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When Compared To Western Medicine, Chinese Medicine And Acupuncture Can Save You Money
It is a fact that when compared to Western medicine, Chinese medicine and acupuncture can save you money. These alternative treatments are much less costly than conventional western medicine in a couple of ways. First, in terms of actual treatments costs, Western medicine is significantly less cheaper than Chinese medicine and acupuncture. Second, Chinese medicine and acupuncture are mainly preventative types of treatment which means it keeps you from falling into disease or illness which helps you avoid spending on treatment for health condition when it does occur.
Actually, numerous studies have already been done on how much money one can save by using acupuncture and not just on how well the treatment works in the resolution of a disease. One very good example of this was a study published in the 1992 edition of Acta Anethesiol Scand showing that because of acupuncture, seven out of 29 patients awaiting surgeries were able to avoid their date with surgery helping save $9000 for each patient.
The 1994 issue of Neurology published a study showing that when acupuncture was used on patients who suffered from stroke, it helped cut their hospital stay by almost 50% helping the patients save $26,000 each.
Another study showing how acupuncture can save people a ton of money was published in 1980 in the Journal Spine. In the study, 18 of the 29 people given acupuncture treatment in Boca Raton for low back pain were able to return to work compared to only four out of the 27 patients given conventional Western treatments. For the people returning to work, this meant less debt and for companies, this meant savings in terms of lesser medical insurance cost.
Also when you visit a medical doctor, you may need to spend as much as $265 for just one visit. This can go even higher (as high as $325) when you see a specialist. On the other hand, a visit to an acupuncturist would only cost an average of $65. This means that a visit to a specialist is five times more expensive than a visit to an acupuncturist.
As mentioned a while ago, acupuncture can help you save money more than Western medicine by helping prevent your body from falling ill. Acupuncture is a preventative type of treatment which is the opposite of Western medicine which is merely preoccupied in repairing things that are malfunctioning and broken. Western medicine pays very little attention to preventing disease and staying healthy. Pharmaceutical drugs are designed to be mere palliatives for symptoms and have become the primary means of treatment in Western medicine. Under the pretense of preventive medicine, your doctor will likely prescribe low doses of the same medications that he/she uses to address the condition when it is fully developed if he/she believes that you might develop hypertension or diabetes.
Preventative medicine is a very important aspect of healing to an acupuncturist. Disease prevention is actually the highest level of Chinese medicine. Before the imbalance gets too severe or too big, your acupuncturist will determine the reason why your body got out of balance in the first place, and then will strive to repair the problem as quick as possible. If the imbalance has been in the body for a long time or if it has gotten too big or severe, the result is illnesses and diseases. This restoration of balance and prevention is achieved through the use of exercise, diet changes, Chinese herbal medicine, and, of course, acupuncture. What’s so great about this approach is that food, exercise, herbs, and acupuncture are much, much less expensive than high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer treatments and has no side effects to boot!
The most important point is that Chinese medicine and acupuncture treatments are much cheaper than modern Western treatments. Also, you need not have to undergo medical treatments for health issues and you are able to stay healthy longer. And did I mention that acupuncture and Chinese medicine are virtually side-effect free?
Powerful Chinese Medicinal Herbs That Can Treat The Symptoms of Menopause
Managing the confusing and complex array of symptoms of menopause can become easier with Chinese herbal medicine, a type of traditional Chinese medicine treatment that is based on the premise that everything moves or changes. The circulation of vital energy (Chi) animates and invigorates the organs and the rest of the body. This circulation depends on maintaining equilibrium between the complementary yet opposing forces of Yin and Yang. The development of disease may imply an imbalance between Yin and Yang and/or that the flow of Chi has been disrupted.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the human body has twelve main meridian channels that are responsible for the health of the body. Because it stores Jing (Kidney energy), the Kidney meridian–organ system is extremely important in the treatment of menopausal symptoms. The Jing is where Yin and Yang originate and they regulate the movement of Qi through all the other organ-meridian systems.
The importance of the Kidney organ-meridian system in women with menopause is due to its governance of the adrenal glands, ovaries, skeletal structure, brain, teeth, kidneys, inner ear, urethra, fluids, hormones, and other substances produced by the kidneys, adrenals and ovaries, as well as the physiological functions of growth fluid, reproduction, and balance during all ages.
Menopause – Its Signs and Symptoms
Menopause usually starts by the age of 45. This is the time when few primordial follicles stay in the ovaries to produce egg (mature ovum). As a result, there is not enough production of progesterone and estrogen to bring about a normal monthly cycle.
When menopause starts, the first sign may be a change in a previously regular menstrual cycle, either in a missed period duration or volume; onset of hot flushing, excessive perspiration and sweaty palms or clamminess; moods changes including depression and anxiety; the exacerbation or occurrence of pre-menstrual symptoms (headaches , breast pain, and fluid retention); changes in the skin (dryness and lessened elasticity particularly of the vagina resulting in dyspareunia or pain during intercourse); cramps and numbness especially at night; changes in body shape, loss of sexual desire, and joint pains.
Chinese Herbal Medicine for Treatment of Menopausal Symptoms
The focus of Traditional Chinese management of menopause is in balancing yin and yang and restoring Jing to regulate the functions of various tissues and organs that the Kidney organ-meridian system governs. According to Western medicine, this approach aims to
? Relieve mood swings, mild anxiety, insomnia, and irritability
? Treat profuse sweating and hot flushes and regulate hormonal function
? Resolve vaginal and skin dryness
? Boost genital sensitivity and sexual vitality
? Enhance bone integrity
The Chinese Herbs Used in Alleviating the Symptoms of Menopause
Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) – This herb is infused with isoflavonoids and phytoestrogens which have specific health benefits during menopause. In postmenopausal women, Kudzu prevents or slows down bone loss and relieves hot flushes. Its extract has estrogenic effects on vaginal tissue to address dyspareunia and vaginal dryness and to bring back vaginal membrane or epithelial integrity.
Anemarrhena asphodeloides – This herb contains steroidal saponins that improve hormone function. It can also be used as a tonic for the Kidney Yin that possesses nourishing (tonic), moistening (mucogenic), and cooling (refrigerant) qualities that can help reduce profuse sweating and hot flushes, lubricate vaginal dryness, and reinforce the adrenal glands to replace ovaries as the producer of hormones in the body after the cessation of menstruation.
Morinda officinalis and Epimedium sagittatum – They are used to tonify Kidney Yang. When used together, these two herbs reinforce Yang, provide warmth to the Kidney organ-meridian, and strengthen Yang. Both herbs have hormone regulating activity that assists in restoring sexual vitality, psychological motivation, and physical drive. Both Morinda officinalis and Epimedium sagittatum are urogenital tonics and aphrodisiacs that besides helping dispel sexual disinterest also resolve urinary incontinence and bladder weakness. Being an adaptogen, Morinda gives the body the ability to boost its resistance to stress. Epimedium is deemed biphasic which means that while it tonifies Kidney Yin, it also fortifies Yang preventing it from rising and causing flushing and heat in the upper body.
Angelica polymorpha – In Chinese medicine, this is a very popular herb, and is used for so many female health issues. Because it invigorates and nourishes Hsue (Chinese word for ‘blood’), angelica polymorpha is also considered a ‘female ginseng.’ It also harmonizes Chi which is helpful in the treatment of low vitality, fatigue, recuperation from childbirth, pelvic pain, and dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation). Studies have shown that Dong Quai is best used when combined with other herbs. It is an ideal remedy for people suffering from Yin deficiency, a condition that usually develops in menopause (frequency and intensity of hot flushes).
Dr. Nelya de Brun, AP, DAOM
Classical Oriental Medicine, LLC
3459 Woolbright Rd
Boynton Beach, FL 33436
(561) 932-3905
http://www.acu-wellness.com/