Recurrent headaches lasting from 30 minutes to 7 days.
A dull pressure type of pain, which is mild or moderate in severity.
Pain is located on both sides of the head.
Mild or moderate intensity (may inhibit but does not prohibit activities).
No nausea or vomiting.
The most common type of headache. Many individuals will experience this type of headache once in a while.
Migraine headaches (vascular headaches)
Population-based studies have consistently shown that approximately 18% of women and 6% of men suffer from migraine in the United States.
Pain can be so intense that it interferes with one’s physical ability to function, sometimes requiring bed rest.
Patients experience pulsating or throbbing types of pain. The pain is limited to one side of the head, however, in about a third of patients, it is bilateral.
May be associated with nausea and/or vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light, noise, and/or odors.
Some patients experience auras prior to the onset of a migraine (the headache sufferer sees little flashes of light, waves of lights, or changes in their vision). An aura is a neurological symptom that typically develops gradually over a period of several (5-20) minutes.
Acupuncture and Migraine Headaches – New Research from the BMJ
Information published online in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), demonstrated the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic (migraine) headaches.
The clinical study involved a randomized, control study of 401 participants over a period of 3 months, where half the participants were either assigned to an acupuncture treatment group or to the control group which consisted of standard medical treatment, including medication. The acupuncture group received a series of 12 treatments. The study found that those in the acupuncture treatment group used 15 per cent less medication, made 25 per cent fewer visits to their medical doctors and 15 per cent had fewer sick days. The long term effects of the acupuncture treatment also appeared to continue even after acupuncture treatments had stopped, as researchers noted that the acupuncture group was less likely to have had headaches for up to a year after the trial.
Original article and pictures take www.acupuncturemoxibustion.com site
For the 10 to 15 percent of couples who have difficulty conceiving, acupuncture might boost success.
Researchers reviewed seven studies that paired acupuncture with in vitro fertilization (IVF), a lengthy and costly process that involves retrieving the patient's egg, fertilizing it in a lab, and transferring the embryo back into the womb. The results, published in the "British Medical Journal," showed that acupuncture raised the odds of achieving pregnancy through IVF by about 65 percent.
Acupuncture's circulation-stimulating effects could help elevate blood flow to the uterus, which creates a more welcoming environment for the embryo, says Paul Magarelli, M.D., Ph.D., director of Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centers in Colorado. The therapy is also thought to lessen uterine contractions and regulate stress hormones to levels found in healthy pregnancy cycles, he adds.
Acupuncture may also enhance fertility for women who don't pursue IVF, says Los Angeles-based Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner Julie Chambers. "Because it produces the same benefits regardless of whether or not a woman is undergoing IVF," she says, acupuncture can increase the odds of getting pregnant through less invasive treatment -- or none at all.
Original article and pictures take www.wholeliving.com site
Acupuncture for Fertility and Pregnancy Photo credit: Acid Pix
Acupuncture has gained traction in recent years among Westerners, especially for its use in attenuating pain. According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, about 3.1 million Americans said they had used acupuncture in the past year. This post on acupuncture and fertility is the first of a series which will discuss the use of acupuncture for different issues, including fertility and pregnancy, myofascial pain (so-called “acupuncture for athletes”) and depression and anxiety.
The Evidence on Acupuncture and Fertility
The scientific literature on acupuncture and fertility is relatively sparse. There have been, however, a few positive notes coming out of peer-reviewed journals in recent years.
In 2008, investigators published a meta-analysis (an analysis of other studies) in the British Journal of Medicine indicating that “acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilization” (IVF). While The Guardian reported the increased chances of pregnancy to be 65%, the authors of the study actually cautioned that the rate was lower, specifically that “10 women would need to be treated with acupuncture to bring about one additional clinical pregnancy.”
Chinese medicine, she explains, is based on a system of twelve main “meridians,” or invisible channels, that carry energy, or “qi” (pronounced “chee”) throughout the body. You can think of the channels as a life force circulatory system. Eight of the 12 meridians run through the pelvic floor and the reproductive organs.
The basic idea is that when energy is blocked, the body’s whole system is thrown out of balance, just as a fender bender on a major highway can result in hours of snarled traffic. The body works on its own to restore equilibrium, but just like a traffic jam in Times Square on a Friday evening, sometimes you need a traffic cop to help unblock the box. That’s where acupuncturists come in. Using very thin needles made usually of stainless steel, they painlessly stimulate specific points along the meridians to keep energy flowing smoothly in the body.
Meridians
Women of all stripes can benefit from pre-conception acupuncture. “For a surprising number of women, a lot of it is education about fertility,” Borbet says. She works with clients on understanding the best time to conceive, mapping out their cycle and so on.
For other women, it’s a matter of rebalancing menstrual cycle irregularities. Still others come from a medical doctor who diagnosed them with PCOS, polyps or endometriosis. Sometimes women want to try a “natural” approach, so Borbet works on those particular issues. In other cases, women are taking fertility medication or trying IVF. Borbet says acupuncture can be a great complement in such cases, and the studies reviewed above would seem to support her conclusion.
Acupuncture and Pregnancy
Acupuncture can also help relieve uncomfortable symptoms that accompany pregnancy. Borbet says that the most common complaints people come to her with are back pain, hip pain, sciatica and headaches. But once in her office, she can help relieve other less tangible symptoms like insomnia, acid reflux, constipation and edema (swelling).
Because the meridians run throughout the body, practitioners can access the flow of energy in one of the eight channels that run through the reproductive organs by placing needles distally (in the arms or legs). “That’s how we can treat it all very well without having to do abdominal points” when a woman is pregnant, Borbet says.
Another common use of acupuncture in pregnancy is labor preparation beginning at week 36. A practitioner will try to clear the meridians running through the pelvic floor, making sure the pelvic muscles and uterus are nourished and relaxed.
Although there are no specific studies on the benefit of acupuncture and labor, Borbet notes that, as a doula, she’s attended many births, and women who have had acupuncture in the final weeks of pregnancy have noticeably smoother labor. Acupuncture won’t make your labor less painful or faster, she says, but it can help keep it moving along.
A Personalized Treatment
Acupuncture is a highly personalized treatment modality that takes into account both the chief complaint and a person’s specific constitution. “There are some tried and true points, meridians and balancing treatments,” Borbet says, but everyone is different. There are few contraindications for acupuncture, but if you’d like a consultation, be sure to look for someone who is licensed in the state of New York.
Photo courtesy of Grow Wellness Acupuncture
Erin Borbet, L.Ac., MS, Doula is located at 16 East 40th Street, Floor 2 between Fifth and Madison Avenues. You can schedule a free 15-minute consultation or make an appointment by calling (646) 842-1598 or accessing the online booking system.
Original article and pictures take 7345-presscdn-0-16.pagely.netdna-cdn.com site
