Acupuncture and Hayfever

Acupuncture and Hayfever is available on: http://orientalmedicine.co.uk

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Acupuncture For Hayfever

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Sniffle, sniffle, blink, wipe, and cough…where are the tissues?! “Hmm…well I don’t have a fever or feel in pain, so I guess I will head into work or school.”

Does this sound familiar? If so, you just might have seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis.

The main symptoms of seasonal allergies, include itchiness of the nose and eyes, sneezing and nasal discharge. Secondary signs may include cough and headache.

If left untreated patients often experience insomnia and irritability due to discomfort and trouble breathing. Allergic rhinitis is often the springing board into sinusitis with the additional symptoms of fever, sinus pressure, and pain with copious amounts of mucus.

It might seem that just about anything can set off your allergies, and perhaps they could seem to be getting more frequent. If this is the case, you may want to consider acupuncture treatments, which can help alleviate the symptoms of seasonal allergies, as well as strengthen your body’s immune resistance. This is especially important because abnormal immune response is a major factor why you experience allergic rhinitis in the first place.

Causes of Allergic Rhinitis

Airborne allergens are the primary cause of allergic rhinitis. Tree and grass pollen in the spring and summer and weed pollen in the fall trigger allergies, as do pollution, pet dander, and dust mites.

Changes in temperature, especially as the temperature falls, can also trigger allergic rhinitis and your personal health constitution will most definitely play a role. The combination of these factors form the general etiology—or set of causes, for allergic rhinitis.

There are some people who can wade with impunity through blossoming fields and forests, never blowing their nose or wiping their eyes and stay in robust health for the duration of the cold season. But for the rest of us, the joy and anticipation we feel as the fall and winter holidays approach is often mitigated by the seasonal dread the cooler weather brings. As nature changes around us so do we begin to shop more for tissues and decongestants!

Chinese medicine views the condition of allergic rhinitis as caused primarily by the pathogenic factor of “Wind” or invading “Wind Evils”.

This wind has nothing to do with passing gas, as the connotations in modern culture might suggest. Wind in Chinese medicine is a term used to describe a way or pathway through which our body can fall into disharmony and become dysfunctional.

The idea of pathogenic factors in Chinese medicine developed from the ancient Chinese understanding of nature’s interaction in the environment. These associative references were first formed through observation and later solidified through the personal experience of the physician. Wind, an element that causes sudden changes in nature, was a way to describe quick changing bodily processes. For instance body tremors and skin disorders have within them an element of Wind pathogenic factor.

The invasions of the body by the pathogenic factor of wind are explained in modern medicine as a hyperactive immune system. We know that patients with a sensitive immune system are more vulnerable to airborne particles. These invading pathogens or particles, cause our body’s immune system to kick in, leaving us with all the lovely symptoms we come to expect during allergy season.

It is also fairly common to see both seasonal allergies and asthma in the same patient because asthma is also viewed in eastern and western medicines as a weakness in a patient’s immunity. This is why many cases of allergies and asthma in children self-resolve as they age and their immune system develops more fully. Also the opposite is true. Have you ever noticed that your allergies were worse during a specific time when you were especially tired, sick or stressed? Chances are that your immune system had been in overdrive as well.

Another secondary pathogenic factor that causes allergies in Chinese medicine is what is referred to as “Dampness”. Related to allergic rhinitis, Dampness involves the pathological accumulation of water, i.e. mucus. It can also suppress the “Spleen” function in Chinese medicine, which as we will see is the fundamental cause for allergic rhinitis.

 

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"Chinese medicine views the condition of allergic rhinitis as caused primarily by the pathogenic factor of “Wind” or invading “Wind Evils”."

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Pathways to Pathology

Chinese medicine explains the root cause for allergic rhinitis as an internal disharmony or disruption, which then allows the external factors of Wind Evils or Dampness to invade or develop. “Wei Qi” or protective qi is a defensive energy mechanism much like our immune function and insufficient Wei Qi in Chinese medicine predisposes us to allergic rhinitis.

When our immunity is decreased due to poor health or fatigue, Chinese medicine considers that we possess low Wei Qi. A weakened “Spleen” function/energy is always seen as the starting point for a Wei Qi imbalance. A major function of the Spleen organ/energy in Chinese medicine relates to the process of digestion.

Many people do not realize that 80 percent of our immune system is located in the digestive tract. This correlates exactly with what Chinese medicine has known for thousands of years by the phrase “Wei Qi issues forth from the Middle Jiao” better known as the Spleen and Stomach. The bacteria in our gastro-intestinal tract play a very important role in the mucosal immune system and help in the production of anti-bodies.

Acupuncture for Allergy Prevention

“Well,” you say, “what can I do to improve my immunity and constitution so I don’t experience allergic rhinitis or at least not as often?” Glad you asked! Let us take a look at what many people do at the end of summer and the beginning of fall.

This is a fairly important time period in the development of allergic rhinitis when many people are inadvertently weakening their spleen function by eating plenty of cold foods. Cold foods lower the optimum temperature needed for digestion in our stomachs making our bodies expend more energy on the digestive process, thereby taxing the spleen energy and making digestion that much harder. Dairy and greasy foods promote mucus production so we would do well to try to avoid these types of foods especially in the months prior to our regular allergy season.

The aim of acupuncture treatments for allergic rhinitis is to restore normal immune function by decreasing the reactivity of the body to allergens thereby reversing the inflammatory process. During the change of seasons when allergy symptoms can be severe, an acupuncturist will focus first on these. Once there is a lessening of these conditions, we will focus on strengthening and regulating the immune function of the body.

The modern scientific understanding of how acupuncture treats seasonal allergies is through the stimulation of our nervous system, which promotes the secretion of neurotransmitters that help regulate blood flow. Acupuncture also increases the body’s production of the serum ACTH, which modulates the anti-inflammatory steroid cortisol.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine truly shine in the area of preventive medicine because they view patient and pathology as interdependent and know that effective long-term benefits require investigation into many facets of a patient’s health history.

Acupuncture treat our body on what is known as the functional level. This means it improves function, especially of the muscles, organs, fluid production/balance and immunity. Acupuncture supports the healing process by using the body’s own innate energy to restore our natural health. It is frequently combined with Chinese herbal remedies, eastern food therapy, and lifestyle recommendations, to ensure longer lasting results.

As a preventive measure patients are advised to start treatments for seasonal allergies several months before their regular allergy season begins.

Original Article By Miguel Maya Here: http://bit.ly/OMRao3

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Original Post Here: Acupuncture and Hayfever

Acupuncture For Stress And Anxiety

The blog post Acupuncture For Stress And Anxiety was originally published on: http://orientalmedicine.co.uk/

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Acupuncture For Stress And Anxiety

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FEBRUARY, 2017

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Acupuncture
Stress
Anxiety

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Acupuncture has been used to treat stress-related conditions for over three thousand years.

First of all, it might be useful to take a quick look at how our bodies react to stress. Stress symptoms are the result of the flight or fight mechanism in our bodies kicking in. We have evolved to respond to dangerous situations, either by running away or staying and fighting, so when the Sabre Toothed Tiger comes around the corner ,the sympathetic nervous system kicks in, and adrenaline and other stress hormones and chemicals flood throughout the body. This causes numerous physiological changes to take place, for example, the digestive system closes down, and more blood is pumped to the muscles so that we can fight the Tiger ,or run away from it, the higher learning centres of the brain close down and the more reptilian part of the brain takes over, so that we can act instinctively, rather than spend time analysing and planning. These, and numerous other reactions to stress, are perfectly designed to enable us to react to an emergency situation.

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However, in today's modern society, very few of us come across a Sabre Toothed Tiger, instead now we get stressed when our computer crashes, when we get stuck in traffic, or when we miss the start of our favourite television programme. However, our nervous and hormonal systems cannot tell the difference between the stress of traffic light turning red again, and the imminent danger of being eaten by a rather large Sabre Toothed Tiger. And so for many of us our bodies are reacting to stressful situations 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The consequence of this constant stress reaction is an increase in the risk of chronic health conditions, including heart disease, infection, obesity, anxiety, depression, poor concentration, and poor memory.

The list of symptoms associated with long-term chronic stress goes on and on, with symptoms as varied as fear, worry, anxiety, moodiness, restlessness, short temperedness, irritability, feeling tense, depression, headache, diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, frequent colds and flu's, eating too much or loss of appetite, insomnia, sleeping too much, fatigue, cravings for alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, and so the list goes on.

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"in today’s modern society, very few of us come across a Sabre Toothed Tiger, instead now we get stressed when our computer crashes."

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So can acupuncture be helpful in stress-related conditions?

Research by the University of California in Los Angeles Department of Medicine and the University of California in Santa Monica showed that when people are put under stress that their blood pressure typically went up. Those subjects who had acupuncture whilst being put under stress experienced much lower increases in blood pressure than those subjects who did not have acupuncture.

The Journal of Cardiac Failure Volume 8, December 2002, reported on research that showed that acupuncture reduces the effects on the sympathetic nervous system when subjects were put under intense mental stress.

In traditional Chinese medicine theory, the main organs involved with stress are the Liver and the Heart. The Liver is described as the temperamental organ, and is the system of mostly affected by stress, in particular the too much to do too little time to do it in stress. Chinese medicine typically describes symptoms of anger, irritability, frustration, one-sided headaches, insomnia, PMS, and general stress like symptoms to be associated with the Liver.

The other organ commonly affected by stress, is the Heart, it is important to remember that when Chinese medicine practitioners are describing the functions of the Heart, we are not only talking about the physical action of the heart pumping blood, but there is an understanding that the Heart is the seat of the emotions, and imbalances in the Heart energy typically lead to symptoms of anxiety, insomnia, palpitations and panic attacks.

Although other systems can be involved in stress-related conditions, imbalances in what Chinese medicine describes as the Heart and Liver are the most common imbalances in most people in the West with a stress-related condition.

As well as selecting points that, in Chinese medicine understanding, will relax the Liver and calm and the Heart, and hence as shown by research in the West, reduce the activity of the sympathetic nervous system and production of adrenaline and other stress hormones and chemicals , it is important for anybody with a long-term stress-related condition to make some appropriate lifestyle changes.

The four key areas to look at are diet; try and eat as healthy and natural diet as possible, and keeping well hydrated. The simplest way to do this is don't eat anything that comes out of a packet, so that you always know exactly what's going into your mouth, eat lots of fresh fruit, lots of fresh vegetables, moderate amounts of fish and poultry or meat, and if you can tolerate them, small amounts of dairy products.

The next area to look at is sufficient rest, recent research suggests that many of us have got sleep deficits of some 32 hours, and that most of us need, to function well and healthily, between seven and eight hours sleep a night.

Now, we need to look at is exercise, and there is significant research that demonstrates a minimum of 30 minutes a day of a aerobic exercise, such as, walking jogging and cycling, swimming, dancing, will help to stave off the negative effects of stress.

Lastly, and definitely not least, try to do some form of deep relaxation on a daily basis.

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Learn More Here: Acupuncture For Stress And Anxiety

Does Acupuncture Reduce Blood Pressure By Releasing Opiods?

Is acupuncutre causing the release of opiods in the brainstem that governs blood pressure? This study suggests that it does.

Researchers with the UCI Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine have found that regular electroacupunture treatment can lower hypertension by increasing the release of a kind of opioid in the brainstem region that controls blood pressure.

In tests on rats, UCI cardiology researcher Zhi-Ling Guo and colleagues noted that reduced blood pressure lasted for at least three days after electroacupuncture by increasing the gene expression of enkephalins, which one of the three major opioid peptides produced by the body.

Their study, which appears in the Nature's Scientific Reports, presents the first evidence of the molecular activity behind electroacupunture's hypertension-lowering benefits.

Last year, the UCI team reported patients treated with acupuncture at certain wrist locations experienced drops in their blood pressure. The present study shows that repetitive electroacupuncture evokes a long-lasting action in lowering blood pressure in hypertension, suggesting that this therapy may be suitable for treating clinical hypertension.

Hypertension affects about one third of the adult population of the world, and its consequences, such as stroke and heart attacks, are enormous public health problems, and the potential advantages of acupuncture over conventional medical therapy include few, if any, of side effects.

This was orginally published here

 

Source Here: Does Acupuncture Reduce Blood Pressure By Releasing Opiods?

Acupuncture and Mental Health Part 2

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Feeling low? Take a walk!

Just over 50% of the world’s population now live in urban areas, and forecasts indicate that this could rise to more than 70% within the next 30 years. As more of us live in city areas, away from the natural environment the numbers of mental health issues such as depression and anxiety have risen dramatically.

Various studies have shown very clearly that living in a city increases your risk of suffering from anxiety by 20% when compared to living in a rural area. If you were born and raised in a city you are twice as likely to develop schizophrenia.

So, could getting out into the countryside make a difference?

A new study finds quantifiable evidence that walking in nature could lead to a lower risk of depression.

Specifically, the study, published in Proceedings of the Natural Academy of Science found that people who walked for 90 minutes in a natural area, as opposed to participants who walked in a high-traffic urban setting, showed decreased activity in a region of the brain associated with a key factor in depression.

“These results suggest that accessible natural areas may be vital for mental health in our rapidly urbanizing world,” said co-author Gretchen Daily, the Bing Professor in Environmental Science and a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. “Our findings can help inform the growing movement worldwide to make cities more liveable, and to make nature more accessible to all who live in them.”

 

 

In the study, two groups of participants walked for 90 minutes, one in a grassland area scattered with oak trees and shrubs, the other along a traffic-heavy four-lane roadway. Before and after, the researchers measured heart and respiration rates, performed brain scans and had participants fill out questionnaires.

The researchers found little difference in physiological conditions, but marked changes in the brain. Neural activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, a brain region active during rumination – repetitive thought focused on negative emotions – decreased among participants who walked in nature versus those who walked in an urban environment.

You can read the full article here.

The next part of this series of articles will look at the effects of meditation on stress, anxiety and depression and how, when combined with acupuncture can have very profound effects.

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Read Full Article Here: Acupuncture and Mental Health Part 2

Acupuncture and Mental Health Part 1

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The state of our mental health has been discussed more openly in the national media over the last few years. At long last we are starting to see the end of the “stiff British upper lip” and the stigma of mental health problems.

According to Mind 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year.

Every seven years a survey is done in England to measure the number of people who have different types of mental health problem each year. It was last published in 2009 and reported these figures:

Depression - 2.6 in 100 people

Anxiety - 4.7 in 100 people

Mixed anxiety and depression - 9.7 in 100 people

Some problems are asked about over a person’s lifetime, rather than each year:

Suicidal thoughts   17 in 100 people

Self-harm  3 in 100 people

Estimates for bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and personality disorders are also usually described over a person’s lifetime, rather than each year. Estimates for the number of people with these diagnoses do vary quite a lot but the most commonly reported figures are:

Personality disorders  3 to 5 people in every 100

Bipolar disorder   1 to 3 people in every 100

Schizophrenia  1 to 3 people in every 100

Read more at the Mind website

What is Normal?

Everyone experiences some nervousness and anxiety from time to time, public speaking, financial stress, family upsets are all common triggers for these feelings. Mostly, they will last for a few hours, or days and then clear. But when these feelings continue day after day without abatement it is time to look for some help.

Health.com have put together a list of 11 signs that you might have an anxiety disorder:

 

1. Excessive worry

The hallmark of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)—the broadest type of anxiety—is worrying too much about everyday things, large and small. But what constitutes "too much"?

In the case of GAD, it means having persistent anxious thoughts on most days of the week, for six months. Also, the anxiety must be so bad that it interferes with daily life and is accompanied by noticeable symptoms, such as fatigue.

 

2. Sleep problems

Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep is associated with a wide range of health conditions, both physical and psychological. And, of course, it's not unusual to toss and turn with anticipation on the night before a big speech or job interview.

But if you chronically find yourself lying awake, worried or agitated—about specific problems (like money), or nothing in particular—it might be a sign of an anxiety disorder. By some estimates, fully half of all people with GAD experience sleep problems.

 

3. Irrational fears

Some anxiety isn't generalized at all; on the contrary, it's attached to a specific situation or thing—like flying, animals, or crowds. If the fear becomes overwhelming, disruptive, and way out of proportion to the actual risk involved, it's a telltale sign of phobia, a type of anxiety disorder.

 

4. Muscle tension

Near-constant muscle tension—whether it consists of clenching your jaw, balling your fists, or flexing muscles throughout your body—often accompanies anxiety disorders. This symptom can be so persistent and pervasive that people who have lived with it for a long time may stop noticing it after a while.

 

5. Chronic indigestion

Anxiety may start in the mind, but it often manifests itself in the body through physical symptoms, like chronic digestive problems. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), a condition characterized by stomachaches, cramping, bloating, gas, constipation, and/or diarrhoea.

 

6. Stage fright

Most people get at least a few butterflies before addressing a group of people or otherwise being in the spotlight. But if the fear is so strong that no amount of coaching or practice will alleviate it, or if you spend a lot of time thinking and worrying about it, you may have a form of social anxiety disorder (also known as social phobia).

 

7. Self-consciousness

Social anxiety disorder doesn't always involve speaking to a crowd or being the center of attention. In most cases, the anxiety is provoked by everyday situations such as making one-on-one conversation at a party, or eating and drinking in front of even a small number of people.

In these situations, people with social anxiety disorder tend to feel like all eyes are on them, and they often experience blushing, trembling, nausea, profuse sweating, or difficulty talking. These symptoms can be so disruptive that they make it hard to meet new people, maintain relationships, and advance at work or in school.

 

8. Panic

Panic attacks can be terrifying: Picture a sudden, gripping feeling of fear and helplessness that can last for several minutes, accompanied by scary physical symptoms such as breathing problems, a pounding or racing heart, tingling or numb hands, sweating, weakness or dizziness, chest pain, stomach pain, and feeling hot or cold.

Not everyone who has a panic attack has an anxiety disorder, but people who experience them repeatedly may be diagnosed with panic disorder. People with panic disorder live in fear about when, where, and why their next attack might happen, and they tend to avoid places where attacks have occurred in the past.

 

9. Flashbacks

Reliving a disturbing or traumatic event—a violent encounter, the sudden death of a loved one—is a hallmark of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which shares some features with anxiety disorders. (Until very recently, in fact, PTSD was seen as a type of anxiety disorder rather than a stand-alone condition.)

But flashbacks may occur with other types of anxiety as well. Some research, including a 2006 study in the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, suggests that some people with social anxiety have PTSD-like flashbacks of experiences that might not seem obviously traumatic, such as being publicly ridiculed. These people may even avoid reminders of the experience—another symptom reminiscent of PTSD.

 

10. Perfectionism

The finicky and obsessive mind-set known as perfectionism "goes hand in hand with anxiety disorders," Winston says. "If you are constantly judging yourself or you have a lot of anticipatory anxiety about making mistakes or falling short of your standards, then you probably have an anxiety disorder."

Perfectionism is especially common in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which, like PTSD, has long been viewed as an anxiety disorder.

 

11. Compulsive behaviors

In order to be diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, a person's obsessiveness and intrusive thoughts must be accompanied by compulsive behavior, whether it's mental (telling yourself It'll be all right over and over again) or physical (hand-washing, straightening items).

Obsessive thinking and compulsive behavior become a full-blown disorder when the need to complete the behaviors—also known as "rituals"—begins to drive your life.

If you are experiencing one or more of these patterns it might be worth getting some help to overcome the issues. For most of us that will be a visit to your local GP, who, hopefully will point you towards one of the talking or alternative therapies before pulling out the prescription pad for more pharmaceuticals.

The numbers of antidepressants being prescribed are increasing every year, more than 50 million prescriptions in 2013, a rise of 7.5% from the previous year. Source BBC.co.uk

For some people antidepressants is the only sensible option, but they are not without their problems .

In a recent analysis of 70 trials of the most common antidepressants - involving more than 18,000 people - found they doubled the risk of suicide and aggressive behaviour in under 18s.

Although a similarly stark link was not seen in adults, the authors said misreporting of trial data could have led to a ‘serious under-estimation of the harms.’

The review - the biggest of its kind into the effects of the drugs - was carried out by the Nordic Cochrane Centre and analysed by University College London (UCL) who today endorse the findings in an editorial in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

After comparing clinical trial information to actual patient reports the scientists found pharmaceutical companies had regularly misclassified deaths and suicidal events in people taking anti-depressants to "favour their products".

Experts said the review's findings were "startling" and said it was "deeply worrying" that clinical trials appear to have been misreported.

You can read the full article here.

The next post will look at alternative and natural approaches to dealing with these health issues, including acupuncture, diet, exercise and meditation.

 

Image courtesy of Amy Messere 

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See Full Article Here: Acupuncture and Mental Health Part 1

Acupuncture Reduces Chronic Pain

I think we can all agree that chronic pain is no fun, and very often the side effects of the medications can be almost as bad as the original pain. Fortunately, a comprehensive analysis of 29 different studies from the UK, America, Germany, Sweden and Spain gave acupuncture the thumbs up for helping to relieve chronic pain. Together, these studies looked at the outcomes of almost 18,000 patients.

Andrew Vickers, an attending research methodologist and statistician at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City said "We looked at only the best-quality studies", "so I can say with confidence that what we found is the strongest evidence to date supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture."

The study appeared online Sept. 10 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The new study looked at the effect of acupuncture treatment on four different forms of chronic pain that had lasted for at least one month: shoulder pain, chronic headaches and migraines, osteoarthritis and neck and back pain.

The studies included in the review were all randomised controlled trials and they all included comparing the results of acupuncture treatment, "sham acupuncture" and normal Western Medicine care, without any acupuncture. The "sham acupuncture" used retractable needles, or needles inserted very superficially.

The study showed very clearly that acupuncture produced better results than the "sham acupuncture" or the treatment with no acupuncture.

Andrew Vickers and his colleagues said that "generally speaking, if a patient was to go on to experience a 30 percent drop in pain while undergoing standard care with no acupuncture intervention, those undergoing "sham acupuncture" seemed to experience about a 43 percent drop, while true acupuncture patients experienced a 50 percent fall-off."

Although the difference between the results of the real and the sham acupuncture appeared to be relatively small the authors stressed "that the real-world choice patients face is not between acupuncture or fake acupuncture but rather between acupuncture or no acupuncture at all". In that this context they suggested that their findings are "of major importance for clinical practice."

"Basically what we see here is that the pain relief difference from acupuncture versus no acupuncture is notable, and important, and difficult to ignore," Vickers said.

All in all then, a good result for acupuncture treatment, and without the side effects of pharmaceuticals!

Read More Here: Acupuncture Reduces Chronic Pain

Using Acupuncture To Help Heal Tennis Elbow

So many times, patients come to see me and say "my doctor says I have Tennis Elbow, but I don't even play tennis!" Tennis Elbow is a very common repetitive strain injury that can be caused by tennis, but can have numerous other sources as well.

What is it?

The Western medical term is Lateral Epicondylitis, which is inflammation of the small "bony knob" on the outer elbow and the surrounding tissue. Pain here can cause difficulty with lifting objects with one hand, like when you want to pour milk into your coffee (of course you are pouring coconut milk into your tea, but that's an exploration for another day) and can sometimes interfere with one's ability to twist open jars. In Chinese medical terms, there is Qi and/or Blood Stagnation in the elbow, often due to physical trauma (like overuse), Heat, Dampness, Cold or a combination. When Qi (often translated as energy) is not flowing properly (no matter what the cause), there is pain; by encouraging Qi flow, the pain goes away. Qi stagnation usually has an achy, dull quality to it, whereas Blood stagnation tends to be sharper and more stabbing pain; it is possible to have both simultaneously.

Why does my elbow hurt?

Even though the pain is in the elbow, my experience has found that that is rarely where the problem originates. There is a saying in the bodywork community that "pain is a liar;" the location of the pain is not always it's source. Sometimes people feel pain in their knee but the pain is really coming from their hamstrings, their IT band or sometimes it can be compensation from dysfunction in their foot. In terms of Tennis Elbow, usually the problem comes from tightness and restriction in the rotator cuff muscles (often Subscapularis or Infraspinatus). When you repeatedly hit a tennis ball with a racquet, the movement comes from the torso and shoulder, but the impact is often felt at the weakest joint, in this case, the elbow; the elbow is the "weak link" so that is where the pain refers. Even without the impact of a ball against a racquet, repetitive movements like typing, using a mouse or even lifting something with one hand that is a little too heavy can cause strain in the elbow in the same way.

How can acupuncture help?

When the restriction is released, the elbow pain decreases and disappears. Acupuncture needles work

to release the muscular tension and restriction in the body so that it functions properly. In this case, they go into the body typically in points along the Small Intestine and Large Intestine Meridians to encourage proper Qi and Blood circulation which reduces pain and encourages proper range of motion. "Small Intestine 9," or SI 9, is a point behind the shoulder, that when released often gives significant relief to the elbow. Additionally, acupuncture increases blood circulation. Our blood contains nutrients that help our body heal itself, so by increasing blood flow to the area, acupuncture encourages the body's natural healing process.

What else can help?

Sometimes the elbow can feel really "angry," by which I mean sensitive and irritated, and usually feels worse with movement and massage. In this case, the needles can make the pain worse instead of better, so I choose to treat the elbow with Moxa  Moxa is a less invasive way to treat pain and inflammation. What is interesting is that even though Moxa is a heat therapy, it reduces inflammation, rather than increasing it.

Is there anything I can do on my own that will help?
Ideally you want to be treated by a professional, but between treatments or before you can get started, a tennis ball can be very handy to start working on the rotator cuff tension. Lie down on the floor or lean against a wall or chair back. Place the ball around SI 9 (see image above) and lean into it until you feel a strong sensation. Take some deep slow breaths and try to relax into the ball. Sometimes it helps to lie on your side with your arm extended and place the ball that position, but the sensation can be much more intense. Listen to your body and be kind to it. If you find a tennis ball isn't hard enough, you can use a lacrosse ball, but anything harder than that will only cause bruising and tissue damage. Please don't use the tennis ball on the elbow itself, you won't be happy with the results.

In terms of anti-inflammatories, I believe in using food as medicine. Turmeric (with black pepper), tart cherry juice, pineapple, ginger and anything containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids (chia, flax, hemp, salmon, sardines, walnuts) have anti-inflammatory properties. When taken in high enough doses they can make a huge difference in your pain levels and won't cause damage to your liver or kidneys like NSAIDS can. See your local natural health practitioner (acupuncturist, naturopath, functional medicine doc) for dosage suggestions.




Using Acupuncture To Help Heal Tennis Elbow was first posted here.