Health Intuitive

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Acupuncture New York is an ancient Chinese medical tradition of introducing disposable, sterile and ultra thin needles into specific points in the skin called acupuncture points or acupoints to stimulate the flow of energy in the body.  The needles promote healing, improve blood circulation, remove pain and optimize function of the body systems by removing blockages in the passageways of vital energy.

Taoism, which traditional Chinese medicine is based on, espouses the belief that a life energy called chi exists and flows in all living things, giving these creatures life, growth and strength.  Chi flows on pathway networks called meridians and when chi is blocked in the meridians illnesses and health disorders happen.  The meridians connect to the skin via the acupoints.  The needles applied to the acupoints restore chi flow, which helps in the treatment of various kinds of illnesses and pain.  The needles also optimizes the function of the body systems and even neutralizes all sorts of addictions and cravings.
Even today, Western scientists do not exactly know how acupuncture does what it does.  One popular notion is that acupuncture stimulates the brain and the nervous system to produce and secrete pain-killing chemicals to relieve pain and distress.  Whether that idea holds in the future is irrelevant to the reality of the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating a host of illnesses and disorders.

The use of needles in acupuncture may obscure the fact that it is a very safe treatment.  The thing to remember is that acupuncture is safe in the hands of a qualified acupuncturist.  Besides, being safe and a cure for pain, acupuncture helps the patient feel relaxed and comfortable during and after treatment.  Most patients experience a very tranquil feeling as if he/she is floating in the air while undergoing treatment. The needles are so thin that it is as pliable as a guitar string.

Acupuncture also works for asthma and skin disorders.  It is used as a supplementary treatment for other treatment programs like chemotherapy to take away the nauseous effect of this deadly therapy.  Acupuncture is a proven treatment for extreme negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.  As mentioned it is a relief for stress and benefits people suffering from conditions like infertility, over eating (obesity) or sleeplessness to mention just a few.

There are different variations of acupuncture in the world.  There is a Japanese, Korean or a Thai version that diverges just a little from the traditional Chinese version.  Medical acupuncture is the procedure mostly practiced by many acupuncturists in the United States.  Two such popular forms of medical acupuncture is electro acupuncture and trigger point acupuncture. The methods may be different but the underlying philosophy is still the same with all the different forms of this treatment around the world.

Acupuncture NYC is by far the most popular form of Asian alternative medicines in the United States. This treatment concerns the insertion of ultra thin needles in certain areas of the body.  In acupuncture, the body’s blood flow transports with it energy the Chinese call Qi or chi.  In order to have good health, the flow of chi should be unhindered and the yin/yang forces of chi should be in balance.  Stagnancy or blockage in the flow chi leads to dysfunction of certain body parts. The imbalance or dysfunction also contributes to low sexual function.  The most vital organ for sexual function in the opinion of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is the kidney.  The kidney has a very important place in TCM and is often cited as the fire gate of the body. Stagnancy or blockage of chi results in lack of appetite for sex, erectile dysfunction and low energy to experience orgasm.  The leaders of ancient China were very serious about sex and so they instructed their wise and medicine men to study chi flow and how it relates to sexual function. The result is the effective application of acupuncture in addressing libido weakness.

Actual acupuncture treatment starts by formulating an accurate diagnosis to ascertain the sites where chi stagnates or is blocked. The person doing the acupuncture needs to check the blood pressure, blood sugar and the pulse rate of the patient. Furthermore, it is vital to note and study the medical history of the patient.  This will determine what changes in lifestyle the patient needs to do to prevent the problem from recurring.  Besides these, the acupuncturist needs to ascertain the correct acupoints where there is energy blockage. These points are connected  to areas where circulation is not stagnating or blocked.  Acupuncture needles are applied in these specific points where chi flow is suspected to stagnate and left there for approximately 20 to 45 minutes.  Acupuncture needles are also applied at sites around the kidneys and sexual organs as well as the hips and stomach. The legs, hands and wrists are also punctured to allow improvement in chi flow.

Acupuncture treatment can be combined with Chinese herbal medicine or aromatherapy for the strengthening of libido.  These enhance the therapeutic effects of the treatment for organic deficiencies.  Patients who are on this treatment are also recommended to do regular exercises to improve the physical performance of the body.  Acupuncture treatment is also quite potent for the normalization of the female menstrual cycle, the improved production of testosterone hormones, and for sustained erection.  This treatment does provide a natural and permanent treatment so long as it is complemented with a good nutritional plan and a lifestyle with as little stress as possible

Living in this stress-wracked world often gives rise to emotional highs and lows in people.  Depression and anxiety are the common emotional problems people encounter now and then.  Some have been to experiences such as a loss of loved one or a relationship break up that oftentimes lead to bereavement and despair.  For some people, these experiences become too much to bear that they resort to suicide or some form of abuse like alcoholism to numb the pain.  Anxiety is caused by uncertainty of something in the future beyond one’s control.  This is an emotional high albeit a negative one as it causes ailments and sickness such as panic attacks, phobias and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) among others.

Since we live in a high-tension environment, it is normal to be anxious from time to time.  When the anxiety becomes inordinately high and uncontrollable, then medical or psychiatric advice may be required.  Pharmaceutical companies offer pharmaceutical drugs like sedatives or tranquilizers and psychotherapy are the normal choices of western society for coping with anxiety.

Acupuncture New York is also an alternative form of treatment people need to consider.  It is by far safer than taking drugs that cause so many nasty side effects they oftentimes engender other aliments far worse than the sickness they are curing while acupuncture treatment is cheaper than psychotherapy.

The acupuncturist needs to know the cause of one’s anxiety.  He physically checks for any manifestation of the ailment like shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, tachycardia, or chest pains.  Then he checks one’s tongue and pulse to determine the type of acupuncture treatment best suited for the person.

The organs usually affected by anxiety are the heart and kidneys.  These are not the physical organs per se but refer to the energetic facets of the organs according to traditional Chinese medicine.  Anxiety causes over excitement of the heart organ, a yang or fire essence organ, leading to manifestations like insomnia and giddiness.  The kidneys are yin or water energy organs and they balance the yang energy of the heart.  If the water energy is deficient, the fire energy can lead to more sickness.

Acupuncture uses ear or body treatments or both to treat anxiety disorders.  Specific parts in the body related or connected to the heart, kidneys and spleen are introduced with thin needles.  Their purpose is to balance and harmonize the yin and yang elements of the heart and kidneys. Acupuncture points in the ear such as Shenmen or Spirit Gate, have meridians or networks where chi or the body life force travels going to the kidneys, heart, spleen and the sympathetic nervous system and the application of acupuncture needles in them help reduce anxiety.  Oftentimes, ear tacks are retained in between treatments to make the treatment last more.

The knee is the largest joint in the body. It is made up of the lower end of the thighbone or femur, which rotates on the upper end of the shinbone (tibia), and the kneecap, which slides in a grove on the end of the femur. The knee joint also contains several muscles, which straighten the leg and bend the leg at the knee; tendons, which attach the muscles to the bones; ligaments, which help control motion by connecting bones; and cartilage, which serves to cushion the knee or help it absorb shock during motion.

Because of its size, and because it is such a complex structure, it is also one of the most frequently injured joints. Knee injuries can be caused by several factors. Most complaints of knee pain result from some form of trauma, such as a torn or ruptured ligament; a broken or fractured kneecap; torn cartilage; or an accident that causes damage to the area or strains the knee beyond its normal range of motion. Other conditions that can lead to knee pain are infections; arthritis; hemarthrosis (blood in the knee joint); cysts; and bone tumors. Being overweight can also contribute to knee problems by causing excess strain on ligaments and cartilage.

Many athletes experience knee injuries, particularly to the knee ligaments. Nearly everyone has become familiar with the acronym ACL, which stands for anterior cruciate ligament. ACL tears can be caused by rapidly twisting or changing directions; slowing down when running; or landing from a jump. Injuries to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) are usually caused by contact on the outside of the knee.

Knee pain isn’t restricted to professional athletes, however. As people get older, the amount of cartilage in the knee decreases and many ligaments begin to lose some of their elasticity. This makes them more susceptible to pain and/or injury.

Studies have shown acupuncture such as Acupuncture New York to be effective in relieving certain types of knee pain, especially arthritic conditions of the knee and knee joint. A 1999 study comparing electroacupuncture to ice massage and transcutaneous nerve stimulation (TENS) for subjects with osteoarthritis found that acupuncture decreased pain and stiffness levels and increased muscle strength and flexion in the knee. Another study published that same year suggested that patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome might benefit from weekly acupuncture treatments. Smaller studies have confirmed that acupuncture is beneficial in reducing knee pain, stiffness and physical disability in patients with knee and knee-related problems. It can ease the discomfort some subjects feel while waiting for knee surgery, and in some cases, it may even be considered an alternative to surgery.

As with any other form of care, however, remember that not all patients will respond to acupuncture. Make sure to discuss the situation thoroughly with your acupuncturist before undergoing treatment for knee or leg pain or any other condition.