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Acupuncture

Acupuncture for Obsessive Complusive Disorder (OCD)

Blog - overcoming ocd_300bwMental health problems are extremely common, and many times more than people expect. There are a whole host of reasons why some suffer from mental health disorders. Genetics, upbringing and environment can all play a role in a person’s wellbeing and mental health. Prescription medication to deal with these issues are also one of the most over prescribed type of drug. A lot of times these drugs mask the problem, rather than getting to the root cause and curing. They can also lead to harmful and long-lasting side effects.

OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder, is one of the most common mental health disorders. A lot of us have low levels of OCD about certain things, which is completely normal. When one suffers from serious OCD, it can greatly impede on their quality of living and everyday activities. continue reading »

Acupuncture and Prostate Health

AcupunctureandProstateHealth_300Whether you are looking to reduce your risk of prostate disease or treat an existing condition, acupuncture may be able to help. Because of its holistic approach, acupuncture can help relieve symptoms associated with prostate problems like frequent and painful urination.

A report titled Traditional Chinese Medicine and Prostate Health published by Pacific College found Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to be effective in the treatment of prostatitis, urinary tract infections, and symptoms associated with prostate cancer supportive care. continue reading »

Acupuncture for Sleep Apnea

sleepy-owlOver 12 million Americans suffer from sleep apnea, which causes them to stop breathing multiple times during sleep.  This results in fatigue and can lead to serious consequences such as hypertension, dysrhythmia, heart attack, and stroke. Sleep apnea can also lead to poor memory, weight gain, headaches, impotence, and job impairment.  After this Brazilian study came out as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) which showed immediate effects in reducing noctural respiratory events, we started using these protocols in our clinic and we love the results.

The researchers hypothesize that this improvement is due to acupuncture’s effects on serotonergic pathways and also acupuncture’s anti-inflammatory effects.

The researchers note that the acupuncture points of the neck are of specific interest because they stimulate the genioglossus muscle (secondarily, the mylohyoid muscle) on deep insertion. They note that stimulation of this lingual muscle affects airflow dynamics and may be a key
reason as to why acupuncture is effective for improving the symptoms of patients with sleep apnea.
Reference:
Immediate effect of acupuncture on the sleep pattern of patients with obstructive sleep apnea
Anaflávia O Freire, Gisele C M Sugai, Sônia Maria Togeiro, Luiz Eugênio Mello, Sérgio Tufik; Acupunct Med 2010;28:115-119. Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Unifesp Rua Botucatu 862, 04023-062 São Paulo/SP, Brazil. a.freire@unifesp.br
Abstract
BACKGROUND:
Most patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) do not tolerate treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure, the ‘gold standard’ treatment for this condition. It was shown in a pilot study
that acupuncture was more effective than placebo treatment (sham acupuncture) in producing significant changes in the respiratory events assessed by polysomnography (PSG).
OBJECTIVES:
To investigate the immediate effect of manual acupuncture (MA) and electroacupuncture (EA)
on the sleep pattern of patients presenting with moderate OSA.
METHODS:
40 patients with an Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) of 15-30/h were randomly allocated to MA treatment (n=10), EA 10 Hz treatment (n=10), EA 2 Hz treatment (n=10) and a no-treatment control group
(n=10). The patients received MA or EA (2 or 10 Hz) just before the PSG study at 20:00.
RESULTS:
The AHI (p=0.005; p=0.005), the Apnea Index (p=0.038; p=0.009) and the respiratory events
(p=0.039; p=0.014) decreased significantly in the MA and EA 10 Hz groups, respectively (AHI (21.9, 11.2),
Apnea Index (5.15, 0.7), respiratory events (120.5, 61.0)
in the MA group before and after. AHI (20.6, 9.9),
Apnea Index (8.2, 0.3), respiratory events (117.0, 56.0)
in the EA 10 Hz group before and after). The micro-
arousals decreased only in the MA group (146.0 vs 88.5,
p=0.0002). There were no significant changes in the EA
2 Hz group or in the control group.
CONCLUSION:
A single session of either MA or EA 10 Hz had an acute effect in reducing the AHI as well as the number of nocturnal respiratory events of patients presenting with moderate OSA.

4 Meridian Yoga Poses to go with Acupuncture

Meridian Yoga is a form of yoga that actively works with the same meridian system as acupuncture. This form of yoga uses poses to activate and balance energy in the 14 meridian paths. These meridian paths are known as the energy pathways in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), they allow your body and energy to flow and function properly. Meridian Yoga will improve the function of your organs and allow your body to be in its healthiest state physically and mentally. Below are a few of many yoga poses that can increase your energy flow. continue reading »

Transitioning to Autumn

Blog - img - Transitioning to AutumnWith autumn approaching and the beginning of the yin cycle, the energy of plants is moving down into their roots, helping the body become aware of the energy of the season. This season is a time for the body to begin gathering energy for the colder months to come.

The lungs and large intestine are the organs associated with fall. The lungs are responsible for the circulation of Qi (the body’s natural flow and circulation), and are also very susceptible to cold and illness. For this reason, it is important to stay healthy and warm during the season. If the Qi circulation is weakened, muscles will not be able to warm the body properly. continue reading »

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