Health Intuitive

Because of our fast paced modern way of living, some people cannot cope to fast changes going on in their personal and social lives and this can result in depression. Depression is quite a common experience by many people these days. The good news is that there are many forms of treatment for this disorder that can get you back on track to a healthy state of mind.  For depression, the more effective and safer remedies are found in alternative medicine.   A wide range of home remedies made from herbs and plants that are easily available can be quite helpful in treating depression.

To avoid feeling depressed, one can eat an apple bathed in honey and milk.  This can help you feel active and energized a bit.  Cashew nuts are also good energy stimulators that can help fight depression.  They are rich in vitamin B and energize the nervous system as well as the appetite.  It also contains energy giving ingredients such as riboflavin to keep you energetic, cheerful and active.  Asparagus root has healing benefits against depression.  You can use it as a tonic to energize your nervous system.  You can also avail of the refreshing and soothing experience of drinking fresh rose petals if you are feeling down.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) likewise offers many remedies that can address depression and other negative emotions.  Countless people throughout millennia have benefited from this ancient Chinese treatment health-wise.  According to TCM, strong negative emotions (and even positive ones) are the result of some type of imbalance in the body’s energy.  This imbalance is often caused by blockages that have developed in some of the body’s major organs and the organs’ energy channels called meridians.  Acupuncture Miami works by removing the blockages to energy, helping restore health and removing the negative emotions such as depression.

Acupressure is very similar to acupuncture in the way it works but instead of using hair thin needles, acupressure is done with the hands and fingers of the practitioner on pressure points where acupuncture needles are inserted in.  Often combined with acupressure are deep breathing exercises to take in more energy from the air.

Aromatherapy works uniquely for depression as it can help you release your stress, depression and sadness.  Essential oils combined with other natural substances synergistically cause the mood to become positively high.  Orange oil, as an example of the benefit of aromatherapy helps better the way people look at life as well as restores balance in the body.  It is often applied alone or combined with other oils to offset the effects of winter sadness.  The scent of the orange mixes beautifully with the other aromatic scents without causing any harmful side effects to the body.

Obesity is a global problem and the World Health Organization (WHO) knows it is.  Its statistics showed that between 1995 to 2000, the number of obese adults worldwide jumped by a hundred million (from 200 million to 300 million).  A 50% jump within a span of only 5 years.

A person may be overweight because of excessive muscles, body water, bone or fat.  Obesity, on the other hand, means too much fat in the body.   If you want to know if you’re overweight or obese use the body mass index (BMI) to have reliable information on where you stand.

To know your BMI, divide your weight by your height in meters squared. The National Institute’s of Health BMI calculator (http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/) will let you know where you stand in terms of weight status.

According to the BMI, overweight means you have a BMI 25 and over; obesity, on the other hand means you have a BMI of 30 and over.

Obesity has resulted in more than 300,000 premature deaths annually in the U.S. Men who are severely obese die 13 years sooner than men of normal weight; obesity is the second highest cause of deaths in the U.S. and Americans spend 40-50 billion just to lose weight.  These facts just show why obesity is a very serious health problem in the U.S.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been around for a few millennia and acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, both components of TCM have ways to effectively deal with obesity.  Acupuncture Miami works by stimulating neuroendocrine vessels which control physiological functions such as metabolism.  In this way acupuncture can help lower lipid levels in the bloodstream, insulin levels body fat and body weight; it allows the body to be easily satiated with less food intakes; lowers the appetite and lessens weight gain due to menstruation.

Acupuncture treatment for obesity or excess weight can and ought to be combined with counseling, exercises and diet management to help take the undesired weight off and to maintain one’s desired weight.  Oftentimes, the acupuncturist will combine Chinese herbal medicine with acupuncture to help solve issues that concern imbalances in hormonal function.  Food cravings may be caused by enzyme deficiency or low blood sugar in the body.  Acupuncture can address these problems by helping to regulate the endocrine system and prevent hormonal and enzyme imbalances from occurring.

Acupuncture treatment for weight loss can be done once, twice of three times a week.  Herbal medicine should also be included in the treatment process to help metabolism and food cravings much better.  Develop a diet program where you eat highly nutritious foods that can satiate you with just a few food intakes.  Engage in some physical activities that allow you to sweat even just a little bit and do them every day.

Acupuncture Miami is a versatile form of medical practice that can treat more health conditions than any form of conventional treatment around.  It is used in the relief of pain and as some kind of anesthesia for surgery.  It also can treat addiction, negative emotional conditions, headaches, and even infertility.  It has been used for thousands of years as a reliable and proven treatment for many kinds of disorders and its popularity today validates the potency and efficacy of this treatment.

Acupuncture is commonly used in the treatment of sports injuries, migraine, headache and back pain among others.  It also a very reliable aid for numerous health problems such as obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, menstrual pain, bladder infection, abdominal pain, chronic fatigue, digestive problems, sleeplessness, arthritis and stress among others.

The basis for acupuncture is the blockage of vital energy called chi in which acupuncture removes the blockages that cause chi deficiency on the affected parts of the body leading to pain and illness in the affected areas.  Similar to the monitoring of blood flow through blood vessels by doctors, acupuncturists monitor chi flow within energy vessels called meridians.  Acupuncture is really meant to help prevent sickness and the desire of acupuncturists is to help patients maintain a happy, long and healthy life.

Acupuncture needles are inserted into points in the body called acupuncture points.  The needles help remove energy blockages and balance the energy level of the body.  Besides needling, acupuncturists also use electromagnetic energy, suction, friction and pressure to help the body heal itself.

One of acupuncture’s great benefits is to boost the immune system.  It also helps improve blood circulation and regulates the rhythm of the heart, blood pressure and boost production of both white and red blood cells.  Acupuncture likewise helps produce and release hormones that allow the body to cope properly with stress and injury.  For most people, acupuncture treatment usually involves a dozen or so sessions depending on the condition being treated.  Initial consultation might entail a physical exam.  When the disorder had been diagnosed, the correct placement of needles in the body can begin.  Usually acupuncture sessions lasts merely 30 to 45 minutes.  The needles used are the sterile disposable types to prevent cross infection.  Some people may feel a slight sensation when the needles are inserted into the skin while some may feel nothing at all.

In order to prevent injuries, pain, bruises or even slight bleeding during treatment, the patient should seek treatment from a licensed and well-trained acupuncturist who knows exactly what to do and what body part the needles need to be inserted in after the patient’s condition has been properly diagnosed.  It is vital for an acupuncturist to treat the correct acupuncture points in order to prevent the rise of any complications.

Modern day living has somehow given us a more fast paced and hectic lifestyle especially for those living in the cities.  It is no wonder then that chronic stress affects a significant number of the population than it used to during the 1950’s and 60’s.  Chronic stress can lead to irregular hormonal function and this can affect the weight of a person.  One example of this is the way cortisol, a hormone for controlling stress can fail in its function due to excessive stress and the outcome would be difficulty in losing weight.  Exercise and a proper diet are essential to maintain a desired weight but if hormonal imbalances are not addressed, losing weight will be quite harder to attain.  Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in the form of Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture Miami are excellent therapies for losing weight and treating chronic stress.

TCM sees cravings as imbalances in the Five Elements. The Five Elements of fire, earth, metal, water and wood have each a particular flavor associated with it.  When the body craves for a certain flavor, one then suffers from a certain imbalance in a specific Element.  There are times a person craves for something he/she needs while there are instances wherein a person is addicted to a certain craving.  If the body craves for something that is not natural like processed food or processed sugar, these cravings tend to be harmful than beneficial for the person.  It takes acupuncture and Chinese herbs to restore balance into the body systems to help the person get rid of those junk cravings.

As mentioned before diet and exercise are very important factors in maintaining or losing weight.  TCM classifies exercises into two types.  One type is sympathetic exercise.  This type of exercise physically stresses the body out and intentionally aims at the sympathetic nervous system. This exercise is also called the “no pain, no gain” type of exercise. The second type of exercise is called the parasympathetic exercise. This is a more passive way to burn calories as it enables the body to relax and help relieve the stress from the body.  Yoga, tai chi, qi gong, deep breathing and walking are some of the more popular examples of parasympathetic exercises. This type of exercise is more applicable for those suffering from chronic stress and for those who suffer from hormonal imbalances due to stress

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are very safe with few if any side effects.  For proper dispensing of herbs a responsible and herbalist will aid the person in having the right herbal formula and doses for his/her needs.  Rather than using pep pills or weight reducing drugs that have serious side effects especially to the cardiovascular system, using acupuncture and herbs will help calm the mind from any worries of side effects.

For those who know about acupuncture Miami, it is a treatment that can cure so many kinds of disorders.  The treatment itself though involving needles inserted in the skin causes very little pain.  Surgical facelifts, on the other hand, are filled with stories of painful surgical and occasional botched procedures.  With this in mind, the idea of having facelift through acupuncture sounds a very good idea.  Looking young again without the need to endure excruciating painful surgery, prolonged intakes of antibiotics, NSAIDS and painkillers and a very long recuperation period appeals to all and fortunately, acupuncture for facelift offers these benefits and more.

Acupuncture care for facelift is not really the kind one gets from botox or cosmetic surgery since it does not involve any stitches, acid peels or incisions and it does not entail immediate overnight changes.  Known also as acupuncture facial rejuvenation, acupuncture for facelift is actually used for hundreds of years to take away lines, wrinkles and creases in the face.  The condition of one’s skin especially in the face is caused by many years of physiological and environmental factors that have caused its present state.   Exposure to the sun, air, pollution, smoke, toxins, chemicals, aging, etc., have all in some degree or another taken a toll on one’s facial skin.  Since these factors caused the skin to be the way it is today, a natural way to rejuvenate the skin will likewise not produce overnight changes to the skin. It is easy to spot an artificial facelift.  The changes are superficial and really not that convincingly aesthetic.  One needs only to look at celebrities to see that even getting the best facelift, they still fail to look aesthetically good.

Acupuncture facial rejuvenation or more popularly known nowadays as cosmetic acupuncture is a valid form of facelift recognized by the American Cosmetic Acupuncture Association or ACAA.  Cosmetic acupuncture treats the skin all over the body not only the skin of the face although we know the face is the most important part of the body that needs to look good.  Cosmetic acupuncture treatment may take several months but it is a really effective procedure to rid of wrinkles, jowls, creases, eye bags, skin tone and sags and other unsightly cosmetic issues.  However, these benefits are not all there is to be gained with cosmetic acupuncture.  The patient also is treated from disorders such as fatigue obesity, insomnia, anxiety, depression, headaches to name just a few.  The real value of acupuncture then is its ability to make one look exteriorly good to look at while at the same time interiorly, mentally and emotionally, the body is enjoying very good health.  Cosmetic acupuncture is really good for the person in the truest sense of the word.

Suffering from migraines or headaches?  The ancient Chinese healing art of acupuncture may be the solution you need.

Acupuncture Miami for the treatment of migraines and headaches has been vastly studied and documented.  A review of the observations by the Cochrane collaboration stated that migraine acupuncture treatment is as potent, if not more potent, than drug therapy, sans the side effects. They also concluded that acupuncture therapy was very effective for chronic tension headaches.

According to the beliefs of traditional Chinese medicine or TCM, pain is the result of energy stagnation in the body.  In the language of TCM or acupuncture in particular, migraine and headaches result from Qi or chi stagnation around the neck or head.  TCM states that there are many approaches in categorizing migraine and headaches.  The symptoms, severity, nature of the pain and location are all considered to get a diagnosis of what is ailing the patient.  It is the duty of the acupuncturist to ask the patient his/her general health, observe the tongue and monitor the pulse.  This type of diagnostic approach is an accurate approach in ascertaining the root cause(s) of the migraines or headaches and it paves the way in formulating the right treatment approach that specifically addresses the patient’s overall health and symptoms.

Headaches are often generated by stress.  The former can happen alongside insomnia, muscular pains or fatigue while migraines often come with photophobia, dizziness and nausea.  Regardless of the causes, acupuncture can be effectively used for the treatment of the real cause of the headache or migraine as well as the resolution of their symptoms.

Most of the time, compressed muscles in the shoulders and neck can substantially contribute or even engender migraines or headaches.  Acupuncture can also be used to relax these tight compressed muscles with often-excellent results.  If one is suffering from muscle spasm and tension for a long time, acupuncture along with Chinese massage can give so much relief from them.

When one opts for a treatment of acupuncture, the acupuncturist will use ultra thin, sterile and tiny needles.  A typical acupuncture treatment uses around 6 to 12 needles.  Some treatments will use acupuncture points in the neck and head and in some other parts of the body.  The techniques that the acupuncturist uses and the size of the needles ascertains that acupuncture treatment will be a painless procedure and most people have discovered the treatment relaxing.  The needles are often left in the skin for around 10 to 40 minutes; some are immediately withdrawn depending on what type of treatment is used.  Some experience a slight tingling sensation as the needles are inserted only to be replaced by a relaxing and euphoric feeling as the treatment begins to take effect.

Acupuncture Miami is an ancient Chinese medical art where the body is naturally healed by the application of hair thin acupuncture needles at certain parts of the body.  Stainless steel, new, packaged, sterilized and single-use disposable needles are used to treat illness.  They are inserted into points on the body to treat illness.  Treatment is performed only after a complete and thorough physical examination and analysis have been done and diagnosis points to acupuncture treatment as the most effective treatment for the disease.

For over 2500 years, acupuncture has been efficiently treating the health problems of the Chinese.  Traditional Chinese acupuncture, which acupuncture is a part of believes that energy (chi) travels in the human body along energy pathways called meridians, which in turn connect to major body organs.  Points called acupuncture points are located along the meridians can be activated through the nerves to send out neural pulses to the brain.  The area of the brain stimulated is the hypothalamic/pituitary system and is the area that releases neurotransmitters and endorphins.  Endorphins are more than a hundred times more potent than morphine and play a vital role in the endocrine system.

Acupuncture is very effective in treating back pain and arthritis, as well as PMS symptoms and infertility.  Endorphin causes the body to relax.  They also help regulate serotonin level and this is crucial for the treatment of depression.  A lot of people in the United States receive acupuncture treatment twice or four times a year for prophylaxis and for revitalization of their body. Although acupuncture is a validated treatment for pain, many illnesses can be treated with acupuncture, as well.  To name a few; eye, ear, nose, and throat problems, hypertension and anemia.  Problems in the digestive and reproductive system are also treatable as well as some other diseases in the other body systems.

Since each individual have unique constitutions, treatments are not the same for everyone.  Diagnosis is usually based on the acupuncturist’s observation of the symptoms of the patient, the patient’s medical history and from interview with the patient regarding the patient’s health.  Reactions to treatment differ per patient – some may immediately feel the beneficial effects of acupuncture while some may take three or four sessions before the effects of the therapy kick in.  To enhance or facilitate treatment, herbal medicine is used on the patient together with acupuncture.  In addition, to allow the treatment to be permanent or long lasting, dietary changes as well as exercises are prescribed.

Acupuncture is an extremely safe and relatively painless procedure.  Initially a slight sensation may be felt upon the insertion of needles in the skin but eventually a feeling of deep relaxation envelops the patient for the rest of the treatment and after treatment.

Acupuncture Miami is part of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).  TCM believes in the forces of nature governing the body’s health.  When these forces are in harmony, the body is healthy and grows.  When they are imbalanced and in disharmony, the body experiences sickness, disease and ailments.  These forces or elements are chi, the meridians, yin-yang and the five elements.

Chi -   Chi or Qi is the basic essence of life.  It is also called the life force, vital force or vital energy the makes the body live and grow – without chi the body dies.  Chi is energy and is like electricity composing of two opposite but complimentary forces – yin and yang.

Meridians – These are energy channels where chi flows.  Meridians are networks distributed throughout the body similar to the circulatory and nervous systems.  They are, however, like chi, invisible to the eye and cannot be empirically studied by Western science.  When a person experiences injuries, sickness or extreme emotions, blockages in the meridians can sometimes develop.  These blockages hinder chi flow and chi starts to stagnate in the process.  This blockage or stagnation causes the body to weaken and get sick.

Yin-Yang – These are the opposite but complimentary forces within chi energy.  They are like the positive and negative forces of electricity.  Yin and yang interact with each other and when they interact harmoniously and are in balance, the body experiences good health.  When there is imbalance in either of these two forces, the body suffers illnesses and disease.

The five elements – The five elements in TCM are Water, Wood, Fire, Earth and Metal.  These elements are all integrated in a person’s body although as the body ages and exposed to all kinds of things, these elements become disharmonized.  Harmony and balance can be restored with acupuncture or some of the treatments TCM offers.  When a person is born, these five elements are in perfect balance.

The acupuncturist’s job is to diagnose the disease of the patient, what organs or body parts are affected and where the needles need to be placed.  He should know if the patient suffers from a yin type deficiency or a yang type imbalance.  TCM ascribes a yin or yang orientation to the major organs.  Yin energy always governs organs without cavities; these organs are the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen and lungs.  Yang energy administers the large and small intestines, stomach, gallbladder and the bladder. Yin is the water, passive, feminine, nurturing side while yang is the fire, active, male and consuming side of nature.  Yin is matter while yang is energy.  A deficiency in yin makes yang rage in the body causing symptoms such as headaches, a flushed face, sore eyes, sore throats, nosebleeds, bad temper or manic behavior.  Yang deficiency can result in hypo activity, cold limbs and extremities, poor circulation of blood, pale face or low energy.

The consensus of western medical science is that acupuncture does not work for all types of people.  People respond to acupuncture Miami treatment in different ways.  In some cases, some people may need a number of treatment sessions for the effect of acupuncture to kick in while there are some who respond to it relatively quickly.  There have been numerous controlled studies showing the effectiveness of acupuncture on the majority of subjects who participated in them.

In spite of the lukewarm reception of western medicine towards acupuncture, the latter has been growing in popularity.  Mainstream medicine has integrated acupuncture in some surgeries, acknowledging its power to relieve or block out pain.  Even in the field of combat, injured US soldiers are using acupuncture as treatment for their wounds and pain.  Doctors now consider prescribing acupuncture treatment on patients having pain as their chief complaint.

As painkiller and a controller for addiction and cravings, acupuncture utilizes the aid of the body itself.  It helps stimulate the brain to release endorphins and other “feel-good” chemicals to mitigate the pain and with the aid of herbal medicine and other special modalities, cures the source of the pain.  Acupuncture similarly uses endorphins to help quell the addiction or cravings of the individual and thus helps the individual to have the willpower to resist these cravings or addictions.  After a successful treatment, the patient usually comes out not only addiction-free or craving-free; he/she also comes out a new and bright individual with a more optimistic outlook in life.

Acupuncture clinics do receive patients whose purpose is to lose weight.  It has been the number one alternative form of treatment in the US for people wanting to lose weight without needing to resort to pharmaceutical drugs.  For emotional problems, acupuncture studies show that acupuncture can be as effective as psychotherapy and drugs making it a superior alternative for pharmaceutical drugs for the reasons that unlike pharmaceutical drugs, acupuncture does not carry side effects on individuals and it helps with the emotional problems of the individual.

In cases of infertility, acupuncture studies have shown that acupuncture has been effective in treating some cases of infertility such as endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome or PCOS.  Acupuncture relaxes the patient while undergoing stressful assisted reproductive programs such as In Vitro Fertilization (IVF).  Acupuncture also enhances the likelihood of conception by strengthening the organs and tissues vital for reproduction and balancing the hormonal secretion of the body.  Again, many clinical studies have reinforced the validity of these claims.

For many skeptics who have focused on the statistics where acupuncture seemed to have failed to live up to its expectations, many others, in spite of the skeptics have benefited greatly from acupuncture and as a result, this ancient Chinese treatment has only been growing, slowly but surely, in popularity in the US year by year.

Unlike western medicine where most drugs are produced to merely serve as palliatives, belying the fact that the pharmaceutical industry is not really interested in curing diseases but in profiting from a human being’s suffering, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) observes the whole panorama of human health and resolves to completely heal the human being.

Western medicine merely considers a human body as a machine that needs to be fine-tuned or repaired from time to time.  It does not consider the multi dimensional attribute of a human being, a spiritual being inside a body and a soul that acts as the spirit’s window to incarnate life.  TCM acknowledges this reality and incorporates this into their medical tradition by acknowledging the existence of chi or life force.

Chi is the spirit that animates the body and soul.  All creation possess chi.  Though the Chinese do not call this force God, it may be the closest evidence of a divine reality in the Universe.  The Chinese consider chi as part of nature, not something outside or detached from it and believe the universe is perfect all by itself.

Western medicine tends to view life through a microscope, ignoring the whole organism and merely concentrating on the manifestation of its disease.  Again, this is done deliberately since there is not much money to be made in completely curing a person so the pharmaceutical industry needs to make sure the person would keep coming back buying their medicine.

TCM in general and acupuncture, in particular addresses the root of the disease.  To cite an example where TCM is more beneficial to a person is in weight loss.  Western drug-based modality for weight loss comes in pills like phentermine or Xenical, to name a few of these appetite suppressing drugs.

These two drugs have side effects on the person that are sometimes even worse than the disease they are manufactured to cure.  For phentermine, withdrawal reactions like depression and extreme fatigue can occur if one abruptly stops taking this medication.  Cases like heart palpitations and arrhythmia have been reported by its users.

Xenical users, on the other hand, have reported rectal bleeding, fatigue and anxiety associated with this drug.

Miami Acupuncture users being treated for obesity have never had any complaints of untoward side effects wrought by acupuncture.  On the contrary, most, if not all, of these patients have experienced lightness of being, euphoria and most, importantly, the end of their inordinate craving for food.

The feelings associated with obesity, like depression and anxiety are also cured by acupuncture since it considers obesity as a manifestation of one of several maladies all originating from the slow flow of chi throughout the body.