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Category Archives: Acupuncture

Bronchitis Coping and Support

Some healthy ways to cope well with bronchitis can include:

Stopping smoking – If you are a smoker and suffering from bronchitis, you need to immediately cease smoking. Chronic bronchitis often is caused by long-term smoking. When you smoke you not only are doing yourself a favor but also help others near you from developing bronchitis since second hand smoking can also cause this condition.

If you don’t want to trigger any bronchitis flare ups, avoid as much as possible any crying or shouting as these activities can result in problematic coughing spells. Staying quiet and calm can effectively prevent coughing spasms.

When you have bronchitis you should avoid taking cough suppressants as these medicines only exacerbate your bronchitis. Cough expectorants are needed to thin and loosen mucus making it easy to cough them up. If you cannot sleep at bedtime because of your nagging cough, try taking just the right amount of cough suppressant syrup to enable you to sleep. Avoid taking cough suppressants during the day so you may be able to cough up the infected phlegm.

If you work or live in a heavily polluted area or where allergens abound, don a mouth mask to prevent these pollutants from being inhaled by you. Allergens can trigger an allergy that can cause bronchitis-like symptoms and pollutants can irritate your lungs and worsen your bronchitis.

Get a humidifier for your home – A humidifier can moisten the air in your room that can loosen mucus and reduce your coughing. Regularly clean the humidifier so that bacteria do not become an issue.

Consult a respiratory specialist who can recommend a program that can assist in strengthening your lungs as well as help you exercise. You can also avail of a pulmonary rehabilitation program to effectively help you with your bronchitis and other lung problems.

 

Willow Tree Wellness Clinic
1607 NE 16th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
Ph: 503-281-0030
http://willowtreeclinic.com/

Causes of Tonsillitis

Diagnosing tonsillitis is not always easy to do though in most cases, the inflammation can be completely traced to a bacterial or viral infection. The thing is it isn’t always easy to know what type of bacterial or viral infection is causing the condition. One’s tonsillitis can be due, for example, to the flu, common cold, or even long-term tonsillitis. Some kinds of tonsillitis can be either caused by staph or strep infections and in some instances the inflammation isn’t due to any infection at all. It is instead due to certain irritants or by the presence of tonsil stones.

Bacterial and Viral Infections

If your tonsillitis is brought about by a bacterial or viral infection, then you may manifest symptoms that are distinct from tonsil inflammation caused by tonsil stones. You may, for example show swollen lymph glands or a mild fever.

You can also have symptoms that will overlap with pathogen infections if your tonsillitis is caused by tonsil stones. You might, for example, exhibit a white film on your tongue, have swallowing difficulty or bad breath.  The overlapping of these symptoms may make it hard for the doctor to accurately diagnose your condition.

Whatever the case may be, if you feel your tonsil inflamed due to pathogenic causes, the first thing you need to do is to see your doctor who will perform diagnostic tests to correctly identify what type of tonsillitis you have.

Tonsil Stones

An inflamed tonsil caused by a condition called “tonsil stones,” will manifest symptoms like white and hard masses developing on your tonsils. These masses are the ones called tonsil stones.

If you are suffering from this condition, you can begin treatment by attempting to remove these stones on your own. Try gargling saline solutions and using oxygenating toothpaste and gently brush your tonsils with a moistened q-tip.  This procedure will aid in removing and preventing the future development of these stones.  If this procedure fails then you need to see a doctor.

To recap, if you are suffering from tonsillitis, it might be due to pathogenic infection, tonsil stones or to certain temporary or chronic condition. Try applying the aforementioned procedures methods to sort out between the possible causes when you want to know the cause of your tonsillitis.

Davis Acupuncture Clinic
2043 Anderson Rd
Davis, CA 95616
(530) 400-1239
http://www.davisacupuncturist.com/

Anxiety – Coping and Support

Some proactive tips are effective for better coping with your anxiety disorder. These tips include:

Get to know more about anxiety – Read materials about anxiety disorder especially about the one you are suffering from.  Knowing about your problem empowers you to take positive steps to help you overcome your anxiety problem perhaps even treating it permanently.

Do not abandon your plan of treatment – If you are prescribed medications by your doctor then it is wise to faithfully take them. This helps stabilize your symptoms and help prevent your problem from becoming worse.

Get over it – Oftentimes, the more sudden or the more serious the kind of crisis you faced, the longer it is to get over it.  Give yourself time to heal – the saying “time heals all wounds” is very true though some wounds may end up as scars since the healing process was not really a good process to begin with.  But the saying, “what does not kill you makes you stronger” is also true so it is up to you to end up a better and stronger person or end up otherwise.

Challenge negative thoughts – Try to think of things that would better your life and avoid the thoughts that prevent you from doing so. Thinking about counterproductive thoughts will only make your anxiety disorder worse or trap you into a never-ending cycle of worrying. Your friends can help.

Relax – Relaxing is basically the opposite of anxiety. Learn how to do breathing exercises like diaphragmatic breathing to calm your mind and body. Doing meditation and yoga is good for the person who suffers from anxiety disorder. Exercising is also a good way to calm the mind and body.

Avoid situations that may add to your problems – Try not to enter in a relationship with a person who may be too demanding or has problems which you eventually will be forced to face.

Be cooperative with your therapy – Help your mental health provider find good ways to address your anxiety disorder.  If your anxiety problem stems from financial trouble, then try to adjust your lifestyle that will help you save money.

Group, friend and family support – Ask your friend or family to help you overcome your anxiety. A loving family and a real friend make a great difference in helping you overcome your problem. I recently read a story of a Florida woman who was going through a difficult grieving process and a friend recommended she see a Miami acupuncturist who helped her become herself again. A support group gives you a venue to express your concerns as well as find sympathy and solidarity with your problems. You can get valuable information for your problem when you join a support group and even find friends whom you can help and help you likewise to overcome each other’s anxiety disorder.

Interact socially – Be with members of your family or friends. Go out and interact with loving and understanding people who can allay your worries and fears.

Act positively – When anxiety strikes, try to divert your attention on a hobby or by going out and walking.

Some Pain Treatment Centers in Miami Offer Acupuncture Therapy

Individuals who have suffered traumatic injuries and damage to the soft tissues of their body (nerves, ligaments, tendons and muscles) can suffer from chronic pain which may require pain management and rehabilitation care.  The medical profession provides a wide range of services and different kinds of therapies oftentimes used together to help the patient manage his pain well.  These therapies can involve naturopathic medicine, physiotherapy, physical therapy, chiropractic medicine and acupuncture.

Pain Management Practitioners

The most common cause of soft tissue injury in the United States is that coming from motor vehicle accidents.  Pain management experts are needed to assist vehicular accident victims to treat and overcome their pain and heal their injuries without resorting to too much medication or surgery.  The aim of these specialists is to heal their patients well enough so that they may be able to resume their normal lives.  For the more severe cases of vehicular accidents, highly specialized medical professionals like psychologists and neurologists are required to treat those who have suffered more serious injuries like spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury.

For motor vehicle accident victims who have incurred back injuries and back pain, an acupuncturist may be the suitable health professional to help him manage his back pain effectively.  Usually back pain is accompanied by headaches, neck pain or joint pain.  For the past few decades, acupuncture has shown a steady rise in popularity among people in Miami and the United States in general. Numerous studies have been done to demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture for chronic lower back pain therapy.  One notable test involves the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine that have stated that acupuncture is by far the most effective therapy to address chronic lower back pain.

Soft Tissue Injuries

As mentioned soft tissue injury often involves damage to the nerves, ligaments, tendons and muscles.  This type of injury comprises the majority pain management services and the usually health professionals who treat this type of injury include physical therapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists.  The common types of soft tissue injury include strains, sprains and whiplash to mention a few.  They are often incurred during vehicular accidents where violent force throw the person forward then backward causing hyper-extension (sudden forceful forward motion) and hyperflexion (violent backward motion) respectively. These two extreme motions often damage the soft tissues of the body.

Soft Tissue Injury Symptoms

People suffering from soft tissue can experience signs like swelling along with pain that is persistent and sharp.  For soft tissue injuries considered minor, the healing process can be completed within two weeks.  Major soft tissue injuries can take several months or even years.  People with these kinds on injuries often suffer from chronic pain which require pain management treatment.

For chronic pain due to soft tissue injury one of the best ways to address your pain is with acupuncture therapy. For more information about acupuncture and pain treatment centers in Miami, please contact a local Miami acupuncture clinic.

Eva Paglialonga, AP, LMT
Needles & Moxa Wellness Center
700 Southwest 57th Avenue, Suite 700, Miami, FL 33144
Ph: (305) 265-5265
info@needlesandmoxa.com
http://www.needlesandmoxa.com/
 

Combined Benefits Of Acupuncture and Conventional Medicine

Oriental medicine, particularly traditional Chinese medicine, is a holistic approach which treats the whole bodily system and improves physical health from affective disorders and imparts a feeling of enhanced mental clarity.

Many clinical trials proved the efficacy of acupunctureAcupuncturist performing acupuncture treatment., especially when administered alongside with traditional medicine practices.

Acupuncture and Modern Medicine

With acupuncture showing positive results from patients with chronic conditions, this form of traditional medicine has gained the respect in modern medicine. And with that, more and more illnesses and health conditions are endorsed for this acupuncture treatment.

Though acupuncture treatment is usually used on its own to treat particular conditions, it’s commonly used as combination treatment medical practitioners in North America and Western Europe. Acupuncture is more popular in treating various of body aches and nausea, after a patient gets through their surgery. Even the US Air Force used this traditional Chinese medicine in early 2009, particularly in their missions in Afghanistan and Iraq, and called it “Battlefield Acupuncture.” They use the acupuncture treatment before and during surgeries to reduce pain level and minimize the use of potent painkillers needed by patients after their surgery procedures.

Post-surgical effects like nausea and vomiting can also be addressed by acupuncture. Many patients find acupuncture very helpful in improving their energy and sense of vitality on a daily basis, after taking at least a week or two of regular acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture and Veterinary Medicine

Acupuncture is also gaining popularity in the world of veterinary medicine. Some vets use acupuncture therapy along with traditional veterinary therapy and medication to better treat their animal patients, especially in physical injuries and post-surgical treatment.

Acupuncture as Immune System Booster

Acupuncture treatment is also used to strengthen the functions of the immune system, allowing people to be better able to withstand minor infections, colds, and flu, which is crucial for specific seasons of the year.

Acupuncture for Mental and Emotional Health

Many patients with emotional and psychological disorders are also endorsed by their doctors to needle treatments for relaxation and stress-reduction treatments. People with problems in addiction, anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive behavior, can all benefit from this type of holistic treatment.

Acupuncture as A Preventative Medicine

Many traditional medicine and holistic-approach treatment are commonly used as preventative medicine, strengthening people’s immune system and keeping it in perfect balance and harmony to ward off illnesses and in good condition. This is the reason why people who receive regular acupuncture treatment don’t have any particular ailment of a malady to treat for.

Photo credit: Wonderlane

Acupuncture Pembroke Pines and the Five Elements

The whole idea about acupuncture Pembroke Pines  is quite easy to understand since there are not a lot of factors to be understood.  Acupuncture has essentially two basic factors that make it work:  the five elements and yin and yang.

The five elements are composed of metal, earth, fire, wood and water.  The five elements are utilized in classifying parts of our body, animals, the seasons and just about anything else.  They can likewise signify the parts or stages of transformation.  Metal signifies contraction, earth maturity or ripeness, fire signifies full development, wood means growth and water signifies stillness and adaptation.  These five elements can also act as some sort of a classification system. Traditional Chinese medicine categorizes different areas in accordance to these five elements.  Some examples of this include the lungs that are associated to the element of metal, the earth element to the stomach, the heart to fire, the wood element to the liver and the kidneys associated to the water element.   They also work cyclically.

The way the five elements are used in two ways, one used as a phase or stage and the other to categorize things.  They both are utilized alongside each other.  Chi or energy flows to all parts of the human body and since like blood chi travels throughout the body in a circulatory manner, the body follows a certain energy cycle as well.  The energy of kidney manifested for example as libido makes us grasp opportunity or initiative which is energy associated with wood.  This leads to activity associated with fire energy and can result in learning and reflection (earth energy).  The stage then ends with experience which is connected to metal energy. This is in essence shows the cycle of growth and nourishment.

One can also find another cycle where the same five elements are synchronistically set up.  This includes the cycle of control. The cycle of control are sorted in the following way:  water, fire, metal, wood and earth.  This cycle can show that water can control fire, fire on the other hand can saw off wood, wood contains earth and earth bears water.  Stillness which is water energy regulates our activity and prevents it from turning manic which is fire energy.  The activity itself is fire energy which prevents firmness from turning too hard (metal energy).  Our hardness which is metal energy prevents us from being overcome by too many initiatives (wood energy).  The initiating element on the other hand prevents us from stagnating in too much reflection which is earth energy.  However, reflection can properly guide and monitor our libido which again is water energy.

The above explanation is merely a small glimpse into the broad aspect of the philosophy of acupuncture. The elements contain a huge volume of material about the elements and their applications to virtually all spheres of life.

Bellevue Acupuncture and the Chinese

The inventors of acupuncture are the ancient Chinese.  Acupuncture is not beholden to the established system and the empirical ways of the Western scientific method and that is why it can not be proven by Western science or respected by many self-styled medical experts.  Some scientists studying acupuncture conclude that no histological and anatomical basis exists to prove that acupuncture truly works in it claim to treat illnesses and pain.  They believe that not being able to prove the existence of concepts like the meridians or Bellevue acupuncture points means that acupuncture is cannot really treat a sick person.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) believes that the body has around 2000 acupuncture points or simply acupoints and 14 major meridians crisscrossing these points.  Twelve of the 14 meridians are connected to the major organs of the body.  The meridians are pathways of an energy force the Chinese call chi and it travels all over the body using these meridians.  Chinese medicine believes that the normal and free flow of brings a person to good health.  Whenever chi flow is blocked or stagnates for whatever reason, this causes an imbalance in energy the affected body parts.  The result will be sickness and/or pain.  By means of needles and other tools, acupuncture treatment strives to reestablish normal chi and blood flow and balance the energy in the body helping the body to recover and be relieved of pain.  Acupuncture is quite potent for the relief of pain.  It can be used for pain injury, post-surgical pain, rheumatic and arthritic pain, menstrual pain as well as backache. Some techniques also components of TCM can be used along with acupuncture for treatment of disorders.  These can include laser treatment, moxibustion, herbs, massage and others.  Herbal medicine is often the choice treatment used by acupuncturists to complement acupuncture.  The chi consider chi as equal to life itself.  They view the kidneys and lungs and the energy derived from nutrients create the essence of chi.  Acupuncture the normal flow of chi ensuring that it’s neither fast nor slow since both paces result will result in sickness.  Acupuncture is a proven safe and effective procedure with no side effects at all.

The needles used in acupuncture often cause fear and concern in people.  Acupuncture is not only safe but is surprisingly quite painless.  The patient may feel some slight tingling sensation when the needles are inserted into the skin.  The sensations often vanish immediately once the effect of the treatment takes affect.  The needles are very thin and non hollow and are not like the ones used by hospitals.  Acupuncture was introduced in the United States in the 1970’s.  It is now a quite popular form of alternative treatment in the country.

Fighting Infertility with Acupuncture New York

The importance of acupuncture is contrasted with the unimpressive results of in vitro fertilization (IVF) seen in studies like the one doe by Dr. Nargund of St. George’s Hospital in Tooting in the UK in February, 2009.  The studies show that IVF did not increase the incidence of conception and can even lead to serious to both the mother and unborn child.  This treatment increased the cases of cerebral palsy and premature birth.  Some babies conceived with this procedure die after only the first week.  Furthermore, the health of the child is not quite good even after the first week and the quality of life and longevity of some of the children who survive the first week may not be so good as well.  This disturbing conclusion makes the treatment of acupuncture for infertility look much more attractive especially when people know it is a natural and safe alternative for the treatment of their fertility problems.  Acupuncture has no side effects or drawbacks and is a proven procedure used with great success for the treatment of maladies for over 5000 years.  It is highly popular as a treatment for pain, illnesses and ailments, now it is being recognized as an effective treatment for fertility disorders.

The efficacy of acupuncture for fertility problems overshadows the potential disastrous outcomes of IVF procedures.  These realities reflect the notion that instant treatments may not be always the best solution for some problems, in this case infertility.  Instant treatments like IVF also do not address the underlying problem of a patient that caused his/her infertility.  One underlying cause can be the lifestyle of the person.  The problem with today’s fast paced life is that it is filled with physical, mental and emotional stress and these stresses can be and often are major factors in the cause of infertility for both young and older couples.

Stress causes the body’s immune system to weaken making the person prone to sickness and disease.  It also weakens the flow of blood in the body caused partly by the tense muscles that constrict blood flow.  Bad hygiene practices as well as an unhealthy environment are also contributors to male and female infertility.  According to traditional Chinese medicine, tension and stress develop blockages to the energy vessels where vital force or chi in Chinese travels.  These blockages stagnate the flow of chi and when these occur some parts of the body become energy deficient leading to sickness and pain.  Acupuncture uses filiform needles to remove these energy blockages and allow chi and blood to nourish those energy and blood depleted body parts once more relieving pain and treating pain and health conditions like infertility as a result.  Acupuncture to treat infertility helps nourishes the reproductive organs with blood and blood resulting in the normalization of the endocrine and reproductive function.  This leads to an increased chance of conception.

The Importance of the Acupuncture Palm Harbor Points

The point in the body where an Palm Harbor acupuncture needles is inserted is called an acupuncture point or acupoint for short.  An acupoint is like a portal that connects to the energy pathways in the body.  The energy pathways called meridians or ley lines are to energy or chi what arteries, veins and capillaries are to blood.  A needle inserted into an acupoint often stimulates tendons, nerves or muscles which in turn stimulates the nervous system.  The Chinese name the acupoint “tsiue” which means cavity since an acupoint is like a hole that leads to a meridian.  Because of the difference in the bodies of each person a style of measure was created to measure each person for the specific reason of locating each person’s acupoints.  The unit of measure is based on the distance of the second phalanx to the third phalanx of the thumb of the patient.  It is important that the acupuncturist precisely locate an acupoint since a mistake of inserting the needles even just a few millimeters off the correct location can lead to problems during treatment.

The perseverance of the ancient Chinese in perfecting the art of acupuncture led to the making of extant bronze life size statues which they used as aids in mapping the exact location of the meridians and other acupoints.  These statues served as training models for students.  They would coat the statues with wax and place water pouches in them to imitate the acupoints over the meridians.  When a student inserts a needle into the statue and water squirts out, this means that he accurately inserted a needle into an acupoint.  The needles inserted in an acupoint innervate the meridian affecting the yin and yang forces, the five elements and the organs of the body.  Without knowing what acupoints can do it would be difficult to find recourse into aiding the body to attain balance of energy.

An acupuncturist diagnosing an illness such as bronchitis during winter for example would observe the symptoms.  His observations might lead him to believe (diagnose) that the body has excess yin energy that causes cold in the lungs.  The course of treatment would be acupuncture and herbal medicine to improve yang or heat energy to neutralize the preponderance of yin in the body and tone the body to strengthen the immune system.

There are thousands of acupoints scattered all over the body.  Each point is always associated to a meridian which in turn is associated a major body organ.  Apart from herbal medicine acupuncture can also be combined with moxibustion treatment.  All of these treatments including acupuncture are considered components of traditional Chinese medicine.  Acupuncture has the distinction of being an effective remedy for dozens of health conditions.

Acupuncture Pembroke Pines and Infertility

Pembroke Pines Acupuncture treatment can help relax your body and mind which is quite important if you have been under stress too long.  When your body and mind relaxes it helps the body reinvigorate and enables it to achieve a natural state of balance and harmony once again.

Acupuncture is one of the most ancient healing practices that is still widely used around the world particularly in Asia and is probably the world’s most popular form of alternative treatment.  It is one of the most important components of a codex of healing modalities in traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM.  The basis of TCM lies in the belief of chi or vital energy that flows through all living things including humans on pathways of called meridians all existing inside the body.  The goal of acupuncture is the restoration of the free and normal flow of chi in the body.

Ironically, modern medical technology has not been able to properly detect chi or even the meridians which the ancient TCM practitioners believe exist.  What modern medical technology observed, however, was that acupuncture stimulates hormone creation and secretion and betters the flow of blood in the body.  These help the body heal itself and bolster its immune functions.  There are many causes of infertility and acupuncture is able to heal many of them.  it assists the body to achieve a normal and functioning reproductive system helping improve the likelihood of conception.  Acupuncture helps to establish balance and harmony in the body’s energy system as well for better health and overall well-being.

Stress is one of the major contributors of infertility.  Physical and emotional stress can mar the body’s natural rhythm causing dysfunctions in the body systems particularly the endocrine system.  The normal hormonal rhythm can be affected by stress and this can cause problems in the reproductive system.  The relief of stress enables the body to correct itself as well as normalize body functions once more. When the endocrine system works well once again this creates a better environment for conception.  Physical or mental stress needs to be treated promptly since longstanding stress in the body can lead fertility problems that are much more difficult to treat

Many qualified and experienced acupuncturists can treat various kinds of infertility but it is best to go to one that specializes in treating this disorder.  One good source to provide you with referral for a good acupuncturist can be from an OB/gyn doctor, or even from family or friends.  Physicians may know an acupuncturist who especially handles infertility cases and you can ask your physician if he knows one for your problem.  For the treatment of infertility acupuncture is often combined with herbal medicine.  The first thing an acupuncturist treats in treating infertility is the stress in the body.