Alban Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs Clinic, New York City
Acupuncture Stimulates the Body to Heal Itself
Aug 24, 2009
This is the second in a series of articles explaining what is acupuncture and how it works.
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…
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.
The Theory Behind Acupuncture
Aug 19, 2009
Acupuncture definitions usually sound like this, “Acupuncture is a therapy which is uses small solid needles inserted into specific points on the body to create a physiological effect.”
True. Yet this misses the powerful theory of acupuncture. This is what really makes it effective. It is not about the needle itself, but the theory behind it.
In the next three articles, I will tell you about the theory behind acupuncture, how it works, and also some of the other treatments you may encounter in an acupuncturists office. In fact, what we call acupuncture is really only one therapy in Chinese medicine, and a combination is often the most effective.
What is acupuncture theory?
Acupuncture is based upon the theory of Chinese medicine. It uses thin solid needles, gently inserted into specific acupuncture points on the body. The point prescription is created specifically for you in order to correct the imbalances that are causing your health concern.
Chinese medicine theory asserts that diseases are caused by imbalances in the body. By correcting the imbalances, then the body can work to heal itself. Imbalances are often related to the body’s energy, called qi (pronounced chee). Qi travels though channels in the body like water flowing through a winding river. These channels connect the body’s surface to the internal organs and muscles, this is why acupuncture can treat diseases of the internal organs.
Acupuncture Channels
Acupuncture corrects imbalances by stimulating specific points on specific channels. When stimulated, these points help the qi to flow smoothly. Acupuncture points are located on the channels, each having a precise healing action.
Treatment will correct the imbalance and remove the impediments to the flow of qi. Other imbalances may also occur. For example heat is a common cause of many illnesses from menstrual cramps to asthma. If this is the case, the acupuncture is prescribed specifically to remove the heat from the body.
After the needles are inserted, they will remain in the points for about 30 minutes. This is the period of time for qi to make one circulation through the channels in the body. After the needle is in, there’s a feeling of warmth and tingling. People usually find that acupuncture treatments are very relaxing and often loose track of time.
Read more about qi and health
Acupuncture for Rotator Cuff Injury
Aug 10, 2009
Rotator cuff tendinitis is an injury that plagues athletes and non-athletes alike. It most often occurs from repetitive actions like throwing a ball, lifting, or even sitting at a computer. But the good news is that acupuncture can help. I believe that acupuncture for shoulder pain, and specifically, rotator cuff tendonitis, is possibly the most effective and safest treatment available.
What is the rotator cuff?
The rotator cuff consists of four muscles that connect the shoulder to the humerus of the arm: the suprspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis muscle. These muscles stabilize the arm while it moves.
How does an injury develop?
Rotator cuff tendinitis is an injury to the tendons, but the muscles can also be injured. Injuries can develop from an acute sudden injury like falling or lifting something too heavy. As I mentioned, it can also happen from repetitive movements like throwing a ball.
From the injury, one may develop pain, weakness, difficultly moving the arm, and irritation. If left untreated, it may become worse. Due to lack of motion of the arm, you may loose muscles mass and develop long term weakness. Also, I have seen rotator cuff and neck injuries lead to wrist problems and arm pain.
Acupuncture and rotator cuff tendinitis
Acupuncture works great for rotator cuff tendinitis. First, it works by increasing the circulation to the area and decreasing inflammation in the tendons. Secondly, acupuncture may stimulate regrowth of the cells and tissues in an injured area. And also, it helps to reduce pain. Sometimes in pain conditions, the central nervous system remembers the pain, even if the injury is healed. Acupuncture may help to reteach the brain and nervous system to be healthy again.
Research on Acupuncture for Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
There is a wonderful study done on acupuncture for rotator cuff tendinitis published in 1999 in the journal Pain.
52 people were enrolled and received acupuncture 2 times per week for 4 weeks. In this study, they used an interesting placebo needle. When the acupuncturist goes to insert the needle, the tip of it retracts, so there is no needle insertion. The acupuncture group’s pain was reduced much more than the placebo acupuncture group.
This was a great study. I think even better results can be obtained with the inclusion of acupressure, which I regularly do in my treatment for shoulder pain. I have already written about my unique acupressure and tui na technique for shoulder pain.
Exercises and Stretches
In addition to acupuncture and acupressure, it is important to include stretches and exercises. In my next post, I will write about the 3 essential shoulder stretches for shoulder and rotator cuff rehabilitation.
Read more about preventing neck and shoulder pain
- Ten Ways to Prevent Neck and Shoulder Pain
- Acupuncture for Neck and Shoulder Pain
- Five Essential Stretches for Neck Pain
Photos: Wikipedia
Follow Up Elbow Treatment
Aug 4, 2009
A few weeks ago I wrote about treating my elbow injury with cupping and acupuncture. That was the acute stage, and I was able to reduce the swelling and return range of motion.
Now, I am in the second stage of healing and rehabilitation. Almost all of the inflammation is gone, but I have weakness and occasional clicking. To treat that I am focusing on building muscle and tendon strength with acupuncture, trauma lineament,tui na, and exercises.
1. Acupuncture- acupuncture treatment at the site of injury will help bring qi and blood to the area. Acupuncture may also stimulate the cells in the area to regenerate, thereby helping healing on a cellular level. I give myself acupuncture 2 times per week.
2. Tui na- tui na, or acupressure, helps support the acupuncture in promoting circulation in the local area.
3. Trauma lineament is a topical herbal formula that helps to heal traumatic injuries through moving blood stagnation, warming and brings qi to the area.
4. Exercises and stretches are very important for joint rehabilitation. An old Chinese proverb says “A wooden hinge gets no worms.” Keeping the joint moving will help prevent further injury. Gentle moving exercises are best.
Just like most problems, combination treatment is the most effective. It is best to be proactive as close to the injury as possible, which is more likely to heal.
Acupuncture and Cupping for an Acute Injury
Jul 13, 2009
These last six weeks have been monsoon season here in New York City. Everything was soaked, soggy, and slippery.
And that makes for poor bike riding conditions. A few weeks ago, I was riding home from my Tai Ji class in central park. I wa
s trying to be cautious, but when I hit a muddy spot on a turn my bike slipped out form under me.
Splat, I fell on my left elbow.
I was worried. Is this going to require a serious rehab time? I knew, no mater what, it soon swell up badly and needed quick treatment. I would get an x-ray later in the day, and luckily nothing was broken. But I knew I could start reducing the inflammation immediately.
I rode home, and got out my cups, acupuncture needles, and the all too valuable herbal anti-inflammatory topical poultice San Huang San.
My arm was swelling up, becoming red and hot. These are all signs of the inflammation in the area. As the swelling increase, my range of motion decreased. From previous similar injuries, I knew if I did not do anything this would take at least 2-3 months to heal.
The best way to reduce the inflammation and swelling is the ancient technique of cupping and bleeding. Cupping is
Chinese Fire Cups
done by creating a vacuum in a glass (or wooden) cup with a flame and then pressing that cup to the skin, drawing up the muscle beneath it.
For acute injuries, the bleeding helps to reduce the inflammation and swelling. Tom Bisio, one of my teachers and an expert on treating traumatic injuries, says in his wonderful book A Tooth from the Tiger’s Mouth,
this is like breaking holes in a beaver dam. Once you open a little hole, it gets larger and larger, and more and more water will flow through. For injuries, this allows qi to flow through to promoting healing.
By using a small thick lancet, I pricked the swollen area to draw a little blood. Then, I used cupping to draw that blood away from the injury. I also needled some points for qi and blood circulation.
After the cupping treatment I used the herbal poultice called San Huang San, which has anti-inflammatory and cooling properties, and wrapped my arm for the night.
The next day I felt better, and the swelling had gone down considerable. I repeated the cupping and bleeding, and again wrapped my arm. Each hour I felt more circulation and relaxation. I repeated for another day. After that, there was very little swelling and I had almost full range of motion.
That week I treated myself with acupuncture two more times, and by the end of the week, I was 90% better. Within two weeks, the pain and tightness was completely gone.
I still have to rebuild some of the strength, but thanks to the cupping and acupuncture, my rehabilitation will be only a few weeks, rather than a couple of months.
photos: magicattic88
Mindfulness for Beginners- A Review
Jun 18, 2009
We’re often disconnected. We are disconnected from each other, living in our own worlds. And we are disconnected to ourselves, overloaded with stimulus from the internet, television, and pressures of life. We end up ignoring how we feel, never observing what we are going through. Never stopping to take a moment to give ourselves a moment of compassion.
Disconnection is a factor in many of the modern medical issues, including pain, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and even cancer.
John Kabat Zinn’s mindfulness technique is a way we can break this cycle of obliviousness in our own lives. On his CD called Mindfulness for Beginners
This technique seeks to teach us to experience and explore the current moment. To actually experience our bodies and the world around us can lead to an opening of the mind and heart. The silence we practice with mindfulness encourages our humanity to flow from within us.
Meditation, as most regular practices, is difficult to start. I think Mindfulness for Beginners
The Mindfulness Technique
Mindfulness technique is based upon Buddist meditation which seeks to focus attention and awareness. The mind is focused to be aware of ourselves, and our surroundings. He describes this idea as finding a sense of what is going on in the body and around the body. Through this awareness, we develop a sense of self, unlocking who we are and the beauty of being alive. Opening the mind in this way, being aware and being honest with ourselves can have a profound effect on our mind, bodies, and health.
Mindfulness and Health
I often recommend Mindfulness practice to my patients who are experiencing pain, anxiety, depression, and other chronic illnesses, like cancer or MS. Being mindful and compassionate to our own body, even if that body experiences pain, will make us a more whole person.
Mindfulness helps us remember that we are all “already in the greatest place we’ll ever be,” which is now.
Electroacupuncture works for Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
Jun 12, 2009
Chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS) is the most common form of prostatitis, yet not many clinicians know how to treat it. I have written about what chronic pelvic pain syndrome is and also how acupuncture can help.
A recent research study is also supporting the use of electroacupuncture to relieve chronic pelvic pain in men.
Electroacupuncture and Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome
Electroacupuncture is when electric stimulation is attached to the acupuncture needles. It is generally used for pain relief. I often use it for treating pain and with men with CPPS.
This study showed that electroacupuncture reduces pain in men with CPPS by using just six standard acupuncture points on the sacrum and buttock. There was also a placebo acupuncture group, in which the patients received acupuncture at non-acupuncture points. Lastly, they had a group that was instructed in relaxation techniques and used a sitz bath.
After 3 weeks the men with electroacupuncture experienced a greater relief than the other two groups. After 6 weeks, the pain was nearly cut in half. There was also a reduction in prostaglandin E, an inflammatory marker, in the electroacupuncture group alone.
Beyond the research
This is great news for men with CPPS. These results support the use of acupuncture for relieving pain with CPPS. Hopefully, this will encourage men with CPPS to find help through acupuncture.
As much of great medical research does, the answer to a question gives us practical advise, and at the same time, creates more questions.
I would like to see researchers go further into examining the acupuncture methodology to see if they can produce more powerful results. For example, I believe that the best acupuncture is done through individualized diagnosis and treatment which addresses the underlying imbalance causing the pain. This type of treatment is based in Chinese medicine theory and practice. It will reduce inflammation and muscle spasm, as well as correct the imbalance that is causing the disease. This could be done through a study that includes an individualized treatment group.
Second, I would like to see a study address questions of how the acupuncture can best reduce the pain. Should the electroacupunture be set at 4HZ, 100 HZ, 200HZ, or a mixed pattern? What is the optimal time dosage? Another great question is to look into if the length of the needle affects the outcomes.
Through these type of question, we can search to find the optimal method that not only reduces pain, but eliminates the pain totally.
Better Habits for Better Sleep
Jun 7, 2009
In my last post, I wrote about how acupuncture can treat insomnia. But there are also a lot of things you should do on your own.
1. Turn off the T.V. at least 30 minutes before bed. The television stimulates you and wakes you up. The computer too. So if you are reading this blog late at night, stop now, turn the computer off, and get some sleep.
2. Only use your bed for sleep and making whoopie. Don’t use it as a spare desk.
3. Try doing self acupressure for better sleeping everyday before bed.
4. Practice breathing exercises for relaxation.
5. Drink chamomile tea.
6. Avoid caffeine after 12 noon. Don’t drink coffee even if it is decaffeinated, if you are sensitive it will still keep you up.
7. If you cannot sleep, taking a warm bath will help you relax.
8. Also, if you cannot sleep, read a lighthearted article or story in dim light.
9. Exercise during the day will help you sleep at night.
10. Most importantly, don’t nap. I know it sounds hard, but it is best to go to sleep and wake up on a schedule which will confuse force your body into a sleeping schedule.
Acupuncture Cure for the Insomniac Nation
Jun 3, 2009
Sleep. We are supposed to spend one third of our lives sleeping. But for many people, that’s a lot easier said than done.
In fact, up to 58% of adults in America complain of having trouble sleeping.
Insomnia is an issue that most of my patients experience. Actually, this is not so surprising because many chronic illnesses and pain are also associated with insomnia.
Can acupuncture treat insomnia?
Yes, acupuncture is helpful to reduce those sleepless nights. Just like other conditions, treatment of chronic insomnia should address root imbalance that is causing the condition.
The root treatment addresses the heart, liver-gallbladder, and stomach. The heart houses the spirit, yin and blood deficiency will irritate the spirit causing insomnia characterized by restlessness, anxiety, and palpitations. Sweating hands, a red complexion and tongue signals yin deficiency, while pale white complexion with a pale tongue reveals blood deficiency.
Heart Seven
One of the good acupuncture points for this pattern is HT 7.
Stress and frustration can cause insomnia from liver qi stagnation. This pattern is associated with irritability, tightness in the chest and rib-sides, and neck pain. Use LV 3 and LI 4 for liver qi stagnation.
Sometimes stagnation in the stomach harasses the spirit, which will cause insomnia with bloating, belching, and nausea. For this condition use ST 36 and PC 6.
Also, you can try acupressure for insomnia at home to enhance the effect of the acupuncture.
Photo: Wikipedia
Chinese herbs for traveling
Jun 1, 2009
Next week I am going to Mexico, and in addition to being very excited. I am reminded to prepare for my trip by getting some Chinese herbs which can take care of those stomach issues on the road.
The best all around herbal formula for travelers digestive woes is Huo xiang zheng qi tang, which translates to the Patchoui formula for correcting the qi. This formula is very useful for mild to moderate stomach problems like traveler’s diarrhea. Take it as soon as you feel a little bad. This is an aromatic formula which boosts digestion through pungent herbs like patchoui and ginger.
