How Does Acupuncture Work?
Traditional acupuncture is based on ancient Chinese theories of the flow of Qi (pronounced Chee) – energy and Xue (blood) through distinct meridians or pathways that cover the body somewhat like the way nerves and blood vessels do. According to ancient theory, acupuncture allows Qi to flow to areas where Qi is deficient and away from areas where Qi is excessive. It is in this manner, that acupuncture regulates and restores the harmonious energetic balance of the body.
"There is no pain if there is free flow; if there is pain, there is no free flow." - Chinese saying
What is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting fine needles at specific points into the body and has been shown through the centuries as an effective method of treatment for various health problems. These points have been revealed, studied, and mapped by the Chinese over thousands of years. Electromagnetic research has also confirmed these points.
Common Questions About Acupuncture
How Deep Do The Needles Go?
The depth of insertion depends on several factors: the location of the points selected, the patient's size, age and condition, as well as, the acupuncturist's style or school. Needles are normally inserted 1/4 to 1 inch into the skin.
Does It Hurt?
In Chinese, acupuncture is bu tong – translated into English – painless. Some people may categorize the sensation as a form of pain, yet if any sensation or discomfort is experienced, it is usually mild. Patients might feel some mild cramping, heaviness, distention, tingling or electric sensations around the area where the needles have been inserted or traveling up or down the affected energy pathway (or Meridian).
Are Needles Clean?
Only sterilized, individually packaged, disposable needles are utilized. Needles are not saved and are not reused at a later date. This eliminates the possibility of transmitting diseases through the reuse of a potentially contaminated needle. Florida Law requires disposable Needles.
What Conditions Does Acupuncture Treat?
Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders:
Toothaches, earaches, sinus inflammation, nasal inflammation, etc.
Respiratory Disorders:
Such as uncomplicated bronchial asthma in children or adults.
Gastrointestinal Disorders:
Digestive tract problems, hiccups, inflammation of the stomach, chronic duodenal ulcers, inflammation of the colon, constipation, diarrhea, or even dysentery caused by certain bacteria.
Eye Disorders:
Inflammation of the conjunctiva, inflammation of the central retina, nearsightedness, and uncomplicated cataracts.
Nervous Systems and Muscular Disorders:
Headaches, migraines, certain facial paralysis or nerve pain, partial weakness after a stroke, inflammation of nerve endings, bed wetting, frozen shoulder, tennis elbow, sciatica, lower back pain, and even osteoarthritis.
What to Expect
Following an acupuncture treatment, patients experience a sense of well being, relaxation, and often energized. As a sign of obtaining the vital energy, some patients may experience a slight sensation of soreness, numbness, distention or heaviness around the needle area. Patients should be comfortable and relaxed during treatment to attain the desired results.
The reaction usually starts during the first four or five visits. As with any other medical treatment, not all cases can be cured. However, there is no harmful effect from the therapy in common practice. Therefore, patients who suffer from lingering or chronic diseases that haven't responded well to orthodox medicine intervention are particularly encouraged to try this promising Chinese art of healing.
Additional Treatment Methods
Auricular Acupuncture
Auricular Acupuncture (ear Points), is used with body acupuncture as a means of drug and alcohol detoxification and withdrawal, weight control and relaxation promotion.
Herbology
Herbology is the preparation and use of all natural plants and minerals as prescribed medicine in classical and modern prescriptive formulas to treat many disorders and diseases. Like food, herbs affect blood and Qi disorders through nourishment and assimilation. We use prepacked Herbs and do not prepare them for each individual.
Tuina
Tuina is Traditional Chinese soft tissue massage and structural adjustment to treat deformity and chronic muscle disorder. Tuina treats tissues, bones, ligaments and tendons to enhance and regulate the flow of Qi, blood and fluids in the body.
Dietary Medicine
Dietary Medicine is recommended to treat disharmonies in the blood, fluids, digestive system and for post labor care using an energetic profile of foods.
Musical Qi-Gong
Musical Qi-Gong is also a positive healing power to influence and adjust the flow of blood, energizes the spirit and make the body resonate in harmony.
NOTE: There are many obscure medical conditions that can benefit from Acupuncture and/or Traditional Chinese Medicine that are not listed above. We will be glad to give you a free consultation to see if Acupuncture can help you in your quest for better health without Prescription medications.
Fertility & Acupuncture
How Acupuncture Helps Support In-Vitro Fertilization
If you are like many women, you have probably heard that acupuncture combined with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) can help increase the chance of a successful pregnancy. Many women are having great results utilizing acupuncture to complement the IVF cycle. A recent study found acupuncture improves pregnancy success rate by 50% in women undergoing IVF. So how does this 3,000-year-old medicine actually help support IVF?
Traditional Chinese Medicine Approach
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, disease and malfunction in the body result from a blockage in the flow of vital Qi (energy) and Blood. By removing these blockages and restoring a smooth normal flow, the body is able to restore health and optimum organ function. Through the use of hair-thin needles and Chinese herbs, Acupuncture Physicians are able to find and remove these blockages of Qi and Blood, allowing tissues and organs to heal themselves.
Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the body as a whole. When a woman receives acupuncture care for fertility, her entire picture of health is taken into consideration. By restoring the smooth flow of Qi and Blood within the body, her general well-being will improve and she will respond better to the I.V.F. process.
Research Findings
Researchers from The Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY have found that acupuncture helps:
- Reduce stress hormones that interfere with ovulation.
- Normalize hormones that regulate ovulation so an egg is released.
- Increase blood flow to the uterus, improving the chances of embryo implantation.
Benefits of Acupuncture for Fertility
Researchers determined stress to be a key factor in infertility. Acupuncture appears to reduce stress by releasing endorphins in the brain. Endorphins are chemicals that the body releases that suppress pain naturally, as well as affect hormones that influence the menstrual cycle. Acupuncture also influences levels of FSH and LH and has been found to regulate the communication between the brain and ovaries, known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.
Chinese herbal remedies and acupuncture aim at promoting the growth and maturation of ovarian follicles as well as induce ovulation. When used in conjunction with IVF Chinese medicine improves the quality of follicles. Endometrial thickness and uterine artery blood flow are important for implantation of human embryos during the transfer stage of IVF. With its central effect on the nervous system, acupuncture may contribute by dilating uterine arteries and blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow to the endometrium. With a healthy endometrial lining, chances of a stable implantation and healthy pregnancy are increased.
Acupuncture in non-toxic, affordable and is increasingly being used as a successful complement to In Vitro Fertilization.
Fibromyalgia Treatment
Background
At one time or another, an individual may have an ache or pain that comes and goes. Aches and pains may be caused by flu, from overuse of a muscle or even from poor posture while watching television. Sometimes, individuals may wake up feeling stiff and wondering if they may have slept in an awkward position.
There's nothing unusual about these types of pain. Yet, when pain, stiffness and aching occur constantly, it's time to contact a doctor to determine what could be causing such discomfort. It is possible that Fibromyalgia will be the diagnosis. Fibromyalgia is also known as Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS), Fibrosistis, or Chronic Muscle Pain Syndrome. If diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, it is imperative to learn as much as possible, for the more one knows, the more one will be able to keep the condition under control.
Who Suffers From Fibromyalgia?
Currently, millions of Americans have been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Though most anyone can be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, many more women have been diagnosed than men – and most are between the ages of 20 and 50.
There is increasing evidence Fibromyalgia can start during the teenage years. Some teenagers suffer from symptoms just as severe as their middle-age counterparts. Many individuals who experience only occasional symptoms in their youth, experience greater pain and discomfort in their later years.
How Is Fibromyalgia Treated?
Western medicine has yet to find a cure for Fibromyalgia. Doctors, to manage the symptoms prescribe medication, in the form of painkillers or anti-depressants.
Unfortunately, the symptoms of Fibromyalgia are hard to control; hence most patients are disappointed with treatment. Fibromyalgia patients continue to suffer from additional weight gain, bloating, depression, muscle jerking, sleeplessness, and continued pain.
What Is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a form of the chronic rheumatic disorder. Like other forms of rheumatic disease, Fibromyalgia is comprised of widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue disorder. With Fibromyalgia, pain is centralized in the ligaments, tendons, and muscles. This affects the way joints function. Most patients with Fibromyalgia say they ache all over. Muscles may feel like they have been pulled or overworked. Sometimes, muscles twitch while at other times they burn. The severity of the symptoms will fluctuate from person to person.
What Causes Fibromyalgia?
Most medical doctors are unable to pinpoint the exact cause of Fibromyalgia. It may be caused by a lack of exercise, sleep disorders, stress, or emotional trauma.
Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine believe Fibromyalgia is caused by stagnation of blood, Qi (pronounced Chee), by the invasion of pathogenic factors of the wind, cold or dampness to the body or by nutritional imbalances.
Fibromyalgia is very similar to neurasthenia or an epidemic of the flu or cold.
Symptoms of Fibromyalgia
Aches and Pain:
Includes pain all over, around the joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Can be found in as many as ten to twenty spots, sensitive to the touch, located along the spine, the middle and lower back neck, shoulder arms, and legs. Fibromyalgia, and the pain associated with it, knows no boundaries. Pain can be described as deep muscular aching, burning, throbbing, shooting, or stabbing. Pain often worsens in the latter part of the day and is aggravated by cold or dampness. Fibromyalgia can also cause tension headaches.
Fatigue, Lassitude & Lack of Energy:
Before Fibromyalgia was widely accepted, it was known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Fatigue, Lassitude and lack of energy can be mild in some patients yet incapacitating in others. Fatigue has been described as "brain fatigue" in which patients feel drained of energy.
Sleep Disorders:
Because of pain, tiredness and other associated problems, sound sleep is often impossible. The less sleep a patient has, the worse Fibromyalgia gets.
Associated Symptoms:
Anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome, numbness or coldness of the extremities, frequent urination and weight gain are very common with Fibromyalgia.
How Fibromyalgia Is Treated At Our Clinic
Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture adheres to the practices of traditional Chinese Medicine. The Acupuncturist will use a combination of Electroacupuncture (with or without needles); moxibustion, cupping and Chinese massage to treat Fibromyalgia. treatment using sound nutrition and herbal preparation counseling is free.
Treatment consists of a comprehensive pain management program. For minor cases, ten to fifteen treatments may be needed to control the symptoms of Fibromyalgia. For patients suffering from severe Fibromyalgia, more treatments will be necessary.
Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture is committed to:
- Improving the circulation of Qi and blood and decrease or eliminate aches and pain.
- Improve sleeping patterns
- Correct digestive problems, stress, depression, and headache
- Ease fatigue and improve energy levels to allow patients to perform some form of physical exercise and Improve a patient's well being.
Lower Back Pain Treatment
In Summary
More and more Western doctors are now considering acupuncture treatment to relieve both acute and chronic lower back pain. Most acupuncturists here in the United States use a combination of acupuncture, massage, Chinese herbs (either internally administered or applied topically), Chinese diet therapy, and various types of Chinese exercise therapy. Anyone of these forms of treatment can significantly improve or even cure lower back pain.
Additional Insight
Qiu Wan-Xing, in Zhe Jiang Zhong Yi Za Zhi (Zhejiang Journal of Chinese Medicine – 1993), studied twenty patients with acute lumbar sprain with a formula first recorded in Chinese medical literature in 200 AD. Six patients were cured in 3 days; the remaining fourteen were cured in less than 6 days. When combined with other treatments, Chinese methods provide one of the best and most effective treatment protocols available in the world today.
Can Acupuncture Help You?
Lower back pain is one of the most common complaints. It accounts for millions of lost hours from work and even more spent on treatment and medication.
Lower back pain can either be acute (i.e. Acute lumbar sprain) or chronic (i.e. Chronic degenerative disc disease). It can be annoying or irritating or can produce unbearable physical and emotional suffering.
Acupuncture and its adjunctive therapies can indeed treat both acute and chronic back pain, including sciatica, successfully.
Research Supports Acupuncture Treatment As Being Effective
The following studies, conducted in China in the early 1990's, indicate the success rate of acupuncture in treatment of lower back pain.
General Findings:
Wang Wen-Yuan et al., in Beijing Zhong Yi (Beijing Chinese Medicine – 1993), studied 5,461 patients suffering from neck, shoulder, lower back and knee pain. Patients studied ranged from 28 – 85 years old; 55% were men while 45% were women. Of these, 215 patients suffered from acute lumbar sprain while 186 patients suffered from sciatica pain. Patients were treated with acupuncture on average once per day for a total of ten treatments. In all, 76% of patients were cured and 97% of patients showed significant improvement.
Acute Lumbar Sprain Findings:
Shu Hong-Wen, in Shang Hai Zhen Jiu Za Zhi (Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture & moxibustion – 1994), studied 129 patients (19 – 82 years old) with acute lumbar sprain. Most suffered anywhere from two hours to fifteen days, with three days being the average. Patients were treated with acupuncture needles at a single point. A control group was treated with needles at several points. Patients in BOTH groups were either cured completely or improved their condition greatly:
Of those treated with the single point protocol:
- 73 were cured in one treatment
- 33 patients were cured in two treatments
- 8 were cured in three treatments
- In all, 114 patients were cured from this group for a success rate of 88%.
Of those treated with several points:
- 18 patients were cured completely
- 5 showed marked improvement
- 7 showed fair improvement
Another study done by Kan Jin-Qi et al., in Shang Hai Zhen Jiu Za Zhi (Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion – 1994), further supported the success rate of the first study. Jin-Qi treated 130 patients (27 – 82 years old) with acute lower back pain. Patients suffered from a few hours to as much as seven days. Of these, 110 patients were cured in one treatment for an 85% success rate. Meanwhile, the remaining 20 patients were cured in two treatments.
Degenerative Disc Disease Findings:
Gou Jian-Hua, reported in Jiang Su Zhong Yi (Jiangsu Chinese Medicine – 1994) that in treating 78 patients with prolapsed intervertebral discs with a combination of acupuncture, massage, heat and Acupressure:
- 56 patients or 72% were cured
- In all, 15 patients were markedly improved; 5 cases showed fair improvement, 2 cases showed no change
- In all, the success rate exceeded 96%
Lumbar Disc Protrusion Findings:
Wu Shi-Qian, in, Tian Hin Zhong Yi (Tianjin Chinese Medicine – 1994), treated 50 patients (30 – 60 years old) suffering from lumbar disc protrusion with acupuncture. Patients were treated daily for ten days with 4 – 6 points per treatment for a total of one course or cycle of treatment. Patients were typically treated for three full courses or cycles of treatment.
- 40 patients or 80% of cases were cured
- 8 experienced marked improvement
- 2 cases showed no change
Stop Smoking with Acupuncture
Few People Realize That Smoking Causes Other Medical Problems:
Miscarriage:
- Smoking interferes with the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus.
- Carbon monoxide inhaled from smoking is passed through the bloodstream and can result in miscarriage, premature birth, and even infant death.
Skin Damages:
- One of the most recognizable signs of heavy smokers is "Smoker's Face." Such individuals have a wrinkled, weary, and haggard look.
- Such wrinkling and other facial damages are due to the skin's inability to obtain the oxygen needed for the bloodstream to maintain elasticity.
Radioactivity:
- A person who smokes at least one pack of cigarettes a day receives a yearly dose of radiation equal to 300 chest X-rays.
Nutritional Damages:
- Nicotine, after years of smoking, deprives the smoker's body of much-needed vitamins and minerals.
Smoking And Your Health
It is a well-known fact that smokers significantly increase their chances of contracting many kinds of diseases; even death can result from smoking. For years, smoking has been linked to lung cancer, chronic lung diseases, cardiovascular disorders, angina pectoris, and hardening of the arteries, as well as, many other health ailments
This year, cigarette smoking will contribute to the deaths of approximately 300,000 Americans –six times the number of people who died in Vietnam in 10 years of fighting.
Cigarette smoke contains many toxic chemicals. Carbon monoxide robs the blood of oxygen leading to hypertension. Nicotine, an addictive agent, raises blood pressure. Both carbon monoxide and nicotine can lead to heart attack and stroke. Tar, which contains cancer-causing chemicals, builds up in lung tissue.
Strokes and fatal heart attacks are far more likely to occur with smokers than with nonsmokers
Acupuncture Can Help!
Electroacupuncture, combined with stress reduction, auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture), and detoxification will help a smoker quit. procedures offered in our clinic can Electro acupuncture and auriculotherapy procedures offered at Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture can effectively eliminate the habitual desire to smoke.
The effectiveness and, therefore, the most important aspect of this program is that treatment induces endorphins that are the key to relaxation, both mentally and physically, in addition to a feeling of total well being.
For patients who are concerned about gaining weight while giving up cigarettes, Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture now offers weight control acupuncture in conjunction with smoking cessation treatment at no extra cost.
Over 29 million Americans have already quit smoking. People who smoke have everything to gain, and nothing to lose by kicking the habit.
The choice is yours. Do you want to stop smoking? Or would you rather risk cancer, heart or lung disease, or even death? Take the first and schedule an appointment today.
Why Can't You Quit?
Advertising firms and tobacco companies feature smokers in natural settings happily puffing away. Such advertisements are a lie.
Smokers would be better off if they could just kick the habit.
Millions of people have tried to quit smoking over the years. Only 3% are successful without professional help.
The desire to quit smoking is good, yet many people make the mistake of confusing good intentions or desire with willpower. The inability to quit smoking does not have as much to do with willpower as it does with following a program that will help a smoker succeed at overcoming their addiction to tobacco.
No matter how convincing the facts against smoking are – smokers need a program that will help you quit smoking.
Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture has a unique, effective program that has helped hundreds of smokers quit smoking.
Weight Loss with Acupuncture
Why Should You Lose Weight?
Being overweight or obese is a proven medical and even social problem. Thousands of people are unhappy due to their weight. Many are discriminated against in society. Obesity is:
- The 2nd leading cause of premature death
- A disease that affects over 34 million in the U.S.
- An imbalance between food consumed and energy expanded
- Defined as anyone who is more than 20% over their idea weight
Obesity is the gateway to a host of serious medical conditions, such as; hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, arthritis, gall bladder disorder and diabetes. Individuals who are more than 50 pounds overweight increase the risk of death due to heart problems; strokes are increased by approximately 5%.
Sensible Weight Loss
Weight loss is difficult and involves not only the doctor, but patient, as well. Dragon Phoenix Acupuncture's personalized weight management program provides a sensible solution if strictly adhered to. Patients cannot expect to lose weight and improve health if bad eating habits and the wrong lifestyle continue. To lose 20-40 pounds, approximately 30-90 days of treatment is necessary. Once started, patients must persist in reaching their goal.
It is strongly suggested that patients reserve and spend time with themselves in addition to becoming active.
Goals For Weight Loss
- Help the digestive system function normally
- Improve glandular affliction to effectively combat obesity
- Help control addiction to foods, sweets, and alcohol
- Improve metabolism and correct intestinal sluggishness
- Help cleanse the body of toxins
- Help provide energy to improve exhaustion and run-down conditions
- Help detoxify and normalize heart, pancreatic, intestinal, respiratory, stomach, kidney and spleen functions
OBESITY AND ACUPUNCTURE
What is Obesity?
The most common and avoidable health problem in America today is obesity. In the U.S, one in every four adults is obese. Recently, Science Magazine noted Americans weight 30% more than their ideal weight. Unfortunately, obesity is reaching children and young adults in increasing numbers. Obesity is more than looking bad; it is a disease that can cause significant health problems.
Obesity And Your Health
The body's normal digestion, metabolism and hormonal activities are seriously damaged with weight gain. Obesity may be caused by side effects to prescribed medication, mental and physical illness, aging or lifestyle (eating the wrong foods at the wrong time, lack of exercise or improper digestion). Poor diet (excessive sweets, greasy foods, and red meat) diminishes the function of the digestive system to cleanse the body of toxins, which can lead to body intoxication. Long term effects can lead to a loss of interest in work, moodiness, irritability, nervousness, bad breath, body odor, coated tongue, sleep disorder, headache, chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, angiosperms (cold hands and/or feet), exhaustion and heavy sweat. Other problems due to obesity are additional fat-related disease, poor posture, and premature death.
Acupuncture, auriculotherapy (ear acupuncture), and herbal medicine are the best defense in treating obesity and normalizing the body's functions. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, obesity is due to a deficiency of bio-energy and dampness of the spleen and stomach. By adhering to the program, patients will not experience the traditional "yo-yo" syndrome and will continue to lose weight.
Six Point Weight Loss Management Program
The effective weight loss management program consists of the following:
1. Consultation:
A review of the patient's current condition, past medical history, eating habits, and lifestyle is performed. Based on this, a proper treatment program is made.
2. Treatment:
Electroacupuncture, auriculotherapy, and massage therapies are essential. Nutritional supplements, including herbs, are prescribed to assist in losing weight and improving a patient's general health.
3. Ear Pellets:
Patients must religiously work with ear pellets to maintain proper therapeutic effectiveness and improve the will not to snack.
4. Lifestyle Change:
Patients are responsible for changing their daily eating habits by adhering to the recommended food guide listed in the following column. When dining out, patients must only order low fat or vegetable dishes.
5. Appropriate Exercise:
Patients must begin a light exercise program consisting of moderate activity at least three times per week (i.e. brisk walk, bike ride, recreational sports, aerobic dance, etc.). Relaxation is the key to success. Physical activity should become a part of a patient's everyday life.
6. Cleansing and Special Abdominal Treatment:
Intestinal cleansing, detoxification, and strategic fasting are essential (except for diabetics). Special abdominal treatment is important to improving overall health, as well as, in losing weight.
Food Guide:
What to avoid:
- Sweets/Candy/Sugar: candy of all kinds, chocolate, baked goods, ice cream, chocolate milk, milkshakes, etc…
- Red Meats/Fats: Beef, pork, duck, hamburger, meatloaf, bacon, ham, sausage, ribs, butter, cheese, lard, margarine, and hydrogenated fats and oils.
- Fried Foods/Nuts: Peanuts, cashews, almonds, sunflower seeds, potato chips, French fries, fried meat, fried seafood, salted fish, and salted meat.
- Drinks: Alcoholic beverages, sweet soft drinks.
What to Eat:
- High Fiber Foods: 2 cups or more of vegetables per day (bean sprouts, soybean sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, asparagus, tomatoes, lettuce, snow peas, seaweed, broccoli, string beans, Chinese winter greens, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, bamboo shoots, green onions, cucumber, turnips, chard, spinach, carrots, and celery)
- High Protein Foods: tofu, chicken, fish, or turkey (steamed, boiled, roasted or barbecued), boiled eggs, cellophane noodles, stir-fried Oriental foods, low-fat milk (1-2 cups a day), low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, and buttermilk.
- Natural Grains: brown rice (steamed or boiled) rice noodles, barley, red and black beans.
- Fruit: 1 grapefruit a day, apples, plums, papaya. Avoid bananas, grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe.