acupuncture has found its way to the US. There are currently 50 schools that teach it and 3,000 licensed practitioners all over the country. Do you think you can be a licensed professional? Here are a few things to help you look for a good acupuncture school.
You should now that the 50 schools mentioned are all accredited by the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. It is recognized by the Department of Education and some of these schools even have a masters program.
Most of these schools can be found online so you can give them a call and ask certain questions about the school. You can find out the cost of tuition, the teacher student ratio, if the school offers consultation services to students and the alumni and if they have an extensive library which focuses on traditional Chinese medicine.
Should there be a school near where you live, you should probably take it so you don’t have to worry about boarding and lodging as this is just added cost to this long term investment.
If you like the school but cannot afford the cost of tuition, find out if they offer scholarships or if they have a grant in aid program. If there are none, then check with the federal government because they should have one and they will give it to deserving students who plan to enroll in a school accredited by the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
Some states do not require you to get a license once you graduate from the program. However, if you plan to practice this elsewhere, you should prepare yourself for the state board exam as this is a requirement.
The lists of subjects you will be learning in school include anatomy, body therapy, massage therapy and the other sciences. Training will be done also in a clinical setting so you are able to put theory into practice but this will only happen in your third year.
While some schools will let you finish a program in three years, there are those that can be completed after five.
Lately, acupuncture school has also gone down the digital path by offering cyber distance programs for those who cannot go to school. Some of these offer CEU’s or continuing education units to advance programs.
These courses can be chosen on the basis of modules or on an hourly basis. The course material covers the history, theory and techniques of acupuncture. Courses that offer tools such as acupuncture DVD and video are ideal for acupuncturists or students of acupuncture to improve their clinical expertise.
Once you graduate from acupuncture school, some will open their own practice while others will first work for a clinic. Those who decide to be employed will work with other professionals that may include naturopaths, chiropractors and other specialists that are also into Oriental Medicine.
The average acupuncturist makes about $45,000 a year but this can change in the years to follow as they add years or experience under their belt. This just goes to show that if you work hard, you too will make a fortune. Just make sure that you do this properly for each patient because one mistake could make this all go away.
Tags: acupuncture medicine licensed
Written on December 6th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Acupuncture comes from two Latin words namely “acus” which means needle in English and “pungere” which means prick. Its history originated in China more than 2000 years ago and has evolved into various forms.
Some of the techniques of acupuncture do not even use needles anymore. Vibrating objects, ultrasound and even the fingers of the practitioner have taken some of the work to make the person feel better.
The history of acupuncture is first discussed in an ancient Chinese medical text called the “Huang Di Nei Jing” or The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Internal Medicine.
But there have been a few who are skeptic as archaeologists have found a 5,000 year old mummy in the Alps with similar acupuncture points in the body. This gives some people the idea that it was used even before the Chinese did but sine there is no written text to prove that, no one is certain and credit to this ancient practice goes back to the Chinese.
In the 6th century, this knowledge moved to Japan. In the 17th century, a man by the name of Waichi Sugiyama wanted to make this procedure painless for the patient so he developed the insertion tube, a small cylindrical tube through which the needle is inserted. Believe it or not, this technique is still being used today.
But acupuncture only reached the US in the early 80’s with the establishment of a regulatory board called the National Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. As a result, various schools have been built and those who want to become licensed acupuncturists are now able to practice their profession.
Despite that, there were a lot of people who are not yet convinced on the positive effects of alternative forms of medication. It was only in 1995 that the US Food and Drug Administration decided to classify the needles used for acupuncture as medical instruments and assured the public that they are both safe and effective.
To further promote acupuncture, the NIH or National Institute of Health in 1997 has stated that this technique is very useful in treating various health conditions. These include ear, nose, throat, respiratory, gastrointestinal, eye, nervous system and muscular disorders. In some cases, acupuncture is able to prevent some of them from happening.
This was further strengthened by the fact that the side effects of acupuncture are much less than that of conventional drugs that are being sold by pharmaceutical companies.
So that people can avail of acupuncture, another recommendation by the NIH is for US companies to provide full coverage for certain conditions. If you do not quality, perhaps there is partial coverage which you should look up in your policy.
But despite that, more research needs to be done to see its effects on other health related problems. Some examples of these include addictions, autism, chronic low back pain, migraines and osteoarthritis of the knee.
If you look at the history of acupuncture, not much has changed since the needle technique used back then is still being used today. Even if various forms have developed through the years, one thing for sure is that it works.
In order for you to see how effective it is, you have to see a specialist who is not only qualified to treat your condition but also one is well trained.
Tags: acupuncture techniques conditions
Written on December 4th, 2009 by adminno shouts
Whether you are strictly looking for an acupuncture training program or you are looking for a medical program in general that teaches alternative therapies, acupuncture therapy is a great way to start out learning some of the ancient Chinese techniques. What one may be surprised to find out, though, is that there is a very small amount of schools that are officially credited with the acupuncture technique and training of the therapy. In fact, just over 50 accredited schools exist in the United States alone. These are the main schools that you would have to go to in order to receive a certificate in order to authenticate yourself in the training of acupuncture.
On the other hand, there are thousands of Chinese people inside the United States that already have the wealth of knowledge associated with how to perform the therapy of acupuncture and there are some of these same people who will be able to point you in the right direction of where to go in order to receive some formal education from a certified Chinese doctor that also practices acupuncture.
First things are first, though, and one should ask family and friends if they know of any certifiable acupuncture medical programs throughout the country in which a person is able to quickly and easily get certified in the practice of acupuncture. After one is certified in the practice of acupuncture then it is definitely true that a whole new world opens up. Just as there are hundreds of acupuncture therapists who choose to work in alternative therapy settings, there are also an equal number of individuals who decide to go into business for themselves after they are certified.
Nevertheless, it is crucial that one has to find a certified and accredited course in order to be able to legitimately and appropriately practice the art and therapy of acupuncture on various patients throughout the country. The main reason for the accreditation, though, even if you don’t need it, is so that potential patients will be able to see and trust that you are the real thing and have had the required training that is needed in order to be a professional acupuncture therapists in the United States.
If family and friends are unable to help with the search to find an acupuncturist, though, another choice that is always open is to call various academic settings and ask if they know whether or not an acupuncture program exists at the school. With all the new information age that is certainly valuable in today’s century then there is certain to be appropriate acupuncture training programs all over the United States. As mentioned, though, there are only just over fifty programs in the whole of the United States that are actually able to certify students in the training and administration of acupuncture. In other words, one might have to travel a lengthy distance in order to receive the required education.
No matter which training program that one chooses, though, the fact of the matter is that there will always be more people in the United States who are being attracted to acupuncture each year. Even though there are many reasons for this, Western society and medicine is finally coming to the realization that teaching acupuncture therapy has just as much value as actually practicing it!
Tags: therapies acupuncture training
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