Akupunktur

Akupunktur berasal dari kata acus yang berarti jarum dan punktura yang berarti penusukan. Dengan artikata lain pengobatan dengan tusuk jarum.

Merupakan suatu metode terapi dengan penusukan pada titik-titik di permukaan tubuh untuk mengobati penyakit maupun kondisi kesehatan lainnya.

Rangsangan dengan menggunakan jarum akupunktur  (dan bila diperlukan ditambah dengan rangsangan listrik) akan menyebabkam :

• Pengendalian rasa nyeri
• Peningkatan daya tahan tubuh
• Pengaturan produksi hormone
• Kepekaan  kulit dan selaput lendir
• Meningkatkan sirkulasi darah
• Relaksasi otot.

Secara  umum terapi akupunktur dapat dibagi menjadi 2 kategori :

1. Akupunktur medik , diantaranya meliputi : gangguan penyakit umum seperti :

 

• Ganguan pencernaan,
• Gangguan  hormonal,
• Rheumatic, Arthritis,
• Insomnia, Migrain,
• Keseleo, Salah Urat, Sakit pinggang, stroke,
• Flu, Lever, Asam Urat,
• Gangguan Seksualitas
• Dan lain-lain.

2.Akupunktur Kecantikan, meliputi  terapi ;

• Menurunkan atau menaikkan  berat badan,
• Menghilangkan jerawat dan bekas jerawat,
• Menghilangkan flek hitam dan coklat, Mencegah dan mengurangi kerutan di wajah dan leher ,
• Mengencangkan tubuh dan payudara,
• Mengatasi Kebotakan, kerontokan rambut dan ketombe.
• Dan lain-lain.

Jarum yang digunakan untuk terapi akupunktur ini adalah jarum sekali pakai untuk menghindarkan efek infeksi.

[Via http://akupunkturemedikbandung.wordpress.com]

Acupuncture for Effective Weight Loss

In a generation when physical fitness is given topmost attention, people are always on the lookout for the newest and most effective means for weight loss. Acupuncture, the method of inserting thin, filiform needles on certain points in an individual’s body, has been found to be one effectual method for losing weight.

Not many people may find the idea of being inserted by needles quite comforting in their quest for weight control. However, this ancient Chinese alternative treatment seeks to deliver a control mechanism, enabling the patient to manage hunger cravings more successfully in the long run.

The Skinny on Acupuncture Weight Loss

It has been found that weight gain is directly related to emotions. Other than physical hunger, people reach for a huge chocolate bar or a big platter of burger and fries because of the sense of comfort derived from food and eating. More often than not, excessive weight gain is an emotional issue, rather than a mere physical one. You may not realize it, but you tend to take in more food whenever you’re stressed, upset, or pressured.Readmore..!!

Weight Loss Gold Coast

[Via http://weightandfatloss.wordpress.com]

Qi - The Life Force Within All of Us

One of the underlying premises to how acupuncture works is the balance of Qi or energy force within the body. Qi is derived from the air that we breathe and from the food that we eat. It then circulates throughout the body giving us strength and vitality. Analogies to Qi appear in other societies including ka in Egyptian mythology, awen in Druidry and prana in Hindu philosophy (Source: Wikipedia) .

In order to help explain the context in simple terms, Felix Mann in his book, Acupuncture – The Ancient Chinese Art of Healing published in 1973 says:

“In Western medicine we have an intricate knowledge of anatomy, microscopic anatomy, the chemistry and biochemistry of the body but little knowledge of what actually makes us “tick”. It was this energy at the roots of all life which was the primary interest of the ancient Chinese.” It is this Life Energy that is “Qi”.

In Chinese medicine and philosophy Qi is a fundamental concept and it is believed that the body is nothing but a vortex of Qi. What makes Qi a difficult concept for people in the West to grasp is that it is both material and immaterial. The Chinese character for Qi portrays this using two symbols combined, the upper symbol representing ‘gas or vapour’ and the lower symbol ‘uncooked’ rice.

Problems occur when our Qi is out of balance and in these cases, you’ll hear practitioners talk about Deficient Qi or Stagnant Qi.

When our Qi is deficient we will be tired and lethargic as there is not enough energy flowing through the body giving us the strength to carry out our day to day activities.

Qi can also stagnate if the normal flow of QI is blocked. This can occur due to a physical injury or trauma but also if we repress our emotions – particularly anger.

One of the aims of acupuncture is to restore our natural balance of Qi and bring us back to optimum health and well being.

[Via http://markjackland.wordpress.com]

The eye of the needle: a vision during acupuncture

I had a sore right ankle.  I could barely stand on it; I called it my “crankle.” I hadn’t gone in for an acupuncture treatment for three years, but it seemed like the right way to treat my crankle. I booked an appointment with Elle, an acupuncturist I can only describe as “splendid.”  I had two treatments total. During the first treatment, she put a needle in my third eye, as well as other points necessary to relieve my ankle pain. After 30 minutes, when she removed the needles, she commented that my Third Eye had bled a bit; a result she had never encountered in her many years of practice. She said that meant I had an abundance of third-eye energy. During my next treatment, she worked directly on my ankle, which was getting better, but not yet pain-free. She was late in getting started. She explained that the patient immediately before me saw Billy, the Greyhound, Elle’s recently deceased dog. She saw him table-side during her acupuncture treatment. This was quite moving for Elle, who still greatly missed Billy. During my 30 minutes of acupuncture, I also “saw” Billy – although I saw more of a cartoon Greyhound who danced across my visual horizon. He was graceful, like Fred Astaire. I decided to tell Elle, as she removed the needles from my body, because I thought the vision might amuse her. “Billy was dancing – like Fred Astaire,” I told her, thinking she would giggle. But she paused for a moment, and said, “Yes, Billy was a dancer. Whenever I came home, he would greet me at the door, stand up on his hind legs and dance for me – like a football player who had just caught a pass in the end zone. He only did it for me – not for my kids. There was no way you could have known that. “

I realized this was quite an extraordinary vision. I never saw Billy before, so I didn’t see him like a Medium sees a departed loved one. But he did “dance” for me. When I left Elle’s clinic, I felt like I usually do, after an acupuncture treatment: a bit high, somewhat spaced-out, graced with a “lightness of being.”

I believe Billy made his presence known that day – not only to me, but to the other patient and through us – to Elle. He wanted to let her know he was still around, watching over her.

Photo: Wellsphere.com

Trigenics® Upper Extremities Course Honolulu, Hawaii

Trigenics® is a revolutionary neurological treatment system that instantly relieves pain and restores function, using interactive applied functional neurology to reset the way the brain communicates with the body. It has revolutionized the way patients with musculoskeletal disorders and pain syndromes are treated worldwide.

Benefits:
• Incredible results 1st visit!
• Augment athletic speed & power
• Core Differentiator
• High Income…Low Volume

Course Fees:

PHYSICIANS: $1,099 Before Dec 1, $1,299 after Dec.1
STUDENTS: $699 Before Dec 1, $799 after Dec.1
Includes 1 manual and 1 DVD

48 CE Credits Co-sponsored by National University of Health Sciences

To learn more and register please contact:

 
Trigenics® Institute of Functional Neurology
Phone: 001-416-481-1936
Fax: 001-416-322-1593
info@trigenicsinstitute.com
www.trigenics.com

COURSE CONTENT

Theoretical
Theoretical science of Trigenics® followed by methodology of how to
specifically apply the treatment procedures. Participants will learn
applications of functional neurology through overload of sensorimotor
movement regulation using principles of amplitude summation, convergence projection, corticoneural reorganization and neuroplasticity.

Practical
Neurokinetic testing procedures are taught using the principles of
orthopedic muscle testing for inhibition or over-facilitation. Related
functional anatomy, neurological innervation, aberrant movement patterns and clinical overviews are discussed.

Attendees will learn how to combine the 3 components of
Trigenics®, resisted exercise movement, distortional stimulation of
mechanoreceptors.and biofeeback breathing. Specific protocols for
treatment of individual muscles are demonstrated, practiced and integrated.

What Are The Experts Saying About Trigenics®?

“Trigenics is the quickest acting and most astoundingly effective technique for the treatment of musculoskeletal conditions I’ve ever used!! The neurological model is
absolutely revolutionary!!”
Dr. Rudolf Garza, DC, ND, American Academy of Pain Management, Los Angeles, CA

The Trigenics seminar teaches a system based on neurology and biomechanics that is effective in improving patient outcomes. It is easy to implement into a practice and is highly recommended.”
Anthony J. Criscuolo, DC, DACBSP

Don’t miss out the opportunity! Sign up now! +416-481-1936

Sleep For Restoration

The whole interest in life is journeying towards perfection. If man were born perfect there would be no joy in life. -Sufi aphorism

My husband took a long drive last weekend and resurrected a box set of Joseph Campbell’s Power of Myth. I had seen the interview with Bill Moyers on PBS and even owned the book once but listening to it again while driving through the traffic in Brooklyn had a whole different meaning.

Firstly, his voice is powerfully moving and secondly his message speaks directly to the heart. The two thoughts that I left with that I would like to share are:

1) Create a sacred place in your house. It does not have to be an alter or a shrine, just an area where you “forget who your friends are, forget what bills you have to pay and forget who you are so to speak.” This is a place where out of the stillness of reading, meditating or listening to music you can just be and let your self arise.

2) The second concept that I really loved was the notion of native Americans referring to the buffalo and to nature as “thou”. Joseph Campbell discussed the different perspective one must take thinking of everyone as a “thou” rather than an “it”.

SLEEP for mental and physical restoration.

Sleep is one of the most important aspects of life and it is something that the average person spends about a third of their life doing. Just as every person differs, sleep is a highly individualized affair as well. Everyone can agree however that one feels awful if they do not get enough of it. Even if for some people 5 hours is sufficient and for others 10 hours is required to feel “normal”.

The perfect sleep:
In traditional Chinese medicine the perfect sleep is likened to a mini death. One should enter sleep easily and wake 7-8 hours later completely rested and refreshed having absolutely no recollection of any dreams.

Insomnia in Chinese medicine:
When a person suffers from insomnia, the two organs most often out of balance are the Heart and the Liver. Each of these two organs houses a specific aspect of the spirit. If these organs are out of balance, they will not be able to house the spirit properly, and the spirit will wander.

Blood reserves and sleep:
Sleep is dependent upon the amount of blood in the body. Blood is needed to help ground the spirit at night so that a deep sleep will come naturally. Pregnant women often remark that they feel calmer and I think that the increased blood volume has something to do with that.
Dreaming in Chinese medicine:
Dreams are considered to be a continuation of over-thinking.
Highly fantastical dreams like flying, slaying dragons, nightmares, etc relate to the HEART.  Rote, life-like dreams are usually related to the SPLEEN. I’ve had people tell me that they dream about alphabetizing things from work or just going about their day as usual busily performing tasks in their sleep as if the day never ended. Usually dreaming leaves people feeling tired in the morning.

Patterns:
In Chinese medicine all disorders are broken down into clusters of symptoms or patterns that help differentiate each case. Usually people exhibit a few symptoms from one or more pattern. The language is from traditional Chinese medicine and as you can tell may seem a little different than average American vernacular.

1) Liver depression transforming into fire: (people under long term stress)
Insomnia, irritability, bitter taste, headache, blood shot eyes, constipation.

2) Phlegm harassing the heart:
(more common in overweight individuals)
Insomnia, heaviness of the head, copious phlegm, distending pain, aversion to eating, belching, acid regurgitation, nausea, irritability, bitter taste in the mouth.

3) Yin vacuity with effulgent fire:(common in postpartum women, students, people who work late hours or have had a history of drug use)
Insomnia, irritability, dizziness, vertigo, tinnitus, aching of the lower back, dry mouth, usually wakes in the middle of the night, heat in the palms or soles of the feet, forgetfulness.

4) Heart and Spleen vacuity:
(students, postpartum women, worry warts)
Frequent dreaming, light sleep, difficulty falling asleep, ruminating before bedtime, dizzy spells, tiredness, listlessness, vertigo.

5) Heart and Gallbladder insufficiency: (menopausal women, people under stress)
Insomnia, frequent dreaming, tendency to wake startled, palpitations, prone to fright, shortness of breath, timidity, copious, clear urine.

Acupuncture and herbs can help target your specific pattern and restore rest.

I always recommend eating some foods to help boost the blood.

Some foods are:

* red colored foods such as berries, cherries, pomegranate
* red meat in moderation
* floradix (vegetarian iron supplement)
* beets

Contact Laurel@ancientcurrent.com for more information.

Acupuncture!

I went to see an acupuncturist last night, one who specialises in fertility who was recommended by “A” who recently got a BFP after IVF #1.

Having tried acupuncture about 2 years ago for the exact same thing I thought I knew what to expect but to be honest this was different! For a start there was no painful muscle spasms due to the needles being connected to what looked like a car battery charger!!

Because I thought I knew what to expect and where I expected the needles to be placed, lets just say I should’ve worn my good underwear!

After asking me questions about my general health, hobbies, work etc he asked what I thought were interesting questions:

• do you dream?
• do you have recurrent dreams?
• how would your friends describe you (this was the most difficult question to answer)
• do you have dry skin/eyes/mouth?
• do you pespire a lot?
• do you get angry often?
• and when I told him I’d suffered from chlamydia, he asked “what’s that?” Didn’t I feel like the town wh@re explaining that it’s an STD!!! I quickly dismissed telling him that I was in a long term relationship when diagnosed and I didn’t sleep around, had only had so many sexual partners, etc etc… he really didn’t need to know all that stuff!! I think he probably has heard of this before but as he’s French it was maybe the first time he’s heard the word in English… I’m just trying to make myself feel better after knowing I’m his first ever STD patient!!! Oh joy!! Yet another thing to thank IF for!

So we got started on the acupuncture…

He asked me to get undressed down to my underwear and lie on the table, cover myself then he’d be back. I did have a brief “OMG what if this isn’t kosha” moment but got underdressed anyway! )

He then took my wrists, one at a time, and I thought he was taking my pulse but he probably wasn’t, he just seemed to be listening/concentrating?

He then pressed various points on my body and asked me if any were tender. My collar bone, breast bone, ribs, stomach and uterus area. The only thing I felt was a really strange tickly feeling when he did the one just under my rib on the right. I don’t know what this told him but I should’ve asked .

He then asked me to turn over, to lie face down. He asked if he could undo my bra strap and this is when I had my first thought about whether it was decent! Then he inserted the needles up and down my spine, not sure how many. He then left the room and I lay there for about 10 mins. I was trying to relax but my head was full of thoughts as always and the cleaners were just outside the door hoovering the corridor! I was worried they’d open the door and come in at any time. The cover had been pulled down to my hips and my bra was still on at the front but I really didn’t want them to catch a glimpse of me lying there like a puddock!

So he came back in and got me to turn over again, after he’d fastened my bra back up (it was strange, not creepy in any way, but weird).

He then put the needles this time on both wrists, both feet and he put 3 along my knicker line.. again I was thinking “why did I have to wear these old comfy knickers?”. The cover was on me but even if he saw the elastic band at the top of them that was bad enough! Again he left the room for about 10 mins and turned the ceiling lights off and left a lamp on.

He did ask if I felt okay about everything, ie the covers being lowered etc and I told him in a bambling sort of way that having gone through IVF I had been through much worse and was past the point of caring! He did say that he hoped I would leave with my dignity in tact after visiting him… and of course I did. I then went on to tell him how unfair it was that women have to gone through so much with IVF whereas men don’t have to do that much!! Why oh why can’t I just shut up at times!! :-s

He did ask how my experience differed from my last acupuncture experience and when I told him that the last guy had connected the needles to electricity he was shocked, he told me that electricity is normally used to treat musculoskeletal issues, not fertility. He said that he treats fertility very gently and that the idea is to adjust the energies without them noticing! I also told him about the last guy giving me homeopathic tablets which contained very slight traces of arsenic. He laughed and said “I think he was trying to murder you!” ) In his lovely French accent it was really funny!!

He is a lovely guy who seems to know what he’s talking about and he has a website:  www.scotland-acupuncture.co.uk. Oh and he’s very easy on the eye too ;o) x

Alternative Health Remedies

An article in the New York Times today says that more insurers are paying for alternative health remedies. However, the selection of services actually covered may be so minimal that customers may end up mistakingly thinking they’re covered when they’re not, and having to pay the bill. There’s even an editors note on the very beginning of the article stating that:

“Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine.”

The companies say they’re offering a service that is in high demand though. More people are wanting services like acupuncture for pain, high blood pressure, and insomnia. Robin Downey, head of product development for Aetna, an insurer that let sellers advertise supplements to members, says:

”’We have members who come to us and ask us for these services. When we can get a discount for them, that’s something we are able to pass on,’ although Aetna also recommends that members talk with their primary doctors about anything they plan to try, she said.”

Most people I know that use alternative remedies, do so because it works for them. This article insists that alternative remedies are unproven. Sometimes they say the remedies need more studies. Perhaps they just haven’t been proven yet. Perhaps the business of medicine is preventing that. Or perhaps alternative remedies are just about personal preference, and insurers are responding to that. What do you think?

Read the article More Insurers Are Paying for Alternative Remedies here.

-RyanNY

New Hypothesis for Acupuncture: Interview with Prof. Geoffrey Burnstock

            How can poking needles into the body soothe pain?  At an international meeting in Fukuoka, Japan this summer, Professor Geoffrey Burnstock of the University College London presented a new hypothesis, which he discussed with me in the recorded interview I invite you to hear.  The meeting was organized by Prof. Kazuhide Inoue, of the Kyushu University, Japan, a leading researcher on glia in chronic pain. 

Further Reading

Burnstock, G. (2009)  Acupuncture:  a novel hypothesis for the involvement of purinergic signaling.  Med. Hypotheses, October, 74:470-2.

Fields, R.D.  (2009)  New Culprits in Chronic Pain.  Scientific American  November, 301: 50-57.

Fields, R.D. and Burnstock, G. (2006)  Purinergic signalling in neuron-glia interactions. Nature Reviews Neuroscience June, 7(6): 423-36.