Pain Relief

Chinese Medicine for Summer: Acupuncture for Sports Injuires & Herbal First Aid

Please join me for an interesting evening learning practical information about herbal first aid and acupuncture for sports injuries. 7p Malaprops - Tuesday June 12th   Receive practical information about herbal first aid and the use of acupuncture for sports injuries. Learn remedies you can do yourself to heal cuts, wounds, scars, burns, hives & rashes, including poison ivy. See an acupuncture demonstration for pain relief, including sprained ankles. Hear why acupuncturists recommend against using ice on injuries, after the first 24 hours.Ask your questions during an informal Q & A and discussion after the presentation. Take home practical knowledge and handouts with directions Enjoy this dynamic, informative & interesting evening.

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Case Study: Acute Back Pain Resolved in 2 Acupuncture Treatments

A gentleman (43y) came in to my office a couple of weeks ago complaining of acute lower back (lumbar) pain which radiated down the lateral side (outside) of the left leg (I/T band). He described stabbing pain, level 8 (1-10 scale). This had happened a year ago. After an acupuncture treatment from a colleague the pain resolved until this recent episode. Discussion of Back Pain Acupuncture TreatmentI used balance method acupuncture points in his right hand. The pain reduced immediately upon insertion of the needles. While he rested with the needles in place, I made up a custom herbal formula to circulate blood. In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) theory, stabbing pain is due to blood stagnation, or poor blood circulation in the area. In western medicine, the radiating…

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Duke Univ Study Says Acupuncture Beats Pills for Headache

At last! When acupuncture first publicly arrived on the scene in the US in the 70's, the medical establishment's first concern was to be certain that the 'new' therapy was safe and wouldn't harm the public. After the millennium the safety concerns began to be put aside following a landmark NIH study in 1997 that confirmed acupuncture is safe & effective and encouraged researchers to turn to efficacy.Most of the researchers seem reluctant to verify that acupuncture is highly efficacious, consequently the studies' highest accolades seem to be acknowledging that acupuncture can match western medicine in terms of effectiveness.Duke University has a integrative medical department that is in the forefront of the field. It has recently released a study showing acupuncture is more effective than drugs for…

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Study Shows Acupuncture More Effective for TMJ Than Physical Therapy or Drugs

The spring, 2010, issue of the Journal of Orofacial Pain included a review of studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating TMJ. The study concluded that acupuncture is more effective than physical therapy and medication in treating this disorder, and recommends more larger trials. The review also noted the absence of serious side effects in the acupuncture patients.Here's a video showing a normal temporomandibular joint (hence TMJ)Here's a video of a displaced TMJ that is clicking when it's opening.This video shows a TMJ disc with a thin attatchment.I seen pleasing results with acupuncture in treating TMJ and other facial pain. I've used both standard TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) style of acupuncture, which is most commonly taught in the colleges and being used today, and Dr. Tan's…

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Duke University Says Acupuncture Better than Asprin for Headaches

Duke University reviewed 31 studies to access the effects of acupuncture compared to drugs for the treatment of headache. The researchers found acupuncture is more effective (62%) than medications (45%). Findings were published in Anesthesia & Analgesia.I practice Dr. Tan's Balance Method of acupuncture. Using this method, I expect to dramatically reduce pain on the first visit. Acupuncture is a therapy and a series of treatments is required. The number of treatments needed varies, depending on the individual, and whether the condition is acute or chronic. A course of treatment is 10-12 visits, and generally that is needed to treat a sub-acute condition. Chronic conditions take longer to treat.All types of pain, including headache respond remarkably well to acupuncture. It is a shame more people are not…

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Study Shows Yoga Practice Reduces Inflamation Associated with Age Related Diseases

Those who have been following by blog know that I am a yogini: a female yogi, or yoga practitioner. As such, this study demonstrating the benefits of yoga in reducing inflammation, stress and aging caught my eye. I thought others would find it interesting, too. This study looked at yoga, but i believe similar results and benefits would be found with tai qi and qi gong (literally 'qi work' or energy work/cultivation: yoga is a qi gong exercise). I recently ran across some old "Yoga Journal" articles showing the benefits of restorative yoga for chronic illness, AIDS and auto immune disorders. Restorative yoga are relaxation poses requiring little to no muscle work, so that one lies in the pose for an extended period of time (5-10min. The…

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Study Shows How Acupuncture Stops Pain

This article from the Medicine.net website discusses a western scientific study designed to explain acupuncture's pain relieving effect. It's a quick, interesting read. I would offer the caveat that no acupuncturist would recommend using morphine or other opiates after treatment, a conclusion a quoted researcher mistakenly draws from the study findings. It is validating to see western studies that scientifically verify acupuncture's results. KBImaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture WorksSOURCE: University of Michigan Medical School, news release, August 2009

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The Spiritual Aspects of Pain

I was reviewing some notes this evening about the treatment of pain in Chinese medicine from a seminar taught by Jeffery Yuen. Jeffrey Yuen comes from two Daoist lineages – 88th generation of the Yu Qing Huang Lao Pai (Jade Purity School, Yellow Emperor/Lao Tzu Sect) and 26th generation of the Quan Zhen Long Men Pai (Complete Reality School, Dragon Gate Sect). As a Taoist priest, he has some interesting perspectives on healing and Chinese medicine.With regards to treating pain, Jeffery discusses the spiritual implications of pain.In Chinese medicine there is an oft repeated adage: tong zi bu tong, zi tong, bu tong. Tong means pain, and the adage translates thus: where there is pain there is stagnation [or lack of free flow - of qi and…

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