Holistic Pain Relief Methods: Never Outdated

These days, a growing number of people who suffer from chronic pain are seeking out a holistic approach to managing their discomfort. There are a lot of holistic pain relief methods without relying on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, narcotics, tranquilizers, or anti-depressants.

Holistic health focuses on the principle that human potentials unfold to be actualized as total beings functioning at their best. It operates on the human desire for vitality, enthusiasm and fulfilling and satisfying life. Holistic health addresses not only the physical aspect but also aims to establish balance within the self at all levels, the body, mind, and spirit, as well as achieve harmony with the environment. Holistic health is an approach that affects one’s lifestyle, relationships, and social interaction. Holistic health also encompasses the management and elimination of stress.

Some studies, including a small well-conducted trial, have reported relief from pelvic pain after acupuncture or acupressure, a technique that applies small pins or pressure to specific points on the body. It is believed to work by exciting nerve receptors in those locations that interact with pain blockers in the brain. Some women report relief with reflexology, an acupressure technique that uses manual pressure on the body’s vital points located in the ears, hands, and feet.

These Chinese holistic pain relief methods are based in the belief that health is determined by the level of chi (vital life energy) that is inside the body. This energy is thought to move through pathways called meridians, which connect to specific organs in the body. People use different terms when describing systems and methods used in the scope of holistic medicine. The most popular among the terminologies are alternative medicine, complementary medicine, and natural healing, all of which use procedures that are non-invasive.

Another important part of traditional Chinese medicine is herbal medicine. Herbs have been used for centuries for their holistic pain relief qualities. Chinese herbal medicine or CHM has been used for many centuries in China. It has been used in public schools to treat unexplained cramps as a menstrual pain relief.

A study conducted by Cochrane researchers found evidence that CHM may provide a possible treatment for pain relief. Experts believe the pain relief the herbs provide may stem from their influence on hormones and micro-circulation hemorrheology, but they have not found conclusive evidence of their exact pain-relieving mechanism.

Yoga and meditative techniques that promote relaxation may also be helpful for pain relief. Meditation is also another popular choice for a lot of people for a holistic pain relief method. It has also been practiced for thousands of years. It is a conscious attempt to calm the mind so that it is not cluttered with thoughts and anxieties that might be contributing to an unnecessary belief in the existence of pain.

There are hundreds of different meditation techniques, but mostly they all into three categories: concentrative, mindful and transcendental meditation. Aromatherapy, at its best works to heal the body and mind, healing it from various illnesses, as well as working as a stress reliever to prevent illness.

Aromatherapy has been used over the years by Egyptians, Indians, Europeans, Germans, France, etc. The oils have proven to assist in relaxing the body and mind, and were used as a medicinal remedy. Applying essential oils is thought to change an individual’s brain chemistry so that pleasurable neuro-transmitters called endorphins are released to relieve pain. Geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, peppermint, rose, rosemary and thyme are oils commonly used for this purpose.

For many people, particularly those in the western world, holistic pain relief solutions such as acupuncture, and herbal medicines are novel concepts. However, the rest of the world is probably wondering what the fuss is about, because these traditional approaches to holistic pain relief have been around for thousands of years and are still widely accepted until today.

What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese medicine is gaining popularity in the U.S., as more and more people are learning the benefits of acupuncture, acupressure, deep massage, Qigong, and the herbal medicines. Westerners are the new kids on the block when it comes to receiving these treatments, as over a quarter of the population of the world practices TCM, also known as Oriental medicine.

The National Institute of Health and the World Health Organization believe TCM to be a viable alternative to Western medicine, and now many health insurance companies will cover acupuncture as a treatment for various ailments. Very exciting for those of us who find acupuncture to be a great help in lessening pain and improving circulation.

Acupuncture originated in China around 3,000 years ago and is the most common form of medical procedure in the rest of the world, because the same treatment not only relieves immediate pain, it is a preventative procedure because it realigns the Qi ( pronounced “Chee.”) The Qi is the body’s vital energy, all things rise from Qi and it flows and connects a person to the earth and sky.

It is also the source of the body’s natural healing, all disorders can be traced to a Qi imbalance, and the acupuncture points on the body release the bound Qi and allow it to flow naturally-the body can then begin to heal itself. Diagnosis in acupuncture involves the practitioner asking a long list of questions, some usually considered by Americans to be of a private nature.

The questions consist of everything from listing sleeping patterns to a typical day meals to how many times the patient has a bowel movement in a 24 hour period. These are necessary questions, as the more information the acupuncturist has, the better to tell where the Qi is blocked.

The patient typically will then lie down on a massage table (in the East acupuncture is usually done in the sitting position) and the practitioner will insert very thin needles into some of the 2,000 plus points in the body which connect to 14 pathways, or medians. The insertion of the needles does not hurt, and contrary to what you may have heard, he/she does not twist or bore them into the skin. They are inserted just underneath the surface and the patent is left in a soothing, dimmed room for about an hour. There are different sizes and lengths of needles, each for a specific ailments and point. The needles are made of super thin stainless steel and are pliable; they are discarded after each use.

Another form of TCM is herbal remedies; these are often used in conjunction with acupuncture. Because all things are interconnected, pains and conditions in the body have a lot to do with one’s emotions and thinking process. That is why people who experience chronic pain are also frequently depressed.

TCM practitioners will often give the patient herbs to help relax or calm them along with the acupuncture sessions. This is called tonic herbalism, and some popular herbs used are probably already in your kitchen. Green tea and ginseng are two of the most well known herbs used in TCM, but here are some others-considered ”warm” foods which will help maintain good health and restore balance to a depleted Qi: Rice and noodles, broccoli, egg whites, fish and chicken.

It is no coincidence that these are some of the main ingredients in all Eastern cooking. In order to get a holistic view of TCM, we have covered acupuncture (prevention and treatment), herbal remedies and diet, it is only right that we should touch on exercise.

Qigong (Pronounced Chee Kung.) Qi, of course, still means energy, and gong means work or practice. The art and practice of Qigong involves practicing posture, breathing, meditation, and slow regulated movement of the limbs. Qigong is a great exercise, and you can find that we offer classes here.

How Come Acupuncture / Acupressure Brings Perfect Results For All?

Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of extremely fine needles at specific points of the body. The theory behind acupuncture is that there are two thousand energy points on the body that are connected by twenty pathways [meridians] running throughout the length of the body. These pathways conduct flow of energy called “qi” or “chi”, meaning life force. Blockage of energy in any of these points can cause pain in the body.

Acupuncture serves to clear any type of energy blockage in any of the pathways and thus reduce pain effectively. Treatments offered by acupuncture schools All the diseases prevalent in human body are the result of energy blockage in the pathways. So when these blockage points are removed, automatically you will be cured from all types of diseases.

During an acupuncture treatment session performed by the acupuncture schools, almost one to twenty metallic needles are inserted into the body. While some of the needles rest on the surface of the skin, the others are inserted from one to several inches into the layers of fats. The needles are kept there in resting position for at least twenty to thirty minutes.

The acupuncturists to enhance the reduction in energy blockage often keep jiggling the needles. In certain instances like treating high blood pressure with acupuncture, electrified needles are used for fast and better cure. Often the practitioners also use an amount of burned herbs at the end of the needle to encourage negative energy to leave the body along with the smoke.

Acupuncture treatments for back pain, shoulder and neck pain

Atlanta schools of acupuncture follow some rigorous acupuncture techniques that promise sure results for all types of diseases. Back pain is a disease that can range from dull ache to a constant sharp pain that leaves people irritated. Even neck and shoulder pains can be equally disgusting as they continue to be acute and stop all your normal activities.

Acupressure is a wonderful remedy for back pain, neck and shoulder pain

The practitioner presses some acute points near the meridians of the body with the thumbs and fingertips to reduce pain. With the applied pressure the blocked energy starts flowing and all pains are reduced. Atlanta acupuncture for spinal injury is also effective as the blocked “chi” or energy in spinal chords gets released with application of acupressure and pains related to spinal injuries gets cured instantly.

Acupuncture treatments for smoking and skin diseases

Atlanta for stop-quit smoking is also effective, as permanent smokers have known to cease smoking completely with acupuncture. The treatment involves insertion of five needles into the ear [particularly in the cartilage and not in the ear canal] and a few on the hands and wrists. It also involves applying a mixture of oil of cloves and wintergreen extracts of Evodia fruits and Sichuan lovage rhizomes to quit smoking faster.

Acupuncture for acne, psoriasis and allergies are an effective treatment, as it reduces the diseases instantly. All these infections are autoimmune systems that occur due to inflammations in the blood vessels. So when the acupressure needles are pricked onto the skin, they are also manipulated through hands by rubbing the acupressure points or the ends of the needles are electrified to produce instant results.

A Benefit To The Well Individual?

Before we begin a discussion about the benefits of acupuncture, let’s talk about the origins of acupuncture.

It was first used in China over 2000 years ago, and is one of the oldest medical procedures in the world. It is a family of procedures that stimulates the anatomy of the body and helps to balance the energy flow throughout the body. It is this kind of acupuncture that is practiced in the United Sates today, through the use of tiny, metallic needles placed in affected areas and manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation.

Acupuncture is the basic foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine and is based on the belief that there are two opposing and inseparable forces within our body. They are known as the Yin and Yang of the entire person. The Yin is representative of the cold, slow, or passive principle, and yang represents the hot, excited or active principle.

A healthy state is achieved by maintaining a balance state of the yin and yang. This is done through vital pathways or meridians that allow for the flow of qi, or vital energy. The vital energy flow occurs along pathways known as meridians. These meridians connect over 2,000 acupuncture points along the body. There are 12 main meridians, and 8 secondary meridians.

Although traditional western medicine does not completely understand how acupuncture works, the proof that it does work has been shown in several studies conducted by western medical facilities. Now, let’s move to the question of does it work? According to the National Institute of Health, the answer would be yes. Acupuncture has been shown to be effective in many areas of health care.

Areas such as postoperative nausea, chemotherapy side effects, osteoarthritis, low-back pain, headache, menstrual cramps, addiction, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma, just to name a few. The study revealed that acupuncture was able to provide pain relief, improve function and mobility of joints due to arthritis inflammation, and served to complement standard care.

Although there are many who would doubt the effectiveness of acupuncture, once they are a patient, they are believers. It has been proposed that acupuncture works and produces its effects through regulating the nervous system. The theory proposes that since acupuncture produces its effect through regulation of the nervous system, it induces the release of endorphins and immune system cells at specific sites on the body.

There is also the theory that acupuncture alters the brain chemistry by the changing the neurotransmitters in the brain. Without doubt acupuncture was a benefit in the study, and as a patient myself, I can vouch for the wonderful effect it has had on my back. Although acupuncture is classified as an alternative medicine therapy, and there is still much to be understood about the way it works, it is a proven aid in maintaining optimal health. But what about the well individual, can acupuncture provide a benefit to them? Absolutely. Because acupuncture works off the belief that we must maintain balance of our vital energy flow in order to remain healthy, acupuncture serves as the tool for realignment.

Our vital energy flow can be out of balance, and we still feel and appear quite healthy. It is in this capacity that acupuncture serves as a sort of preventive medicine. Checking and balancing the flow of energy on the meridian points in your body is like your car receiving a tune-up before it is in need of a repair.

Lowering Blood Pressure Using Acupuncture

Acupuncture is here for long time. Its authenticity is still a debatable issue. But the recent study that the acupuncture can dramatically lower blood pressure. According to this study, when low level of electrical stimulation was given at specific points on the front legs of rats lower the elevation in blood pressure.

This study provides a setting stage for large-scale trails on humans and another option for healthcare practitioner treating high blood pressure patients. This study proves that acupuncture can be an excellent complements to other medical treatments, especially those treating high blood pressure problems.

This study cans convince the so far unconvinced Weston world that acupuncture can also lower blood pressure. This research will ultimately integrate acupuncture healing into medical treatments for lowering the blood pressure. Team of researchers performed both manual and electro acupuncture.

All the activities in both manual and electro acupuncture were performed. They used all the methods available and also changed the variables. Results of both manual and electro acupuncture showed immediate and prolonged lowering of cardiovascular blood pressure. However blood pressure remains lower for 10 minutes longer with electro acupuncture. Results in electro acupuncture are achieved normally with lower frequency.

Result ranges between 44 and 39 {451cb9bdd6b9e2862e15979076b10dd5b792f4772bfb4b679a32dd47787626d3} respectively. Combined stimulation of both the sets has caused no extra additive effect on the lowering of blood pressure. Acupuncture is available with many variable techniques; therefore this study provides a greater opportunity to understand the different type of acupuncture techniques.

Acupuncture treatment is found to successful on only patients with hypertension (high blood pressure) and has no effect on the healthy patient. Goal of this study is to establish a standard of acupuncture treatment that can benefit everyone, who has high blood pressure and other cardiac ailments. Therefore acupuncture has established itself for being able to lower blood pressure. Thus acupuncture provides a big hope in the treatment of patients with cardiac disorders.

What Disorders Can Acupuncture Treat And How Does It Work?

How did acupuncture start?

The story was met with widespread disbelief. During a visit to China in 1978, cardiologist Doctor Isadore Rosenfeld witnessed open-heart surgery on a patient, anaesthetised only with acupuncture. A major operation and the patient was awake! Nothing like it had ever been seen before in the west.

But acupuncture is over 5000 years old. There is evidence that it was practiced by the ancient Egyptians. South African tribesmen scratched their bodies to cure disease and the Eskimos used a simple form of acupuncture. In ancient China the Yellow Emperor’s bible on internal medicine talks about the importance of acupuncture for curing disease and restoring health.

Today, in China and Taiwan there are over 232,000 traditional Chinese medical doctors practicing acupuncture. In America there are more than 8000 qualified acupuncturists, 16 acupuncture schools and 2 medical schools teaching acupuncture. As a treatment it’s accepted and practiced worldwide.

What ailments can acupuncture treat?

Many people assume that acupuncture is used as a simple pain control technique. A technique where needles are inserted to interrupt the nerve pathways that send pain messages to the brain. But acupuncture is much more than this. It’s designed to treat any malady and works to balance the energy of your entire body.

Based on clinical experience, it’s known that acupuncture can treat a variety of respiratory, eye and mouth, gastro-intestinal, neurological and muscular disorders. It’s especially effective on headaches, migraine and back pain. Acupuncture is also used to stop smoking, lose weight, lower blood pressure, relive constipation, anxiety, insomnia, allergies, asthma and alleviate skin disorders.

How can it treat all these ailments?

It works by ‘unblocking’ and balancing your energy ‘circuits’. And unlike conventional drugs, there are only beneficial side-effects such as sleeping better, more energy, deeper breathing and many other bonuses.

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture means ‘to puncture with a needle’. Fine, flexible needles, about the diameter of a human hair, are inserted into points along the principal meridians of your body. Your body has a network of energy channels or ‘meridians’ in which your ‘ki’ flows. Each meridian is associated with a physiological system and internal organ.

There are 12 principal meridians that run the length of your body and each one has more than 350 acupuncture points. Acupuncture points are specific locations along the meridians. Inserting a needle into a point will ‘unblock’ or stimulate the energy flow through the meridian in a very predictable and measured way.

What happens during a treatment session?

Acupuncture is all part of the philosophy and practice of TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine, which uses an intricate system of pulse and tongue diagnosis. A qualified acupuncturist will also check the ‘palpation’ of the acupuncture points or meridians, your medical history and any other signs or symptoms of disorder.

The treatment is painless and insertion of the needles can feel like an insect bite or tiny prick. If you are sensitive you will feel warmth or energy flow and is often described as a ‘buzz’. Sometimes moxibustion is used to increase the heat effect at the insertion point. A Chinese herb, ‘Moxa’, is placed on the needle and lit. This can stimulate the blood flow as well as the ‘chi’.

Is acupuncture safe?

Nobody can predict the changes that will occur. Your body will do what it needs to do to heal itself. But the healing process starts with skilful diagnosis and the correct stimulation of precise acupuncture points. Acupuncture will often compliment traditional western medicine, and in the hands of a trained and properly qualified acupuncturist, you are perfectly safe. And for many people it is enjoyable too. Although the Chinese may have enjoyed the benefits of acupuncture for many centuries, the legacy of discoveries by men such as Dr Isadore Rosenfeld means we can all benefit from this wonderful treatment.