An article that I stumbled across this week in Medscape Medical News which is an online mainstream medical news publication discussed the findings of a study which demonstrated acupuncture's effectiveness in treating hot flushes in women associated with cancer drug therapy.
There were 120 participants in the trial whereby either electro acupuncture, gabbapentin (an anti-epeleptic medication), sham acupuncture and placebo treatments were administered over an 8 week period. At the end of the 8 weeks and again later at 24 weeks the results showed acupuncture was the most effective at reducing the hot flushes and maintaining that reduction even 16 weeks after acupuncture treatments ceased.
Studies have also demonstrated that acupuncture can be helpful in reducing cancer treatment related nausea.
Ahhhh, end-August! This is the time of year when the hot sunny days begin to be tempered by less muggy breezes at night. That small hint of coolness creeping in reminds us that autumn is just around the corner.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), there are not four but five seasons. The additional season, ‘Late Summer’, is considered the “hinge between hot and cold seasons, uniting yin and yang”. This observation is from a beautiful book, the Huang Di Nei Jing (The Yellow Emperor’s Classic of Medicine). It was written about 2,000 years ago. Not only is it a classical TCM text still studied by acupuncture students today, it is also a lifestyle guide with advice on health optimization. There are even directions on how best to sleep throughout the year according to the seasons. In general, we can take cues from our environment and work with the seasons. For example, in the summer we can stay up a bit later and rise a bit earlier than usual, thus following the sun’s pattern, benefiting from the season’s warmth and sunshine (“Yang” energy). In the fall, we can start to turn in a bit earlier but still rise early.
August and September are a pivotal time when we slowly change gears from summer’s looser, freer timetable (long weekends, vacation time, children out of school and at camps) to autumn’s much more regulated and disciplined work and school activities. For the sleep-deficient among us, this can be a challenge. Just when we are feeling like we’re finally getting some rest on vacation, it is time to get back to our regular lives of alarm clocks and stressful commutes.
We know that we feel better when we sleep well. Did you also know that good sleep helps maintain our memory, reaction times, emotional functioning and decision making skills? In a recent CBC episode of The Nature of Things, the relationship between good sleep and a healthy appetite was discussed. If you have ever experienced an increase in appetite after a night or two of poor sleep, you will be interested to know that some research supports this phenomenon.
Here are some suggestions to help you get the most out of your sleep time so that you will be refreshed and well rested, ready to tackle whatever the day has in store for you.
In general we can apply good sleep hygiene principles:
Reserve your bedroom for sleep and intimacy, not for eating, studying, watching TV, or using electronic devices
Keep your bedroom dark, well ventilated, and at a comfortable temperature
Use a good quality mattress and pillows (mattresses and pillows do wear out; refresh a mattress after approximately 10 years and a pillow after a year or two)
Stick to a schedule – go to bed and rise at approximately the same time every night (consider the Yellow Emperor’s suggestion to flex the times a bit throughout the year), whether it is a weekday or weekend, vacation or work day
However, we should balance this with going to sleep when we are tired – forcing ourselves to lie in bed at a designated time can make us feel frustrated instead of relaxed
More strenuous exercise should be done earlier in the day; relaxation exercises can be done at night
Turn off electronic devices, especially interactive technology, an hour or two before bedtime
Avoid high energy or stressful TV viewing later at night; read inspiring and uplifting books instead
Eat your last meal of the day at least three hours before turning in – digestion will interfere with sound sleep and lying down will interfere with optimal digestion
Consider changing the paradigm of supper being the largest meal of the day to the smallest with Yellow Emperor’s suggestion to ‘eat like a king at breakfast, a prince at lunch, and a pauper at supper’
Avoid very spicy food, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine before bed; they are all stimulating and can disturb sleep
Have a warm bath and consider adding calming herbs to the water:
Wrap a handful of lemon balm, lavender or rose petals in a square of cheesecloth and tie tightly
Place the wrapped herbs into the tub and run the water over it
When the tub is full, remove the herbs and enjoy the bath
Treat yourself to a cup of calming herbal tea before bedtime
Chamomile, lavender, lemon balm or peppermint can be helpful
Some tea companies have specific blends to help support sleep and may contain additional herbs such as valerian or kava kava root
Other soothing food and drink to try contain significant calcium and magnesium:
A cup of warm milk with a teaspoon of honey
A small handful of almonds
From TCM dietary therapy, there are some additional options to consider. Lemons are considered helpful for calming the mind and relieving insomnia. Mulberry or Longan fruit (looks like a smaller, darker litchi) can be consumed fresh or, in the dried state, made into tea. Lingzhi mushrooms, also known as Reishi, are available in tea form to support heathy sleep. Barley tea is also soothing but is not appropriate for those with Celiac Disease as it contains gluten.
If, in spite of your best efforts to transition to a regular sleep schedule, you are still not sleeping well, you may want to consider acupuncture treatment for insomnia. Acupuncture, famous for its effect on pain, has also been used for at least 2,000 years to treat sleep difficulties. This modality for supporting healthful rest is becoming more popular here in the west as people try to avoid using prescription or over the counter sleep aids.
In TCM, there are several patterns of insomnia and they are identified by collecting your particular information about problems falling asleep, staying asleep, waking too early and/or not refreshed, or experiencing excessive dreams or nightmares. Because each person has their own unique history and presentation of insomnia, the acupuncture points used will vary somewhat between patients. While it would seem logical that acupuncture points for insomnia would be on or near the head, there are some that are located on the body and limbs. Examples of some commonly used acupuncture points for insomnia are Yin Tang and An Mian, which are located on the head. Shen Men is found near the wrists and San Yin Jiao is on the inner leg above the ankle bone.
Sometimes the underlying reason for poor sleep may be a pain condition or a digestive issue. It is important to identify and correct these core imbalances to bring relief to the sleep deprived. Again, acupuncture can play a significant role in this area.
To help you manage your sleep as you transition into autumn, please request your appointment with our registered acupuncturist Barbara Adach, R.Ac. by contacting The Pacific Wellness Institute at 416-929-6958 or submit your online appointment request.
Original article and pictures take www.pacificwellness.ca site
Singapore zoo heals animals with herbs, acupuncture
SINGAPORE (Reuters Life!) - Acupuncture for a limping elephant? Herbal tea for a constipated orangutan? The Singapore Zoo has tried it all, and it works.
Around 200 animals, including giraffes, elephants, horses, pythons and sea lions, have successfully been treated with acupuncture and traditional herb-based Chinese medicine in the past decade, although Western medicine remains the first line of treatment in the zoo.
“The Western medicine did not always work, so we had to find other solutions,” Oh Soon Hock, a senior veterinarian at the zoo told Reuters on Friday.
Earlier this week the zoo received a S$30,000 ($19,700) grant for further research into traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for animals from a Singapore-based firm that produces
TCM.
Oh -- who was trained in Western veterinarian medicine but also studied Chinese medicine -- said this sort of healing is typically used after Western medicine fails to produce results.
He said an orangutan who had received modern medication for constipation for more than a year recovered after drinking an ancient Chinese brew of herbs, ground and dissolved in its honey drink, for just one week.
The zoo has also used acupuncture to reduce the swelling around the fractured leg of a sedated cheetah.
Treating an elephant with acupuncture requires some industrial-size needles to pierce its 2.5 centimeter (one inch) thick hide and sometimes through 15 centimeters of muscles.
The custom-made stainless steel needles are 15 to 20 cm long and 0.6 mm (0.024 inch) thick, Oh said.
“We use stainless steel needles because they bend but won’t break,” Oh said, adding that the needles need to pierce through the hide and muscles to get close to the bones for the treatment to be most effective.
Acupuncture, an ancient Chinese treatment, stimulates blood circulation by sticking needles at specific points of the body through which the body’s energy flows.
According to Chinese medicine, the blood carries “qi”, or body energy, that flows along pathways through the body. Acupuncture stimulates the blood by stimulating the “qi”.
Original article and pictures take s3.reutersmedia.net site
Chakra healing is a science that has been around for hundreds of years and is finally making a comeback in modern medicine. Trending all through blogs, Pinterest and even The Dr. Oz Show, many are looking to learn as much as they can about their Chakras in order to promote healing in their bodies and overall healthy living.
But with so much information out there on all seven Chakras, how to actually get started can seem overwhelming. Because of that, I created a very simple and easy-to-use daily cleansing process.
Now you can stop searching through endless articles and jump right into full body healing! Read on to learn which of your Chakras are blocked and what you can do to fix it.
What Are the Chakras?
Chakras are located down our back from the top of our head to the base of our spine. The word Chakra is Sanskrit for wheel. These wheels are the seven centers in our body through which all energy flows. If any Chakra is blocked, then energy cannot flow freely, thus disrupting our body’s natural flow, causing emotional and physical ailments.
The seven Chakras are, from the bottom, the Root Chakra, Sacral Chakra, Solar Plexus Chakra, Heart Chakra, Throat Chakra, Third Eye Chakra and the Crown Chakra.
Each of these Chakras is directly related to a part of the body and thus affect our overall health. From our digestive system to our fertility to our intuition, it is vital to keep these energy wheels clear and open to allow our body to function as it was designed.
Various things can block our Chakras. The most common are diet, negative thoughts, stress, and sedentary lifestyle. By implementing just a few simple changes in our lives, we can easily unblock all seven of our Chakras and drastically improve our physical and emotional well-being.
Which of Your Chakras are Blocked?
Obviously, the first step to healing any ailment is to determine where the problem lies. The same is true for blocked Chakras. Before we can focus on unblocking specific Chakras, we need to figure out which wheels are blocked. You may discover that many are blocked or you might find you only have one or two that need clearing. In order to recognize which, if any, of your Chakras are blocked, take a look at the list below.
Decide if any symptoms describe you. If so, note the Chakra with which the symptom is associated. Those are the areas you should focus on unblocking.
Emotional Symptoms: Low self-esteem, Lack of willpower
HEART CHAKRA
Physical Symptoms: Heart disease, High blood pressure
Emotional Symptoms: Lack of empathy, Fear of intimacy
THROAT CHAKRA
Physical Symptoms: Thyroid problem, Sore throat
Emotional Symptoms: Can’t express feelings, Heart and mind are disconnected
THIRD EYE CHAKRA
Physical Symptoms: Headaches, Hormonal imbalance
Emotional Symptoms: Poor intuition, Depression
CROWN CHAKRA
Physical Symptoms: Poor sleep habits
Emotional Symptoms: Difficult to meditate, Bodily disconnect
Simple Steps to Unblock Your Chakras
Now that you know which Chakras you need to focus on, it is time to take action and cleanse them with the simple steps I explain in my 7 day eCourse, Daily Chakra Cleansing.
In it you will find:
A quick overview of the Chakra system
Checklists to determine in minutes which of your Chakras are blocked
Easy-to-implement unblocking techniques to add to your daily routine
Basic exercises to improve overall health
Affordable dietary additions for any lifestyle
Downloadable Chakra Cleansing Cheat Sheet and so much more!
For less than the price of a meal, you will receive this eCourse right to your inbox with everything you need to know to achieve whole body wellness.
It also includes a downloadable Chakra Cleansing Cheat Sheet!
After you sign up, you will receive an email confirming your purchase. You will then be automatically enrolled in the 7 day eCourse, where you will receive an email once a day from Jennifer Soldner for the duration of the course.
If you do not receive an email after sign-up, please check your spam folder and then contact us for assistance.
Cleanse Your Chakras with the Power of the Sun Crown Chakra Essential Oil Original article and pictures take 50.87.248.230 site
Shoulder Pain Points Acupuncture points used for shoulder pain
Acupuncture Points Used for Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
LI15: Jianyu 肩髃 ：On the shoulder girdle, in the depression between the anterior end of ateral border of the acromion and the greater tubercle of the humerus.
LI16: Jugu 巨骨 : On the shoulder girdle, in the depression between the acromial end of he clavicle and the spine of the scapula.
SI9: Jianzhen 肩貞: On the shoulder girdle, posteroinferior to the shoulder joint, 1 B-cun uperior to the posterior axillary fold.
SI10: Naoshu 臑兪: On the shoulder girdle, superior to the posterior axillary fold, in the depression inferior to the spine of the scapula.
SI11: Tianzong 天宗: In the scapular region, in the depression between the upper one third and lower two thirds of the line connecting the midpoint of the spine of the scapula with the inferior angle of the scapula.
SI12: Bingfeng 秉風: In the scapular region, in the supraspinatous fossa, superior to the midpoint of the spine of the scapula.
Original article and pictures take www.acupuncturemoxibustion.com site
I never realized how much I relied on my shoulders until I experienced limiting shoulder pain. Every little action with my hands created pain in my shoulder. There are many causes of shoulder pain. Fortunately, there are many acupressure points for relieving shoulder pain.
Let me introduce you to two acupoints that can be used to reduce shoulder pain:
San Jiao 14 and Large Intestine 15
Gently massage L. Intestine 15 and San Jiao 14 to relieve shoulder pain
How to locate Large Intestine 15 and San Jiao 14
Place a hand on top of your shoulder. Feel for a bone at the top of your shoulder, it will feel like a “flat shelf.” Feel for the boney “shelf” at the top of your shoulder
Slide your hand down from this bone to the outside of your upper arm.
Keep your hand on the upper arm while you raise that arm to the side, away from your hip. Just raise it a little in order to activate the muscle (the deltoid muscle). Lift your arm out to the side
Now feel for two indentations in the muscle, just below the “shelf of the shoulder.”
The indentation that is more toward the front is acupressure point L. Intestine 15 (LI 15).
The indentation that is more toward the back is acupressure point San Jiao 14 (SJ 14).
Regular massage to these acupoints can help prevent pain
How to use acupressure points to relieve shoulder pain
Apply gentle pressure to these points. Experiment contacting both points at the same time or separately. I find that some people prefer to contact one acupressure point at time, some like the feeling of both. Use a gentle circular pressure to massage these points.
How much pressure?
Never cause pain with your pressure because that will only counteract the benefits of acupressure. Start with light pressure, and then slowly increase it until it feels “just right.” Be sure to keep your breath moving while massaging these points to help the energy flow. The intention of using acupressure points to relieve pain is to help the energy flow. Once the energy is flowing freely, the pain is relieved.
How long should you massage an acupressure point?
Start with massaging these acupressure points for 15-30 seconds. Then pause and notice how you feel. Try again for a few more seconds. Be sure to keep breathing and feeling into your shoulder area. Pause and notice the response. Once you are able to feel how you respond to these acupressure points, you will better know how much time is just right for you.
I prefer to massage LI 15 and SJ 14 for a short time (15 seconds to a minute) three or four times a day. A little at a time goes a long way.
Be gentle, experiment, and notice how you respond. Make adjustments based on how you feel. Things will change over time.
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Original article and pictures take bigtreehealing.com site
