Health Intuitive

Smoking cessation is a difficult thing to do.  Hundreds of millions of cigarettes are smoked every day and almost all smokers are aware of the dangers to their health of cigarette smoking but they find it very difficult to resist the cravings of this habit.  Cigarette smoking is so addictive that many cigarette smokers need external help to be able to succeed.  Still, without the true will to stop and self-control after stopping smoking for a long time, external methods will never be enough to help you be treated of your cigarette smoking addiction.

To help cigarette smokers destroy their urge to smoke but lack the essential self control to see it through there are several products available that aid the cigarette smoker to end his smoking habit.  There are items that lessen the impact of cigarette smoking withdrawal and there are also aids that help the person generate enough will power to overcome the smoking cravings.  If you prefer to avail of alternative, natural or even medication therapies to battle your cigarette smoking addiction, there are good therapies you can choose from that you think is the best approach for ridding you of your cigarette smoking.

Aromatherapy is one alternate therapy that can be effective for some people to end their smoking craving.  Aromatherapy uses medicinal plants to give a variety of health benefits to the person and one of these benefits is to overcome the craving for smoking.  Certain herbs used for this treatment is believed to mitigate the craving for nicotine as well as lessen the negative symptoms associated with cigarette smoking cessation.

Acupuncture NYC is one excellent type of alternative medicine that uses filiform needles to energize strategic energy points on the human body. This treatment is around 5,000 years old and it uses the body itself to effect therapeutic benefits that help the smoker end his craving for cigarette smoking.  Individuals who have successfully ended their tobacco addiction have attested to the fact that acupuncture has greatly lessened the smoking urges as well as lessen the irritability associated with cigarette craving hence made them more capable of kicking the habit for good.  This treatment may not work for all people since each individual have different constitutions that may or may not be easily responsive to acupuncture.

Some tobacco smokers still are searching for other ways to help them stop smoking completely but some of them may have half heartedly tried certain effective therapies with little resolve to help themselves end this unhealthy habit.  Some may use nicotine itself to help quit cigarette smoking. Products such as nicotine patches or gums are some of the aids that help nicotine addicts to wean themselves out of nicotine.  The trick is to lessen the use of nicotine patches or gums systematically until the addict is cured of his smoking addiction.

Everybody has experienced pain at some time or another.  It is part of being human.  Pain is the message of the body to a person that he has a strain, disease or injury that he needs to be aware of and to remedy the problem before it becomes life threatening.  One would never know he is suffering from a torn muscle, wound on the stomach or intestines or has a burst appendix that may have released toxins in the body without the sensation of pain.  Pain is very important for our health and existence.

Because it is so undesirable and distressful, people try to get rid of pain with various methods, the common one being the use of painkilling pharmaceuticals such as tranquilizers anti-depressants or narcotics.  However, it is only the pain they kill, not the cause of the pain.  This is only called pain relief not treatment because it only hides the cause of the pain and pain will always come back and even become chronic as long as the source is not treated.

Generally pain serves as a useful function for our health; however, there are certain types of pain that serve no purpose at all.  Acute pain do act as warning signs for underlying serious problems but chronic pain is pain that stays with you even after the injury or ailment has long been treated.  Some forms of chronic pain are arthritis, migraines and backache.  There is no treatment for these types of chronic pain but the pain can be managed by various kinds of therapies.

Some therapies work through physiological means by controlling pain signals sent to and from the nerves and the brain.  These treatments work by numbing the nerves or desensitizing them from feeling pain.

The Western world is poorly informed about incredible alternative pain treatments such as acupuncture.  The rest of the world though has been enjoying and benefiting from this treatment for many thousands of years now.  Acupuncture is part and parcel of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which follows the principle that energy balance and good flow in the body causes good health.

Acupuncture New York is a uniquely Chinese healing procedure that follows the TCM principle.  Acupuncturists believe that good health is caused by the amount of chi or energy present throughout the body.  Chi is believed to travel through energy vessels called meridians that connect to the major organs in the body.  Very thin needles are the tools used by acupuncturists to remove energy blockages in the meridians that cause illnesses, ailments and diseases ad release blocked chi that is the cause of pain.  The needles are inserted at specific points in the body that access the affected meridians and stimulate energy to remove the blockages or imbalances in the meridians and the affected organs respectively.

Endorphin is a chemical produced by the brain and have qualities that fight pain and make you feel good.

Here are some ways that can help you produce more endorphins in your body:

1. Working out raises your endorphin levels.  If you tend to workout for 20 minutes or more, the endorphins you produce are then used to combat the stress and pain from the workout.  You do not even need to do exercises that cause you to sweat profusely.  Doing activities that you love doing like swimming, playing basketball, tennis can help add more endorphins in your body.

2. Food raises endorphin levels in a dramatic way. You don’t need to eat the food to trigger endorphin production since smelling or anticipating the food already makes you produce endorphins.  Some foods like chili peppers whether served cooked or used as a condiment trigger mild endorphin levels because they have a component called capsaicin which helps release endorphins to fight the distress and pain, most likely from eating the biting hot quality of the pepper.  Caffeine, chocolates and other high calorie products also trigger endorphin production.

3. Believe it or not a laugh and a smile can raise endorphin levels in the body of these people.  Studies show that people who laughed or smiled at least 8 times a day have more endorphin content in their blood than the average person and are more prepared to combat pain in a more effective way.  The facial muscles involved in smiling/laughing and the laughter itself stimulates and releases endorphins through the hypothalamus and pituitary gland in back boned animals.  Laughter can help combat pain as this article attests.

4. Acupuncture NYC is the only known medical procedure that can stimulate production and release of endorphins.  Amusingly in a certain way, as the patient anticipates the needling, the body sees it as another form of stress and pain and reacts in a defensive way by immediately releasing endorphins in the bloodstream to act as a natural painkiller.

5. Getting scared is one other albeit peculiar means to add endorphins to your body. Getting scared causes your heart to beat harder and faster, which is like reacting to stress. As a result endorphins are quickly released to combat this twin-like manifestation of stress.

6. Meditation has been verified to increase endorphin levels in the body.  Scientists have observed that a person deep into meditation will produce amounts of endorphins similar to those who did 20 minute or more workouts/physical activities.  The hypothalamus releases endorphins 30 minutes after the start of meditation.

7. Sex is another way to increase endorphin level.  The sexual act causes couples to release a peptide called oxytocin which causes the feelings of affection in the person.  The oxytocin in the bloodstream stimulates the production of endorphins, which helps relax and give comfort to the body.

Chronic sufferers of depression and anxiety will gravitate to a better and permanent treatment of their condition if given the chance.  Antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs just would not cut when one is looking for a long term solution for chronic anxiety and depression problems.  They merely offer transient relief from anxiety and depression symptoms, never addressing the root cause of these problems in any manner.  For chronic sufferers of these extreme emotions, the intake of prescription drugs all their lives will eventually take a heavy toll and their physical and mental health due to the accumulating toxins from those drugs in the body, causing renal, liver and brain damage.  Sadly without knowing any better alternatives, they have no choice but to avail of these medications all their life.  However, many now have discovered the power of acupuncture to cure anxiety and depression and not only temporarily but on a permanent basis.

Acupuncture New York is a uniquely Chinese medicinal art that uses needles inserted at specific acupuncture points in the body to cause a therapeutic effect treating many kinds of disorders.  Practitioners of this healing art believe that the needles enable life energy called chi to naturally flow all over the body that was otherwise impeded due to physiological or neurological problems.  The uses of acupuncture today are broad and can include the relief of pain, treatment of insomnia, muscle aches, headaches, migraines, addiction, extreme emotions (anxiety and depression) and severe stress among others.

These are some of the benefits acupuncture can bestow on the body and mind:

• With acupuncture, the body is rejuvenated, strengthened and refreshed.

• It greatly improves the body’s immune function.

• It is a very good reliever of pain, which makes the need for painkillers unnecessary.

• Acupuncture can facilitate healing shortening the healing time of injuries and conditions.

• Stress symptoms are considerably lessened and blood circulation is greatly increased with acupuncture treatment.

• Acupuncture does not have any kind of side effects to the body or mind and it can be used in combination with other medical treatments.

• Virtually anyone can get acupuncture treatment even if they are relatively healthy as acupuncture can boost the energy level of the body and increase body strength.

Psychological and neurological conditions are effectively treated with acupuncture as attested by the many sufferers of extreme emotions such as depression and anxiety who are now living normal lives because of acupuncture.  These former patients report a general happy and light disposition after their acupuncture sessions. Sleeplessness or insomnia which often accompanies anxiety and depression is also addressed by acupuncture.  For those tired of taking anti-anxiety and anti-depression medications which most of the time gives unsatisfactory relief, acupuncture may just be the answer you are looking for to alter your life into one filled with happiness and contentment.

For thousands of years, acupuncture New York has been a remedy for the Chinese people for numerous kinds of ailments in the body.  Traditional Chinese medicine believes that hundreds of acupuncture points are located all over the body and lie along energy channels called meridians.  The meridians are the vessels where life energy known as chi flows.  Several hair thin non-hollow needles are inserted into acupuncture points as a way to relieve headaches, stress, pain and virtually all sorts of ailments.  Western medical science still has no valid explanation as to how it works but nevertheless, hundreds of millions of people benefit daily from it.  Acupuncture is believed to exist as early as 3,000 years B.C.  Although countless scientific researches show that acupuncture is truly effective for many kinds of health conditions, Western scientific method cannot categorically prove it works and therein lays the paradox.  While the Western scientific establishment tries to make sense of their obviously flawed scientific approach, the World Health Organization (WHO) has listed a minimum of 28 health problems that acupuncture can officially effectively treat.

Stress is a normal body and mental response to something that a person deems as a negative impact to his/her life.  Stress produces a biochemical reaction in the body that causes the muscles to stiffen, the blood pressure to elevate, respiratory rate and heart beat to increase.  This reaction can be termed as a fight or flight reaction or an adrenaline rush.  At these moments, the body is endowed with enhanced alertness, energy and strength to deal with the immediate situation.  After a short period of time, the stress dissipates and the body functions normally once more.  If the stress lingers for longer periods, it might become chronic and unmanageable leading to an unhealthy state of mind and body.  This kind of stress can cause, heart palpitations, panic attacks, hyperventilation, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety and mental pressure.  The muscles display tremors, spasms, pain and tension.

Instead of bringing a relaxed and comfortable environment, the modern era has brought about stressful times to almost every individual.  Work and relationships are so subjected to pressure and demands that the body’s energy are exhausted leaving the body prone to illnesses and diseases.  Common manifestations of stress are emotional disorders (depression, anxiety, loss of self confidence), mental conditions (memory loss, lack of concentration), gastric disorders, skin problems and head and back aches to mention a few.  Prolonged stress will result in problems in the cardiovascular system including strokes and heart attacks.  Prolonged or chronic stress is a deadly disease and should be immediately treated to preserve the health and life of the individual.

The best solution for chronic stress is acupuncture because this treatment removes the factors that cause stress to be very harmful to the body.  Acupuncture relaxes and gives comfort to the mind and body, lowers heart rates, relaxes tight muscles relieving muscle pains and spasms and takes away any feelings of anxiety and depression.

Acupuncture New York is a very important part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).  Debate is ongoing in the West on whether acupuncture is a credible treatment for any kind of disorders.  Whether or not a consensus develops regarding the role of acupuncture in Western medicine, the fact is acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in treating a wide range of disorders including obesity.

In the West, acupuncture is slowly seen to be a good option for obese people who have tried countless weight loss programs but have failed to give them the result they desire.  The most common treatment of acupuncture for weight loss is called auricular acupuncture or acupuncture of the ear. TCM believes that every living thing has an energy called vital force or chi in Chinese inside it that gives life, health and growth to living things including human beings.  Chi run throughout the body through energy lines called meridians.  Acupuncture points or acupoints are sites in the body that run along meridians just located beneath the skin.  There are meridians that associate with major organs in the body.  Acupuncturists treat meridians that associate with the stomach to control hunger; some of those meridians are located on the ear.  Acupoints on the ear connected to the stomach meridians are treated with needles to rebalance chi and regulate hunger.  Many meridians are located on the ear and one particular meridian connects to the vagus nerve that can stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.  This part of the nervous system also helps regulate the digestive function allowing it to function properly and efficiently.

The needles also stimulate the production and release of neurotransmitters called endorphins.  These chemicals are the body’s natural painkillers and “feel good” chemicals and they generate a feeling of comfort, tranquility and euphoria to the body.  This helps relieve any painful sensations in the body and enable to people to fight stress, anxiety, depression and other extreme negative emotions, which can cause the body to crave for food as a way to comfort themselves.  Thus we have the term “comfort foods”.  Not a few antidepressants have chemicals that can alter the appetite of people and many drugs for losing weight have also the ability to stimulate the release of endorphins.  The only problem with these drugs is that they have other chemicals that cause harmful and sometimes serious side effects to the body.

It is common to hear of heart irregularities and palpitations after taking some of these drugs.  There are no such side effects with acupuncture.  In fact, there are more beneficial side effects to acupuncture such as improved blood circulation; increased immune strength and renewed vitality that no other pharmaceutical product can also claim to give a person.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder better known as PTSD is a mental disorder where a person reacts to a “fight or flight” type of situation in an irrational manner.  PTSD usually happens to people usually soldiers who have been involved or have witnessed a very traumatic situation. The experience of that event lingers in his mind and he still reacts to it even after it has passed and the danger does not exist anymore.  PTSD can utterly debilitate a person and it does not select any age group.  Research has shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture New York are capable of managing the symptoms of PTSD.

PTSD may result in these types of situations:

1) The person undergoes a situation fraught with horror, helplessness or intense fear.
2) A person witnesses or is involved in an incident where severe bodily harm or death was faced to him or to others.

Some typical symptoms of PTSD:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Easily startled
• Always hyper-alert
• Loss of concentration
• Sleeplessness
• Anguish felt when confronted with mental and physical signs that mirrors the shock
• Repetitive stressful dreams
• Neurosis
• Angry or raging outbursts

Sometimes PTSD symptoms may manifest even years after the traumatic experience has elapsed or sometimes they can appear immediately.  For treatment the Western conventional methods of counseling and/or therapy with intake of medications for the symptoms of loss of concentration, sleeplessness, depression and anxiety are given to the patient.

As an alternative treatment for PTSD, TCM and acupuncture uses needles inserted at specific points to stimulate the area of the brain where memories that evoke extreme emotions reside to control the memories of trauma in a safe and relaxed way.  Acupuncture treatment for PTSD uses a gentle approach to stimulate the brain without exciting it to trigger memories of traumatic flashbacks.  Auricular (ear) acupuncture is often applied with some needles also inserted to other parts of the body to put the mind in a state of calm and tranquility and to balance chi in the body.

Massage or mild and gentle physiotherapy can also help relax the body especially the tight and tense muscles of PTSD patients during and even after acupuncture.  Herbal mixtures are included in the treatment to further achieve the tranquility and calmness the patient needs to be in to safely and effectively treat the symptoms.

Apart from acupuncture, physiotherapy and herbal medicine some other treatments that can be extremely helpful in treating PTSD symptoms are EFT or emotional freedom technique, EMDR or eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, meditation, counseling or yoga.  Acupuncture can help with the balance of emotions and physical health while the other modalities help channel the negative experiences in a safe and positive way

Five thousand years ago, acupuncture New York was discovered by the Chinese to help both the elite and the masses with their health disorders.  Acupuncture uses needles that are inserted at certain body parts to treat diseases and disorders as well as to relieve painful conditions.

For many decades since its introduction in the United States in the 1970’s, acupuncture has been treated with skepticism by Western medical scientists.  Now, because of its proven track record of being an effective treatment for so many kinds of disorders, Western medical science has now incorporated acupuncture into its system.

Acupuncture is grounded on the philosophies of naturalism and Taoism.  Taoism believes that the universe is composed of two opposing forces.  This reality manifests recurrently in nature the form of male and female, positive and negative, hot and cold, up and down, black and white, etc.  Not surprisingly, the kind of duality also exists in the human body through yin and yang, which is the female and male principle respectively.  From yin/yang, the Five Elements are known which represent the ongoing changes in health and life.  According to traditional Chinese medicine or TCM, yin and yang always seek to balance each other out and this balancing is manifested in the Five Elements of earth, fire, water, wood and metal.  The Five Elements can symbolize changes in time (seasonal, yearly and life cycles) and can also symbolize or represent the major organs in the body (earth represents the spleen and stomach, fire represents or associates with the small intestine and the heart, water associates with the kidneys and bladder, wood the gall bladder and liver and metal associates with the large intestines, the colon and the lungs).

TCM also believes that the harmony and balance of these organs leads to good health.   Acupuncture is the tool to achieve and maintain the harmony and balance of the Five Elements.

The goal of acupuncture treatment is to maintain or bring back the energy balance in the body. This is done by introducing needles into the energy vessels called meridians to insure that nutrient and energy flow remains unimpeded.  The energy the meridians carry along is called Qi or chi.  Chi is believed to carry electrical energy as well as vital nutrients to the organs and tissues.  A blockage causes energy stagnation or sluggish flow, which results in illnesses and diseases in the body.

TCM is not only concerned with treating diseases and relieving pain.  Its aim is to bring wellness to both body and mind.  A balanced health in body, mind, emotion and spirit is what is meant by wellness in the TCM sense of the word.  In dealing with physical, emotional, mental or spiritual disorders, acupuncture can be a powerful benefit for the person in regaining and maintaining optimal holistic health.

Acupuncture NYC originated in ancient China.  For the ancient Chinese acupuncturists and for many current acupuncturists, the power of this treatment stems from its innate spirituality and the balance of energy the Chinese believed exists outside and inside the body.  When an imbalance of energy pervades around the person and within him/her, the body will suffer from illness.  Acupuncture needles are used to address these imbalances as they are applied to specific points that cause the restoration of the free flow of energy, which in turn, will restore good health to the person.  The concepts of the 5 elements, yin/yang and chi become harmonized in their interaction with each other restoring balance once more to the body with the use of acupuncture needles at specific acupuncture points or acupoints for short.

Acupuncture today is employed by around 13 million US citizens as a treatment for many kinds of ailments and sicknesses and for the removal of pain.  Some acupuncturists follow the belief of the ancient Chinese of energy balance and the spiritual aspect of acupuncture.  Western medical science, however, explains the mechanics of acupuncture in the language of biological science.  These scientists argue that the acupoints, which are known as meridians stimulate the nervous system of the body causing the production and secretion of beneficial neurohormones to aid the body to heal itself.

Regardless of one’ viewpoint, acupuncture is an undisputable effective treatment for many kinds of ailments, illnesses and pain; in short, it works.  Because of its versatility and potency, acupuncture is one of the most popular forms of alternative treatment in the world.

In an actual acupuncture treatment session, an acupuncturist will apply needles around the area or on the affected area itself.  Sometimes, the acupoints selected for treatment are located on related areas on the body. It is rare to see only one or two needles applied during a treatment. Typically, around four or more needles are used to treat an ailment.  With a traditional acupuncturist, herbal or diet supplements are used along with the acupuncture therapy.

Acupuncture needles can be inserted at various acupoints around the body.  There are over 2000 acupoints spread on the front, sides and back of the body and each point corresponds to specific illnesses and pain.  Many types of body pain such as joint and back pain and menstrual pain and discomfort can be treated with acupuncture.  These typical everyday ailments are frequently cured after several regular sessions sometimes followed by a few intermittent sessions.  Diabetes, paralysis and hypertension are also illnesses that acupuncture can treat.  Depending on the gravity of the problem, the whole treatment may take either a few weeks or several months.

If one opts for acupuncture treatment, it is imperative for him/her to select a qualified and experienced acupuncturist.  For recommendations, one’s own doctor, family or friends can be good sources of information.

Experiencing acupuncture New York treatment can be the best thing one can do for his/her health.  Acupuncture can treat a host of ailments and diseases ranging from physical pain and addiction to extreme emotions to infertility problems.  It is one of the most, if not the most versatile treatment in the world.  Here are some of the benefits in using acupuncture.

Acupuncture is a safe therapy.  The only drawback of acupuncture is the needles; however, the needles used are ultra thin that in the hands of an experienced acupuncturist, most people do not even feel it entering the skin.  It is highly recommended to consult with an experienced and highly recommended acupuncturist to avoid unnecessary accidents or injuries during treatment. Under a qualified acupuncturist, no pain should be felt at all during the treatment process.  If one feels pain, he/she should complain about it to the acupuncturist promptly.  Acupuncture is safe enough to be used by older children and seniors.  It is also good to ask the approval of one’s healthcare giver before proceeding with acupuncture; who knows, the physician may know of a qualified acupuncturist for his/her patient.

Acupuncture does not cause any side effects.  However, there may be procedures that could render the patient nauseous or light-headed or whose effects may linger for a day or two but there are no major serious side effects to be gotten from its use.  Some medication therapy are best complemented with acupuncture as acupuncture up to a point can neutralize the side effects of some of these medications.

Acupuncture guarantees pain removal.  This is one of acupuncture’s biggest benefit and one of the main reasons of its popularity.  Acupuncture enables the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers to neutralize pain and distress and at the same time, relaxes and gives the patient a sense of tranquility.  This is why it is so effective in treating back, shoulder, joint and neck pain, rheumatism and arthritis and many other kinds of ailments.  Unlike Western medications, acupuncture does not possess toxins that harm the body.  It in fact, is a good body detoxifier.

Acupuncture treatment does not cramp anyone’s schedule.  A typical session lasts around 20-40 minutes.  Therefore, there is a lot of time for the patient to attend to other matters of the day.

Acupuncture brings back harmony and balance to the body and mind.  The body lives and grows on vital energy called chi.  When there is an imbalance of chi in the body, the body gets sick.  The aim of acupuncture therapy is to restore the balance of chi by applying needles to the right areas of the body that would achieve this end.  The restoration of balance causes relief from pain, tranquility, control and renewed vitality.