Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory, stress produces a blockage of qi flow throughout the body. According to TCM, qi, or vital energy, flows through the body through a network of channels, or meridians. Stress may cause qi blockage in the form of shoulder and neck pain or back pain. Qi blockages can cause muscle tension and tightness.
Stress often affects other parts of the body, and can manifest as general pain conditions, elevated blood pressure, insomnia, digestive disorders, and headaches. Acupuncture can effectively restore qi flow and resolve energy blockages. Specific acupuncture points selected during treatment can treat the root cause and alleviate symptoms caused by the stress. Acupuncture reduces stress levels by increasing levels of endorphins, natural pain-killing brain chemicals. Acupuncture can lower levels of cortisol, the body’s stress hormone, which when elevated causes blood pressure to increase and may cause immune system suppression.
Acupuncture also effectively improves blood circulation, which oxygenates tissues, decreases heart rate and relaxes muscles. In cases of stress, qi blockages are often associated with the liver. Your acupuncture physician will select acupuncture points that regulate liver energy while reducing stress-related symptoms. Acupuncture also effectively treats many symptoms at once and induces relaxation. As qi restores to a smooth flow, stress symptoms improve. When acupuncture is combined with moxibustion, cupping and Chinese herbal medicine, the imbalance caused by stagnated or depleted qi is corrected. Acupuncture tonifies and regulates qi flow.
In addition to acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine formulas may be tailored into your treatment plan to speed health restoration. Herbs can effectively reduce stress symptoms while enhancing acupuncture therapy. Lifestyle recommendations may incorporate dietary modifications and exercise regimens. Regular exercise, including tai chi and qi gong, can increase qi flow and reduce stress.
Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician, specializes in acupuncture treatment for a range of health conditions as well as for wellness and health maintenance. Call Dr. Browne at (305) 595-9500 to schedule a free 15-minute initial consultation.

Focusing on body improvement and physical well being, Hatha yoga consists of postures (asanas), breath control (pranayamas), muscle locks (bhandas), and gestures (mudras) aimed at balancing mind, body and spirit through practice. A Hatha yoga session is a complete workout, combining stretching, flexibility, strengthening, aerobic, and cardiovascular. Each asana or body position develops the strength and balance necessary to prepare for more challenging postures.

Asanas stretch and strengthen muscles, ligaments and joints while stimulating glands, nerves and organs. Each posture is held for a brief time, which allows for awareness and concentration of thoughts. Regular asana movement from one pose to another produces a meditative state. Generally, combinations of asanas result in a flowing style of yoga. Sequencing of asanas within a practice session allow for one pose to lead naturally into the next based on posture similarities. Asana repetitions develop body strength. The effect of combining asanas with coordinated pranayamas, or breathing techniques, produces a sense of vitality and rejuvenation.

A weekly yoga routine should include at least one to two 60-minute sessions. Yoga is not a competitive sport but rather an opportunity for going inward and listening to what the body is saying. Most standard yoga positions are achievable to some extent by the average person. The practice of yoga yields benefits. Yoga increases energy and productivity, speeds up metabolism and aids in stress reduction. If sitting still with a reflective mind is difficult, start with an active yoga class that physically challenges as opposed to a yoga class that centers on breathing or meditation. Many find that physical exertion while holding poses or flowing from one to the next aids in unwinding at the end of class in Savasana, or relaxation pose.

Most yoga students engage in some form of cross training. The ideal workout combines yoga with an aerobic activity such as brisk walking. For information about yoga for wellness and health maintenance, contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

The Pilates Method is a physical fitness system developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates. Pilates is a total conditioning program that develops “core” muscles in the stomach and back. By developing core strength, the rest of the body moves fully and gracefully without resistance or tension. It’s also a mind-body fitness program that emphasizes proper breathing aligned with precise movements.

Torso stability and core strength, along with six Pilates principles, differentiate the Pilates method from other forms of exercise. The six principles (centering, control, flow, breath, precision, and concentration) are essential ingredients of the Pilates workout. Pilates focuses on the balanced development of the body through core strength, flexibility and awareness to support efficient movement and posture. Mat-based Pilates, the most popular form, is a series of exercises performed on the floor using body weight as resistance. The central aim is to condition the supporting muscles to improve coordination.

Benefits of regular Pilates practice include: improved body alignment, balance and posture, enhanced body awareness, increased flexibility, increased lung capacity and circulation, increased muscle strength, reduced back pain, and increased range of motion. Joint health and bone density improve, as well as positive body awareness. In addition to fitness and health benefits, regular practice is effective in injury prevention and physical rehabilitation work. General practitioners, osteopaths and physiotherapists recommend Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise.

By strengthening the core torso muscles, back pain is alleviated and preventable. Physical energy exerted from the center aids in coordinating movement. In particular, Pilates teaches awareness of breath and alignment of the spine. Combining Pilates with aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, can improve overall body fitness and endurance.

For information about complementary and alternative therapies for health conditions and wellness call Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

Hypnotherapists typically use deep relaxation exercises that bring about an altered state of consciousness, also known as a trance. Hypnotherapy techniques may include: Guided imagery, repetition, direct or indirect suggestion, post-hypnotic suggestion, and visualization. An individual in a trance or a state of deep concentration is highly responsive to suggestion. During hypnosis, an individual’s thoughts become more focused and attentive.

Hypnosis can decrease blood pressure and heart rate, and alters specific types of brain wave activity. Hypnotherapy also produces an improvement in well being, reduces the use of medication, may improve immune function, increases relaxation, reduces stress, and eases feelings of anxiety. Burn patients may experience decreased pain from hypnotherapy and hypnosis can speed healing, lessen pain and reduce recovery time for post-surgical patients.

Hypnosis is used in a variety of settings, from outpatient clinics to dental offices and emergency rooms to alleviate chronic pain conditions, stress-related conditions and psychosomatic illnesses. Conditions that respond well to hypnosis include: Cancer related pain, fibromyalgia, sleep disorders, phobias, eating disorders, weight loss, stress, migraine headaches, tinnitus, and skin disorders. Hypnotherapeutic procedures may alleviate the symptoms of asthma, tension headaches, eczema, psoriasis, and other psychosomatic illnesses. The National Institutes of Health has recommended hypnotherapy as a treatment for chronic pain.

Hypnotherapy is effective in reducing the anxiety and pain associated with uncomfortable medical or dental procedures. Hypnotherapy is often utilized to modify an individual’s behavior, emotional content, attitudes, and dysfunctional habits. Hypnotherapy techniques are also used in the field of personal development and motivation.

For information about complementary and alternative therapies for treatment of conditions and for health maintenance call Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

Over 50 million Americans have hypertension, blood pressure measuring above the normal range. Nearly one-third of individuals are not aware they have it. High blood pressure can develop without noticeable symptoms over several years. Only when blood pressure is severe do warning signs such as irregular heart beat, nose bleeds, dizziness, and headaches appear. If untreated, hypertension can lead to strokes, heart and kidney disease.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used clinically for the treatment of high blood pressure and related circulatory conditions. Based on TCM theory, high blood pressure and related symptoms are regarded as manifestations of an underlying health condition. Treatment aims to not only alleviate symptoms but also to treat the root cause. TCM offers a prevention-oriented, holistic approach for the treatment of hypertension which determines the imbalance of the entire body system. Hypertensive imbalance is due to the improper function of the digestive system, kidneys, liver, and heart.
According to TCM, blood circulation is a result of qi flow through the body rather than blood pressure. As the liver controls the blood in TCM, circulation health conditions typically arise from a disharmony in the liver. Medical studies suggest that high blood pressure results from the feedback regulation that takes place when blood supplies to some organs, such as the heart, brain and kidneys, are imbalanced. This regulation is a compensatory body reaction which results in a hypertensive state. The proper treatment of hypertension is to return blood supply of the heart, brain and kidneys to normal. TCM lowers blood pressure by regulating the entire body.
TCM treatment methods, such as acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, are natural, safe therapies with little side effects, especially suited for hypertensive patients who have kidney or liver complications. When treated with TCM modalities, patients experience a gradual lowering of blood pressure. Acupuncture treats elevated blood pressure by regulation of the whole body, including the nervous and endocrine systems.
Acupuncture & Massage College’s Masters of Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs prepare graduates for careers as acupuncture physicans and massage therapists. For program information call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500 or for treatment contact Dr. Richard Browne at 305.595.9500

Tongxinluo, an herbal medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China may improve angina symptoms when integrated with conventional treatment, according to a new systematic review in the October 18 issue of The Cochrane Library. Tongxinluo, composed of eight herbs and insects in capsule form, was found in several of the review studies to reduce the frequency of unstable angina symptoms, such as irregular chest pain, and improve angina patients’ electrocardiogram (ECG) results.

The review authors analyzed data from 18 randomized controlled trials of 1,413 angina patients aged 25 to 88. Conducted in China, a majority of the trials examined the effect of tongxinluo when used in addition to traditional angina treatment in comparison to traditional treatment alone. In seven of the review studies, patients with unstable angina treated with tongxinluo and conventional treatment had improved ECG results compared to patients treated with conventional treatment alone. Findings from 10 of the studies indicated that the herbal medicine improved angina symptoms. In three of the studies, tongxinluo appeared as effective as conventional nitrate medication.

“Tongxinluo is one of the most successful traditional Chinese medicines on the market in China,” said lead author Wu Taixiang, an associate professor at Sichuan University, West China Hospital, in Chengdu, Sichuan. Taixiang and other co-authors said that they felt a “social responsibility” to investigate possible clinical benefits of tongxinluo, after seeing the popularity of this medicine among cardiovascular patients in Asia.

Prior to the current review, evidence on tongxinluo’s effect has not been thoroughly analyzed. The authors concluded that tongxinluo in combination with routine angina therapy appears to reduce the frequency of angina attacks and severity, improve symptoms and ECG results, but that further trials are necessary to determine recommendations for tongxinluo’s use for angina patients. Taixiang considered the review “an encouraging exploration” regarding tongxinluo’s beneficial effects for patients experiencing unstable angina.

For more information on Acupuncture and Chinese herbs contact Dr. Richard Browne at 305.595.9500.