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Acupuncture

The Acupuncture Evidence Project – My Review

(Naperville Acupuncture)

 

Over the past several decades, Chinese Medicine has been steadily growing in the US as a much sought after system of health care.  It’s been met with much resistence by conventional medicine, I believe mostly because it is a very different approach when Western methods of measuring efficacy don’t yield clear results.  The reason is that Chinese Medicine is truly based on a very different set of principles, but that does not make it ineffective.  The proof is in all the patients who’ve been helped over the past many centuries through today.

So you want evidence That it works?

Professionals in the field of Chinese Medicine and other professionals that champion this medicine are working to gather scientific research, as well as empirical evidence of it’s efficacy.  One such document came out last year in 2017 summarizing a review of scientific literature on acupuncture from 2010-2016.  Some of what was reviewed was gathered by both the Australian and the US Departments of Veterans Affairs.  Here is the link so you can read it yourself.  Below I will list some of the highlights and take aways.

"It is no longer possible to say that the effectiveness of acupuncture can be attributed to the placebo effect or that it is useful only for musculoskeletal pain."       -Stephen Janz MPH, Project Director, The AACMA Acupuncture Evidence Project

 

Good News – Acupuncture Works!

Ok, we already knew that, but plenty of scientific research supports it too. The literature review revealed 8 conditions for which acupuncture is definitely beneficial. The evidence is clear that acupuncture has a positive effect for:

Here’s an example of a small study.

Low Back Pain

Migraine Prophylaxis

Allergic Rhinitis

Knee Osteoarthritis

Chronic and Tension Headaches

Chemotherapy Induced nausea and vomiting

Post-Operative Pain

Post-Operative nausea and vomiting

My Take:

Take a close look at the first 5 conditions listed above.  These are HUGE.  DId you know low back pain is the #1 cause of disability? Do you know people with migraines, allergies, knee pain, or headaches? Is that not almost everyone?! But where are these sufferers going for relief? What are they doing? Well I know that many of them are just living with their pain and discomfort.  Some get some relief temporarily from NSAIDs or other drugs.  But almost none are successfully managed by conventional medicine.  And here is clear support that acupuncture is the best solution out there. Period.  My goal is to get this therapy to more people who need it.

 

Another small example of positive results.

More Good News! Acupuncture helps even More Conditions than that!

 

I won’t list them all here, but for another 38 conditions there was found evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating.  You can read all 38 in Table 2 on page 2 of the report, but here’s a few that caught my attention since I often treat them successfully:

Anxiety

Constipation

Depression

Insomnia

IBS

Menopausal hot flashes (aka hot flushes)

 

My Take:

The short list I extracted from Table 2 showing conditions for which there’s “moderate evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture” is also so inclusionary that I’m confident in saying that our country’s health care situation would be REVOLUTIONIZED by covering acupuncture with insurance benefits.  It really gets the scientist in me excited to see the scientific evience mounting, even though the Chinese Medicine practitioner in me doesn’t care about scientific research because of the overwhelming clinical evidence.  But nevertheless, it’s nice to get the validation from the other side of the aisle so to speak.

 

Conclusion: Acupuncture is a viable alternative to drugs and surgery

If you or someone you know is ready to get drug-free and surgery-free relief, please give me a call or click here to schedule an appointment.  I can answer any other questions and get you on your way to feeling healthier!

 

 

How does Chinese Medicine treat Hormonal Imbalances?

As you can tell from my tagline I specialize in digestive and hormonal imbalances.

So one may wonder, how does acupuncture affect hormones?

The Chinese Medicine view of hormones

Since Chinese Medicine originated thousands of years ago, the perspective of human physiology was conceived and understood under different terms and points of reference. Then, there was no traffic, no TV, no internet, no central air or furnaces, no high-tech medical equipment. But imagine. People were really close to nature. Really in tune with the forces of nature surrounding them. So every nuance of biology was more heightened. Everything was interpreted through nature. Not separate. As a result, they discovered the spaces between the muscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels contained a special intangible force, and that by inserting thin objects into these spaces at specific points, the “energy” or “qi” in these spaces or “channels/meridians” could be affected, and illnesses could be resolved, and immunity could be strengthened.

Part of the mystery of our health is in our chemistry, dominated by chemicals called hormones. Hormones are the bosses of our physiology and metabolism. Scientists today are still trying to grasp the far reaching influences and delicate balances of these chemicals.

Hormones are the bosses of our physiology and metabolism

Back to Chinese Medicine – of course people still had these chemicals back then, but they were seen more holistically, and incorporated into the explanations of the functions of structures that could be seen (unfortunately mostly due to war when people’s guts literally were spilled out). So to summarize, in Chinese Medicine we explain most of our physiology in terms of functions of a number of systems. Each system has associated organs, senses, meridians, colors, emotions, flavors, directions, seasons, etc. And more importantly, herbs and acupuncture points that influence these systems.

 

Ok, now back to the original question –

how does acupuncture, and for that matter, herbs, affect our hormones?

Hormones, being very minute microscopic, can be considered to be a part of the channel system in the body, and therefore part of our life energy aka Qi. This means by manipulating the channels and organs in the body with energetic means, we can affect how the hormones work.

Health is perfect balance right? Blood and other fluids flowing unimpeded through the body, carrying nutrients to and waste products away from every cell, regeneration of cells, and lack of blockages. This is what acupuncture and herbs do. They work to dissolve blockages, encourage appropriate regeneration, and good metabolism of the food we eat so it provides energy to every cell.

I know this was a long read, so thanks for slugging through it! I hope it explains the mystery of this ancient yet extremely useful medicine, in a way that makes sense. If not, I’d love to hear your questions – send me a text or call me at 630-335-1069, or email [email protected].

Energy Flow Health Now Open in Naperville!

 

(Naperville Acupuncture)

 

Energy Flow Health Now Open in Naperville! Your Way to Digestive and Hormonal Balance.

Presenting Energy Flow Health

A little over a year ago, I struck out on my own and created my own practice.   I named it Energy Flow Health because we all want more energy and encouraging healthy flow is the way to get it! Now my practice finally has a new home in Naperville!

Years ago, I had a dream for my future practice – to be in a wellness center with other like-minded practitioners in a beautiful light-filled space, a whole building, dedicated to helping others to heal themselves, so that we all can go out and heal this troubled world of ours.  Then, sooner than I’d imagined, I was introduced to a group that wanted me to join them!

I’m so excited to tell you that the doors are finally open at Estuary Center for Living & Healing Arts.  The parking lot still needs paving, and the landscaping will come with the spring blossoms,  But the beautiful inside is painted and the bed heaters are turned on!!

Services Offered at Estuary

You may be curious at this point: what is Estuary Center? Who is there besides me?  I actually came in later in the vision of this wellness center.  Several women had begun planning its inception years earlier and became its founding members.  They are therapists, psychologists, but mostly healers, like me.  Throw into the mix several massage therapists, an art therapist, a Doctor of Integrated Manual physical therapy, and a Functional Medicine Chiropractor and you have Estuary! Together, we’re bringing an invigorating synthesis of mind-body-spirit care.

 

More about the Benefits of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in my other blog post here.

 

Visiting Estuary

I hope when you walk through the doors that you will immediately feel cared for and more relaxed, as we’ve designed the space to be a sanctuary and respite.

I have appointment times available now throughout the week and am ready to take on new and old patients.  Please call me to make an appointment, or if you would like a free 15-minute consultation.

 

Namaste, I look forward to serving you. Please, get in touch with me if you have any questions  (630) 335-1069.

 

Visit us at:

Estuary Center for Living & Healing Arts
24W788 75th Street
Naperville, IL 60565

 

 

 

Positive Side Effects of Acupuncture

 

(Naperville Acupuncture)

 

Acupuncture results – what can you expect?

Many of my patients are pleasantly surprised when they start to see results from acupuncture.  For one, they often see benefits after the first or second visit.  And for two, some of the benefits they get aren’t the ones they originally came in for.  What strange effects am I referring to you may ask?

 

Examples of Acupuncture Benefits

Here’s a common example.  Someone comes in for irritable bowel syndrome.  Or neck pain.  You name it. When I see them after the first or second visit – they report being more relaxed and having slept really well after their treatment.  These are people that also had come originally with stress or sleep difficulties.

Another example is someone who comes in for fertility and they report their constipation improving or disappearing.  Yet another example is someone coming in for constipation and not only does constipation improve, but the headaches they’d get several times a week have been gone for weeks!

Basically, people seek acupuncture usually for the one or two symptoms that concern them most or interfere with their day to day functioning, but rarely is it just a single problem that is plaguing them.  Too often people are dealing with so many issues that may just become a part of their fabric, and they’ve adapted to the pain, discomfort, fatigue, etc., and don’t consider that all those signs are abnormal and can be helped.

And I know I say this all the time but, yet again, that is another thing I just LOVE about my job!!  I am here to take into account ALL your signs and symptoms, all your troubles if you will, and to make sense of what is causing ALL of it.  Usually it’s all interrelated, much to the astonishment of my patients when I tell them their rib pain and neck pain are one in the same, or that the frequent urination is related to the knee soreness, or that the bloating and gas are related to the headaches, or that their period pain and anxiety have the same source.

 

Learn more about acupuncture here. Here is one of my favorite acupuncture resources.

 

If you haven’t experienced the magic of acupuncture yet, or if you have a friend or relative that you think can benefit from a few good side effects, please give me a call at 630-335-1069 directly to get started!

 

 

Acupuncture for Anxiety

acupuncture for anxiety

(Naperville Acupuncture)

 

Acupuncture for Anxiety. Explore your treatment options.

 

What is the most common mental illness in the US? If you answered anxiety, you got it.  18% of the country’s adult population suffers from an anxiety disorder.

 

Conventional Anxiety Treatment

The major treatment for anxiety and depression in the US today is SSRIs or SNRIs, which are two classes of drugs that affect how much of two neurotransmitters, serotonin and norepinephrine, are absorbed vs available. These neurotransmitters affect mood. So the theory is to block how much of them get absorbed so more is available and more mood regulation will result

What’s the catch to using these drugs? Well, these drugs can have side effects. And they are often prescribed long-term to indefinitely.

 

How Is anxiety viewed in Chinese Medicine?

 

We classify anxiety in terms of Chinese Medicine as a type of hyperactivity affecting the Heart.  I capitalize this word to indicate that it is a representation of functions in the Chinese Medical theory that is different from the actual organ in your chest.  The Heart in CM overlaps much with our idea of the mind.  It governs sleep and mood and our outlook.  Anxiety therefore is an imbalance that affects the Heart, yet we seek to find the underlying cause for why this imbalance exists by taking into account your tongue analysis, pulse analysis, abdominal palpatory analysis, and other signs and symptoms.

 

Natural Drug-Free Treatment

What if you could reduce or end your anxiety without drugs? Did you know that Chinese Medicine heals the body and the mind? To an acupuncturist, the two are not separate but just like you are one whole person, our system of medicine takes all symptoms and signs into account in order to arrive at an effective treatment plan.

Anxiety is actually a sign of imbalance in the body, so when seeking natural treatment an acupuncturist applies holistic techniques to ease your mind and body out of disorder.

In addition to addressing your unique imbalances with acupuncture, we also sometimes incorporate natural herbal and nutritional remedies to support the body’s own ability to heal.  Herbal remedies include things like roots, leaves, seeds that are cooked or processed to make their essences available to the body for absorption, and nutritional supplements include things like vitamins or minerals or amino acids that we may be deficient in or that in certain doses exert a therapeutic effect.

 

If you are interested in reading more about accupuncture here my two favorite resources: Medical News Today and Acupuncture Today.

I’ve personally had great success in treating anxiety in my clinic, and I enjoy seeing people get back to how they felt before anxiety took over. Here are my Services I provide in my clinic. Contact me today to schedule your visit.

 

 

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