Acupuncture is a minimally invasive method to stimulate nerve-rich areas of the skin surface in order to influence tissues, gland, organs, and various functions of the body. Each acupuncture needle produces a tiny injury at the insertion site, and although it’s slight enough to cause little to no discomfort, it’s enough of a signal to let the body know it needs to respond. This response involves stimulation of the immune system, promoting circulation to the area, wound healing, and pain modulation. The human body was filled with and animated by an invisible life-giving force which they called ‘qi’ (pronounced ‘chee’) and when the qi was flowing well and going to all the right places, then a person would experience good mental and physical health. When the qi was flowing incorrectly (blocked or deficient) that would result in illness. The concept of qi — think of it as your body’s natural inner workings. Sometimes you’re more prone to illness when feeling stressed or anxious. When you’re relaxed and healthy, your body physically reflects that too. After all, your mood, mental health, and general well-being do affect your physical health. Thus, acupuncture aims to assist people in achieving balance, or qi, and, as a result, provide relief for many ailments.
| Qi (Ch'i) | |
|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 氣 (air) + (rice) = (ch'i) |
| Simplified Chinese | 气 (air) |
a holistic approach :
Health is one of the single most important things in our lives. When we don't have it, we want it back. And when we do have it, we always want more! It is for this reason that all cultures have always placed so much value on the role of their ancient healing traditions.
What type of medicine can make sick people well again, and give well people the experience of vibrant health?
We know that our physical health is not defined by single organs, hormones or functions, but by the sum total of all the body's parts and processes. The idea of holistic approach extends to the balance of body, mind, emotions and beyond. Providing truly integrated health care requires the balance of total body health, psychological balance and spiritual upliftment. For this reason, the combined use of techniques such as acupuncture, herbs, aromatherapy, and Reiki provides powerful tools to work synergistically on our entire being. And each single technique speaks to us personally and provides sufficient focus to help us heal on each individual level.
And for you? :
Acupuncture and botanical medicine are the cornerstones of this practice. Traditional Chinese Medicine provides the philosophical and theoretical basis for the application of these and various other healing modalities. Our aim is to provide a number of treatment options that allow each patient to have their health care individually tailored to their needs, expectations and preferences.
what to expect:
Depending on each person's individual needs, a treatment session can involve anywhere from one to several of the specialty techniques, and lasts up to one and a half hours. Patients often benefit most from a series of weekly treatments, and positive results are often experienced anywhere from the first to the sixth session. When conditions resolve and patients feel stabilized in their new sense of wellness and health, monthly or seasonal visits are recommended for tune ups and to maintain the healing trajectory. When working with chronic, severe or even life threatening conditions, a more intensive treatment approach is applied, and as always, the patient is encouraged to communicate frequently and openly with their Western medical provider.
Whatever the case may be, even patients with no specific medical condition can gain profound benefits in all areas of their lives, as increasing energy, boosting immune function, reducing stress, and providing a radiant sense of well being are gifts that will never be wasted.
they say:
Acupuncture and Herbal medicine as practiced in ancient and modern China are perfect examples of successful and effective healing methods that have survived the test of time. With their roots in the folk remedies supplied by wandering barefoot doctors, this developing medicine later entered the domain of the imperial schools, absorbing the wisdom of Taoism, Buddhism and other foreign traditions that had influenced Chinese culture. Even when outlawed in favor of the newly emerging Western medicine by the communist government in 1911, Traditional Chinese Medicine was promptly called back into use due to its unparalleled ability to provide the already vast Chinese population with effective, low-cost health care. Now, after decades of conscientious study and integration, Traditional Chinese Medicine is practiced in close conjunction with modern bio-medicine, offering solutions and alternatives to modern health concerns.
The World Health Organization (WHO), recognizes Acupuncture as an effective tool for treating the following health conditions:
Digestive & Gastro-Intestinal Disorders:
Abdominal pain, Acute bacillary dysentery, Constipation, Chronic duodenal ulcer (pain relief),
Acute duodenal ulcer (without complications), Diarrhea, Acute and chronic gastritis, Gastric hyperacidity
Gastroptosis, Hiccough, Indigestion, Paralytic ileus, Spasms of esophagus and cardia.
Respiratory Disorders:
Acute bronchitis, Bronchial asthma (most effective in children and with no complicating conditions),
Common cold, Acute rhinitis, Acute sinusitis, Smoking cessation, Acute tonsillitis
Eyes-Ears-Nose-Throat conditions:
Acute conjunctivitis, Cataract (without complications), Central retinitis, Gingivitis, Myopia (in children)
Poor vision, Tinnitus, Toothache
Emotional Conditions:
Anxiety, Depression, Insomnia, Nervousness, Neurosis
Gynecological Disorders:
Infertility, Menopausal symptoms, Premenstrual syndrome
Musculo-Skeletal Disorders:
Arthritis, Back pain, Muscle cramping, Muscle pain, Muscle weakness, Neck pain
Neurological Conditions:
Cervicobrachial syndrome, Frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, Facial palsy (early stage), Headaches
Intercostal neuralgia, Meniere's disease, Migraines, Neurogenic bladder disorder, Nocturnal enuresis
Parkinson's disease, Peripheral neuropathies, Post-operative pain, Sciatica, Sequelae of poliomyelitis (early stage), Stroke, Trigeminal neuralgia
Miscellaneous Disorders:
Addiction control, Athletic performance, Blood pressure regulation, Chronic fatigue, Immune system
toning, Stress reduction
From other sources, Traditional Chinese Medicine has also been recommended to treat the following conditions:
All types of pain, Acne, Allergies, Acid reflux, GERD, heartburn, Asthma, Wheezing, Cough, Dizziness, Vertigo, Edema, Epilepsy, Fatigue, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Goiter, Hemorrhoids, Impotence, Sexual dysfunction, Jaundice, Loss of voice, Aphasia, Mouth ulcers, Nosebleeds, Painful urination, Painful menstruation, Amenorrhea, Sore throat, Spasms, convulsions, Skin disorders.
cancer care :
The field of orthodox western medical oncology is becoming increasingly interested in the virtues of alternative and complementary treatment modalities. What was once regarded with suspicion is appearing to hold significant clinical merit as scientists continue to unlock and understand the unorthodox field of phyto-pharmaceuticals and energy medicine. Improved understanding of the genetic and biomolecular processes of malignant disease is encouraging new and creative ways of looking at and advancing both modern and traditional healing protocols. These same tools are also showing more clearly and unequivocally that many of the traditional herbal `cures', once regarded as the height of quackery, are actually exerting potent immune stimulating and cancer inhibiting properties. We are seeing many promising and positive results when these two traditions are blended appropriately. There are several major goals of an alternative or complementary approach to treating cancer. Whilst orthodox medicine sees removing the tumor and its bio-markers as the end point of successful treatment, it is also important to address the underlying physical and emotional terrain that permits cancer to initiate, promote and progress in the first place. Taking account of this bigger picture and focusing on the individual with illness, not just on the illness, has shown to improve survival, quality of life and help prevent future recurrence of disease.
Reducing Side Effects:
Chemotherapy and radiation both produce a variety of moderate to severe side effects, the severity of which tends to increase as cumulative doses of treatment grow. Perhaps the best known and accepted application of complementary therapies is in minimizing and eliminating these side effects, which may be severe enough to discontinue conventional treatment. Studies have shown that episodes of nausea and vomiting can be reduced with standard and electro-acupuncture, severe pain and neuropathy can also be minimized, whilst bone marrow suppression and resulting low blood counts can be elevated with appropriately prescribed Chinese herbs. Poor energy levels and reduced daily performance, often leading to feelings of hopelessness and depression can also be very effectively attenuated with acupuncture treatment. Surgical management of tumors may involve minor biopsy, lumpectomy and superficial surface excisions from which the body can easily recover. But when subjected to major internal debulking procedures, acupuncture and herbal medicine provide the body with resources that allow it to repair and heal without draining from its inherent pool of vital energy, best reserved for fighting the cancer. Most importantly, these and other benefits are achieved because complementary treatments are aimed at supporting and balancing the individual, and not simply attacking the tumor or other manifestations of cancer at all costs.
Immune Modulation:
It's clear that compromised immune function can lead to an assortment of chronic and acute illnesses, including cancer. The average person is exposed to multiple risk factors every day of their lives, and it takes a properly functioning immune system to discharge these influences in an appropriate manner. Among many factors, this includes DNA repair mechanisms, metabolic enzyme functions, default metabolic pathways used by individual cells, down regulation of pro-inflammatory prostaglandins, overall hormonal/endocrine balance and pathways for detoxification and elimination of wastes. Also, as seen in the field of psycho-neuro-immunology, our state of mind and emotions may also have an impact on the prowess of our immune functions. By addressing these issues we can improve the body's ability to cope with internally and externally generated carcinogenic influences. What is not always made clear is that whilst modern chemotherapy and radiation are powerful and often effective at killing cancer cells, they are also very taxing on the immune system. We see this revealed in signs of post treatment bone marrow suppression, lowered white and red blood cell and platelet counts, susceptibility to frequent infections, low energy and poor spirits during treatment. And whilst tumors shrink and disappear and hair grows back after chemotherapy, the immune system may remain injured for many years, leading to a higher likelihood of cancer recurrence as well as other chronic and degenerative illnesses. This is why we aim to address the entirety of a patient's condition, offering therapeutical techniques, diet and lifestyle advice that seek to restore lost harmony and vitality.
Promoting Detoxification:
The organs and pathways of detoxification are under stress in many individuals with or without a cancer diagnosis. Every food, medicine, herb, chemical and drug that is ingested, inhaled or even absorbed via the skin, must be broken down and metabolized by the body. A person may excrete waste materials via their sweat, urine, and/or feces, and it is vital to keep these pathways clear and functioning. Its important to assess the weakest and the strongest link in this chain, and to apply treatment that balances and shares the work load. The internal organs that cleanse the body include the liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen and lymphatic system, and these organs benefit from lifestyle and diet choices that reduce the total toxic load that the body must endure on a daily basis. For example, drinking less alcohol reduces the liver's work load and frees it to metabolize chemotherapy drugs, endotoxins and metabolic waste. Smoking cessation allows the lungs to properly oxygenate the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the system without the hindering mechanical injury caused by hot smoke and added carcinogens. Eating a diet of unrefined food without artificial preservatives, rancid and partially hydrogenated oils, growth hormones, pesticides and fertilizers not only reduces metabolic loads, but also promotes efficient and beneficial enzymatic pathways of metabolism. When the body has a lower circulating waste load, the lymphatic system is more readily able to traffic these products to the portals of excretion. When we see cancer lodged in the lymph nodes we consider it a sign of an overwhelmed lymphatic system unable to complete its routine purification duties that it would easily perform under normal circumstances. Add to these circumstances a body that is actively destroying a tumor and releasing its poisonous cellular debris into the circulatory system, and it becomes even more important to support the channels of detoxification.
Diet:
As phyto-pharmaceuticals in cancer prevention receive more research attention, we are learning again and again that a good diet can make a significant difference in ones likelihood to become afflicted with cancer, survive and remain disease free in the future. Whilst it is known that some of the most powerful cytotoxic medications have been isolated from plants and herbs, such as Vincristine from the Periwinkle tree and Taxol from the Yew tree, it is often overlooked that many common foods contain micro nutrients that can actually inhibit the initiation and progression of many cancers. For example, cruciferous vegetables contain compounds that reduce circulating estrogens and endogenous sex hormones, an important feature for managing hormonally sensitive malignancies. Soy products contain several phytoestrogens that have a minimal hormone receptor stimulating effect, but an affinity that competitively blocks the very powerful endogenous estrogens from turning on cancer growth signals. Soy phytoestrogens also inhibit blood vessel growth to tumors, reduce cell proliferation, reduce inflammation and prevent metastatic spread of cancer. Fresh fruits, brightly colored vegetables and especially berries contain many antioxidants, vitamins and micro nutrients that can help prevent routine DNA damage, strengthen blood vessels and capillaries, and reduce systemic oxidative stress. Seafood such as herring, sardines, mackerel and salmon are rich in omega-3-fatty-acids which have been shown to slow the growth of certain cancers and reduce cachectic weight loss associated with cancer progression and treatment. Mushrooms such as maittake and shitake also contain polysaccharide, lectin and glucan complexes that can powerfully stimulate the immune system and inhibit cancer by raising natural killer (NK) cell activity. These are just a few of the reasons why a properly prescribed and adjusted diet is of utmost importance for the cancer patient.
Bringing It All Together:
When seeking cancer care, it is important to maintain an awareness of both the big picture and the fine details. The decision making process, treatment scheduling, financial arrangements, receiving treatments and relationship dynamics are the events that will enter a busy cycle of flux. However, above and beyond the task of dissolving tumors is the call to awakening that this cancer diagnosis has offered. Putting survival statistics to the side lines, this process of healing is an open invitation for a person to find the true meaning of radiant health. Be it for one day, one month or one decade. It can be found through meaningful lifestyle changes, healing of relationships and long standing conflicts, the pursuit of spiritual awareness and/or practices, and most succinctly, developing an immediate and dynamic respect and gratitude for life.
For further reading, please visit the following links:
Acupuncture.com (CLICK HERE)
The National Institutes of Health (CLICK HERE)
The World Health Organization (WHO) website (CLICK HERE)(search WHO website for `acupuncture')
Acupuncture Today. News Source (CLICK HERE)
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