Acupuncture is a popular treatment used to help alleviate back and neck pain. Tiny needles, about the size of a human hair, are inserted into specific points on the body. Each needle may be twirled, electrically stimulated, or warmed to enhance the effect of the treatment.
Some 50 million U.S. residents live with chronic pain, experts estimate. Pain forces an estimated 36 million of them to miss work every year and results in roughly 70 million doctor visits.
Yet scientists know very little about how pain works. They can't even agree on a definition.
Acupuncture is the insertion of ultra-thin, sterile needles into specific acupuncture points on the body which reside on channels or meridians; these are pathways in both the exterior and interior of the body. These points, when needled, can regulate the way in which the body functions....
In traditional Chinese medical theory, the Spleen is the key organ involved in gastro-intestinal disorders. The Spleen has primary responsibility for "transforming" and "transporting" food essence in the body, including the excretion of waste material. The Spleen and Stomach are Yin/Yang partners, and each one can develop characteristic problems.
Many studies now support the use of acupuncture to control pain.
Chinese medicine offers an interpretation of pain based on the ancient philosophy that within the human body is an animating force known as chi (pronounced "chee") that flows along intricate and complex pathways or meridians. Dr. Lisa Fogel believe illness and pain are the result of a blockage or stagnation in the flow of chi.
The precise placement of acupuncture needles along the affected meridians can restore the flow of chi and bring the body back into balance, thereby reducing - and in many cases eliminating - pain.
The recent flurry of news reports questioning the safety of popular pain-killers such as Bextra, Vioxx, Celebrex and Aleve comes on the heels of some exciting information about the use of acupuncture in relieving arthritis pain. In December '05, the Annals of Internal Medicine published the results of a landmark study in which researchers concluded that acupuncture not only provides pain relief but also improves function in people with osteoarthritis of the knee. The study, the largest and longest of its kind ever conducted, concluded that acupuncture serves as an effective complement to conventional medical care.
Other studies lend support to these findings, and some even suggest acupuncture as a viable alternative to pain medications. An Italian study published in the Jornal Headache,'07 found that women suffering from migraines who opted for acupuncture instead of conventional drug therapy experienced more significant improvement in their symptoms.
With evidence mounting about the long-term side effects of some widely-used pain killers, acupuncture offers a safe, natural, and time-honored alternative that merits consideration by anyone seeking pain relief.
Anxiety and AcupunctureTreatments are relaxing and in general, you should experience almost immediate relief of any acute symptoms. Whether you are having panic attacks or experience general anxiety, over the course of regular treatment, symptoms will decrease in...
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Acupuncture Offers Benefits in Alleviating Breast Cancer Treatment Side-Effects
by: Dave Gabriele, citizen journalist
(NaturalNews) A 2008 American study, which appeared in the September issue of The International Journal of Radiation Oncology, examined the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating women coping with the side effects of conventional breast cancer medicine. Eleanor Walker, M.D., a radiation oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit, led a team of researchers to compare acupuncture treatment with the common anti-estrogen treatment used to control breast cancer therapy side effects. The side effects, such as hot flashes and depression, affect about 80% of women treated for breast cancer and are usually treated by the pharmaceutical anti-depressant venlafaxine (Effexor). Many breast cancer patients refuse venlafaxine because of its own set of negative side effects.
A combination of Chinese herbal medicine and laparoscopy is the most effective way to treat endometrial ovarian cysts and increase reproductive function.
A study was carried out in Beijing to compare 3 different treatment methods for endometriosis. A group of 152 women with endometrial cysts, were divided into 3 groups: a combined Chinese herbal medicine and laparoscopy group (combination group), a Chinese herbal medicine only group, and a Danazol group. The clinical effectiveness, side effects and reproductive hormones were then compared. The shrinkage and disappearance rate of the cysts, as well as the pregnancy rate were highest in the combination group, and there were few side effects noted. The study concluded that way to treat endometrial ovarian cysts, increasing reproductive function a combination of laparoscopy and Chinese herbal medicine is an effective and causing very few side effects.
Wu Y Hua L (Clinical study on endometrial ovarian cysts treated by integrated laparoscopy and Chinese herbal medicine) Zhongguo Zhong Xi Yi Jie He Za Zhi, 2000 March, 20 (3): 183-6.
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