Archive for: November, 2005
The Centers for Disease Control has stated that one in three Americans is affected by Arthritis which equates to a huge 70 million individuals. Arthritis is one of the top most prevalent diseases in the US and is the principal source of disability.
As people get older arthritis pain and inflammation is unavoidable for many. The majority of people over 50 have at least some indications of arthritis because joint naturally deteriorate as you get older. Despite this, arthritis can be successfully managed through acupuncture for arthritis pain and Chinese medicine.
On the contrary to common belief arthritis isn’t actually a single disease. Arthritis is a disorder consisting of over one hundred different conditions and is able to occur at any point though out a person’s life. The two top most frequent types are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Even though these two arthritis types are caused very differently, have different risk factors and affect a person’s body in different ways they in fact usually both have one symptom in common, relentless pain occurring at the joints.
Chinese medical theory says that arthritis occurs when the cyclical flow of Qi is blocked in the meridians. This blockage is known as ‘bi’ type pain which is well studied and can be successfully remedied with the use of acupuncture for arthritis pain and Chinese herbs. In fact acupuncture and Chinese medicine has been shown to be highly effective for relieving the inflammation and pain connected with all varieties of arthritis.
Traditional Chinese medicine doesn’t look at arthritis as one specific condition, rather it tries to remedy each particular set of symptoms specific to an individual through a host of methods including acupuncture for arthritis pain, bodywork, Chinese herbs, lifestyle/dietary advice and vigorous exercise routines to help re-establish imbalances through out the patients body.
During a procedure of acupuncture for arthritis pain the points used are not only over the effected areas but are situated all over the body. The small acupuncture needles may be positioned on your legs, shoulders, arms and possibly your little toe.
Acupuncture needles are so small and thin several can fit into the centre of a hypodermic needle. Suffice to say there is little or no feeling when an acupuncture needle is inserted. Some individuals do report a brief moment of discomfort when the needle is placed in the skin; however this is only for an instant and soon after most patients relax and may even fall asleep during the acupuncture treatment.
The procedure of acupuncture for arthritis pain will vary in length and frequency in which it will need to be carried out. Normally the treatment will last for five to thirty minutes and will need to be performed once to twice a week. Quite often certain symptoms are in fact calmed after just one acupuncture procedure, however, the more severe complaints will likely require many more treatments.
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There is always a constant flow of individuals trying to stop smoking and many usually find their will power shrink pretty quick. If you are a smoker or have been in the past I’m sure you can sympathise with this fact. Stopping smoking is very difficult to do and gets harder the longer you are a smoker. Nicotine is a strong addiction and the smoking habit becomes ingrained in to your daily routine. Some individuals can even find smoking to be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
As an unconventional method for smoking cessation, acupuncture to stop smoking has been growing in popularity. Acupuncture is repeatedly instructed in courts as treatment for drug addicts due to is capacity for reducing withdrawal symptoms and aiding in control over cravings.
Studies have led to estimates that state 2 to 3 attempts at stopping smoking are usually required before a smoker finally stops smoking for good. After smokers have tried and failed at the more conventional methods such as nicotine patches or gum they start to look to more alternative methods for stopping their smoking habit. This is where smokers start to look at acupuncture to stop smoking and break their habit.
What must be realised is that acupuncture is not a magic cure or miracle solution to the addictions of any drug, including smoking. However, what acupuncture is effective in providing is the ability to aid in stopping smoking by making it easier plus it also helps an individual to stay smoke free. If a person is greatly motivated and really is ready to stop smoking, acupuncture is able to empower the individual to take charge of their habit and start a much healthier smoke free lifestyle.
How Does ‘Acupuncture to Stop Smoking’ Work?
Acupuncture is converting more and more smokers in to lasting non-smokers, however, as previously stated acupuncture to stop smoking is not a ‘cure’ or complete solution for stopping smoking. What acupuncture can do for you is lessen the cravings and lower the withdrawal symptoms often connected with quitting a drug. A successful and proper acupuncture course will require patient preparation, commitment from the patient and training regards what acupuncture can and can�t do for the acupuncture patient.
Chinese medicine tries to remedy certain symptoms exclusive to the particular individual and does so through the use of a whole host of different methods; acupuncture, bodywork, Chinese herbs, lifestyle/dietary suggestions and last but not least vigorous exercises all helping to re-establish imbalances in the patient.
Before commencing an acupuncture to stop smoking program your acupuncturist will likely interview you in order to understand you particular situation. This includes knowing your smoking habits, carrying out a physical examination which will probably involve a blood pressure test, measuring your pulse and studying your tongue. All the physical and emotional symptoms that you are undergoing aids in building a good understanding which your acupuncturist can use to construct an acupuncture to stop smoking plan dedicated to you and your particular situation.
The acupuncture to stop smoking treatments will concentrate around the cravings, jitters, restlessness and irritability usually found when a smoker is trying to stop smoking. The acupuncture treatment will also help with detoxification and relaxation in the patient.
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If you are looking to go to acupuncture school to learn the practice then this is the resource for you. A comprehensive search of worldwide acupuncture schools. Click the link below to visit the search page where you can find your local acupuncture school or course.
You have two ways to perform a search for the acupuncture school:
- By entering your post/zip code and selecting a proximity distance you would like the acupuncture school to be within.
- or.. simply by selecting the state or city you would like the acupuncture school/course to be in.
To further your acupuncture school search criteria you can also search for specific types of schools and/or courses:
- Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
- Herbal Medicine
- Massage
- Oriental Body Work
- Continuing Education
- Distance Learning
- Masters Degree
- Doctorate Degree
Visit the Acupuncture school/course finder by clicking here.
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Find an acupuncture practitioner using the Acufinder.com search directory.
Acufinder.com provide a comprehensive worldwide searchable directory to help you find an acupuncture practitioner local to you.
To start your search through a complete list of licensed acupuncturists visit the link below:
http://www.acufinder.com/search_acupuncturists.php
To find an acupuncture practitioner you simply enter your zip/postal code and distance, or search by city or state/province. You can also further specify your search by selecting different criteria.
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Acupuncturists propose that the origin of migraine headaches are imbalances in your body’s flow of chi (Qi) energy. Acupuncture is used to restore the balance in chi energy, thus treating both the cause & pain of the migraine. Acupuncture for migraines can alleviate the pain of a migraine attack, however, acupuncture is better utilized as a method for keeping migraines at bay and from appearing in the first place.
Prior to treating a patients migraine via acupuncture, the headache location needs to be determined. The head contains a lot of meridians and so the headaches position depicts the meridians involved.
Some examples are:
- Pain experienced in the occiput & nape of your neck signifies an obstruction in the bladder meridian.
- If you experience pain around your forehead & just above your eyes this indicates the stomach meridian.
- Temple pain & pain on the side of your head is associated with your gallbladder meridian.
- If the top of your head is in pain this points to an inequality in the liver meridian.
These different migraines and headaches are alleviated through acupuncture treatment at the specific points relating to the areas experiencing pain. As well as this an acupuncturist needs to understand the migraine pain you are experiencing; whether it can be linked to certain foods, time of day, weather patterns or any other correlations that can be made. Once the acupuncturist has established your migraine pain type the acupuncturist can then create and implement the appropriate acupuncture for your migraine or headache that will re-establish chi flow within your body thus minimising the possibility of returning migraine/headache attacks.
Acupuncture for migraines has many times in the past been reported as an effective solution for migraine headaches. However, the precise reason of cause is still to this day unknown. There is speculation that endorphins (the brains natural painkillers) are released during acupuncture for migraines. An alternative theory suggests migraine acupuncture could be stabilizing the levels of serotonin which is the brain’s chemical messenger. In New Zealand research has been carried out that showed acupuncture migraine patients have a much smaller number of migraines which are much less severe after just twelve acupuncture for migraines treatment sessions. Acupuncture for migraines can sometimes be combined with diet changes, lifestyle changes, vitamin supplements, Chinese herbs and other additional treatments.
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