East West Medicine

 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common behavioral conditions among children. In the United States alone, approximately 4.5 million children between the ages of 5-17 years old are diagnosed with ADHD each year. Research indicates that when treating ADHD, a multidisciplinary approach is most effective; combining behavioral therapy, exercise, dietary changes and medication. Now acupuncture can be added as one of the treatment methods that can successfully manage ADHD. What is ADHD? Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) is a condition of the brain that makes it difficult to concentrate or control impulsive behavior. Children with ADHD generally struggle with paying attention or concentrating. They can't seem to follow directions and are easily bored or frustrated with tasks. They also tend to move constantly and are impulsive, not stopping to think before they act. These behaviors are generally common in children. But they occur mo...

Acupuncture and Allergies According to Chinese medical theory, the symptoms and signs that indicate a Western diagnosis of allergies relate to imbalances in the meridian and organ systems of the body.  These imbalances may stem from a variety of causes, including stress, poor diet, constitutional weakness, pollutants and environmental toxins. Over time, if imbalances remain within the body, they will affect the functions of the organ systems.  Some of these organ systems are involved in the production of Wei Qi (way chee).  According to the theories of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, it is important to have to correct quality and quantity of Wei Qi circulating around the body in order to stay healthy. What is Wei Qi? The Chinese concept of Wei Qi is similar to the Western concept of the immune system.  Wei Qi functions to protect and defend the body against foreign substances, that if not caught can lead to allergies.  When Wei Qi is strong and abund...

The role of trigger points in muscle pain… Trigger points are felt as small, tender nodules and painful bands in skeletal muscles. These knots are hyperirritable spots. When muscles work in an eccentric fashion, that is a contraction occurs while the muscle lengthens, damage occurs within the muscle cells. The reason why these trigger points develop is because a neurotransmitter, Acetylcholine, is released in excess, which then causes a persistent, localized muscle contraction. This muscle contraction compresses blood capillaries which then reduces blood flow. Lower amounts of oxygen and glucose is then delivered to the muscle and an energy crisis is created. As a result, a number of pain sensitizing substances are released which activate nerve receptors that respond to pain. The muscle is unlikely to relax and thus, a vicious cycle is created. The presence of a local twitch response, referred pain or reproduction of symptomatic pain increases the certai...

Acupuncture is an ancient Eastern traditional practice that has survived for thousands of years, and still offers a great deal of benefit today for those who suffer from a variety of conditions. While some of the conditions that acupuncture has been found to be the most beneficial include allergies, lung disorders such as asthma, migraines, back pain, and arthritis, acupuncture has helped a large number of people to eliminate pain, reduce symptoms, alleviate stress and anxiety, and lead healthier, more balanced lives. Even though acupuncture as an art and science was first introduced in Eastern civilizations, its modern day influence has spanned the globe, and is now a widely accepted from of medicine even in the Western world. Those who seek the help of a certified acupuncture provider and those who become certified in the field of acupuncture continue to rise in number annually in the US. While a lot of people may cringe at the very thought of it, acup...

When there is the two-theorys, and both try to explain something, then the paradoxes arise, and is the light of the paradoxes that illuminates our minds to a new approach to a problem. But you only get a new approach if you are navigating through the various knowledge, for while beliefs are rooted in unique consiguirá you hardly see any light at the end of the tunnel. Before anything else is good to make clear that the scientific method we have today is still the best tool we have to study nature and its interaction with things. And it is the light that many researchers try to explain acupuncture. WHO recognizes scientific evidence in various pathologies that can be treated by acupuncture, but even so, there always appear more scientific studies trying to prove whether or not there is effective with the use of needles. Unfortunately these studies are full of bias, there are so many interests wanting to prove or disprove the use of needles, which is no longer possible to b...