Alternative Medicine Resources

Santa Barabara TCM Traditional Chinese Medicine is an indispensable part of the glorious culture of the Chinese nation. Totally different from the principles of western medicine, theories of traditional Chinese medicine emphasize the balance of the whole body. In the treatment process, the diagnostic procedure involves four steps: observing, listening and smelling, inquiring, and palpating. Among them, palpating is the most important. Other methods of treatment include acupuncture and moxibustion, breathing therapy (Qigong), and medical massage. The enormous size of a Chinese pharmacy is overwhelming, and the selection of its remedies may include odd things like dried monkeys, toads, tortoises, and centipedes to mention a few.

The development and origins of traditional Chinese medicine spans several thousands of years and is chronicled in many important books. The Yellow Emperor’s Canon of Interior Medicine, Shen Nong’s Canon of Herbs, and the Compendium of Materia Medica are some of the more influential medical books.

With its unique theoretical framework, diagnostic methods and abundant historical literature, it stands as an integral part of the medical sciences of the world. Nowadays, traditional Chinese medicine is regaining its importance. Both western medical care and traditional Chinese medicinal practice exist in China, although the Western medical system seems to be dominant. Large public hospitals in cities across the country offer both traditional Chinese and Western approaches to medical treatment. Those whose problems are not too serious or urgent, are more likely to see a traditional doctor, who can better restore harmony to their body.

Great importance has been attached to traditional Chinese medicine since the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The Party and the People’s government have formulated a series of guiding principles and policies to support and promote development of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The ongoing effort to promote and further develop Traditional Chinese Medicine will surely continue to make remarkable contributions to the common wealth of the nation as well as the whole of mankind.

Chinese medicine aims treatment at the symptoms of disease and the underlying cause of disease because symptoms tend to reoccur if underlying health issues are ignored. Instead of trying to fit you into a rigid treatment model, most acupuncturists will tailor your treatment to fit your unique set of signs and symptoms. As your health develops and changes so will her treatments. That dynamic progression of energetic evolution manifests as healthy balance in body, mind and spirit. Juliette forms a compassionate and healing rapport with patients, offers effective Chinese medical care and teaches the valuable tools of self-care through patient education.

Many of the health claims of herbal medicine bear fruit for the pharmaceutical industry, leading to new drugs that are more potent and more targeted than the original remedy. In New York TCM or Traditional Chinese medicine there are many health claims for the likes of Ginkgo biloba and many other remedies that might bear closer scrutiny. Now, pharmaceutical chemist David Barlow and colleagues Peter Hylands and Thomas Ehrman at King’s College London have undertaken the biggest study yet of the active ingredients in TCM and used an analytical system known as a multiple decision tree technique, called Random Forest, to unearth the root of the activity of the natural products in TCM.

Their study seems to vindicate many of the claims of TCM as well revealing several compounds that might be indicated for diseases and symptoms not treated with in the traditional system.

The team built a database containing well over 8000 compounds from 240 of the most commonly used TCM herbs and used a second database of almost 2600 known active plant chemicals and other natural products as a training set for the Random Forest computer algorithm. The team found that about 62% of the herbs they tested in silicoagainst various drug targets (mostly enzymes associated with pathogens or problems in the body) contained candidate drug compounds that might be isolated for treating a single disease without the associated issues of a TCM approach. They also found that more than half of these compounds worked against at least two diseases and so might have multiple applications.

Acupuncture is also most effective in treating addictions, phobias, anxiety and other such psychological problems. Acupuncture is also very useful for any kind of ‘wellness’ program. Stimulation of specific points to tone all the primary organ systems as well as the body as a whole. It is said, ‘needle Stomach 36 and live to be a hundred.’

Acupuncture is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical procedures in the world. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medical technique. It is also called Oriental medicine. Acupuncture scientific name is paradigm. Each meridian corresponds to one organ, or group of organs, that governs particular bodily functions. Acupuncture Denver is thought to restore health by removing energy imbalances and blockages in the body. Acupuncture is the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being. Acupuncture is a family of procedures involving stimulation of anatomical locations on or in the skin by a variety of techniques. Traditional Chinese medicine is not based on knowledge of modern physiology, biochemistry, nutrition, anatomy, or any of the known mechanisms of healing. Acupuncture’s record of success has stimulated a number of research projects investigating its mechanisms as well as its efficacy. It’s commonly used to treat pain, relieve common ailments and promote general health. There is a growing body of research evidence on the effectiveness of acupuncture, especially to treat nausea (particularly postoperative), dental problems and low back pain. Acupuncture has been shown to induce reproducible patterns of neural activity in a wide variety of brainstem, midbrain and cerebral cortical structures.There is sufficient evidence, however, of acupuncture’s value to expand its use into conventional medicine and to encourage further studies of its physiology and clinical value.

Acupuncturists believe it regulates the flow of ‘vital energy’, known as ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘chee’). The most frequently offered defense of acupuncture by its defenders commits the pragmatic fallacy. The effects of acupuncture are complex. Acupuncture needles are metallic, solid, and hair-thin. People experience acupuncture differently, but most feel no or minimal pain as the needles is inserted. Some people are energized by treatment, while others feel relaxed. Improper needle placement, movement of the patient, or a defect in the needle can cause soreness and pain during treatment. This is why it is important to seek treatment from a qualified acupuncture practitioner. Acupuncture is also thought to decrease pain by increasing the release of chemicals that block pain, called endorphins. Many acu-points are near nerves. When stimulated, these nerves cause a dull ache or feeling of fullness in the muscle. The stimulated muscle sends a message to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord), causing the release of endorphins (morphine-like chemicals produced in our own bodies during times of pain or stress). Some of the biological effects of acupuncture have also been observed when “sham” acupuncture points are stimulated, highlighting the importance of defining appropriate control groups in assessing biological changes purported to be due to acupuncture.

New York acupuncture relives the symptoms of depression during pregnancy better than a placebo and potentially as well as pharmaceutical antidepressants, according to a study conducted by researchers from Stanford University and published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.

“Acupuncture that we have tested works for pregnant, depressed women,” researcher Rachel Manber said.

The researcher’s randomly assigned 150 pregnant women, who were suffering from clinical depression to receive either massage, acupuncture designed to treat depression, or acupuncture not designed for depression. After eight weeks of treatment, 63 percent of participants in the acupuncture-for-depression group had experienced an improvement in their symptoms, compared with 44 percent of women in the other two groups.

Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves inserting needles into certain key parts of the body to treat various health conditions.

The study did not compare acupuncture to antidepressants or psychotherapy, but the success rate of acupuncture in the current study was similar to that of other therapies in studies of men and non-pregnant women, the researchers noted. They said further research is needed to make these comparisons directly.

Approximately 14 percent of women become depressed at some point during pregnancy. In addition to the damaging effects of depression and the risk it might pose to mother or infant, depression during pregnancy is also a risk factor for postpartum depression, which occurs at similar rates.

Postpartum depression may lead to inconsistent childcare, problems with mother-infant bonding, reduced birth weight, and hampered emotional or cognitive development in the child.

Yet many women are reluctant to take antidepressant drugs during pregnancy for fear of harming their unborn children.

“Antidepressants are not an attractive option for many women,” Manber said. “Many women are concerned about using antidepressant medication during pregnancy.”

Injury means harm to any part of the body. Injury can come from a wide variety of causes. This article talks about the injuries caused by physical influence and that causes damage to one or more of the tissues that surround bones and joints, e.g., to a ligament, tendon, or muscle. The so-called soft-tissue injuries include ligament sprain, tendonitis (inflammation of a tendon), and muscle tears.

Many injuries are given a sports prefix to their names, but can also be caused by something unrelated to sports. For example, tennis elbow is a type of overuse injury that may occur from playing tennis or from an activity like sawing wood.

Miami Chinese medicine treatment is very good for Muscle pull, Neck pain, Shoulder injury, Lower back Strain, Tennis elbow, Runner’s knee, Shin splints, Ankle sprain, Achilles tendonitis, Arch pain etc.

The treatment includes acupuncture, cupping, herbal application formulas, TuiNa (Chinese therapeutic massage) and internal herbal medicine. Which method or formulas are going to be used will depend on the severity of the injury and how long it occurred.

Treatment principles and usual methods:

1.  For the new injuries within 1 to 2 days, the therapeutic principle is stanch bleeding, disperse swelling, relieve pain and heat clearing.

2.  For the injury after 2 days, the therapeutic principle is to soothe the channels and quicken the network vessels to transform stasis and move the blood to disperse swelling, relieve pain and repair soft-tissue.

3.  Recurrence of discomfort or chronic pain from an old injury. The treatment principle is warm the channels and free the network vessels, dispel wind, eliminate dampness and dissipates cold, strengthen sinew and bone.

From Chinese medical point of view, right after injury or there is redness, swelling, hot and pain using ice pack would be appropriate. Otherwise, don’t use it. Especially a pain without heat sign shouldn’t use ice pack. Improper using ice pack may cause chronic pain.

One of the most traumatic events the body can experience is a spinal cord injury. The aftermath of this debilitating injury is almost always severe and in the most extreme of cases can result in death or permanent paralysis. When the nerve roots or fiber tracts of the spine are damaged, signals to and from the brain fail to occur, or have difficulty happening, thus causing the impedance of certain motor functions. Acupuncture in Orlando and massage therapy have proven to be highly effective in helping aid patients with spinal cord injuries.

The road to recovery after a spinal cord injury can be a long and enduring. But there are many options available to help treat this condition. Aside from Western medical practices, the combination of Oriental medicine and physical therapy has proven to be effective as well.

In a clinical study carried out in 2003, a team of doctors directed by Alice M.K. Wong, M.D., began spinal cord therapy through acupuncture on a group of patients recovering from their injuries. The doctors found that after beginning treatment at various acupoints including the bilateral Hou Hsi (SI3), Shen Mo (B62), the antihelix, helix, and the lower portion of the ear-back areas, patients were showing significant improvements. Neurological behaviors including sensory and motor skills improved greatly in the patients who were put through a regiment consisting of Oriental medicine (including acupuncture and massage), and physical therapy. The team of doctors and researchers concluded that the use of these therapies, when implemented early in acute spinal cord injury, contribute to significant neurological and functional recoveries.

In addition to several studies that prove Oriental medicine can help spinal cord injury patients, one of the most critical and important pieces of evidence is the therapies” ability to increase a patient’s ASIA impairment scale ratings.

The ASIA impairment scale is the American Spinal Injury Association’s standard of assessing the neurological status of a person who has sustained a spinal cord injury. When this rating increased in patients who had undergone acupuncture treatments, the scientific evidence revealed that Oriental therapies such as acupuncture and massage indeed did improve the body? Neurological response times, and helped patients with spinal cord injuries on the long road to recovery.

If you’re seriously interested in knowing about manhattan acupuncture, you need to think beyond the basics. This informative article takes a closer look at things you need to know about “acupuncture”.

When most people think of acupuncture, they imagine someone sitting in a chair with a number of very thin needles hanging from their ears, or arms, or other parts of their bodies. This is a pretty good picture as far as it goes. The needles are usually not as large as they are imagined to be, and frequently only certain parts of the body have several needles, rather than in a number of different locations.

The purpose of the insertion of the needles is to redirect the flow of energy within the body. Once the flow of energy is restored to its proper channels, the body recovers its proper operation and the systems slowly or quickly disappear. The number of treatments in order for the symptoms to disappear depends both upon the patient and the set of symptoms that are being experienced.

The medical basis for the techniques of acupuncture was developed in China over thousands of years. Part of traditional Chinese medicine also uses a number of herbs, in conjunction with traditional acupuncture technique. In America we are used to taking vitamins and supplements, and we take them as either pills or capsules. Normally we take these supplements as a general nutritional support. The herbs recommended by an acupuncture practitioner are very specific for the symptoms being treated at the clinic. The herbs at the clinic may also be in pills or capsules. They might also be brewed with warm water and taken as a tea.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

This tea allows the acupuncture practitioner to mix just the right herbs for a particular person, rather than loading them up with several different pills. It is also easier to adjust the proportions in case several different herbs are used. Further, having the herbs taken as a tea makes the action of the herbs very rapid. Your acupuncture practitioner may also offer raw herbs, which have the most potency. They are also the worst tasting choice for someone not used to unusual tastes. However, once raw herbs are tried a few times, most clients prefer the raw herbs.

When your acupuncture practitioner decides on a plan of treatment, you and your practitioner should discuss the various parts of the treatment, including herbs, if any. Make sure that the acupuncture practitioner knows about any vitamin supplements or other nutritional foods presently being used, such as garlic pills or nutritional yeast. The same holds true for any prescription medications, even though generally the herbs are not planned to affect a particular organ’s mechanism, but rather influence a large part of the body’s system as a unit.

Finally, the acupuncture practitioner should be advised of any new symptoms if a new herbal prescription is started. Typically the only symptom might be a slight digestive upset, but if this or any new symptom is noticed, the practitioner should be notified right away. Herbs, though not a necessary part of acupuncture therapy, can be very helpful in promoting more rapid recovery and better health.

It’s likely that you have heard of acupuncture, and you may even know someone who has experienced it. Bellvue acupuncture is the attempt to restore and maintain health through the stimulation of specific anatomical points on the body. If you’re considering trying this alternative medical system yourself, for a condition that is chronic, or one where Western medicine seems to have failed you, here are some ideas for approaching your choice.

Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in China and Asia. However, it doesn’t follow a Western European method of disease diagnosis and treatment, so it is useful to study this method before seeking treatment

• Read about it in books or magazines.
• Talk to an acupuncture practitioner, or to someone who has successfully used it.
• Read information on suitable websites, such as government health departments or traditional Chinese medicine schools with a good reputation.
• Decide if you can trust or accept this methodology. If you are extremely adverse to trying it, no one can or should convince you to do so. However, if you are convinced it might work for you, or you’re feeling desperate for another treatment route, acupuncture might be helpful. Acupuncture can relieve pain and reduce symptoms or help restore a balance to your system. Only you can decide if it is worth giving it a try.
• Be wary of anyone who claims it can cure anything more substantial, however, as it doesn’t cure cancer and cannot save you from an incurable illness.

If you have decided to try acupuncture, see if it is covered by your insurance plan or your health system’s welfare coverage. Your doctor might have to refer you for treatment to get it covered. Discuss this idea with your doctor first if you wish. If it’s not covered, decide if you can afford to pay for it on your own.

• Find a qualified practitioner. Depending on where you live, you might easily find a qualified acupuncture doctor, or you may not. You will need to check if acupuncture is regulated where you live; a state, province, or region may or may not certify such doctors, making it harder for you to know whether or not your acupuncturist is reputable.
• If you are having difficulties finding out, inquire in a local Oriental medicine clinic or college for more information.
• If you know of people who have had successful treatments, ask for their recommendation.
• Always ask to see the credentials.

Acupuncture is a structure in which you will be given a series of up to 20 treatments of up to an hour each, spread out over several weeks. There will usually be a day or two between each treatment. Acupuncture focuses on treating overall well-being and not just the symptoms, taking a holistic approach.

The ancient Chinese regarded acupuncture Boulder as an effective therapy, as they believed that by inserting needles into the skin, the needle point unblocked pathways called ‘meridians’, these pathways channel the natural energy of the body and when they become blocked they cause pain.

Medical practitioners believe that by inserting needles into the skin, the puncture point stimulates neurological processes that trigger the release of chemicals from the brain and spinal cord, that aid in the reduction of pain.

Although 2% of the population of the United Kingdom use acupuncture annually, the results if its efficacy have been found to be quite ambiguous. This makes its scientific quality very difficult to gauge, therefore difficult to recommend as a treatment. There are many variables to remember when trying to measure the success of a treatment. The patients always have a feeling of needle-phobia, the levels of pain experienced by patients and the availability and usage of tools available for measuring pain.

For sufferers of chronic back pain, however, there have been findings that it can help to reduce pain and permit episodes of increase physical activity for up to three months.

For these patients, it is a very cost-effective complementary therapy as it is a relatively fast, simple and inexpensive procedure and also lessens the need for other painkilling treatments.

There is however, no indication of it being a successful treatment to those suffering acute back pain. In any circumstance, acupuncture only treats the symptoms of back pain, not the underlying cause.

As with all needle use, all equipment should be single-patient use, kept in sterile packaging, and used in a controlled and sterile field so as to reduce the risks of hepatitis, HIV and other infections. As long as this criterion is met, it is a relatively safe treatment, with other side-effects being the less serious dizziness and nausea. Ensure that you are well supported and cannot fall when receiving acupuncture.

Unfortunately there is no governing body or government legislation regarding the practice of acupuncture, which means any individual can set themselves up as an acupuncturist without having to undertake any training. Not only is this unsafe, as serious diseases such as cancer could go undiagnosed, but there are no guidelines on price or whether the equipment will be of a high and sterile standard.

Always check the credentials of your acupuncture practitioner and ask for references. It is probably best to avoid practitioners who advertise in local papers, on leaflets or at fairs and exhibitions as these may be unlikely to have any medical knowledge.

The safest option is to ask for a recommendation from your GP, who may actually be able to perform the treatment in the surgery.

Acupuncture is a form of Fort Lauderdale holistic medicine that has been practiced in China and other Eastern countries for thousands of years. Although often described as a means of pain relief, it is in fact used to treat people with a wide range of illnesses. Its focus is on improving the overall well being of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms. According to traditional Chinese philosophy, our health is dependent on the body’s motivating energy – known as Qi – moving in a smooth and balanced way through a series of meridians (channels) beneath the skin.

Qi consists of equal and opposite qualities – Yin and Yang – and when these become unbalanced, illness may result. By inserting fine needles into the channels of energy, an acupuncturist can stimulate the body’s own healing response and help restore its natural balance. The flow of Qi can be disturbed by a number of factors. These include emotional states such as anxiety, stress, anger, fear or grief, poor nutrition, weather conditions, hereditary factors, infections, poisons and trauma. The principal aim of acupuncture in treating the whole person is to recover the equilibrium between the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the individual.
Several processes have been proposed to explain acupuncture’s effects, primarily those on pain. Acupuncture points are believed to stimulate the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) to release chemicals into the muscles, spinal cord, and brain. These chemicals either change the experience of pain or release other chemicals, such as hormones, that influence the body’s self-regulating systems. The biochemical changes may stimulate the body’s natural healing abilities and promote physical and emotional well-being. There are three main mechanisms:

1.  Conduction of electromagnetic signals: Scientists have found evidence that acupuncture points are strategic conductors of electromagnetic signals. Stimulating points along these pathways through acupuncture enables electromagnetic signals to be relayed at a greater rate than under normal conditions. These signals may start the flow of pain-killing biochemicals, such as endorphins, and of immune system cells to specific sites in the body that are injured or vulnerable to disease.

2.  Activation of opioid systems: Research has found that several types of opioids may be released into the central nervous system during acupuncture treatment, thereby reducing pain.

3.  Changes in brain chemistry, sensation, and involuntary body functions: Studies have shown that acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones. Acupuncture also has been documented to affect the parts of the central nervous system related to sensation and involuntary body functions, such as immune reactions and processes whereby a person’s blood pressure, blood flow, and body temperature are regulated.