One of the most powerful aspects of acupuncture is its ability to reduce inflammation throughout the body.

Acupuncture, Depression, and Inflammation

Acupuncture works by correcting imbalances.  Once the imbalance is removed, the body can work to help heal itself.

Acupuncture can help bring balance to both the mind and the body.  Working on many levels, it can both help to reduce inflammation as well as calm the mind and ease anxiety and depression.

Clinical I treat depression and anxiety often.  We approach each patient as an individual, giving a personalized diagnosis and treatment.

Some research now supports that acupuncture works to treat depression. One study, done through a Canadian-Chinese collaboration, showed that electroacupuncture helps to treat the clinical symptoms of depression and also to reduce the circulating levels of cytokines, which are inflammatory markers.

When to incorporate acupuncture for depression and anxiety?

Acupuncture is most useful for those with chronic anxiety and depression.  It is very safe and there are very few side effects.  It can be used with and enhance other therapies, like psychotherapy and psychiatry.

If you are in an emergency or crisis, you should contact your local mental heath clinic or call 1800-273-TALK.

If you are in the New York City area and are interested in learning more about acupuncture for anxiety and depression, please call us at 917-887-4946.

Releases of Cortisol

A stressful event causes the release of cortisol, the stress hormone, from the adrenal glands.  This reaction involves both the nervous system and the endocrine system, and affects the whole body.

A stressful event causes a part of the brain called the hippocampus to secrete corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRT) which then stimulates the pituitary gland to create ACTH or corticotrophin.  ACTH travels through the blood stream and acts on the adrenal glands to cause the release of cortisol and other hormones.

The cortisol then circulates throughout the body, affecting every organ, priming them for extra metabolic activity.  This is often referred to as the flight or flight response.

A negative feedback loop stops the release of cortisol from the adrenal glands.  The circulating cortisol in the blood stream will bind to receptors in the brain, called glucocorticoid receptors (GR) and to stop the further production of CRT.

Stress and Inflammation

A problem in the negative feedback loop can occur from chronic stress.   This deals with the effect excess stress has on the hormonal feedback receptors.

Excessive cortisol causes the GR receptors to become less sensitive to the hormone, so it is more difficult to turn off the negative feedback loop and allows cortisol production to become excessive.  As a result of the excess cortisol in blood circulation and the excess stimulation of the hippocampus, the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) remains activated 1.  Eventually this causes cells in the immune system to release proinflammtory cytokines, which are molecules that promote inflammation.

The proinflammatory cytokines may inhibit cellular repair of the nervous system, leading to neuronal cell death and damage.  It may also disrupt the normal functioning of neurotransmitters 1.  In addition, alterations in the GR may lead to changes in gene expression, further reducing the ability of the brain to repair itself 2.

Is depression just physical?

No, one cannot say from this work that depression is only physical.   This theory argues that the damage to the cells and chronic inflammation may further exacerbate the impact of stress on your mind and emotions making it easier to become more depressed and harder to treat it 3.  But it can also shed light on how we can improve our treatments.

In the next post, I will discuss how acupuncture can help treat depression, control the impact of stress, and reduce inflammation.

If you are currently need emergency mental health you can call 1800-273-TALK.

Photos: The Rocketeer

Here are some ways I like to prepare the local ingredients from that list.

Beets are great roasted or boiled.  Serve with a little goat cheese.  Last week, we sliced them thinly and put them on our homemade pizza.

Pumpkin is also east to cook.  Just chop it up and roast for 1 hour with some olive oil.  Also tastes great with cheese.  Or add it to chicken or vegetable broth and blend it into a soup.  Don’t forget to dry and then toast the pumpkin seeds.   Makes a healthy snack or garnish.

Of course cabbage is too often overlooked.  It is very affordable, and extremely healthy.  Cutting it up from some homemade cole slaw is always delicious.  For an Asian style, use sesame oil, a dash of soy sauce, and sesame seeds.  Or you can saute the cabbage and add some hot pepper.  I remember this is how they cooked it in Hunan, where I studied Chinese medicine.

And remember, Think Globally, Eat Locally!

There is a lot of science looking into happiness these days.  Some of it examines the effect meditation has on the brain, which may prime neurological circuitry towards positive emotions.  Some of looks at a new branch of psychology called positive psychology that focuses on character strengths and virtues.

And much of it comes back to what we already knew.  Strong social connections, ties with friends and family make us happy.  In fact, some researchers have shown that happiness is actually contagious.  If a friend of a friend is happy, you are 15% more likely also to be happy.  This continues down to 4 degrees of separation from you!

Smile and be happy!  Someone may catch it from you.

Photos: Swamibu, TomConger

In Chinese medicine, when eczema occurs only in the winter it is called winter dermatitis.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapies can help reduce the symptom intensity and frequency by correcting correcting imbalances in the body.  Once the imbalances are removed, the body can work to heal itself.

Here’s one patient’s story.

This patient was a woman in her early 30’s.  She was experiencing raised red and scabbed lesions on her hands which were which were very itchy.  At times there was a thin and watery discharge.  There was a direct relationship between the temperature and the irritation– the colder the temperature, the worse the inflammation.  The spots lay only on the hands between the thumb and the index finger, at the acupuncture point Large Intestine 4.

She had the condition for a couple years and did not know why.  It generally begins in the early winter and continues until May or June, when it warms up again.  At first, believing it was an allergy she tried different soap and skin products with no help.  Every year since it began, it was getting worse

The issue was an imbalance of the Qi (or energy), which is very common in winter dermatitis.  In this case, there was not enough qi.

Qi serves to warm the body and to moisten the skin.  In the winter, the qi is working harder to warm the body.  If there is too little qi it will not have enough to go around.  So it is difficult to also moisten, which then can result in irritation and rashes.

Qi is also strongly associated with the immune system.  Most autoimmune conditions are caused by a qi imbalance.

Treatments with both herbs and acupuncture are most effective.  The acupuncture included points for moving the qi, clearing heat, and boosting the qi, such as Du 20, LI 4, LI 10, SJ 5, LIV 2, Sp 9, Sp 6.  I have written about how acupuncture can enhance immunity.  It may also help to regulate autoimmune conditions through the similar neurological and immunological mechanisms.

The herbal formula is a modified version of the All Inclusive Tonifing Formula.  It is focused on boosting the qi of the body.  This formula has many herbs that regulate the immune system such as ginseng, astragalus, and licorice.

Results: After the first acupuncture treatment and herbs, the lesions began to disappear.  She returned every other week over the course of the next 3 month.  Although, there were some days of intense itching, it was generally less itchy.  The lesions disappeared quicker, earlier, and more completely than in previous years.

We stopped treatment over the summer when the rashes disappeared.  Treatment then resumed in October of the following year to prevent them from recurring in the winter.

In some cases, the dermatitis will be cured.  In others, people will need preventative treatments during the winter months.  It depends on how deep and how long the imbalance has been present.

I was stunned.  I had 290 total cholesterol with about 230 of that being bad cholesterol.  Normal should be below about 200 total and bad cholesterol should be about 150.    

I began to worry. I didn’t want to take cholesterol medication, I’m young.  So now what? 

How I lowered my cholesterol

To cut to the chase, I successfully  lower my total cholesterol from 290 to 209.  And all of that came off of my LDL’s, the bad cholesterol, which went down from 233 to 139.  My HDL’s, the good cholesterol, actually went up from 62, which was already good, to an amazing 70.

I did this without medication.  I modified some of my lifestyle choices including diet, exercise, Chinese herbs, and the inclusion of qi gong meditation. 

If you are interested in lowering your cholesterol naturally, you must take it seriously. Lowering cholesterol naturally takes dedication and effort.

In this post I will discuss what cholesterol is in Chinese medicine and in the next, I will tell you how I lowered my cholesterol.  Cholesterol it is not to be taken lightly, high cholesterol can account for severe diseases like coronary heart disease and stroke.  So if you are working with it naturally, you must be diligent!

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a naturally occurring fat in the body which plays many roles.  For example it is involved in making cell membranes, helps develop the nervous system, and also helps to make some hormones.

There are two types of cholesterol which are tested, HDL, the good cholesterol, and LDL, the bad cholesterol.  HDL, called high density lipoproteins, actually protects you from a heart attack and stroke.  High LDL is associated with higher risk of heart attach and stoke.

You can read more about how cholesterol causes disease here, at the National Cholesterol Education Program.

What is Cholesterol in Chinese medicine?

Chinese medicine believes that imbalances in the body can cause diseases.  For cholesterol, imbalance in the body lead to build up of toxins called dampness and damp heat.

The two ways to address cholesterol is by correcting the underlying imbalance that lead to the toxic build up, as well as remove the damp heat toxin from the body.  Once you are at a healthy level, you need to prevent the toxins form building up again through diet and exercise.  

In the following post, I will discuss my lifestyle modification to help lower my cholesterol.  

To read more on research into lifestyle changes and disease prevention.  

Try these quick natural remedies to prevent a cold.

1. Vinegar-  Viruses do not like acidic environments.  Vinegar is somewhat acidic, so eating foods with vinegar can help prevent the flu.  Another low pH food is wine.

2. Garlic-  Eating garlic, especially raw, has a lot of antimicrobial effects on the body.  A clove a day keeps the doctor away!

3.  Vegetable soup-  Soup is a great and delicious way to eat a lot of vegetables and get a lot of nutrients.  Using aromatic vegetables, like onions, garlic, scallions, are very helpful to prevent the common cold.

4. Seasonal vegetables from the farmer’s market-  It is remarkable how seasonal foods give us the right nutrients at the right time of year.  At the moment, squash and potatoes are coming into season.  In Chinese medicine, we say that these are warming foods, which help to boost our energy as the weather becomes colder.  Buying local food is fresher and helps to retain the nutrients.

Read more about Chinese medicine and colds

• Preventing Colds with Acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and other tricks
• How to Kick Your Cold
• A Rainy Day Ginger Beef Soup

How is acupuncture more than just acupuncture?

Acupuncture is one of the most powerful and versatile therapies in Chinese medicine, but it is not the only one.  Acupuncturists use many techniques of Traditional East Asian Medicine.

The most common therapies are acupressure, Chinese herbal therapy, moxibustion, gua sha, and cupping.  I’ve written about the last three in this post.

Moxabustion

Needle Head Moxibustion

Moxabustion is the burning of an herb call mugwort, ai ye in Chinese, close to specific acupuncture points or on the needle itself.  It is used to warm and add energy to the acupuncture point.  It also is good for moving stagnation.

Moxibustion is central to acupuncture treatment, the word for moxibustion is actually in the Chinese for acupuncture- zhen jiu.  Zhen means needle, and jiu is refering to moxibustion.

Gua Sha

Gua sha is the rubbing of a coin or a spoon on the skin.  Often it is done on the upper and lower back, neck, and the ribs. It is a long time home remedy which is used for colds and fever, nausea, muscle aches and pain, as well as inhibited urination.

Often gua sha will break the blood vessels below the skin causing a bruise.  In Chinese medicine we say this breaks blood stagnation and releases heat.  Interestingly, if there is not too much heat present, or there is no blood stagnation, it does not create a bruise.

Cupping

Chinese Fire Cups

Cupping works in conjunction with acupuncture to relax muscles and increase circulation.  During this therapy, glass, wooden, or plastic cups are applied to the skin.  The inside of the cup is depressurized with a flame or a vacuum, so it then lifts up the skin below it.

This often leaves round bruises, which are mostly painless.  It helps to relax the muscles and increase circulation.  For more reading on cupping, I recommend this article at the Institute for Traditional Medicine.

Read More in this Series:

• The Theory Behind Acupuncture
• Acupuncture Stimulates The Brain to Heal Itself
• Acupuncture Channels and Points

Acupuncture Channels and Qi Flow

The core of acupuncture theory is the channel system and network. Some people like to describe the channels like the meridians on a globe revealing the geographic relationship between parts of the body. They are somewhat different than meridians, because while they travel on the surface of the skin, they also dredge deep into the body to link with the organs and the viscera. This is why I prefer to use the word channel to meridian.  

No matter what you call them, the channels are an alternative communication mechanism that connect and integrate the body,  That is why we can use points on your leg to treat digestive diseases, headaches, acne, or asthma. 

Qi, the body’s energy, circulates in the channels.  This is another reason they are like channels, because material flows through them.   Good health is maintained when there is a good amount of circulation and amount of qi in the channels.  Injuries, stress, and illnesses can cause the qi to slow down or stagnate in the channels. 

Acupuncture Points

Acupuncture points, for the most part, lie on the channels. Points are regions of the body that the qi is more accessible.  This is why we needle or massage them to influence the flow and circulation of qi.   Each point has a specific healing action such as moving the qi in the digestive system, stimulating production of reproductive qi, or sometimes it will focus on a specific region of the body.  By elegantly combining the points, the skilled practitioner helps to balance the body and promote self healing.  

There are almost as many treatment styles as there are acupuncturists.  Sometimes acupuncturists will not treat the painful area of the body, but the opposite.  For example, I prefer to put needles in points on the feet for headaches, in order to drain the energy down out of the head.  

Chinese medicine believes in the body’s power to heal itself. As clinicians, we remove the imbalances that are keeping you from being healthy.

Interestingly, modern acupuncture research is beginning to show how it actual does to stimulate the body’s own power to heal itself. The acupuncture needle does not inject any medicine, nor is it coated. It is simply reprogramming the body to be healthy again.

The research is still young and we don’t know everything. It is probably a complex series of events which occur in many systems across the body. But we do know that it works to regulate the nervous, endocrine, and the immune system. We also think that it works on a cellular level to influence intercellular communication and regeneration.

The brain and nervous system

Using a type of brain scanner called an fMRI, scientists have shown that acupuncture regulates pain centers in the brain.1 When there is chronic pain, the brain can get stuck in an unhealthy pattern of pain and illness. For example in back pain, your back can be healed, but the brain remembers the pain and still feels it. The acupuncture helps to reset this pattern as a way of reteaching the body to be healthy.

Although not fully understood, acupuncture also has been shown to affect the release of many neurotransmitters such as opoids, endorphins, and endocannaboids that regulate pain, emotion, and possibly help with addiction.

Hormonal level

It has also been suggested that acupuncture can help regulate hormones. This is because we know it works great for conditions like PCOS, hot flashes, diabetes and infertility. In one study, electroacupuncture was shown to increase estradiol and other hormones in rats who had their ovaries removed.2 This suggests that electroacupuncture stimulates the hypothalamus to release the hormones that help to treat infertility.

Cellular level

Healing also occurs at the place where the needle is inserted, on a cellular level. The surrounding connective tissue cells actually grabs hold of the needle and expands.3 Some scientists believe this begins the replication and repair of the cells around the needle.

This needles grasp by the cells also represents the beginning of the communication within the acupuncture channels and may signal that the channels are alternative communication system through the connective tissue.

Immune System

The immune system is tricky. Without it, we could not live. But often it can overreact and attack ourselves, causing autoimmune conditions like asthma, allergies, and eczema. Acupuncture may help to down regulate the overactive immune system as well as give a boost to those with poor immune systems.

In one study, electroacupuncture was shown to lower the number of inflammatory cells in asthmatic rats compared to placebo acupuncture. It also lowered the number of cytokines, which are proteins that signal the inflammatory reaction.4  In another rat study, electroacupuncture to the point ST 36 showed to decrease inflammation through release of opioids.5

This shows that acupuncture has both a analgesic effect and an anti-inflammatory effect. This is good news, because so many disorders with pain also have significant inflammation.

A Glimpse into the Research

This is a glimpse of what modern research is explaining about acupuncture.   There is still a lot more to learn, but what we know is really exciting.

In the next post I will explain acupuncture theory of channels and meridians.

Read more about acupuncture and…

• Resetting the Immune System: Allergies, Asthma, and Acupuncture
• How Acupuncture Treats Pain

Images: Wikipedia, Wikipedia, Wikipedia

References

¹ Napadow, V. Kettner N., Liu J. Et. al. Hypothalamus and Amygdala Response to Acupuncture Stimuli in Carpel Tunnel Syndrome. Pain. 2007; (130): 254-266.

2. Zhao H, Tian Z, Feng Y, Chen B. Circulating estradiol and hypothalamic corticotrophin releasing hormone enhances along with time after ovariectomy in rats: Effects of electroacupuncture. Neuropeptides. 2005; (39): 433–438.

3. Langevin HM, Churchill DL, Wu J. Et. al. Evidence of Connective Tissue Involvement in Acupuncture. FASEB Journal. April 10, 2002. Published Online.

4. Carneiro ER, Et. Al. Effect of Electroacupuncture on Bronchial Asthma Induced by Ovalbumin in Rats. JACM. Volume 11, Number 1, 2005, pp. 127–134.

5. Kim HW, Et. Al.The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Low- and High-Frequency Electroacupuncture Are Mediated by Peripheral Opioids in a Mouse Air Pouch Inflammation Model. JACM. Volume 12, Number 1, 2006, pp. 39–44.