Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

One of the most common addiction-related uses for acupuncture is to help people quit smoking. Although acupuncture has been an integral part of traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, the idea of using acupuncture to help people overcome certain addictions is relatively new, originating in the early 1970’s.

Acupuncture therapy aids in addressing your particular triggers for smoking and how to avoid them. Acupuncture therapy for smoking cessation is customized for each individual’s particular smoking habits and physical and emotional constitution. Because the acupuncture smoking cessation program is individualized, it is often successful for those who have been unable to stop smoking through other methods.

Acupuncture can reduce the cravings associated with your efforts to quit smoking. Acupuncture lessens withdrawal symptoms such as jitters, irritability and restlessness. Often, the first month of quitting is the most difficult; acupuncture for smoking cessation can ease you through this initial period. Acupuncture treatment focuses on any physical or emotional withdrawal symptoms and also aids in relaxation.

Acupoints are chosen which clear the lungs and produce a calming effect, replacing the short-term calming effect of tobacco smoke. Often, a combination of body acupuncture points and points on the ear are selected which influence the organs and energetic pathways associated with smoking. Smokers develop higher levels of nicotine-induced endorphins. Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system naturally to regulate endorphin levels and production.

After beginning an acupuncture smoking cessation program, individuals experience easier breathing, improved circulation and normalized blood pressure. Benefits of acupuncture for smoking cessation include reduced cold and flu illnesses, improved health and decreased rates of pneumonia and bronchitis. In addition to acupuncture, Chinese herbal formulas can aid in reducing withdrawal symptoms, detoxifying the body and increasing energy.

Acupuncture is a safe and natural way to stop smoking and stay nicotine free. A combination of therapies including acupuncture, pharmaceutical aids (patches, gum) and stress management counseling may yield the best results in smoking cessation.

For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500. For information about acupuncture for smoking cessation ask for Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician.

Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils, the volatile portion of aromatic plant products. Essential oils are aromatic essences generally distilled from the bark, roots, flowers, stems, leaves, or other plant elements. The aroma and chemical composition of essential oils can produce therapeutic and medical benefits through inhalation and absorption through the skin.

Aromatherapy is effective in the treatment of a variety of common ailments such as inflammation, acne, wounds, indigestion, bruises, PMS, concentration and memory difficulties, fatigue, insect bites, muscular and rheumatic pains, stress, nausea, and anxiety. Aromatherapy is utilized in a variety of settings including home, spas, hospitals, and clinics and in a wide range of applications such as skin and hair care, pain management, to reduce side effects of chemotherapy, and to promote relaxation and well being of patients in palliative care and intensive care units.

Essential oils often vary greatly in quality due to various factors such as distillation standards and conditions under which the plant was grown. Not all products that contain the word “aromatherapy” in their labels are derived from pure oil essences. Some also contain perfume or fragrance oils or other synthetic ingredients. Consumers seeking aromatherapy products should determine the product does not contain fragrance oils or other synthetic components by checking the ingredient label. Therapeutic-grade oils differ from perfume-grade oils, which are synthetic and lack therapeutic properties.

The chemical components of essential oils exert specific mind-body effects. Each essential oil produces a different effect depending on which component predominates in the essential oil. Oils can also be blended synergistically to produce a specific therapeutic action or aroma. Synergistic blends often produce increased therapeutic benefits in comparison to oils used independently.

When inhaled, essential oils affect the brain and nervous system. Oil molecules enter the lungs, are absorbed by the bloodstream and produce psychological and physical benefits. When applied to the skin, oils are diluted with a carrier oil (apricot kernel oil, sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil) before applying the oil to the skin for absorption into the bloodstream. Essential oils are often too concentrated to be applied directly to the skin, although specific oils, such as sandalwood, ylang ylang and lavender, may be applied directly. Essential oil application to the skin is often utilized for a variety of hygiene and health conditions. Some of the more commonly used essential oils include:

∑ Eucalyptus, which has analgesic, antiviral and antiseptic properties. Used for skin disorders, headaches, neuralgia, arthritis, coughs, sinusitis, flu, bronchitis, and aches and pains.

∑ Ylang Ylang, which has sedative, stimulant, anti-infectious, and tonic properties. Used for high blood pressure, palpitations, acne, stress related disorders, insomnia, digestive disorders, and insect bites.

∑ Lavender, which has analgesic, tonic and stimulant properties. Used for cuts, bruises, hypertension, migraine, headache, insomnia, sciatica, allergies, sprains, flu, and rheumatism.

∑ Sandalwood, which has astringent, sedative, antiseptic, and tonic properties. Used for bronchitis, stress related conditions, insomnia, nausea, and coughs.

Aromatherapy is a complementary health modality which can be integrated into allopathic health care plans. Individuals should discuss essential oils with their physician before using aromatherapy products to complement medical conditions.
For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs call Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500.

For information about aromatherapy for health and wellness ask for Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician.

Acupuncture benefits include the effective treatment of headache, back pain, tennis elbow, osteoarthritis, circulatory problems, sciatica, skin conditions, carpal tunnel syndrome, and asthma. Acupuncture benefits can also aid in smoking cessation, reduce postoperative nausea, decrease postoperative dental pain, and may be used as a stand-alone therapy for the treatment of many health conditions. Acupuncture benefits include effective treatment of anxiety, digestive problems, insomnia, and weight loss.
In cases of diverse pain conditions, acupuncture benefits can effectively reduce cases of acute and chronic generalized pain conditions as well as pain due to joint degenerative conditions. Acupuncture benefits can result in a general increase of energy, strength and vitality. Acupuncture benefits are considered a holistic approach to curing disorders and general discomfort in the body’s system. Acupuncture benefits can clear the natural flow of qi energy in the body when energy flow is weakened or blocked by health conditions.

Acupuncture benefits can aid in maintaining general wellness and strengthening constitution. Acupuncture benefits can aid individuals that have a general sense of malaise without actually experiencing an adverse health condition. In determining acupuncture benefits, acupuncture can be used alongside conventional medicine in the treatment of both acute and chronic disease. Acupuncture benefits can be used either as preventative medicine or to effectively treat health conditions. Acupuncture benefits include overall gradual improvement in general health as well as your illness.

How long acupuncture benefits last depends on your acupuncture physician’s evaluation of your general state of health, in order to identify the underlying pattern of disharmony and assessment of the most effective therapy program and length. When determining acupuncture benefits, each therapy session increases vitality and energy, strengthens the immune system and enhances overall well-being. In traditional acupuncture, acupuncture benefits for each individual are unique and therefore the number of treatments required depends on the individual’s constitution.

For more information about acupuncture benefits, call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician and Homeopath at (305) 595-9500. For Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy program information ask for Joe Calareso..

Shingles, a painful skin condition, may be prevented by Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art, according to researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles. Tai Chi is commonly used as a low-impact exercise for older people.
Study findings indicated that elderly people who performed Tai Chi enjoyed better immune responses against the shingles-causing virus, compared to those who just received health education. Shingles most commonly affects people over the age of 50. Participants in the study included 112 healthy volunteers, aged 59-86. Half of them had three Tai Chi classes each week for 12 weeks, while the other half had health education classes without Tai Chi lessons.
Six months later, those who had received the Tai Chi lessons had almost twice the immunity levels against shingles, compared to the control group. The researchers found that the Tai Chi group managed to develop a level of immunity comparable to younger people who have received the standard vaccine against the shingles-causing varicella zoster virus. The study was recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
“These are exciting findings, because the positive results of this study also have implications for other infectious diseases, like influenza and pneumonia,” said lead author Michael Irwin, the Norman Cousins Professor of Psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. “Since older adults often show blunted protective responses to vaccines, this study suggests that Tai Chi is an approach that might complement and augment the efficiency of other vaccines, such as influenza.” The results, said Irwin, confirm a positive, virus-specific immune response to a behavioral intervention.
Tai Chi can improve health and fitness levels for people of all ages. Unlike more strenuous physical activities, Tai Chi’s slow, balanced movements are accessible to individuals that may have some physical limitations. Tai Chi practitioners define one of the discipline’s health benefits as the ability to restore a yin-yang physiological balance to chi, or life energy. Muscle movements in Tai Chi exercises stimulate the flow of chi through the body and the major organs.
Tai Chi exercises cultivate growth and storage of chi leading to longer life, better health and faster recovery from accidents. Tai Chi’s aerobic effect increases metabolism and physical conditioning occurs with regular practice. Tai Chi can also help elderly practitioners reduce their risk for falls and boosts the sympathetic nervous system function, which is related to cardiovascular health.
Different tai chi exercises have one thing in common; they have a psychological benefit gained by the mind-body link in Tai Chi exercises. Practice directs the mind to focus on the moves, reduces distractions and results in peace of mind.

For more information about Tai Chi for health and well being call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician and Tai Chi instructor at (305) 595-9500. For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso.

Adding the relaxation response, a stress management approach, to other lifestyle interventions may significantly improve treatment of systolic hypertension in the elderly. In a study conducted at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)

Hypertension Program and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at MGH, participants who received relaxation response training in addition to advice on reducing lifestyle risk factors were more than twice as likely to eliminate at least one blood pressure medication than were those receiving lifestyle counseling only. The study appears in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.

“Although we have many medications to lower blood pressure, only about a third of patients achieve adequate control of their pressures,” says Randall Zusman, M.D., co-senior author of the report. “If a practice that takes only 15 to 20 minutes a day can help decrease patients’ dependence on antihypertensive medications—reducing often unpleasant side effects and the considerable costs of these drugs—we could not only improve their quality of life but lower direct and indirect health costs.”

Among the elderly patients in whom it is most common, isolated systolic hypertension (an increase in only the peak arterial pressure), is more closely correlated with adverse events like heart attack and stroke than is elevated diastolic pressure.
The relaxation response is a physiologic state of deep rest that can be elicited by practices such as meditation, deep breathing and prayer. While several studies have shown that the relaxation response can help alleviate hypertension involving elevated systolic and diastolic pressures, its usefulness in treated isolated systolic hypertension has not been investigated.

The present study enrolled more than 100 patients, aged 55 and older, whose systolic pressure remained elevated despite their taking two or more antihypertensive drugs. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups. The control group received weekly counseling sessions on cardiac risk factors, the impact of stress on hypertension and recommendations on dietary and fitness goals. The treatment group attended sessions that also included instruction and practice eliciting the relaxation response.
By the end of the 20-week study period, participants in both groups had experienced a significant drop in systolic blood pressure, allowing two thirds of all participants to attempt medication reduction. Among relaxation response group participants, 32 percent maintained reduced systolic pressure after eliminating one or more medications, compared to only 14 percent in the control group.

In addition to other stress management techniques, acupuncture offers stress reducing effects. Acupuncture treats the root cause while balancing the body’s systems. Individuals often feel more relaxed and notice symptom improvement after the first acupuncture treatment. Acupuncture has several beneficial physiological effects that counteract stress including lowered BP, decreased heart rate, tissue regeneration, and increased energy.

Acupuncture is also an effective complementary modality for essential hypertension for both prevention and treatment. Anti-hypertensive effects of acupuncture are best for treatment of mild or first stage hypertension. Acupuncture works through regulation of the nervous and endocrine systems. Therapy activates central endorphin pathways that elicit decreases in sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure.

For information about acupuncture for the treatment of stress- and hypertension-related health conditions call Dr. Richard Browne, Acupuncture Physician at (305) 595-9500. For information about Acupuncture & Massage College’s Oriental Medicine and Massage Therapy programs ask for Joe Calareso.