Acupuncture & Massage Blog

Pain Management With CAM

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Many complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are effective for the management of acute and chronic pain conditions, including acupuncture, massage, relaxation techniques, and tai chi.

These approaches are used by many people as part of the management of a wide range of pain-related conditions, from headache, back and neck pain to arthritic and other musculoskeletal pain conditions. Back pain is the most common condition for which adults use CAM. Large numbers of patients experiencing back pain are turning to these therapies to decrease discomfort, improve function and quality of life and minimize side effects of pharmacologic treatment.

Acupuncture is a holistic, drug-free therapy which can be utilized for management of back pain as either a primary or complementary therapy. Acupuncture can treat:

Sciatica or herniated discs.
Spinal osteoarthritis.
Back muscle strain.
Overstretching of back ligaments.

Acute back pain typically improves in a few sessions; however, chronic back pain requires more treatments as needed. Acupuncture reduces back pain by increasing the release of pain-suppressing neurotransmitters and endorphins into the central nervous system.

Acupuncture effectively treats many other acute and chronic pain conditions including: Neuralgia, frozen shoulder, bursitis, tendonitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, myofascial pain, and fibromyalgia.

Acupuncture & Massage College’s Community Clinic offers acupuncture, massage therapy and herbal medicine for the treatment of a wide range of health conditions as well as for overall wellness. To schedule an appointment call (305) 595-9500. For information about AMC’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso, Admissions Director.

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Health Care Practitioners Recommend CAM

Posted on November 11, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

More than 30 percent of people use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and that number continues to rise, attributed mostly to increases in the use of mind-body therapies like yoga, meditation and deep breathing exercises.

Prior research suggests that mind-body therapies, while used by millions of individuals, are still on the fringe of mainstream medical care in America. New research suggests that attitudes are changing.

In a study from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Harvard Medical School, researchers found that one in thirty Americans using mind-body therapies had been referred by a medical provider.

“There’s good evidence to support using mind-body therapies clinically,” says lead author Aditi Nerurkar, M.D., of the BIDMC and Harvard School. “Still, we didn’t expect to see provider referral rates that were quite so high.” Results of the study appear in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

CAM facts:

One in four hospitals now offer CAM services to patients.
CAM focuses on prevention as well as illness treatment.
CAM emphasizes the body’s inherent healing ability.
CAM therapies favor a holistic approach.

Individuals tend to prefer acupuncture, massage and other CAM modalities over Western medicine treatment when uncertain about the cause of an illness, because holistic medicine tolerates diagnosis uncertainty better than Western medicine. People often choose a CAM therapy over a conventional treatment because of beliefs that CAM offers an underlying cure versus symptom alleviation by Western medicine.

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Benefits Of Lomi Lomi Massage

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

A Polynesian massage therapy treatment that originated in Hawaii, lomi lomi is a holistic massage therapy system traditionally practiced by the islands’ healers or kahunas. Lomi lomi utilizes medicinal plants, massage, breath exercises, and meditation. Lomi lomi is also known as Hawaiian temple bodywork, temple style or traditional style lomi lomi massage.

The varying massage therapy styles of lomi lomi massage practiced today make up the clinical massage therapy form of the Hawaiian islands. Lomi lomi has many health benefits and can cure or alleviate a wide range of ailments, injuries and conditions as well as the discomforts associated with general health imbalance. Benefits of lomi lomi include:

Improves circulation and immune response.
Increases range of motion and flexibility.
Lowers blood pressure and slows heart rate.
Improves posture and speeds healing.

Lomi lomi massage therapy practitioners utilize varying techniques and materials including long fluid strokes of forearms and hands, volcanic rocks, native plant leaves, and chant to activate the flow of mana, or life force energy, in the recipient’s body. Emphasizing a mind-body connection, lomi lomi massage treatments affect the recipient on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.

Prayer typically follows treatment and an emphasis is placed on removal of any negative mental energy the recipient may have, as this is believed to effect physical health. Other health benefits of lomi lomi massage include toxin cleansing and a strengthened sense of vitality.

Posted in Health & Fitness, Massage | 1 Comment

Managing Menopausal Hot Flashes With Acupuncture

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Women and doctors need to be more aware of the treatment possibilities for menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, according to a new report from the International Menopause Society (IMS). As a holistic therapy, acupuncture can safely treat menopausal symptoms by regulating hormone levels.

The majority of women suffer from hot flashes or night sweats (also known as vasomotor symptoms or VMS) during menopause. On average, 25 percent of women experience symptoms including:

Fatigue.
Bone density loss.
Irritability.
Concentration difficulties.

The IMS report concludes that women should be more proactive in asking for treatment for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms. Hot flashes are caused by dilation of the blood vessels and can cause reddening of the skin and sweating. Night sweats are hot flashes which take place during sleep, disrupting the sleep cycle and causing fatigue.

For women who do not wish to take hormone replacement therapy, acupuncture offers a safe and natural alternative. Acupuncture increases production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter which regulates sleep, appetite and mood.

Menopause onset causes a pattern of diminished fluids, or dryness, which affects the entire body system. Acupuncture counterbalances this by nourishing the body’s fluids, tonifying blood and increasing energy levels.

Your acupuncture physician will customize an acupuncture therapy plan for you based on the particular physical, mental and emotional symptoms that you are experiencing.

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Meditation And Acupuncture For Stress

Posted on November 4, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

People with consistently high health care costs experience a significant decrease in physician fees after an average of five years practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique. In addition to meditation, acupuncture can alleviate stress by releasing natural pain-killing chemicals, called endorphins.

In most populations, a small fraction of people account for the majority of health care costs. In the U.S., the highest spending 10 percent in the general population incur 60 to 70 percent of total medical expenditures annually. The highest spending 25 percent of seniors account for 85 percent of total expenses. A large number of these people have consistently high medical bills over many years.

Chronic stress is the number one factor contributing to high medical expenses. Stress reduction may help reduce these costs. This new study compared the changes in physician costs for 284 consistent high-cost participants—divided into two groups of 142 Transcendental Meditation practitioners and a second group of 142 non-practitioners, over five years.

During the five-year assessment period, the Transcendental Meditation practitioner group’s annual rate of change in payments declined by 28 percent compared to the non-practitioner group’s payments, which showed no significant changes.

Acupuncture treats a wide range of stress-related symptoms and conditions, including: Headaches, pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, mood swings, allergies, sinus conditions, and reproductive disorders.

Your acupuncture physician may recommend a comprehensive treatment program, including:

Dietary modification.
A regular exercise schedule.
Management of irregular sleep patterns.

Acupuncture improves blood circulation, oxygenates tissues, decreases heart rate and blood pressure, and relaxes muscles, which can aid in stress management. Acupuncture is a safe and non-invasive therapy.

Posted in Acupuncture, Meditation & Yoga | 2 Comments

Back Pain Treatable With Herbal Medicine And Acupuncture

Posted on November 3, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Many people experience back pain at some point in their lives. According to the National Institutes of Health, back pain is the second most common neurological disorder in the United States, following headaches. A large proportion of individuals with back pain use complementary and alternative medicine therapies, such as herbal medicine and acupuncture.

While standard treatment options for back pain include rest, long-term medication and surgery, there are many holistic alternatives that can help to alleviate pain. And unlike medication, which is aimed at symptom management only, herbal medicine and acupuncture can address the underlying cause of the condition.

Chinese herbal medicine has anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities and can reduce pain to the same degree as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory pain medications (NSAIDs). A pain reliever, an antispasmodic and a sedative may all be included in a typical herbal formula created by a medical herbalist.

Acupuncture has pain blocking qualities and increases the flow of blood to affected areas. Acupuncture reduces pain by acting on pain generation and transmission and processing of pain signals. Acupuncture can treat many of the symptoms associated with back pain including:

Tension.
Spasms.
Insomnia.
General discomfort.

People experiencing low back pain who choose acupuncture as a therapy option often report reduced pain and improvements in functional ability after the first few treatments.

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Acupuncture Treatment For Fibromyalgia

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Fibromyalgia is a medically unexplained syndrome affecting the muscles and connective tissues. Currently, the disease affects as many as 12 million Americans and has been reported two times as prevalent in deployed veterans. Acupuncture may be helpful as an adjunctive therapy for fibromyalgia. “Agonizing pain, debilitating fatigue, joint stiffness, and sleep deprivation—you name it and I felt it,” says U.S. Army Brigadier General Becky Halstead, the first female West Point graduate in U.S. history to command at the strategic level in Iraq and Afghanistan. Halstead decided to retire after being diagnosed with fibromyalgia. “There I was in Iraq, responsible for over 20,000 military men and women, and I privately struggled to physically keep myself going.” Initially, Halstead was prescribed every drug imaginable, though the pills only masked the pain and resulted in a spiral of reactions affecting her psychological and physical health. She discovered that chiropractic treatment improved joint motion, reducing and in some cases eliminating the pain and symptoms associated with fibromyalgia. In addition to chiropractic treatment, acupuncture can be a viable option for the treatment of fibromyalgia that can positively impact overall wellness and health. Acupuncture treatment is tailored to your individual constitution and fibromyalgia syndrome pattern. Benefits of acupuncture:

Improves pain and musculoskeletal aches and stiffness.
Treats fatigue and anxiety.
Regulates sleep patterns.
Increases energy.

Many individuals find that allopathic therapies do not effectively treat the muscle pain caused by fibromyalgia and try alternative therapies such as acupuncture. The National Institutes of Health has issued a consensus statement concluding that acupuncture is effective in treating many pain-related conditions.

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Posted on October 25, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Massage therapy helps ease chronic low back pain and improves function, according to a new Annals of Internal Medicine trial. This is the first study to compare structural and relaxation (Swedish) massage. The trial found that both types of massage worked well with few side effects. “We found that massage helps people with back pain to function even after six months,” says author Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., from the Group Health Research Institute. “This is important because chronic back pain is among the most common reasons people see doctors and alternative practitioners, including massage therapists.” Better function means people are able to stay active. The trial enrolled 400 patients who had low back pain for at least three months. Their pain was “nonspecific,” meaning with no identified cause. They were assigned to one of three treatments: Structural massage, relaxation massage or usual care (often medications). The hour-long massage treatments were given weekly for 10 weeks. At 10 weeks, more than one in three patients who received either type of massage—but only one in 25 who got usual care—said their back pain was much better or gone. Approximately two thirds of massage patients reported functioning significantly better compared to one third of usual care patients. Massage patients were more active and used less anti-inflammatory medication. People who have persistent back pain may want to consider massage as an option. Benefits of massage:

· Improves blood circulation.
· Improves range of motion.
· Increases endorphin levels.
· Eases medication dependence.

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Acupuncture Treats Acute And Chronic Insomnia

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Insomnia is a sleep disorder associated with difficulty falling or staying asleep, and is such a common problem that sleep aids are more widely used than ever. Acupuncture can be utilized as a primary or complementary therapy for the treatment of acute and chronic insomnia.

Insomnia can be managed with a combination of acupuncture and lifestyle modifications. Recommended lifestyle modifications include:

Keep waking time and bedtime consistent.
Avoid long naps during the day.
Eliminate noise and light in the bedroom.
Avoid vigorous exercise in the evening.

Nearly 60 percent of adults report trouble sleeping at some time in their lives. Complementary and alternative medicine therapies, such as acupuncture and herbal medicine, are used by over 1.6 million adults to treat insomnia and related sleep disorders.

Insomnia can be caused by stress, environmental noise, poor nutrition, chronic pain, digestive disorders, and medication, among other factors. Conventional care treatment for insomnia often includes medication and somatic therapies aimed at symptom management. Many medications can have adverse side effects.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine are safe alternatives to conventional care that can correct the imbalances causing sleep irregularities without side effects or risk of dependency. Acupuncture can help to manage pain-related conditions that may exacerbate insomnia, and can reharmonize the sleep-wake cycle while calming the nervous system.

Posted in Acupuncture, Health & Fitness | 4 Comments

Yoga for Fibromyalgia

Posted on October 20, 2011 by Dr. Richard Browne

Practicing yoga reduces the physical and psychological symptoms of chronic pain in women with fibromyalgia, finds a new study by York University researchers. The study is the first to look at the effects of yoga on cortisol levels in women with fibromyalgia.

The condition, which predominately affects women, is characterized by chronic pain and fatigue; common symptoms include:

Muscle stiffness.
Sleep disturbances.
Gastrointestinal discomfort.
Anxiety and depression.

Previous studies have found that women with fibromyalgia have lower-than-average cortisol levels, which contribute to pain, fatigue and stress sensitivity. Participants’ cortisol levels were elevated following a program of 75 minutes of hatha yoga twice weekly over the course of eight weeks.

“Hatha yoga promotes physical relaxation by decreasing activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which lowers heart rate and increases breath volume,” says lead author Kathryn Curtis, a Ph.D. student in York’s Department of Psychology.

Participants reported significant reductions in pain and associated symptoms, as well as psychological benefits. “Our findings strongly suggest that psychological changes in turn affect our experience of physical pain,” says Curtis.

Posted in Health & Fitness, Meditation & Yoga | 5 Comments