Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

MASSAGE THERAPY REDUCES HAND ARTHRITIS PAIN AND INCREASES GRIP STRENGTH

Massage therapy is effective in reducing arthritic hand pain and increasing grip strength, according to a new study conducted by the Touch Research Institute (TRI) at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

The first of its kind on massage therapy and hand arthritis, the report examines the benefits of massage therapy in reducing joint tenderness and improving joint and functional ability. “While massage therapy has decreased pain in several pain syndromes including fibromyalgia, lower back pain and migraine, this is the first report of pain reduction in hand arthritis following massage therapy,” said Dr. Tiffany Field, TRI director. “Up to now, many other interventions to alleviate hand pain have been tried—medications, physical therapy and various forms of exercise. The results of this study are very encouraging for the application of massage therapy as a complementary alternative treatment for hand arthritis.”

In the study, 22 adults ranging in age from 20 to 65 with wrist/hand arthritis were randomly assigned to a massage therapy or a standard treatment control group. The massage therapy group received massage on the affected wrist/hand once a week for a four-week period. The standard treatment control group did not receive massage therapy during the study.

The massage therapy group had lower anxiety and depressed mood scores after the first and last sessions, and by the end of the study reported less pain and greater grip strength as compared to the standard treatment control group, which did not experience improvement on these measures.

The TRI, established in 1992, studies touch in relation to the promotion of health and the treatment of disease. Field has conducted more than 100 studies on the medical benefits of massage therapy over the last 30 years. “Put massage in the same category with proper diet and exercise as something that helps maintain essential health,” said Field.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

A FEW ACUPUNCTURE POINTS WHICH TREAT MIGRAINE

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) categorizes migraine as a shaoyang (temporal region) headache, a wind syndrome of the head. ‘Head wind’ in TCM refers to severe, repetitive headaches, a condition mainly due to external pathogenic factors, wind being the predominant pathogen. The combination of pathogenic factors, including wind, cold, heat and dampness disturbs the clear Yang in the head and causes stagnation of blood circulation, resulting in a headache.

A few acupuncture points useful in treating migraine include: Shuaigu (GB , Taiyang (Extra 1) and Waiguan (SJ 5).

Shuaigu (GB has a local point location in the temporal region useful in treating headache due to qi stagnation. In TCM, the Gallbladder meridian runs along the side of the head. Because shaoyang headaches follow the course of the GB meridian, GB points are indicated for treatment and have the effect of eliminating one-sided or generalized headache, head wind and reducing pain.

Taiyang (Extra 1) promotes the circulation of anti-pathogenic qi in the local affected region and disperses external pathogenic factors causing shaoyang syndromes. When used in combination with additional local points, Taiyang can weaken pathogenic qi and prevent wind disorder.

Waiguan (SJ 5) is a distal point on the limb selected to treat migraine through the affected Sanjiao channel, which runs along the side of the head in addition to the GB meridian. Distal points located on the disease-related meridian are effective in stimulating qi and blood and moving meridian qi to the diseased part of the body. Classically indicated for many different types of headaches, including temporal headache.

Acupuncture can effectively treat migraine through a combination of selected local scalp points combined with distal points located on the affected meridians. Treating migraine headaches with acupuncture can regulate yin and yang, strengthen qi and eliminate pathogenic factors.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

Treatment of Migraine Headaches with Acupuncture

What is a migraine headache?

Although millions of people suffer form migraine daily most people do not under the difference between a migraine headaches and a tension headache. A migraine headache is a severe pain felt mostly on one side of the head mostly over one eye or the temple and sometimes on both sides of the head. In addition to the pain you may experience sensitivity to light and sound, and a feeling of nausea and vomiting, Most migraine starts in the morning and the pain can last a few hours or up to one or two days.

What is a tension headache?

A tension headache is a constant dull, achy feeling on both sides of the head, sometimes with a tight feeling in their head or neck like a tight band around the head. Tension headaches are not as predictable as the migraine headaches it can begin slowly and gradually and often start in the middle of the day or at the end of the workday.

Are women more prone to migraine headaches?

Yes, migraine headaches are more common in women than in men. Women tend to report higher levels of pain, longer headache and additional symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and emotional sensitivity. This may be due in part to the effects of hormonal imbalance during the woman’s menses. We know that just before the cycle begins, levels of the female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, sharply go down. This may explain why most migraine occur just before, during of after the woman’s period.

Can Acupuncture relieve the headache?

The answer is a resounding Yes. Yes Yes Yes! This may be good news to million of Americans women. Not only can Acupuncture relieve the symptoms of the headaches it can also correct the cause of the headache. Over the years I have had women tell me that first it last for a day or two just before, during or after her period. As time goes by it develops into a weekly event. This is most disconcerting and it affects every aspect of a woman’s life.

What can I expect for Acupuncture treatment?

Over the years I have personally treated hundreds of women with headaches. Of the eight symptoms of stress headache tops the list. In fact I would venture to say that Acupuncturist treat more headaches than any other conditions. This may be due in part to the fact that the migraine headache seems to come on like clock work every month. On the average the women who experience best results from Acupuncture get 2 to 3 Acupuncture treatment weekly for two to three months. That is about 24 to 36 acupuncture treatments. Acupuncture gives gratifying results in both tension and migraine headache. For further information look in the yellow pages for an Acupuncturist in your area or give me a call at 305-595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

Eat more and weight less!

How would you like to eat more and lose weight? That sounds more like science fiction than nutrition advice. Yet it has been reported that some people can actually eat more and gain less weight by eating the proper foods. What are these so called proper food?

Scientist have designated some foods as being calorie dense and other as being low in calorie density. The foods that are calorie dense are food that you should avoid if you want to eat and lose weight, while the foods that are low calorie dense can be eaten as much as you want. Sound easy? Let us take a look at some of this food that we can eat and lose weight, and the foods that we may need to avoid.

The foods that we need to be mindful of that are calorie dense are chips, cookies, pretzels and crackers. These foods tend to be low in moisture and some also may be high in trans fat. The proper foods to concentrate on are foods that are water-rich foods. This includes vegetables, fruits and soups. Adding a hearty salad to our meals or consuming a bowl of soup before the meal may be the best thing that we may want to do.

We may want to look at the benefits of a vegetarian diet. I remember the old saying that after a meal at the Chinese restaurant first you’d be full to the gut then after an hour you’d be hungry. Why? The meal was 90% vegetables and 10% meat. Another fact to consider is the avoidance of fats. A low-density meal is the ultimate value meal. Remember to eat lots of fruits and vegetable and avoid the commercial snack foods.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

Meditation reduces stress and lowers blood pressure

How did you start your day? Did you get up brush your teeth and follow it up with a 20-minute session of deep breathing meditation. Well you may need to rethink how to start your day. Scientists say they have found evidence that meditation has a biological effect on the body. A small-scale study suggests that it could boost part of the brain and improve the immune system.

In an eight-week study on the effects of meditation including a seven-hour seminar and daily practice of meditation, revealed that the 25 adults who were in the study group exhibited greater electrical activities in the frontal part of the brain. In addition the meditative group were less anxious and felt more positive physically and emotionally.

Participants were also given a flu jab at the beginning of the study and those who meditated had higher levels of antibody than the control group.

A relaxation technique known as Transcendental meditation may decrease blood pressure and reduce insulin resistance among patients with coronary heart disease. Let us consider the ramifications of running of to work with a cup of java in your belly.

Chanting Om as a meditation technique may do more than just give you a feeling of inner peace. In another study it claims that chanting Om can improve our cardiovascular health by decreasing the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Lately the news is all about the health benefits of meditation. So how does one get into this new groove of meditation? Well really meditation is not really a new groove. It has been the backbone of most religions for centuries. Spiritual development has always includes hours of silent and contemplative meditation.

To begin you will need a clean and quite place to sit and relax.
Start off by taking a few deep breaths to clear out the lungs. Followed by closing your eyes and quieting your mind. In the beginning you will experience the constant dialogue that goes on in the brain. Just sit and follow your breath. You may use a sound to focus the mind. After a few days of practice you may experience a sense of relaxation or you may fall asleep that‘s OK.

With daily practice you will soon get the hang of it. It is one of the few things in life that you really do not need a teacher, but if you feel that you have a need for a teacher just look in the yellow pages under meditation. For the past 30 years thousands of Americans have been studying and practicing meditation. Get in line and join the club. You’ll be glad you did. OMMMMM.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

LONG TERM PAIN MAJOR HEALTH ISSUE AMONG VETERANS

More than half of veterans in pain (54 percent) said that they have been in pain for more than 10 years, according to a survey of 753 veterans and members of the military released on Friday by the American Pain Foundation in honor of this weekend’s Veterans Day observance.

On a scale of 0 to 10, 70 percent rated the intensity of their pain between 7 and 10, on a daily basis. “The intensity and life-long implications of chronic pain among wounded soldiers is a major concern,” said Chester “Trip” Buckenmaier III, MD, Chief, Army Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management Initiative at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Long term pain was found to be highly correlated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression in veterans. Nearly one-third (29 percent) indicated they suffer from a combination of pain, depression and PTSD. Close to one-third (32 percent) felt that asking for pain treatment compromised their status as a member of the military or their career in the military. Two-thirds (64 percent) indicated their pain was directly related to their military service.

As part of the endeavor to raise awareness of chronic pain affecting veterans, the American Pain Foundation has launched the “Freedom from Pain” campaign. Print and radio ads running across the country through the holiday weekend will direct veterans and members of the military to the American Pain Foundation (www.painfoundation.org) as a resource for pain management.

Acupuncture is effective in treating chronic pain conditions, decreasing pain by increasing endorphins, which block pain signals sent to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Your primary health care provider may recommend acupuncture treatment as a pain management component in addition to physical therapy or medication. Acupuncture treatment can ease pain and may reduce dependency on prescription drugs.

In response to this health crisis facing our veterans the Acupuncture and Massage College will institute a month long service to our veterans FREE Acupuncture treatment at our Community Cliinc beginning Tuesday November 13th. For more information please call 305-595-9500. Veterans with proper ID will receive FREE consultation and Acupuncture treatment at our clinic in Miami.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

NOVARTIS PLANS NEW INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE RESEARCH CENTER FOR SHANGHAI

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis announced Monday plans to build a $100M research and development center in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the eighth in the company’s global research network. The R & D center, to be built in two phases in May and July 2007, will work to integrate traditional Chinese medicine with modern drug research, and will initially focus on infectious causes of cancer endemic to China and Asia.

“The Shanghai center will allow us to combine modern drug discovery approaches with those of traditional Chinese medicine that have been used to treat patients in China for thousands of years,” said Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis. “This new research center will help Novartis contribute to the needs of patients in China and elsewhere and has the potential to become a global center for biomedical innovation.”

In recent years, all the major Western pharmaceutical drugmakers have established some type of manufacturing or marketing presence in China. With a population of more than 1.3 billion, China is also one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for prescription drugs. Novartis estimates the country to be among its top 10 markets by 2010. The government’s efforts to correct intellectual property deficiencies have also strengthened China’s pharmaceutical industry and drawn foreign investors.

Novartis has a six-year research partnership with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM) to identify and test traditional medicines for pharmacological properties. Additional partners include drug manufacturer WuXi PharmaTech, the Chinese University of Hong Kong National Institutes of Biological Sciences and Kunming Institute of Botany.

The center’s laboratories will accommodate 400 scientists recruited primarily from Shanghai’s academic, biotech and pharmaceuticals research institutions. “Shanghai is clearly emerging as a new epicenter of science globally, and is a magnet for the best and the brightest investigators. It is a perfect location for exploring novel scientific approaches for the discovery of new medicines,” said Dr. Mark Fishman, President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

Massage Therapy and Hospital Massage

Massage therapy is currently the most frequently utilized nontraditional therapy offered in hospitals. Therapeutic massage therapy types included as components of patient health care within clinical settings include: Shiatsu, deep tissue, acupressure, Swedish, trigger point, neuromuscular, myofascial release, and reflexology. Massage programs are common on surgical, cardiac, obstetrical, oncology, and general medicine units.

Hospital massage therapy programs offer massage therapy to patients for pain management and comfort. Massage therapy is effective in alleviation of discomfort and assists in patient recovery. Many massage school programs are now offering medical massage therapy training and courses in massage therapy therapeutic techniques to enable massage therapy students to broaden their skills and ability to work with health care teams in acute health care settings.

Hospital-based massage therapy is the application of compassionate touch by massage therapists with a professional massage therapy training background. Massage therapy is utilized as a comfort measure, which is presently the goal of most hospital massage programs. Massage therapy patient applications might include: Myofascial massage therapy to ease a sore back, shiatsu massage therapy to increase energy, acupressure massage therapy pressure point techniques to relieve nausea, or Swedish massage therapy to induce relaxation.

Massage therapy supplements conventional medical treatment to improve clinical outcomes. Massage therapy training offered through massage programs at massage schools includes techniques which are effective in alleviating the symptoms of a number of medical conditions. Massage therapy training offered at several massage schools prepares massage therapists to effectively treat hospital patients in pre- and postnatal care, geriatric care, cancer patients, surgery patients, and those suffering from chronic pain conditions.

At the Acupuncture and Massage College we have a unique 607 hour
diploma program in Massage Therapy. Our program is the only diploma
program in the USA that offers Oriental massage as its major massage
technique. We specialize in the Shiatsu technique that was brought to the
US by Prof. Tometzo Hoshino in 1975. At the same time our students get
to learn and study Swedish Massage and Medical Massage. For more
information on our massage program contact our Director of Admissions
Joe Calareso at 305-595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

CDC LAUNCHES CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

The CDC Friday launched the first national campaign on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), designed to increase awareness among the public of the disease affecting an estimated 1 million Americans. Previously not considered a legitimate physiological disorder, the cause of CFS remains unknown and is possibly a common endpoint of disease resulting from multiple causes. “We are committed to improving awareness that this is a real disease,” says Julie Gerberding, M.D., director of the CDC.

Up to 80 percent of people with chronic fatigue do not know they have it. Women are four times as likely to be affected as men, commonly within the age group between 40 and 59 years of age, according to the CDC. Symptoms include unexplained prolonged fatigue lasting six months or longer combined with muscle and joint pain, headaches, cognitive impairment, sore throat, tender lymph nodes, post-exertional fatigue, and unrefreshing sleep.

There is no diagnostic test or biomarker to identify the disease, making diagnosis difficult. CFS shares symptoms with many other diseases, and diagnosis must be made on an exclusionary basis, first ruling out diseases with similar symptoms, including fibromyalgia, chronic Lyme disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, primary sleep disorders, and chronic mononucleosis. No two CFS patients have the exactly the same symptom set, which previously contributed to the belief that the disease could be due to a psychological disorder. “While the evidence is not definitive, it goes against long-held notions that chronic fatigue syndrome is a figment of patients’ imaginations,” says Anthony Komaroff, M.D., a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

Because there is no known cure, there is no defined therapy. Treatment is aimed at symptom relief and improved function through prevention of overexertion, reduced stress, dietary restrictions, stretching, and nutritional supplementation. Alternative therapies recommended for CFS include acupuncture for pain management, massage therapy, and stretching and movement therapies (tai chi, yoga). For more information, visit the new CFS website, www.cdc.gov/cfs, which provides educational tools for patients and health care professionals.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

ACUPRESSURE THE ORIENTAL MASSAGE TECHNIQUE

Acupressure is a massage therapy technique based on the theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Acupressure massage therapy is a potent form of energy work taught in several massage schools and massage therapy programs that utilizes finger pressure to mobilize chi, or life force energy at certain points on the body, known as acupoints, acupuncture points, or acupressure points. These points provide locations where chi can be accessed to release blocked or congested energy centers in the body, promoting unobstructed chi flow for health and well-being.

Varying rhythms, pressures, and techniques create different styles of acupressure massage therapy. Shiatsu, a Japanese massage therapy form based on ancient Chinese principles, is the most well known style of acupressure massage training. Translated as “finger pressure,” it can be quite vigorous, with firm pressure applied to acupressure points. Shiatsu massage therapy programs at massage schools typically include comprehensive massage training in traditional Asian bodywork. It may utilize massage therapy stretching, special breathing techniques, and meditation. Shiatsu massage therapy practitioners can detect energy imbalances in the body before there are any ill health symptoms. Firm pressure, kneading, brisk rubbing and tapping are fundamental techniques incorporated into many acupressure massage therapy training schools and programs.

Acupressure massage therapy training and massage therapy schools review the two ways acupressure points work. Stimulation of a point in the same area where there is pain or tension is called a local point. That same point can also relieve pain in a part of the body that is distant from the point, in which case it is called a trigger point. Massage therapy training examines the triggering mechanism of certain acupoints and how this mechanism works through human energy channels called meridians. The meridians are pathways that connect the acupressure points to each other as well as to internal organs. A comprehensive acupressure massage therapy program at many massage schools will cover massage training in the meridian system as well as the location of acupressure points.

Acupressure massage therapy stimulates and activates the body’s own healing energies to prevent illness. Acupressure massage therapy practitioners will incorporate pressing on certain acupressure points to promote energy flow to a part of the body that is experiencing disease or discomfort, enabling it to heal more quickly.

Acupressure massage therapy is often an appropriate complementary treatment for use in conjunction with other health care modalities. It can also be an effective adjunct to chiropractic treatment. Acupressure massage therapy benefits a wide range of conditions such as physical pain, headaches, insomnia, poor circulation, sinus problems, arthritis, shoulder and neck tension, and is effective in preventative health care maintenance.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”