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The Benefits Of
Acupuncture For Diagnosis And Treatment Of Arthritis
By Tim Gorman
Acupuncture for diagnosis and treatment of
arthritis is now becoming more prevalent but having your skin savagely poked
with a series of long needles doesn't exactly sound like ideal comfort,
especially when you are already living with arthritis, a rheumatoid disease
characterized by it's trademark stiffness and pain. The ancient Chinese would
beg to differ, along with the estimated fifteen million Americans who have
tried the ancient Chinese needle therapy known as acupuncture. Around the Asian
continent, acupuncture has been used for generations to alleviate the symptoms
of chronic pain sufferers, like arthritis patients, for instance. Prospective
"acupokees" should be aware that acupuncture therapy is used for
treating arthritis, not diagnosing it. Although patients should garner a arthritis
diagnosis before signing up for acupuncture therapy.
Studies in Arthritis and Acupuncture
More than twenty million Americans live
with osteoarthritis (there are various forms of the condition, however). In
fact, osteoarthritis is amongst the most frequent causes for physical
disability in adults. Despite a history spanning more than two thousand years,
it was 2001 before acupuncture was found to aid arthritis in the knee via a
study by the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The study included 570
osteoarthritis patients over the age of fifty who had never before received
acupuncture, surgery, or steroid injections. A control group was selected and
these individuals received regular sessions of acupuncture. By the end of the
first week, the acupuncture group experienced a surge in mobility and by the
end of the study the group reported a forty percent decrease in pain and a
forty percent increase in knee function.
Using Acupuncture For Treating Arthritis
Bigwigs of Western medicine aren't exactly
sure just how acupuncture works to fight arthritis and similar diseases, but
the skilled acupuncture who administer the therapy have an idea or two.
According to therapeutic philosophy, pain is the result of a blockage of one of
life's essential energies, qui. Stimulating certain points will put the flow of
qui back in balance again, thus alleviating chronic pain in the process -
Volia! A 1999 study even found evidence that acupuncture improves sleep.
During acupuncture therapy, very thin
needles are inserted into precise point in the skin, these points are known as
acupoints. It is these acupoints that may have the biggest influence on the
connection between treating arthritis with the use of the acupuncture therapy.
In addition to being poked and prodded, acupoints also react to magnets,
currents of electricity, acupressure (hand pressure), lasers and even bee
stings. Acupuncture practitioners have also been known to administer herbs
along with wielding out some advice on making lifestyle changes at the
conclusion of a session.
Studies demonstrate that some of designated
acupoints are actually connected to sensitive bio-trigger points rich in nerve
endings. And further studies show that tinkering around with those triggers can
cause a mirage of biological responses, one of the many responses being the
chemical release of endorphins. The release of endorphins is pivotal to
acupuncture's influence on arthritis because the chemical serves as the body's
own answer to Advil, Tylenol and Motrin, as a natural painkiller.
Acupuncture Checks and Balances
Acupuncture costs vary across the United States.
But as a rule of thumb, first visits usually fall between $75 and $150, with
cheaper follow-up treatments costing between $35 and $75. Health insurance
accommodations of acupuncture vary, but advocates of using the therapy for the
treatment of diagnosed arthritis cite the long-term benefits of it's hefty
price tag, which include fewer doctor visits over time and saving a few bucks
on prescriptions.
Acupuncture Points for Neck Pain
By: Alien
Neck pain can flat out ruin your day. Manipulation of acupuncture
points for neck pain is a common way to give you back range of motion and
eliminate the pain.
Acupuncture Points for Neck Pain
Chronic neck pain is one of those mysterious ailments that in many ways points
out the deficiency of Western Medicine. It is a condition that is characterized
by pain in the neck that is not necessarily related to a known traumatic
incident. Although it is supposed that inflammation of the muscles and ligament
of the neck is responsible, it is not generally known what is causing this to
occur. So, in Western Medicine, it is considered enough to stop at the symptom.
Chronic neck pain becomes a diagnosis.
This same limited approach is used with the use of “osis” and “itis” when
naming conditions. These two suffixes mean “a condition of” or “inflammation
of” respectively. When coupled with the Latin or Greek name for a part of the
body, you get a disease name that actually describes the symptom. Traditional
Chinese Medicine regards symptoms as merely guideposts toward the actual causes
of conditions. A recent clinic study that used acupuncture points for neck pain
treatment gives an example of how this kind of thinking is shallow.
This study used 135 patients ranging in age from 20 to 80 that had been
suffering from chronic neck pain. One group was given a total of eight thirty
minute acupuncture sessions using acupuncture needles. The second group was
given placebo treatments using a device that is capable of electro-stimulation.
The electro-stimulation group did not actually receive any stimulation although
they were told that they would be. Both groups were told that they were going
to be testing needle acupuncture against electro-acupuncture.
They were allowed only Tylenol for pain, and then asked to rate their pain
levels on a daily basis using a scale of 0-100. The study showed that both
groups reported reduction in pain levels during the study. The reduction was
considered minor, and there was no significant difference in the improvement
between the groups. The conclusion was that the needling of acupuncture points
for neck pain produced no better results than a placebo treatment.
The problem with the study was the acupuncture points that were selected for
use. The researchers used 8 points that they said were used in the treatment of
neck pain under the principles of “Western” acupuncture. All of the points were
the same for all of the patients. Anyone with even the most basic understanding
of Traditional Chinese Medicine and real acupuncture treatment would see the
fallacy of this approach. Human beings are not machines rolling off an assembly
line. Each is totally different. It is most likely that each of those patients
had a unique set of conditions that was causing the neck pain, and each would
have received a different treatment. There are no set of acupuncture points for
neck pain that would be right for every case.
Article Source:
http://articles.directorygold.com
Alien
writes for Health
doctor. He also writes for acne treatment and health advice
Synovial Joints and Back Pain
By: Shane Woods
The synovial joints are made up of
capsule ligaments, tendon sheath that is the liner of synovium, tendons,
cartilages, and synovium. Fluids pass through these joints. The synovial joints
connect with the bones, which structured scaffolds of the body joins with
additional bones.
The joints produce fluids, which lubricates them. The fluids contain itself
within the capsules, which promote movement. Movement is limited by bone
structures. Flexible sectors can also limit movement, as well as connective
tissues and inelastic mechanisms.
When the synovial joints are interrupted, it affects the ligaments. The
ligaments will limit movement of abnormal joints. Ligaments induce movement
amid two bones that make it easy for a collection of muscles to contract,
expand, and stimulate the nerves. The nerves expand to CNS. (Central Nervous
System) Bones attach to the muscles via tendons. Tendons are thin and stronger
than the muscles, which the tendons permit the muscles to converge by pulling
it through small openings.
Bursa acts a
servant to the joints and muscles, since it precludes friction from traveling
amid the two progressing exteriors. Bursa
is a sac filled with fluids, which if bursa rubs against another joint it
causes inflammation. Bursitis can set in if rubbing causes inflammation and the
sac fills with fluid. Bursitis usually targets the elbows and shoulder, yet the
pain extends to the back. When the bursa fails, it can cause swelling, pain,
fevers, and numbness, stiffness of the joints, fatigue, and limited mobility.
The human skeleton is made up of 206 bones. Inside the skeleton system is the
cranium, jaw, collar bone (Clavicle), shoulder blade (Scapula), sternum,
(breast bone) ribs, humerus, spine, radius, ulna, pelvis, carpals, (wrist
bones) metacarpals, (palm bones) phalanges, finger bones, femur (Thigh bones),
patella (knee cap), tibia (Shin bone), fibula, tarsals (ankle bone),
metatarsals (Foot bone), and phalanges. (Toe bones) When the skeleton structure
is interrupted, it can cause back pain.
Most cases of back pain are treated with bed rest, foot elevation, ice packs,
compression, and so on. Many diseases can cause back pain, which the cause is
found in disruptive blood vessels, soft tissues, etc. The problem can lead to
excessive bleeding, which slows the healing process. R.I.C.E is a rule of
structure one should keep in mind when treating back pain at home. If you have
tension in the muscles, you can use this structure to reduce back pain. Rest is
essential if you have tension in the muscles. Rest includes putting your feet
up and relaxing the spinal column.
Ice packs are used to relieve pain as well. You can wrap ice in a damp, soft
cloth and apply it to the area. Keep the pack on the area up to fifteen
minutes. You can place an ice pack on the injured region every hour. If you
have injured your knee, then elevate the leg before applying your ice pack.
Rest and Ice packs starts R.I.C.E, which continues to compression. Compression
reduces looseness of the muscles. In addition, if blood escapes into injured
blood vessels, you can compress the area to apply pressure. Avoid applying
pressure surpassing the volume, which the blood from the arterial system needs
room to flow smoothly. Elevation involves keeping the leg a distance from the
floor. You can elevate the legs to reduce lower back pain. Lie flat on the back
and elevate the leg in a supporting chair. You can also place a pillow between
the knees to reduce back pain.
Keep R.I.C.E. in mind when you have tension on the back, or have sustained an
injury. However, if you injured your back or joints seek medical help
immediately.
Article Source:
http://www.articlerich.com
For more information on Back Pain you can
also find more information on taking action to reduce Back Pain.
Essentials of Foot Care
By: Kim Thompson
It is a fact, daily stressed by doctors,
dieticians and medical authorities that walking is the best form of exercise,
for both men and women, and across all age groups. Walking exercises virtually
all parts of the body, from the feet and calves to the back, arms, lungs and
the heart. It is the most natural form of exercise, and does not carry the
associated risks of jogging or strenuous exercise in a gym, and is a lot less
expensive.
But what if you are one of those many people who can’t enjoy walking because it
causes sore feet, leg pain, back pain and uncomfortable posture. Maybe your
children do not enjoy sports at school, again because of foot problems and
lower back problems. In these situations you need to look at orthotics.
Orthotics are orthopaedic devices designed to treat or adjust various
biomechanical foot disorders. They may be simple, commercially made devices,
such as cushioned heel cups or insoles for shoes, but the best ones are insoles
designed by doctors that give the user some form of personal adaptation of the
insole.
Because perfect feet are very rare, almost anyone can benefit from orthotics.
There are several common symptoms that may indicate misalignment of the feet.
You may be a candidate for orthotic devices if:
- one side of the sole of your shoe wears out faster than the other;
- you frequently sprain your ankle;
- you have chronic heel, knee or lower back pain;
- your shins hurt;
- your toes are not straight;
- your feet point inward or excessively outward when you walk;
- your feet hurt in general.
While ‘perfect feet’ may be very rare, there is no such thing as an ‘average
foot’. That is why Walkfit Insoles are much better than an over the counter
insole. These insoles are designed by physicians and they come with three
different inserts, Low, Medium and High, to insure that they are suitable for
your foot. You are advised to experiment with the inserts, for about 1 hour per
day, until you find the one that is best suited to your needs. They also come
in a large number of different sizes to suit men, women and children.
When using these insoles, remember that your shoes may have extra layers
already in them. It is advised to remove these layers and just use the supplied
insoles. Insoles are not like an instant painkiller, so be patient. It could
take up to three weeks to adjust to these insoles but once you do, then you
will realize the huge difference they make to your walking and exercising. You
will then be able to partake in the healthiest form of exercise available to
you.
Article Source:
http://www.articlerich.com
By Kim Thompson for TVProductsHQ.com
Choose from the selection of the hottest as seen on TV products such as Walkfit orthotics, Total
Trolley, Bun and Thigh Roller, Prosvent, Miracle Blade, and Ultimate
Chopper.
Lumbar Epidural Injections
By: Alexander
Krakovsky
Many people with chronic back and leg
pain require lumbar epidural injections as a medical treatment. This
procedure helps relieve low back and leg pain by reducing inflammation,
swelling and irritation of the nerves. This injection is also help the doctor
diagnose the source of the pain by numbing certain area of the body.
A lumbar epidural injection won’t stop all low back and leg pain. But it
reduces the pain intensity and break the pain cycle. This cycle actually begin
when back pain makes it hard to move. On the other hand, the lack of movement
slows down the healing process. Some people may feel more pain relief from one
injection and some people may need more then one injection to get pain relief.
The injection can help locate the source of pain as well. Different injections
such as selective nerve block may numb the roots of specific nerves and
therefore relief the pain. The effect of this injection very short lasting, but
if it relief the pain, it indicates and locates the source of the pain.
Some people feel more comfortable if they understand their body better before
making any decision regarding pain injection procedures.
Vertebrae are the bones that stack up to from the spine.
Disks are "cushions" that provide padding between the
vertebrae. A damaged disk can lead to inflammation and pain.
The spinal canal is a tunnel that is formed within the stacked
vertebrae. Nerves run through this canal. The nerves are wrapped by a thin
layer of tissue.
A nerve root is the part of nerve that leaves the spinal canal. Inflamed
nerve roots can lead to back pain.
The sciatic nerve is a nerve that extends down to the leg. When its
nerve roots are inflamed, buttock and leg pain often result.
For the pain relief the injection usually has to be performed into epidural
space. Epidural space is the area that surrounds the nerves within the spinal
canal. To locate the source of the pain the nerve root has to be targeted and
the medication has to be injected directly onto that nerve root.
A lumbar epidural injection is an outpatient medical procedure. In nova
days it usually performs in an outpatient surgery center. The actual injection
takes just a few minutes but the preparation for the procedure and post
injection recovery take a little longer. All patients vital signs controlling
by monitoring devices that attached to the patient and measure the heart rate,
blood pressure, EKG and the amount of oxygen in the patient’s blood. The
injection performs under fluoroscopy (x-ray imaging) that helps to guide
the injection.
After the procedure the patient needs to be careful and not being too active at
the same day. Some patients experienced increase the pain sensation at first
but in usually goes away within a few days. An injection to reduce inflammation
takes a several days to work. Exercises and good body mechanics help
keep pain from returning or worsening. The exercises also help build strength
and flexibility. Whether epidural injections were for relieving pain or
locating pain it is a right treatment choice for low back and leg pain.
Article Source:
http://www.articlerich.com
Dr.
A. Krakovsky, M.D., PhD., Dr., Sc. is an interventional pain management
physician, a professor of medicine and surgery. Dr. Krakovsky leads
International Pain Institute in La
Jolla, CA providing
effective procedures to elevate pain. To learn more and to schedule an
appointment, call 858-551-9500 or visit www.internationalpaininstitute.net
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-25 - 09:54:55
Lundeberg T, Lund I.
Endometriosis is a common cause of
pelvic pain in women, many of whom suffer a progression of symptoms over their
menstrual life. Symptoms may include combinations of abnormal visceral
sensations and emotional distress. Endometriosis pain, or 'endometrialgia' often
has a negative influence on the ability to work, on family relationships and
sense of worth. Endometrialgia is often considered to be a homogeneous sensory
entity, mediated by a specialised high threshold sensory system, which extends
from the periphery through the spinal cord, brain stem and thalamus to the
cerebral cortex. However, multiple mechanisms have been detected in the nervous
system responsible for the pain including peripheral sensitisation, phenotypic
switches, central sensitisation, ectopic excitability, structural
reorganisation, decreased inhibition and increased facilitation, all of which
may contribute to the pain. Although the causes of endometrialgia can differ (eg
inflammatory, neuropathic and functional), they share some characteristics.
Endometrialgia may be evoked by a low intensity, normally innocuous stimulus
(allodynia), or it may be an exaggerated and prolonged response to a noxious
stimulus (hyperalgesia). The pain may also be spontaneous in the absence of any
apparent peripheral stimulus.Oestrogens and prostaglandins probably play key
modulatory roles in endometriosis and endometrialgia. Consequently many of the
current medical treatments for the condition include oral drugs, like
non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, contraceptives, progestogens, androgenic
agents, gonadotrophin releasing hormone analogues, as well as laparoscopic
surgical excision of the endometriosis lesions. However, management of pain in
women with endometriosis is currently inadequate for many. Possibly acupuncture
and cognitive therapy may be used as an adjunct.
Full
abstract
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-25 - 09:48:44
Jena S, Witt C, Brinkhaus B, Wegscheider K, Willich S.
We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture in addition to
routine care in patients with primary headache (> 12 months, two or more
headaches/month) compared with treatment with routine care alone and whether the
effects of acupuncture differ in randomized and non-randomized patients. In a
randomized controlled trial plus non-randomized cohort, patients with headache
were allocated to receive up to 15 acupuncture sessions over 3 months or to a
control group receiving no acupuncture during the first 3 months. Patients who
did not consent to randomization received acupuncture treatment immediately. All
subjects were allowed usual medical care in addition to study treatment. Number
of days with headache, intensity of pain and health-related quality of life
(SF-36) were assessed at baseline, and after 3 and 6 months using standardized
questionnaires.
.......
Treatment success was maintained through 6 months.
The outcome changes in non-randomized patients were similar to those in
randomized patients. Acupuncture plus routine care in patients with headache was
associated with marked clinical improvements compared with routine care
alone.
Full
abstract
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-25 - 09:43:36
Xie Y, Wang L, He J, Wu T.
BACKGROUND: Dysphagia after acute stroke is associated with poor prognosis,
particularly if prolonged. Acupuncture has been widely used for this
complication in China. However, its therapeutic effect is unclear. OBJECTIVES:
To determine the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for dysphagia after acute
stroke compared with placebo, sham or no acupuncture intervention.
...........
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: There is not enough evidence to make any conclusion
about the therapeutic effect of acupuncture for dysphagia after acute stroke.
High quality and large scale randomised controlled trials are needed.
Full
abstract
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-25 - 09:37:48
Reinhold T, Witt CM, Jena S, Brinkhaus B, Willich SN.
To assess quality of life (QoL), costs, and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture
treatment plus routine care versus routine care alone in osteoarthritis
patients, a randomised, controlled trial was conducted in 255 general practices
in Germany. Four hundred and eighty-nine patients with chronic pain due to
osteoarthritis of the knee or hip were included to evaluated QoL and costs at
baseline and after 3 months using health insurance funds data and standardized
questionnaires. Patients receiving acupuncture had an improved QoL associated
with significantly higher costs over the 3 months treatment period compared to
routine care alone
In conclusion, acupuncture was a cost-effective treatment strategy in
patients with chronic osteoarthritis pain.
Full
abstract
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-24 - 12:53:38
The Spine-health.com survey of more than 750 respondents found that 50
percent reported missing work for 10 or more days due to back-related problems.
Another 29 percent of respondents said chronic pain kept them off the job for as
many as nine days over the last year, according to the survey. Spine-health.com
is a 2,000 page online resource written and reviewed by doctors for patients
with back pain, chronic pain, and related health issues.
"Health problems caused by long hours sitting in front of a computer are
jeopardizing the health of the workforce, and affecting corporate America's
ability to compete in the global economy," according to Dr. Peter F. Ullrich,
Medical Director of Spine-health and an orthopedic spine surgeon at the
Neurospine Center of Wisconsin. "These survey results indicate business will
reap great economic and competitive benefits by helping their employees address
personal behaviors and habits that hurt their backs."
more informaton please visit spine-health.com
The number of Britons suffering backache has more than doubled in a
decade, researchers have found.
Headaches have also become a way of life for many, with a rise of more than
50 per cent – an eyewatering one billion a year.
Women are more likely to suffer than men, with 53 per cent enduring a
headache at least once a month, compared to 35 per cent of men.
Experts blamed the surge in aches and pains on the popularity of computers.
Thanks to our love of email and computer games, they have become a big part of
our leisure time as well.
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-23 - 17:24:21
A web-based ehealth programme is hoped to provide relief from back pain
sufferers.
ehealth are looking for volunteers with low back pain . This
programme, if effective, has the potential to allow large numbers of people with
non-specific back pain to be treated at a lower cost than other treatments.
“Over half the population suffer from low back pain at some point in their
lives, By using a cost-effective web-based system to help these people , this
figure could be greatly reduced.”
Welcome join Ehealth.
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-23 - 17:05:49
More robust research has been produced in the past few years and studies of
this treatment in osteoarthritis of the knee, head and back pain
have been accepted and published in mainstream medical journals such as
the BMJ.
The use of acupuncure in infertility has been extensively reasearched over
the last 10 years by Elisabet Stener-Victorin, who is based in an academic
department in Sweden. In acupuncture circles she is regarded as the
international expert on the treatment of infertility with acupuncture. Her work
has shown an increase in ovarian blood flow but, as of last year, no increase in
conception.
But someone said:On a very basic level, Chinese medicine, using
acupuncture and herbal medicine, seeks to restore balance to the body. When
factors (Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood) that are out of balance are brought back into
balance (called homeostasis), then the body and immune system seek to correct
the illness.
Most importantly for fertility issues, when a menstrual cycle is out of
balance, leading to PMS or menstrual pain, then we need to regulate the period.
According to Chinese medicine, periods should absolutely have no pain or PMS.
There is a 2,000-year-old Chinese medicine saying that states, "In women, first
regulate the menses."
Menstrual pain is just a symptom of an underlying problem. If we can correct
that underlying problem, then the symptoms go away.
So,It seems that acupuncture for infertility is pain relief
indeed.
What is your idea?
by Acupuncturist
@ 2008-07-13 - 21:07:24
Zak acupuncture is a non-invasive medical procedure that has an high percent
success rate in treating herniated, bulging, degenerated discs, sciatica, and
low back pain. This is a proven medically advanced, non-surgical solution for
lower back pain. 80 percent of British will suffer some type of back pain in
their lives, and current estimates of medical care for those who have been
disabled by severe back pain in the U.K. range from five billion pounds
annually.
Zak acupuncture ,this is one of the most sophisticated approaches , have
found to safely, comfortably and non-surgically treat the cause of back pain due
conditions like bulging and herniated discs, sciatica, post-surgical failures
and degenerative arthritis, requiring less medication (and therefore less side
effects), and permitting them to enjoy normal life activities again.
Zak official website: http://www.backachetherapy.co.uk
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