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How to Treat Diabetes With Acupuncture and TCM

By xiaomei | Published November 6, 2020

By Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D. & Xiaomei Cai, L.Ac., Ph.D.

Early signs of diabetes include dizziness, confusion, and trouble seeing.

What is the best way to lose weight to manage diabetes? Can you keep glucose levels normal by finding the right foods to eat to lose weight? Keeping diabetes under good control requires a lot of daily effort and working with a team of health care professionals who care about you. Adding an acupuncture and TCM expert to your diabetes care team can help you manage your blood sugar and find the best diet for weight loss for you, personally.

Diabetes is one of the most prevalent health problems in the world today, and the number of people who have diabetes is growing dramatically. It is estimated that half of all people who have diabetes don’t realize they have it.

Diabetes affects people of all ages. Diabetes makes life difficult, creates complications during pregnancy (gestational diabetes), drastically increases the chances of developing other serious health problems like heart disease and stroke, and directly causes millions of deaths every year. 

Diabetes is a condition in which there is something wrong with the way the body is producing and using the hormone insulin. Insulin’s job is to help the cells of the body make use of the sugar energy from the food we eat as it travels through the body in the bloodstream. When we don’t have enough insulin to do this job, blood sugar levels get too high, and the rest of the body’s cells aren’t getting the nutrients they need to function.

There are two types of diabetes. “Type 1 diabetes” used to be called “juvenile diabetes” because it is usually diagnosed during childhood. Type 1 diabetes can actually develop at any age, and it means that the pancreas doesn’t produce the hormone insulin the way it should. The exact cause of Type 1 diabetes isn’t fully understood, but it is thought to be a type of autoimmune dysfunction that harms pancreatic cells. Only 5-10% of people with diabetes have Type 1.

Type 2 Diabetes is far more common. One in ten Americans has Type 2 Diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is also caused by problems with insulin production by the pancreas. When a person has Type 2 diabetes, cells all over the body are not responding appropriately to insulin, so the pancreas works harder to create more and more insulin. This is called “insulin resistance.”

Type 2 Diabetes usually develops over the course of several years, and during that time, people may have what we now call “prediabetes.” If you are prediabetic, it means your blood sugar levels are high, but not high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes. This is a window of opportunity to prevent full-fledged diabetes from becoming a problem. Learning to track blood glucose levels, keep blood sugars low, practice the best exercise to lose weight, and maintain a balanced diet can go a long way towards helping to prevent and manage diabetes.

Acupuncture is becoming more and more widely recognized as an effective adjunct treatment to help in all aspects of diabetes care and management.

Top 10 Signs of Diabetes

eye
Diabetes can cause blurred vision.

For most people, the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are so subtle that they go unnoticed. People can have prediabetes or diabetes for years without knowing they have it. Early signs of diabetes include:

  1. Feeling tired and hungry all the time
  2. Feeling thirsty all the time
  3. Having to urinate frequently
  4. Dry, itchy skin and/or eyes
  5. Blurry vision
  6. Feeling light-headed or jittery
  7. Excessive sweating
  8. Cuts and sores are slow to heal
  9. Yeast infections
  10. Pain, tingling, or numbness in the legs and feet (diabetic neuropathy)

If blood sugar levels climb dangerously high, it is called hyperglycemia. Severe hyperglycemia might make a person feel extremely weak and thirsty, have a stomach ache or nausea, blurred vision, and feel very dizzy. People with diabetes may begin to have problems with memory or mild cognitive impairment.

Most of the time diabetes makes levels of blood glucose high, but sometimes people with diabetes will experience episodes of very low blood sugars, known as hypoglycemia. If a person takes too much of their diabetes medication that reduces blood sugar, or eats something that causes an imbalance, or does a lot of exercise, they might become hypoglycemic and need to take glucose tablets or eat some

Glucose testing
Glucose testing

carbohydrate foods to bring the sugar levels back up. The common signs of a hypoglycemic attack include:

  • Anxiety
  • Confusion
  • Clammy skin, sweating
  • Feeling shaky or weak
  • Hunger
  • Light-headedness
  • Tingling in the face

If you feel these symptoms–or see someone in this kind of distress–keep calm, check blood glucose level if possible, eat or drink some fast-absorbing carbohydrates, and wait a few minutes to see how the situation improves. In extreme cases, hypoglycemics can lose consciousness and need emergency medical treatment.

Doctors make a definitive diagnosis of diabetes by measuring A1C levels, testing fasting blood sugar, or administering an oral glucose tolerance test. These different types of glucose test give doctors a reading of how high a patient’s blood glucose levels are under various circumstances. 

Treating Diabetes With Good Nutrition

Diabetes has to be carefully managed, primarily through making informed nutritional choices and getting enough exercise so as to maintain steady blood sugar levels. Many people will also need to take insulin in order to maintain normal glucose levels. Patients may be prescribed oral insulin, injectable insulin, or an automatic insulin pump. A primary care physician may be able to help with managing diabetes, but often people will also need to seek the advice of an endocrinologist and a nutritionist to help them learn how to manage their medications and carbohydrate intake appropriately. Often, patients will be advised to lose weight. 

Nutrition is not considered separate from medicine in TCM; rather, facilitating a proper diet is one of the primary ways TCM addresses illness and disease. Acupuncture practitioners are highly trained in nutrition and can be instrumental in helping diabetes patients find the healthiest and best way to lose weight. We do not advocate fast weight loss or trendy diets. The fastest way to lose weight is probably not going to be the best way, certainly not in terms of being able to maintain a balanced eating plan long-term. Your acupuncturist can recommend the best foods to eat to lose weight while still feeling satisfied and keeping blood sugar levels in the normal range throughout the day.

TCM and Acupuncture for Diabetes

TCM has been treating “Xiao Ke,” or “wasting and thirsting disease,” for thousands of years. According to TCM philosophy, diabetes is the result of excess heat and dampness accumulating in the body. Acupuncture treatment is employed to stimulate better function of the pancreas.

Acupuncture has been shown to help improve many types of disease related to endocrine function. Research has indicated that acupuncture treatment can help to reduce fasting and after-eating blood sugar levels, increase insulin production, and reduce insulin resistance.

Combining acupuncture treatment and the use of Metformin has been shown to be more effective for increasing insulin sensitivity than Metformin alone.

At the same time that your acupuncture provider chooses acupuncture points and herbal formulae to improve glucose levels, he or she can also help treat the other symptoms of diabetes related to nerve problems, such as blurry vision and diabetic neuropathy.

How to Treat Diabetic Neuropathy with TCM and Acupuncture

feet
Foot care is especially important when you have diabetes.

Over time, diabetes causes damage to nerve endings throughout the body. This can result in different kinds of neuropathy:

  • Peripheral neuropathy – most often causes tingling, pain, and/or numbness in the hands and feet
  • Autonomic neuropathy – compromises basic functions like the heart pumping blood, and the excretory system working due to the damage of nerves around the vital organs
  • Proximal neuropathy – causes pain and numbness in the hip and buttocks area, usually just on one side of the body
  • Focal neuropathy – nerve compression in a specific area of the body that causes tingling and weakness; examples are carpal tunnel syndrome, and cubital tunnel syndrome.

One study of diabetes patients with peripheral neuropathy showed that, after ten weeks of acupuncture treatment, the majority of them reported significant improvement in their symptoms and were able to cut down on pain medications.

Another research study showed over 95% improvement in neuropathy pain when acupuncture treatment was used in conjunction with typical medication (amitriptyline hydrochloride) to relieve pain and tingling.

Acupuncture treatment for neuropathy pain due to diabetes focuses primarily on clearing dampness that is blocking Qi from moving smoothly through the body. Chinese herbs are also instrumental for providing nutrients that people would not otherwise be able to get from their diet.

Top 5 Type 2 Diabetes Food List

avocado
avocados provide healthy fats and fiber

Getting blood sugar levels under control requires a full-time effort on the part of the patient. It can be difficult to make the necessary dietary changes to help reverse Type 2 Diabetes, but it can be done. The best way to lose weight for prediabetes diet control is to take it slow and steady, replacing high fat, high sugar foods with complex carbohydrates that take longer to be absorbed into the bloodstream. Your TCM practitioner will help you to make decisions for your specific needs, but here are some good food choices for a weight loss meal plan:

  1. High Omega-3 fatty acid fish – salmon, sardines, etc. High in protein and good fats to keep you feeling full, also helps reduce inflammation and risks for heart disease.
  2. Lots of leafy greens – full of Vitamin C and antioxidants, you can fill up on greens often without any negative effects to your blood sugar levels.
  3. Avocados – low in carbohydrates, high in fiber and healthy fats, adding avo to your salad will help you feel satisfied.
  4. Beans and Seeds – legumes and seeds like chia and flax are “super foods” because they provide the whole package: protein, fiber, complex carbohydrates and fats, plus minerals and B vitamins.
  5. Low fat Greek or plain yogurt – provides protein and is low in carbohydrates (as long as it has no added sugar), plus the natural probiotics can be beneficial. Pair with fresh berries for a healthy treat.

Acupuncture Near Me for Diabetes 

An acupuncturist with expertise in helping people manage diabetes and lose weight can be a valuable member of your health care team. Whether you suspect you might have prediabetes, have just been diagnosed with diabetes, or have been struggling with diabetes for many years, TCM methods may help you get relief from painful neuropathy, lose weight safely, and reduce your dependence on diabetes medications. Diabetes can be controlled so that it doesn’t control you.

 

*This article is for education from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine only. The education provided by this article is not approved by FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It should not stop you from consulting with your physician for your medical conditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Qi, which is an invisible force that usually cannot be observed by modern science. Because science focuses on testing ideas about the natural world with evidence obtained through observation, these aspects of acupuncture can’t be studied by science. Therefore acupuncture and Chinese herbs are often not supported by double-blind, randomized trials, and they are considered alternative medicine therapies in the United States.

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How to Treat Asthma With Acupuncture and TCM

By xiaomei | Published October 30, 2020

By Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D. & Xiaomei Cai, L.Ac., Ph.D.

asthma cough
Asthma cough is usually worse in the morning and at night.

Difficulty breathing? Could it be seasonal allergies, or could I have asthma? Asthma symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, and an allergy cough that is usually more pronounced in the morning and evening. Acupuncture and TCM have long been recognized as offering effective treatment for allergic rhinitis (hay fever) related to asthma.

Asthma, a chronic lung condition which creates inflammation of the airways of the respiratory system, often begins causing breathing problems in childhood. In fact, asthma is the most common chronic disease affecting children worldwide. Sometimes asthma symptoms go away as a child grows up, but asthma can affect both children and adults long-term. 

What is an asthma attack? An asthma attack occurs when the bronchial tubes become constricted. The tightening of muscles around the bronchi, combined with inflammation on the inner walls of these airways, causes shortness of breath, chest pain, coughing, and wheezing. Asthma attacks can be profoundly frightening; sometimes people describe the experience as feeling like they’re drowning. 

Allergy triggers like dust mites and ragweed often cause asthma symptoms to flare up. Asthma attacks are often triggered by the same sorts of things that cause other types of allergic reactions: high pollen counts, pet dander, chemical perfumes, or smoke. An asthma attack can also be caused by changes in temperature, strong aerobic exercise, or a bout of intense crying or laughing. A viral respiratory infection can also trigger asthma.

Asthma attacks due to seasonal allergies are often managed by conventional medicine with inhalers, corticosteroids like methylprednisolone, or antihistamines like Zyrtecs. Usually doctors will prescribe a medication intended for long-term management of symptoms, and a “rescue inhaler” designed to stop an asthma attack in progress. Allergy medications can help relieve hay fever symptoms like itchy eyes and sneezing and help prevent a full-blown asthma attack, but they do not address the immune system imbalances that are the root cause of asthma and allergies. Acupuncture treatment used in addition to standard medical remedies for asthma has been clinically shown to help reduce symptoms and improve overall quality of life. Along with helping people maintain their normal activities and sleep better, TCM methods used in conjunction with conventional medical therapy can reduce the need for trips to the emergency room or hospital for asthma attacks.

Can asthma be cured? Asthma may never go away completely, but it can be managed so effectively that it no longer has a negative impact on your life.

Top 5 Asthma Symptoms

Asthma symptoms often begin appearing during childhood, but asthma can come on at any age. When a person develops asthma later in life, it is called “adult onset asthma.” Sometimes people don’t realize they have asthma because they aren’t experiencing what they think of as the classic “asthma attack.” A persistent cough, especially one that gets worse at night, is actually one of the most pervasive symptoms of asthma. Other symptoms of asthma include:

  1. Coughing frequently, allergy cough
  2. Wheezing (that whistling sound when you breathe)
  3. Shortness of breath (having trouble drawing a full breath)
  4. Rapid breathing
  5. Chest tightness, breathing chest pain

Why is asthma worse at night? The precise reason for the increase of asthma symptoms during the night, known as “nocturnal asthma,” has not been medically proven, but it is probably due to a combination of factors:

  • Cooler air entering the bronchial passages
  • Increase of allergens like pollen in the air
  • Exposure to dust mites or pet dander in the bed
  • Reclining sleep position makes it harder to breathe
  • Hormone secretions that occur during sleep

Nighttime asthma can really affect your ability to get enough quality sleep. 

model of the lungs
Asthma affects the lungs and bronchial tubes.

Many of the symptoms of asthma are similar to those of an allergic reaction. However, seasonal allergies usually also cause symptoms like: head congestion, runny nose, itching inside the mouth, throat, and ears, sinus pain, and postnasal drip. Asthma doesn’t cause these sorts of upper respiratory symptoms because it is a condition of the lungs and bronchial tubes. 

In order to make a definitive diagnosis of asthma, a doctor will usually perform tests that determine your lung function. A spirometer is a tool that helps determine how much air you are able to inhale and exhale. If you are able to inhale better after being given medication from an inhaler, then it will be concluded that you probably have asthma. An x-ray can show whether the bronchial tubes are blocked and determine whether there might be some other cause for lung damage, such as pneumonia or tuberculosis. Often people will also be given allergy testing to determine what triggers may affect their breathing.

Can Acupuncture Help Asthma?

Asthma has been recognized by TCM since ancient times. We call asthma “Xiao Chuan,” which means “wheezing, breathlessness.” According to TCM theory, the lungs control inhaling, while the kidneys control exhaling. Lung Qi (energy) should move downward, while Liver Qi should move upward, and these energies work in harmony. Asthma is the result of one or all of these energies entering into a state of imbalance or deficiency. Excess wind and/or phlegm get trapped in the lungs and airways, creating obstructions and producing the wheezing and shortness of breath associated with asthma. Acupuncture treatment focuses largely on strengthening the kidneys and lungs, and clearing phlegm and wind from the system.

One study determined that acupuncture treatment reduced “respiratory resistance,” helping to open up the bronchial tubes. A study in Denmark focused specifically on young children with asthma showed that symptoms and need for medications was reduced significantly after ten acupuncture treatments. A systematic review of nine studies involving patients using TCM as a complementary therapy in addition to conventional treatment showed an overall improvement in asthma symptoms and concluded that acupuncture should be considered as an adjunct to medications.

breathe deeply
Acupuncture and herbs can help people with asthma and allergies breathe easier.

As always, herbal supplementation is also a crucial component of TCM treatment for asthma and allergies. Research has shown that classic TCM herbal formulations for asthma provide many therapeutic benefits, including: reducing hyperreactivity in the bronchial tubes, reducing inflammation of the lungs and tubes, and calming muscle contractions around the airways. One study specifically focused on children with asthma concluded that patients who were given a specific TCM herb combination showed significant improvement over a 12-week period when compared to a control group of children who received a placebo instead.

Asthma attacks are genuinely frightening, and when severe, can even be life-threatening. It is important that people with asthma have emergency inhalant medications to help them in the event of a serious asthma attack. However, the regular use of steroid medications comes with other risks. Corticosteroids can suppress normal immune function, affect the adrenal hormones, and actually increase inflammation. These unwanted side effects may be especially concerning for young children with asthma. Chinese herbs offer a safe alternative to steroids, having been used for thousands of years with no negative side effects.

Top 5 Tips to Help Control Asthma

It’s important to seek health care for managing asthma, but there are home remedies for shortness of breath and natural remedies for wheezing that may help you take control of asthma attacks and help you sleep better without an asthma coughing attack in the night.

  1. Don’t smoke, and avoid other people who do. Stay out of places where there is second-hand cigarette smoke or other ambient smoke or chemical perfumes.
  2. Use a high quality air filter in your home. Keep dust and mold under control. Remove old carpets and any other fabrics that might have dust mites in them.
  3. Manage stress. Stress and anxiety can be triggers for asthma attacks. Regular acupuncture treatment will help, as will consistent practice of meditation and breathing exercises.
  4. Avoid dairy products. Milk and other dairy foods are notorious for creating congestion and irritating the airways.
  5. Drink warm, soothing liquids throughout the day. Tea and warm honey-lemon water keep the airways moist and open, while providing immune-boosting properties.

Acupuncture Near Me for Asthma

The benefits of acupuncture treatment are cumulative. Building a strong and consistent partnership with a TCM provider can help you to manage asthma and allergy symptoms, boost your overall immunity, and prevent other health problems from developing. If you or someone you know has breathing problems, allergies, or food sensitivities, call Art of Wellness today to get started with a wellness regimen that will have you breathing easier.

 

 

*This article is for education from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine only. The education provided by this article is not approved by FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It should not stop you from consulting with your physician for your medical conditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Qi, which is an invisible force that usually cannot be observed by modern science. Because science focuses on testing ideas about the natural world with evidence obtained through observation, these aspects of acupuncture can’t be studied by science. Therefore acupuncture and Chinese herbs are often not supported by double-blind, randomized trials, and they are considered alternative medicine therapies in the United States.

Posted in Acupuncture, Allergies, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on How to Treat Asthma With Acupuncture and TCM

How to Treat Painful Periods With TCM and Acupuncture

By xiaomei | Published October 23, 2020

By Xiaomei Cai, L.Ac., Ph.D., & Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D.

woman in pain
Severely painful periods could be a sign of endometriosis.

Our patients often ask us these questions: Why do I have heavy periods with severe, painful menstrual cramps that seem to be getting worse and worse? Why do I have spotting in between my menstrual periods? My ovaries hurt, I feel abdominal pain after sex; it even hurts to go to the bathroom. Excruciating period cramps, or period back pain during any part of the menstrual cycle, may mean a woman has endometriosis. Endometriosis is when menstrual tissue grows in places it shouldn’t. Acupuncture and TCM can help provide menstrual cramp relief, restore normal periods, and boost fertility.

Endometriosis is a fairly common condition, affecting about one in ten women during their reproductive years (age 15-49). If it goes untreated, endometriosis not only causes serious pelvic pain in women (pain lower abdomen), but can create a lot of scar tissue on the abdominal organs, negatively impacting fertility, and sometimes even continuing to cause problems after a woman has gone through menopause and no longer has a menstrual cycle. 

What is Endometriosis? The thick, bloody lining of the uterus that develops every month–with the ultimate purpose of possibly nourishing a fetus, should a woman become pregnant– normally breaks down and flows out during the menstrual period. When a woman has endometriosis, this same tissue develops in places other than the inside of the uterus: on the ovaries or fallopian tubes, on the outside of the uterus, or even on the intestines or bladder. The overproduction of hormones created by this excess tissue is partly what causes painful periods, as well as internal bleeding.

Current conventional Western medicine generally treats endometriosis using pain medicine and oral birth control pills or Nupron, a drug that suppresses estrogen production, to control bleeding. Nupron prevents the period from coming, so it controls most of the menstrual pain of endometriosis and prevents the further growth of menstrual tissue. However, when a woman stops taking these hormone suppressant medications, the condition will most likely come back. Surgery can remove patches, nodules, and cysts, but endometriosis can still come back easily when the root cause has not been addressed. TCM gives us a way to treat and prevent endometriosis at its source, at the same time as providing natural pain relief.

Top 10 Signs and Symptoms of Endometriosis

The symptoms of endometriosis can be serious and debilitating, especially when a woman has her menstrual period. However, the pelvic pain and excessive bleeding associated with endometriosis can occur at any time during the month. 

  1. Severely painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhoea)
  2. Heavy bleeding during period; period lasts a long time
  3. Spotting in between periods
  4. Pain during ovulation (mittelschmerz); pain in lower right abdomen, pain in lower right side, pain in lower left abdomen, pain in lower left side
  5. Pain during or after sexual intercourse (dyspareunia)
  6. Pain when urinating or defecating, perineum pain
  7. Chronic pelvic pain
  8. Chronic low back pain, hip pain
  9. Fatigue
  10. Infertility
woman crouching in pain
Endometriosis can cause terrible pain, infertility, and depression.

The severity of pain does not necessarily correspond to the size or spread of the endometrial tissue. Small nodules can cause severe pain, while massive adhesions or large cysts can cause minimal pain. Pain can occur any time, not only during menstruation. 

Endometriosis can have a significant impact on a woman’s quality of life. Not only is the constant, serious pain exhausting, but painful sex, low libido, and anxiety about fertility can put a strain on relationships. A woman with endometriosis may also experience depression. The severe pain caused by endometriosis should not be ignored, as the condition can cause lasting damage, not only to the reproductive organs, but potentially also to the digestive organs and other abdominal tissues.

Endometrial patches or lesions may respond to the stimuli of the female hormones produced by the ovaries, causing them to become inflamed and/or shed bloody tissue during the menstrual period. During the period, the uterus bleeds, and the other patches of tissue bleed, too. They can also begin to produce their own hormone secretions, causing them to bleed at irregular times. This tissue can cause organs in the pelvis to “stick” to each other and create scar tissue or nodules on the organs over time. 

Endometrial patches can grow nerve tissue, as well, which produces the intense sensations of pelvic pain, abdominal bloating, and cramps. Women with endometriosis often have cysts on the ovaries, because the endometrial tissue outside of the uterus responds to hormones. The body absorbs water from these cysts, and the bloody tissue turns into a thick, syrupy, brown liquid; this is why they are sometimes referred to as “chocolate cysts.”

When a woman has endometriosis, she almost always shows compromised hormone issues, in addition to menstrual pain. The cycle is off, usually showing luteal phase deficiency– when the luteal phase is 12-14 days instead of the typical 14 days from ovulation to the start of the period. This is due to ovarian cysts affecting the function of the ovaries.

Patches or nodules can also form in other parts of the body, in rare cases, causing nosebleeds or chest pain because tissue has migrated outside the pelvic area.

What Causes Endometriosis?

The causes of endometriosis are not currently understood by medical science. Women whose mothers or other female relatives have had endometriosis do seem to have a higher risk for having it themselves, so it is possible that there is some genetic marker that causes some cells outside the uterus to develop into endometrial cells. The most likely theory is that a backflow of some menstrual blood travels into the fallopian tubes and from there migrates into other areas of the pelvis, and in some cases, even other parts of the body. 

birth control pills
Birth control pills may help control bleeding, but they aren’t a cure for endometriosis.

Many women have a hard time finding a proper diagnosis for their endometrial pain. Menstrual pain has been normalized to such an extent that it is often ignored, or just accepted, by both doctors and patients. Usually many other possible causes of the pain have to be ruled out before a woman is offered diagnostic testing especially for endometriosis. The usual type of pelvic exam is generally not helpful for spotting endometriosis. Ultrasound may detect large lesions, but imaging is not clear enough to see all endometrial growth. Getting a confirmed diagnosis involves a somewhat invasive laparoscopic procedure to detect cysts, lesions, or scar tissue. This is unfortunate, because early detection is the best way to prevent endometriosis from spreading and getting worse.

Conventional treatment for endometriosis focuses mainly on pain management with analgesic medications, and using hormones (birth control) to prevent further growth. Clearly, this is not helpful for women who want to get pregnant. When a woman is concerned with her fertility, and wants to conceive, then laparoscopic surgery to remove growths may be indicated. 

How Does Acupuncture Treat Endometriosis?

According to TCM theory, endometriosis is considered a form of blood and Qi stagnation. We might classify this type of problem as Zheng Jia, in which blood stasis causes clotting or the formation of masses. PCOS, ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, and reproductive cancers would also fit in this category. Other patterns can also cause dysmenorrhea (painful periods) and contribute to endometriosis.

Problems with the female reproductive system can present in a variety of ways:

  • Qi stagnation with blood stagnation
  • Yang deficiency with blood stagnation
  • Qi sinking with blood stagnation

The reason for stagnation can be a blockage of liver Qi, often associated with feelings of anxiety. This is why stress management is so important. Blockages can also be caused by being in a cold environment, not dressing warmly enough, or drinking or eating cold things during the menstrual period. During the period, the organs need to be open; allowing the pelvic area to become too cold can restrict the flow, create stagnation, and contribute to the development of cysts, endometriosis, and/or fibroids.

Carefully considering the overall presentation of symptoms, an acupuncture practitioner will seek to determine the root cause of the Qi and blood stasis and develop a treatment protocol aimed at clearing stasis, increasing circulation, nourishing the uterus and ovaries, and regulating dysfunctional energies in other organs, such as the liver, kidneys, and spleen. Moxibustion may also be used to help bring heat energy to areas where stasis is caused by cold.

Acupuncture treatment in conjunction with individually formulated Chinese herb supplements and other modalities such as cupping is used to help move Qi and blood. Herbs help to bring in nutrients that people would not otherwise get in their diet; nourishing the ovary follicles, in particular, is vital for helping women with endometriosis overcome infertility problems.

A clinical trial at a hospital in China compared two groups of women with endometriosis: one group was given the synthetic steroid mifepristone, intended to reduce progesterone action. The other group was treated with acupuncture and herbs. The patients were checked via ultrasound to detect progress. The efficacy rate for reduction of endometrial growth was the same in both groups, suggesting that TCM methods were just as effective as steroids for improving the symptoms of endometriosis and halting its spread.

A systematic review of ten trials concluded that acupuncture treatment was effective for reducing endometriosis pain. 

Both of the studies cited here also noted, via blood tests, a reduction in CA-125 levels in the women receiving acupuncture. Elevated CA-125 is a marker not only for more advanced stages of endometriosis and increased pelvic pain, but also for various types of female reproductive cancers. 

Keep in mind that the effects of acupuncture treatment are cumulative; more benefits will be felt with regular treatment. There is no cure for endometriosis, but acupuncture and TCM can help significantly reduce pain,  prevent the further development of endometrial tissue and scarring, and help improve fertility for women who want to start a family. 

TCM not only treats symptoms and pain, but helps relieve stress, and increases the flow of Qi and blood, helping to manage all aspects of female reproductive health.

During childbearing age, the best way to help get rid of or manage endometriosis is to carry a pregnancy to term, because during pregnancy there is no period. When the ovaries and menstrual cycle get ten or so full months of resting time, there is a good potential for cysts, nodules, and lesions to go away. Good care will rid the body of the stagnation. Acupuncture and TCM allow us to treat endometriosis and infertility simultaneously, if pregnancy is a woman’s goal.

Top 5 Tips for Natural Relief of Endometriosis

acupressure point for menstrual cramps
Apply gentle pressure to help relieve painful cramps.

In addition to acupuncture and TCM treatment, here are some natural remedies for endometriosis pain that you can try at home:

  1. Apply heat – warming energy can help relieve the painful symptoms of endometriosis. An electric heating pad, hot water bottle, or sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave, then applied to the abdomen or lower back can help relieve cramps.
  2. Drink plenty of water – dehydration intensifies cramping, so be sure to sip clean water throughout the day. Warm water particularly can help to thin the blood and keep it flowing smoothly.
  3. Plan ahead to give yourself extra down time – tracking your cycle and symptoms is important. When you know ahead of time that you are likely to be experiencing pain, plan to give yourself time off to rest. Taking extra pain medications or pushing through pain will only cause more exhaustion and anxiety.
  4. Period care – we recommend you use pads or period underwear more often than tampons during the menstrual period; use tampons only when the situation requires it (swimming, etc.). Also, do not engage in sexual intercourse during the heavy flow days of the period. Avoid anything that could block or reverse the flow of menstruation.
  5. Avoid caffeine and alcohol – some studies have shown that women who consume more of these substances are at higher risk for endometriosis (and many inflammatory conditions). While this doesn’t mean there is a direct link, it is still better to keep your intake of coffee and wine to a minimum. Avoid toxins in your food – food additives, pesticides, and chemicals in meat can trigger endometriosis symptoms. Focus on eating whole, natural foods and getting plenty of healthy Omega-3 fats from nuts, avocados, and high-quality fish or plant oils.

Above, there is also a good acupressure point to use when you are having painful cramping during menstruation, or to help relieve nausea from morning sickness.

Acupuncture Near Me for Endometriosis

At Art of Wellness, we have over 30 years of experience in managing women’s health issues. Our education and early practice gave us the opportunity to work with leaders in cutting-edge integrative medicine for women. Since 1997, we have worked with the top infertility ART providers in Los Angeles to give women the best in reproductive health care and fertility treatment. If you or someone you know is struggling with the pain of endometriosis or infertility, do not hesitate to call us and get started with an initial consultation.

 

*This article is for education from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine only. The education provided by this article is not approved by FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It should not stop you from consulting with your physician for your medical conditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Qi, which is an invisible force that usually cannot be observed by modern science. Because science focuses on testing ideas about the natural world with evidence obtained through observation, these aspects of acupuncture can’t be studied by science. Therefore acupuncture and Chinese herbs are often not supported by double-blind, randomized trials, and they are considered alternative medicine therapies in the United States.

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How to Treat Arthritis With Acupuncture and TCM

By xiaomei | Published October 16, 2020

By Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D. & Xiaomei Cai, L.Ac., Ph.D.

arthritis
acupuncture treatment can relieve stiffness in the joints

Why am I so stiff when I wake up in the morning? Why do my knees hurt when I stand up? Pain in the hands and fingers, pain in the feet and toes. Lower back pain that comes and goes but seems to be getting steadily worse? Any or all of these aches and pains could signal that you have arthritis. TCM and acupuncture can not only help relieve the pain and inflammation of arthritis, but it can help you regain and maintain your freedom of movement.

Arthritis is a general term for swelling and pain in the joints. Arthritis is very common, affecting over 50 million people of all ages, and is the leading cause of disability in America. Most people with arthritis take pain medications and go on with their lives, living with discomfort and increasingly limited range of motion.

The term “arthritis” refers to a wide variety of disorders that cause pain in the joints. A “joint” is any place in the body where two or more bones meet and allow for movement. Also called “articulations,” joints are formed by fibrous connective tissues that hold the bones together, and pieces of cartilage that provide cushioning and “slip” between the bones. Chronic, long-term arthritis can cause permanent physical changes in the structure of joints, leading to knobby knuckle joints, for example. Some types of arthritis affect other organs in addition to the joints.

Conventional treatment for arthritis mainly focuses on alleviating pain with analgesics or NSAIDS, and reducing inflammation with injectable medications. In some cases, though, these medications aren’t enough to control pain or to bring back people’s former mobility. Many of these medications also come with unwanted side effects.

Acupuncture can not only help with arthritis pain and stiffness, but TCM methods can help keep the joint tissues strong and healthy, reduce inflammation, and prevent further damage due to osteoarthritis. Autoimmune disorders that are unexplained by modern medical science, including rheumatoid arthritis, have been successfully managed by acupuncture and herbs for centuries. Integrative care that uses TCM modalities can help people manage their weight and lifestyle to prevent arthritis from causing limitations or disability.

What Causes Arthritis?

Arthritic pain in the joints can be caused by many different factors. The most common contributor to osteoarthritis is normal wear and tear on the joints over many years that reduces the amount of cartilage between the bones in key areas. Injuries can also cause damage to cartilage. Autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus can cause the body’s own immune system to attack the synovium, the tissues that produce synovial fluid, which provides lubrication to the joints. The medical community has not discovered the exact cause of rheumatoid arthritis (nor of most autoimmune disorders), but it is possible they are at least partially genetic in origin. The body’s immune response to certain bacterial and viral infections can also cause swelling in the joints; this is called reactive arthritis. Being overweight also contributes to the development of arthritis, as extra weight puts more strain on the joints.

Top 10 Types of Arthritis

osteoarthritis of the knee
osteoarthritis of the knee

Arthritis is a general term that refers to pain in the joints. There are over 100 different kinds of arthritis. The most common types of arthritis include:

  1. Osteoarthritis – also called degenerative arthritis, this is when the cartilage between the bones wears away, reducing cushioning and shock absorption to the point that the bones begin to rub against each other. 
  2. Rheumatoid Arthritis – an autoimmune disorder in which antibodies attack the tissue lining around joints, causing inflammation and chemical reactions that, over time, damage all of the surrounding tissues: bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments.
  3. Psoriatic Arthritis – a type of inflammatory arthritis that occurs in about 30% of people who have psoriasis of the skin. Psoriasis causes skin cells to reproduce excessively, creating scaly red and white patches, often on the elbows and knees. In some cases, people will also develop pain, swelling, and stiffness in these joints, or in the fingers or toes.
  4. Ankylosing Spondylitis – this is an inflammatory disease which often first shows up during young adulthood. It causes the gradual fusing of the vertebrae; a person starts by feeling stiffness and pain in the back, and over time the posture becomes more hunched over as flexibility is reduced. Over time, new bone tissue forms, causing sections of the vertebrae to grow together, usually near the base of the spine, greatly reducing mobility.
  5. Gout – gout is a form of metabolic arthritis, in which a build-up of excess uric acid forms sharp crystals in the joints of the foot, causing painful swelling, often especially in the big toe.
  6. Infectious Arthritis – Swelling in the joints can be caused by the invasion of bacteria or a virus. Bacteria that cause food poisoning like salmonella, or STDs like chlamydia, or blood infections like Hepatitis C, can create inflammation that affects joints.
  7. Reactive Arthritis – previously called “Reiter’s syndrome,” reactive arthritis is an acute form of infectious arthritis caused by bacterial infection, most often affecting the knees and ankles, and accompanied by other symptoms like inflammation in the eyes, and skin rashes. It can be caused by a chlamydia infection or bacterial infection in the digestive tract, and usually only lasts a short time. However, people with immune diseases, like HIV, can develop more chronic forms of reactive arthritis.
  8. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) – Lupus is an autoimmune disease that can cause swelling in the connective tissues of the joints, as well as other symptoms, including: fatigue, rashes on the face, swollen lymph nodes, fever, hair loss, and extreme sensitivity to light and other stimuli.
  9. Fibromyalgia – a syndrome in which the brain amplifies the perception of pain in the joints and muscles. People with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, or ankylosing spondylitis may also have fibromyalgia.
  10. Childhood Arthritis or Juvenile Arthritis – a broad term that simply refers to arthritis when it is experienced by a child. Children usually have either an autoimmune type of arthritis or a reactive arthritis triggered by a bacterial or viral infection.

Top 5 Arthritis Symptoms

waist measurement
waist size and extra weight can be indicators of metabolic syndrome

Perhaps because a majority of people over the age of 50 feel some symptoms of arthritis, we often think of stiffness and pain in the joints (hip pain, shoulder pain) simply as a normal part of aging. It is true that over time, the wearing down of cartilage and bone tissue is practically inevitable. Still, it is important to pay close attention to potential symptoms of arthritis, and take steps to prevent them from worsening. The top 5 signs of arthritis include:

  1. Pain in joints – may be a constant, nagging pain, or it may come and go
  2. Stiffness – especially feeling stiff when you get up in the morning 
  3. Swelling in joints – sometimes with redness in the skin around the joint
  4. Reduced range of motion – difficulty getting up when you’ve been sitting or lying down
  5. Fatigue – actually, fatigue may be the first sign that someone has rheumatoid arthritis, but this symptom often goes ignored

Recent research has linked rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with metabolic syndrome. People who have been diagnosed with RA are much more likely to also show signs of metabolic syndrome (MS). MS is clinically indicated when a person presents with three or more of these markers: insulin resistance, high blood pressure, obesity or high waist circumference, high cholesterol and/or triglycerides or raised fasting glucose levels. Osteoarthritis and MS also seem to be linked, especially in cases of osteoarthritis of the knee. It is not clear how precisely these various forms of arthritis may be related to MS, but it is clear that the combination of these health problems puts people at high risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and stroke. The good news is that metabolic syndrome issues and rheumatoid arthritis can be improved with lifestyle management and acupuncture treatment.

Can Acupuncture Help Arthritis?

According to TCM theory, most cases of rheumatoid arthritis fall under the category of Bi Syndromes, which covers various conditions in which Qi (life force energy) and/or Blood are somehow blocked from moving freely through the meridian pathways of the body. Due to Qi and Blood deficiency, cold, dampness, wind, or heat are more likely to invade the system and cause Bi Syndrome to develop. 

In TCM we also consider whether a problem stems from internal or external factors. In some cases, arthritis may be caused by an internal problem that was congenital–meaning, a person was born with it. Qi deficiency as an underlying condition might be an internal factor, which then kicks in when some external factor, such as cold from wind invasion, comes in and creates a blockage, and the Qi is too weak to combat it. Some people are simply more likely to be affected by these factors because of their innate condition. Most of the types of arthritis mentioned above are due to internal factors and inflammation. Only reactive arthritis is caused by external factors of infection. Also, if an injury occurs and does not heal properly, that can lead to arthritis in a joint. A few differentiations of Bi Syndrome that might cause arthritis include:

  • Cold pattern – cold wind with dampness from an external source causes stiffness that improves with the application of heat, and is accompanied by reduced circulation and pale skin. This is why we advise against sitting or being out in cold, damp weather for long periods of time. This can cause cold stagnation to take hold in the joints.
  • Moving Bi – pain is not fixed; it can move to different joints in different areas.
  • Sore Bi – pain more dominant, feels better after applying heat, feels worse when it gets cold. 
  • Fixed Bi – the joint feels heavy, sore and swollen and the pain is in a definite spot, painful to the touch. 
  • Heat pattern – in this case, the joints are red, swollen, and inflamed, and the face is flushed.

A one-size-fits-all approach to care for people with arthritis simply does not work for everyone. The manifestation of inflammation in people with the cold type differs from that in people with the hot type. An acupuncture practitioner will treat a patient with arthritis based on their individual, specific presentation of symptoms. A systematic review showed how treating patients with RA with different therapies according to their TCM diagnosis produced better outcomes than the standard conventional treatments for RA. 

A review of 43 clinical studies showed that TCM for RA not only helps reduce inflammation as a symptom, but improved immune system function. Better regulation of the immune system means that TCM methods help treat arthritis stemming of autoimmune disorders at their source, rather than simply managing pain.

Another review of ten clinical trials analyzed how effective TCM treatment was for people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Eight out of the ten trials concluded that acupuncture was an effective treatment for reducing pain due to osteoarthritis and should be considered as an adjunct or alternative to pharmacological treatments.

Acupuncture treatment combined with Chinese herb supplements and personalized diet coaching can help alleviate symptoms due to different types of arthritis, and may even be able to reverse and prevent further damage to the joints.

Top 5 Tips for Relief of Stiff Joints 

Dr. Cai Tai Chi 4
The fluid movements of Tai Qi help keep joints supple.

While years of use will naturally cause some degradation of joint tissues, there are definitely things you can do to protect your joints and prevent arthritis from slowing you down.

  1. Weight Management – weighing too much puts extra stress on your joints. One pound of fat translates to four pounds of pressure on the bones and tendons. We don’t recommend trendy weight loss diets; instead, focus on eating lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates from whole grains.
  2. Vary Your Exercise Routine – different types of physical activity provide different sorts of benefits for your joints. If an arthritis condition is acute, it is best to stick with gentle movements that rotate the joints. Cardiovascular exercise is important to strengthen the heart. Strength training, or toning the muscles (lifting weights) helps build strong bones and muscle mass to support your joints. Pay attention to rotating each joint to prevent stiffness or “frozen” joints on a daily basis: wrists, ankles, shoulders, hips, spine, etc. Tai Qi, Qi Gong, and yoga also challenge your balance; this is especially important as we age, to reduce the risk of falls and other accidents. And you can’t beat a nice, long walk for low impact, weight-bearing, aerobic exercise. Be sure to warm up and cool down with slower, gentle movements at the beginning and end of your workouts so as to avoid any shock to the joints and get your juices (synovial fluid and hyaluronic acid) flowing, literally. Meditation is also very important to maintain mental health. Chronic conditions like arthritis are affected by emotional imbalances that can be helped with meditation practice.
  3. Drink More Water – staying hydrated is so important for keeping the joints lubricated. 
  4. Eat Healthy Fats – make sure to get adequate intake of good fats, like Omega-3 fatty acids, from fish or fish oil, nuts and seeds, good quality olive oil, and avocados. Overall an anti-inflammatory diet should be observed whenever there is swelling and pain in the joints, which includes avoiding nightshade vegetables, spicy foods, and sugar.
  5. Wear the Right Shoes and Warm Clothes – choose footwear that fits properly and is supportive. Flip-flops, high heels, and shoes that are too tight can put undue pressure on the joints and don’t provide adequate cushioning and shock absorption. People with Yang Qi deficient conditions should always keep the joints covered with clothing. Exposure can let the cold in.

Acupuncture Near Me for Arthritis

If you or someone you know is feeling the stiffness, swelling, and pain of arthritic joints, don’t wait until it gets worse to do something about it. Regular acupuncture treatment can reduce pain and inflammation. The doctors at Art of Wellness have over 30 years of experience helping patients find arthritis pain relief. 

 

*This article is for education from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine only. The education provided by this article is not approved by FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It should not stop you from consulting with your physician for your medical conditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Qi, which is an invisible force that usually cannot be observed by modern science. Because science focuses on testing ideas about the natural world with evidence obtained through observation, these aspects of acupuncture can’t be studied by science. Therefore acupuncture and Chinese herbs are often not supported by double-blind, randomized trials, and they are considered alternative medicine therapies in the United States.

 

 

Posted in Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, fatigue, Immune System, Inflammation, Pain, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on How to Treat Arthritis With Acupuncture and TCM

How to Treat a Herniated Disc With Acupuncture & TCM

By xiaomei | Published October 9, 2020

By Qineng Tan, L.Ac., Ph.D. & Xiaomei Cai, L.Ac., Ph.D.

a herniated disc can cause neck pain and pain in the lower back
a herniated disc can cause neck pain, pain in the lower back, and sciatica

Why do I have a sharp shooting pain down one leg? What should I do if my neck is stiff and hurts to turn? What can I do to help a spasm in lower back? Any of these kinds of pain may be caused by a herniated disc, which presses on the spinal nerves. Acupuncture can be an effective treatment for relieving the symptoms of a slipped disc, while also speeding the healing process–all without negative side effects.

A herniated disc, often referred to as a “slipped disc,” or a bulging disc, occurs when damage to one of the shock-absorbing discs of cartilage that sit between the vertebrae creates pressure on the nerves and muscles of the spine. Also called a prolapsed disc, this condition creates inflammation and swelling in a localized area of the spine and can cause severe pain in the neck, lower back pain, sciatica pain, and tingling that radiates down the leg.

The vertebral column, or backbone, is made up of vertebrae (individual bones) and intervertebral discs. These discs provide cushioning in between the bones and act as ligaments that hold the bones together. The discs create a shock absorption system that protects the spinal column, and are made up of tough, fibrous outer layers of cartilage, with a gel-like substance on the inside. If there is damage to the tissues of the outer layer, the soft, gel interior can be pushed outwards and breach the outer wall. This can create pressure against the nerves of the spinal column, resulting in symptoms of nerve entrapment: pain, numbness, and/or loss of ability.

A herniated disc, also referred to as a “ruptured disc,” most often occurs in the lumbar spine. A lumbar herniated disc may cause severe lower back pain if it is pressing on a nerve. Pressure on the sciatic nerve area can also cause shooting pain, burning pain, numbness, and/or tingling in one or both legs–a condition commonly referred to as sciatica, also known as lumbar radiculopathy. The sciatic nerve is actually a large bundle of smaller nerves that connects the base of the spine to the top of the leg, travelling through the buttock area. There is a sciatic nerve bundle on each side. About 90% of cases of sciatica are related to herniated discs.

Cervical disc herniation refers to a prolapsed disc between one of the seven vertebrae of the cervical spine, or neck area. Compression of the nerves due to a herniated disc in the C2 area can cause headache, or pain in the eye or ear. Herniation of a disc further down the cervical spine happens most commonly in the C5, C6, or C7 area, which can lead to neck pain and/or shoulder pain.

Most of the time, sciatic pain or neck pain due to nerve compression in the spine goes away gradually on its own, but it can cause a lot of suffering over the course of several weeks or months before resolving itself. Medical treatment for herniated disc pain typically involves the recommendation of rest and immobilisation and the use of anti-inflammatory medications, muscle relaxers, and pain relievers. However, lack of movement does not really help improve the root cause of the pain, and the use of pain medications or steroids is often accompanied by unwanted side effects. Acupuncture treatment can significantly reduce acute pain related to sciatica, neck pain, shoulder pain, and low back pain due to slipped discs, often providing immediate, short-term relief of severe pain, while helping, long-term, to reduce inflammation and help heal nerve damage.

Signs of Herniated Disc

When a disc herniates, pain can be sharp and intense. Depending on which disc is affected, there may be neck pain, low back pain, or sciatic pain in the leg, foot, or buttock area. Pain or numbness are caused by the inflammation of the nerve area that is being compressed by the extrusion of the center of the disc.

  • A cervical herniated disc (in the neck) may cause burning pain in the side of the neck or sharp pain in the back of the neck. Or there may be a more subtle sensation where the neck is tender to the touch. The pain is usually worse when performing vigorous activities or when twisting or turning the head at a certain angle. The overall movement of the neck and head may feel limited and stiff.
  • Pain may radiate down the arm and cause an “electric shock-like” sensation in the hand and fingers.
  • Weakness in the muscular movement of the shoulder, arm, hand, thumb and fingers may result from the pinching of the nerves of the cervical spine.
  • A lumbar herniated disc (in the lower back) is more likely to cause pain down the leg than in the back. Usually the pain is just on one side of the body. This radiating pain caused by compression of the sciatic nerve can be sharp, burning, and very intense. 
  • Herniation of a lumbar disc can also cause pain in the low back or buttock. This pain may be of the “throbbing” type, or feel like a spasm. It may be helped by applying cold or heat to the area. The pain typically is worse after sitting or hunching over for a while, or when bending over from the waist.
  • The sensation in the buttock, hip, leg and foot may be more like tingling or numbness than searing pain.
  • “Foot drop” is when the nerve compression makes it difficult to fully pick up the foot when walking, so that the toes drag on the floor.

The kind of pain caused by a herniated disc can come on quite suddenly and strongly. Fortunately, the pain caused by most herniations of spinal discs resolves in a matter of time without surgery.

What Causes Herniated Disc?

Slipped discs, or bulging disks, happen most often to people between the ages of 30 and 50. The ruptured disk may happen due to one sudden movement, like lifting something heavy, twisting an awkward way, or even a strong sneeze. But prior to such an event, there was probably some weakness already developing in the outer walls of the disc. 

Degeneration of the discs can occur over time due to aging. A chronic herniation can develop slowly over years and cause mild symptoms. An acute herniation might happen as the result of some trauma, like an accident, which could create more serious damage to the outer layers of the disc (the annulus fibrosus), allowing the jelly-like material inside (the nucleus pulposus) to extrude, or squeeze out of containment.

Surgery for herniated disc is only recommended in rare cases (10-20%), sometimes if the prolapsed disc is affecting the nerves in such a way that bladder or bowel function is negatively impacted. Surgery may also be considered if pain is severe and continues for a long time without getting better. Herniated disc surgery attempts to relieve the nerve compression by removing some of the disc tissue. In cases where there is more extensive degeneration of the spine, a spinal fusion procedure may involve “fusing” the vertebrae together with screws while removing the original disc tissue and replacing it with an implant. These types of surgeries for herniated disc may help alleviate pain, but there can still be a long recovery period, and the pain is not guaranteed to go away.

Can Acupuncture Help a Herniated Disc?

moxibustion
Moxibustion cultivates heat energy

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been developed over the course of thousands of years to deal with all types of pain conditions. In the TCM view, herniated disc pain is caused by:

  1. Injury to the spine
  2. Invasion of cold, wind, or damp
  3. Liver and/or kidney deficiency

In addition to acupuncture treatment, which involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points along the meridians of the body, we also use treatments such as moxibustion and infrared heat lamps to bring warm energy to parts of the body. TCM treatment for herniated disc will often focus on strengthening the Qi (life force energy) and blood flow to the kidneys, and clearing dampness and bringing warmth to the whole lower back area.

One clinical trial conducted in a hospital demonstrated that acupuncture treatment combined with the application of moxa warm needle therapy with infrared heat and gentle exercise resulted in reporting of 95% improvement in pain related to lumbar herniated disc.

A recent systematic review of acupuncture treatment for disc herniation concluded that acupuncture provided better results than pain medications or lumbar traction.

A study that focused on long-term outcomes for patients with lumbar disc herniation showed that ten years after receiving electric acupuncture treatment for their pain they reported positive long-term results, acupuncture having helped to resolve their sciatica symptoms.

Top 5 Tips for How to Heal a Herniated Disc Naturally

walnuts are a great source of Omegas
walnuts are a great source of Omegas

Most pain due to herniated disc will resolve itself in about six weeks without medical treatment. In the meantime, there are some things you can do to help reduce pain and restore freedom of movement.

  1. Seek out treatment from a qualified acupuncturist. A combination of acupuncture, herbal supplementation, tuina massage, moxibustion, and infrared heat therapy will go a long way towards relieving pain and encouraging healing.
  2. Heat and Cold Therapy. Try using a heating pad or hot water bottle to apply gentle heat to the lower back or neck. Alternate with icing the affected area. This helps bring more blood flow to the area, reduces inflammation, and soothes stiffness.
  3. Stay active. It can be tempting to stay in bed when lower back pain and sciatica are causing intense pain or tingling sensations. But immobilisation does not really do anything to help heal nerve pain, and it is actually more beneficial to keep the muscles of the back body strong. Engaging regularly in low-impact activities like walking, biking, or swimming will help keep endorphins flowing and your mood positive better than bed rest will.
  4. Check your sleeping position. Staying in bed can also hurt when you have a slipped disc. Use a pillow to bolster your knees to help relieve tension in the lower back and keep the spine in proper alignment. Use a firm orthopedic pillow to keep the neck aligned.
  5. Nutrition for nerve health. Certain nutrients can be especially beneficial for building and maintaining nerve tissues. Emphasize B-6 and B-12 vitamins, Vitamin E and Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids in your diet and with high quality supplements. Nuts, fish, and good plant-based oils should be consumed regularly. 

Regular exercise, plenty of sleep, and good nutrition, as always, will go a long way towards helping ensure that a pain condition resolves itself fully and does not return. 

Acupuncture Near Me for Herniated Disc

At Art of Wellness, Dr. Tan and Dr. Cai have over 30 years of experience helping patients with acute and chronic pain due to neurological conditions. Pain due to a herniated disc can be effectively reduced by regular acupuncture treatment, while Chinese herbs and therapeutic massage can help bring healing to the nerves and spine, and help prevent future problems with herniated disc and sciatica.

 

 

*This article is for education from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine only. The education provided by this article is not approved by FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat and cure human diseases. It should not stop you from consulting with your physician for your medical conditions. Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on Qi, which is an invisible force that usually cannot be observed by modern science. Because science focuses on testing ideas about the natural world with evidence obtained through observation, these aspects of acupuncture can’t be studied by science. Therefore acupuncture and Chinese herbs are often not supported by double-blind, randomized trials, and they are considered alternative medicine therapies in the United States.

 

Posted in Acupuncture, Inflammation, Massage, Moxibustion, Pain, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on How to Treat a Herniated Disc With Acupuncture & TCM
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