Spirit Gate Medicine Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese Medicine
ancient medicine in a modern world
WHAT IS CHINESE MEDICINE?
Chinese Medicine is about 5,000 years old.It is originally based on Taoist philosophy which speaks about the human body in terms of energy rather than matter.The ancient Chinese believed that a basis life energy called qi or chi is present in every living creature, and that it circulates along specific pathways in the body called meridians.As long as energy flows freely through these pathways, the balance ( homeostasis ) of the body is maintained and the body is healthy.When the flow of energy is blocked for any reason, this energetic system is disrupted and pain or illness results.This can occur in the case of injury, disease, use of alcohol or drugs, lack of exercise, poor nutritional status, weakness from birth, or even chronic mental or emotional anguish.By stimulating appropriate acupuncture points along the energy pathways, the blocked energy is released and health can be restored.
Along these energy meridians are acupuncture points.These points may be stimulated by a number of methods.The most commonly used method is acupuncture, the insertion of very fine solid sterile needles.Other methods may include stimulation by heat, cold, pressure, electricity, a burning herb called moxa, and lasers.The acupuncture meridians and blood circulation can also be stimulated by friction and suction which can be accomplished by the techniques of gua sha and cupping.These two techniques create a temporary bruising effect which will disappear in a few days.Chinese herbal formulas are also an important part of Chinese Medicine.
Research in the Eastern and Western parts of the world has shown that acupuncture stimulates the neurotransmitters in the brain and spinal cord.These are the substances that are responsible for proper transmission of nerve impulses and our sense of well-being.The best known of these are the endorphins which are endogenous morphine-like substances.Studies have also shown that acupuncture can produce physiological reactions in the body, such as changes in heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity, blood chemistry, endocrine functions, intestinal and gastric activity, and immunologic reactions.
Chinese Medicine can be used to treat a wide range of conditions.These can include sprains, strains, and other injuries such as whiplash:neck, shoulder, and low back pain;
sciatica; tension, migraine, and sinus headaches; osteoarthritis and bursitis;anxiety and depression; female disorders; asthma; and gastro-intestinal disorders.In the U.S. acupuncture is best known for treating pain conditions, stress-related disorders, and addictions.
The frequency and duration of acupuncture treatments varies according to the type, chronicity, and seriousness of the problem, as well as the general condition of the patient.
The effect of acupuncture tends to be cumulative.An average course of treatment may be twice a week for 4-6 weeks, although treatment for detoxification from drugs or medications for severe pain may be daily for 3-7 days.Chinese Medicine addresses the unique needs and situation of each person.This is different from our usual “cook book approach” and expectation of a “quick fix” that we often find in Western Medicine.
Chinese Medicine is not just acupuncture. It includes a number of healing modalies, including Chinese Herbs. Although only recently discovered in the West, Oriental people have been using herbs ( plants, minerals, and animals ) for thousands of years to heal themselves of illnesses and to enhance their physical and emotional health and to increaselongevity.
Life 123 is a very informative site with articles and videos about Traditional Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture
Acupuncture
Acupuncture as an Essential Health Benefit
The Affordable Care Act, pass by Congress and signed into law by President Obama in March 2010, affords patients better access to care, insurance-covered options, a patient's bill of rights, and much more. Following the adoption of this act, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius requested the support of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in recommending which services should be considered "essential health benefits" for Americans.
OrientalDiagnosis.com is dedicated to advancing the practice of Oriental Medicine by linking the wisdom of a discipline with over five thousand years of history with the electronic advances of the 21st century
ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2009) — Acupuncture has been used in East-Asian medicine for thousands of years to treat pain, possibly by activating the body's natural painkillers. But how it works at the cellular level is largely unknown
AlterNet.org Is Chinese Pulse Diagnosis the Key to Preventive Medicine?
What great doctors do is.... awaken the doctor within Dr. Albert Schweitzer
Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) affects an estimated 2 percent of the population. Conventional therapies are limited in the success of treating this complex and unexplained condition. Current treatment is largely comprised of prescribing different medications for the varying symptoms in a trial and error approach. Research shows that as many as 90 percent of people with fibromyalgia have turned to complimentary and alternative medicine to manage their symptoms. Acupuncture, in particular, has become a popular treatment choice and has shown to be an effective treatment for FMS.
What is Fibromyalgia Syndrome?
Fibromyalgia is a medically unexplained syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain, a heightened and painful response to pressure, insomnia, fatigue, and depression. While not all affected persons experience all associated symptoms, the following symptoms commonly occur together:
• chronic pain • debilitating fatigue • difficulty sleeping • anxiety and depression • joint stiffness • chronic headaches and jaw pain • difficulty swallowing • dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes • hypersensitivity to odors, bright lights, and loud noises • inability to concentrate (called "fibro fog") • incontinence • irritable bowel syndrome • numbness or tingling in the fingers and feet • painful menstrual cramps • poor circulation in hands and feet (called Raynaud's phenomenon) • restless legs syndrome
Fibromyalgia is diagnosed when there is a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months and pain when pressure is applied to at least 11 of 18 designated tender points on the body. This condition does not result in any physical damage to the body or its tissues and there are no laboratory tests which can confirm this diagnosis.
Symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many cases there appears to be no triggering event. Women are more prone to develop the disorder than are men, and the risk of fibromyalgia increases with age.
From an Eastern Perspective
The Oriental medicine theory of pain is expressed in this famous Chinese saying: "Bu tong ze tong, tong ze bu tong" which means "free flow: no pain, no free flow: pain." Pain is seen as a disruption of the flow of Qi within the body. The disruption of Qi that results in fibromyalgia is usually associated with disharmonies of the Liver, Spleen, Kidney and Heart Systems.
The Acupuncture Treatment
Oriental Medicine does not recognize fibromyalgia as one particular disease pattern. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual depending on their constitution, emotional state, intensity and location of their pain, digestive health, sleeping patterns and an array of other signs and symptoms. Therefore, if 10 people are treated with Oriental medicine for fibromyalgia, each of these 10 people will receive a unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs and different lifestyle and dietary recommendations.
Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia are highly variable form one person to another, a wide array of traditional and alternative treatments has been shown to be the most effective way of treating this difficult syndrome. A treatment program may include a combination of psychological or behavioral therapies, medications, exercise, acupuncture, herbal medicine and bodywork.
If you have fibromyalgia, acupuncture and Oriental medicine may be what you’ve been looking for to ease your symptoms and reclaim your health and vitality. Please Email or call for a consultation today.
A recent study from the Mayo Clinic found acupuncture helpful in treating the fatigue and anxiety commonly experienced by fibromyalgia patients. In the trial, patients who received acupuncture to counter their fibromyalgia symptoms reported improvement in fatigue and anxiety, among other symptoms. Acupuncture was well tolerated, with minimal side effects.
In the double-blind study, Mayo Clinic doctors gave 25 fibromyalgia patients acupuncture, and 25 “sham” acupuncture treatments. Patients received six treatments during the two- to three-week study. Those who received acupuncture treatments reported less fatigue and anxiety one month following after treatment than did the “sham” group.
"The results of the study convince me there is something more than the placebo effect to acupuncture," says David Martin, M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the acupuncture article and a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist. "It affirms a lot of clinical impressions that this complementary medical technique is helpful for patients."
Dr. Martin says the study demonstrates that acupuncture is helpful, and also proves physicians can conduct a rigorous, controlled acupuncture study. Future research could help physicians understand which medical conditions respond best to acupuncture, how to apply it to best relieve symptoms, and how long patients can expect to their symptoms to decrease after each treatment.
Dr. Martin performed the study at Mayo Clinic Rochester with co-authors Ines Berger, M.D.; Christopher Sletten, Ph.D.; and Brent Williams. The study used only two acupuncturists and examined only patients who reported more severe symptoms, offering better experimental control. Still, the Mayo Clinic doctors urged more study to see how acupuncture can best be used in treating fibromyalgia patients.
Dr. Bonnie McLean Spirit Gate Medicine Gulf Breeze Florida ,Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs, Oriental Medicine, Holistic Healing, Alternative Medicine, Herbal Healing, Self Healing,Colds and Flu, Shamanism, Pain Control, Stress Related Disorders, Health and Healing Spirituality, Gulf Breeze, Pensacola Traditional Chinese Medicine,Natural Healing and Medicine
