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Avail Yourself of Acupuncture Treatment for Your Tonsillitis
Sore throat is a condition often accompanied by several other symptoms. The symptoms that appear often depend on the cause of the condition. Tonsil inflammation (tonsillitis), sensations of scratchiness and dryness, difficulty swallowing or pain may be some of the symptoms that a sore throat sufferer may experience. Tonsillitis may be due to an infection that can lead to feelings of nausea, body aches and headaches, fever and cough. If after a week, those symptoms frequently come back or persist, you may need to consult with your physician.
A viral or bacterial infection can cause the tonsils to become inflamed; most of the time, however, tonsillitis is caused by the streptococcus bacteria. The herpes simplex and the influenza virus are the viruses that usually cause tonsillitis. A patient suffering from tonsillitis may shows signs of blisters in the throat, a coating on the tonsils and swollen glands as well as symptoms such as fever, headache and/or ear ache. Conventional therapies for tonsillitis coming from a bacterial infection will involve antibiotics that are ineffective for viral infections.
The tonsil is actually a lymph node and a component of the immune system and one of its functions is to produce antibodies to help fight infection. Another function this organ serves is to stop toxins from infiltrating the respiratory system. When the tonsillitis is severe, surgery may be required to excise the diseased tonsils. Several years, ago tonsillectomy (the surgical removal of the tonsils) was the most common way to resolve tonsillitis; now, it is used in instances where the inflamed tonsils causes serious problems or when it keeps coming back.
The World Health Organization listed acupuncture as an acceptable form treatment for tonsillitis in 1979. In 1987, a controlled study was performed that showed tonsillitis symptoms being relieved by acupuncture. The conductors of this study concluded that sore throat and fever abatement was attained earlier in the test subjects than in the control group.
The Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the University of Heidelberg conducted a study and discovered that the length of relief of postsurgical pain was greatly lengthened with the use of acupuncture. The subjects who were given NSAIDs were also treated with acupuncture that even further stretched the alleviation of their post-tonsillectomy swallowing for an extra three hours. The researchers concluded that the type of acupuncture treatment used in this study can also be used in patients who have intolerance to NSAIDs.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the acupuncturist first needs to identify the pattern consisting of excess toxin and heat that causes the tonsils to swell and become inflamed before treating the condition. This swelling causes obstructions in the energy pathways of the lung causing blood and qi to stagnate. The stagnation causes swelling of the lymph nodes. People suffering from other sore throat issues may be diagnoses with a different diagnosis such as yin deficiency or wind heat invasion.
You should always seek treatment with a licensed acupuncturist. This practitioner will formulate an individualized plan of treatment based on the condition you manifest.
Scott Paglia is a licensed and board certified acupuncturist in Bellingham, WA and provides master level pulse diagnosis, Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture in Whatcom County, WA.
Alleviate the Symptoms of Crohn’s Disease with Acupuncture
Chronic diseases generally are conditions that cannot be cured; this is true in the case of Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease can only be healed or treated. So far, western medical science has no interest in finding a cure for this disease. There are several symptoms that this disease manifests to provide evidence of its existence in the body.
Crohn’s disease produces symptoms that affect the personal and professional life of the sufferer. It often disrupts a person’s quality of life, as well. It can lead to other conditions such as arthritis that brings pain in the large joints, liver problems, lesions in the eyes, and thrush in the mouth.
Western medicine addresses this disease with medications that actually lead to the development of side effects and other conditions in the body. A number of modalities have been designed to heal but a cure is so far not anticipated in the near future.
Acupuncture is actually a type of treatment that has been experienced by some sufferers of Crohn’s disease, and yes it does work for this disease. It is not a cure for Crohn’s disease but it does actually help resolve many of its symptoms. This Chinese-derived ancient healing modality is known to treat dozens of varied conditions including Crohn’s disease.
Acupuncture works by stimulating the energy pathways known as meridians and the nervous system of a person. It is a unique type of treatment where very thin non-hollow needles are painlessly inserted in certain parts of the body known as acupuncture points. The needles activate specific brain cells that cause the production and release of natural “feel good” neurotransmitters known as enkephalins and endorphins. These “feel-good“ chemicals are also natural analgesics (painkillers) that alleviates pain and discomfort and likewise help improve the function of the immune system. Acupuncture helps calm the nervous system and is seen as a very effective treatment for psycho-physiological conditions.
Unlike the modalities used by western medicine, acupuncture has no known side effects on the body. It has been used to treat digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease
Acupuncture procedures for Crohn’s disease often target central nervous system, gastrointestinal motor and gastrointestinal sensory processes of the body. The performance and efficiency of these procedures differ on the type of symptoms they’re trying to address. Assessing acupuncture’s effectiveness may be difficult if we base it on short- term studies and because of these some potential acupuncture patients are compelled to opt for other alternative treatments to address Crohn’s disease.
Most western countries have now accepted acupuncture as a valid form of treatment for bowel infections and certain gastrointestinal issues. People with Crohn’s disease considering acupuncture should read the testimonials of former patients since scientific studies performed regarding acupuncture therapy and Crohn’s disease do not really do justice to the unique way acupuncture is used to treat patient. Scientific studies often adopt a one-size-fits-all pattern of testing to ascertain if a treatment is effective or not; this kind of approach is not suited for acupuncture since each type of treatment that acupuncturists utilize specifically addresses a patient’s unique constitution as well as the kind of symptoms that each patient may manifest.
Willow Tree Wellness Clinic
1607 NE 16th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
Ph: 503-281-0030
http://willowtreeclinic.com