Oxnard Acupuncture

I am all too acquainted with back pain! Why? I am an auto appraiser, which is to say that when someone wants to know the value of their own car or how much an automobilie is truly worth that they are considering buying, I’m the person who crawls, slides, or by some other means makes his way under a vehicle that is generally sitting on hard concrete, steaming blacktop, or scratchy, abrasive gravel, and the guy who spends most of extraordinary amount of time bent over in order to look under the hood. And, I have to confess that my most valued relationship is the one I have with my chiropractor, who shares an office with the best acupuncturist on the planet, and “dual relationship” is one my wife understands! My chiropractor and acupuncturist can get me from zero to sixty these days with just a couple of chiropractic and acupuncture treatments. And, instead of waiting for a breakdown and sudden mechanical difficulties (like not being able to walk upright), if I book monthly maintenance appointments with these two amazing doctors, I’m ready to hit the road pain-free every day!

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Migraine. Just the thought of it causes dread for millions of sufferers. Many have learned to expect and live with migraine pain, but they would rather not think of the next episode.

Acupuncture for Migraines – What Is Involved?

Acupuncture is a type of alternative or complementary medicine, derived from traditional Chinese medicine. This treatment for pain involves insertion of fine needles into particular points in the body known as “acupuncture points”. The needles are then gently manipulated.

Acupuncture for Migraine Prevention – Between Attacks

If you decide to try acupuncture for migraines between your migraine attacks, and have an acupuncturist who distinguishes between prevention and treatment, you may receive SES acupuncture for migraines.

You will receive your SES treatment in a sitting position. Fine acupuncture needles will be inserted very shallowly into your skin. The acupuncture points chosen for SES will usually be on your forearms and lower legs. The needles will then be gently manipulated, pushed back and forth, by hand while you exhale.

Acupuncture for Migraine Treatment – During Attacks

If you decide to try acupuncture for migraines during a migraine attack, and receive a typical treatment, fine needles will be inserted into acupuncture points all over your body. The needles will then be gently pushed back and forth. As it is moved, each needle will cause small blood vessels around itself to dilate. This will increase the blood flow throughout your body’s tissues.

Your acupuncturist may take a different approach, however. Since your migraine pain is generally believed to be linked to blood vessel dilation in your head, he or she may not want to insert needles in the head and neck area. To do so might make your pain worse temporarily. Instead, your acupuncturist may use only the acupuncture points on your arms and legs.

Great Britain Research on Acupuncture for Migraines

* On 15 March 2004, four British newspapers reported on a study that found acupuncture helpful to people with migraines.

* The four papers based their stories on a randomized, controlled trial. That trial studied the effects of using acupuncture for migraines along with more common types of care. The trial was conducted in twelve (12) different areas of England and Wales. It involved 401 patients in all. It reported results for 301 of those patients.

* Patients treated with acupuncture for migraines had less severe headaches than those who received more common treatments. The patients treated with acupuncture for migraines also had fewer days off work, took less medication, and visited the doctor less often than did patients given only standard care.

United States Research on Acupuncture for Migraines

Two publications in the United States have published studies that have lead to strong, positive conclusions on the effectiveness of acupuncture for migraine relief.

1. Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)

Under the title, “Acupuncture for Patients with Migraine,” JAMA published a study involving 302 patients. Most of the patients were female. Patients were grouped into those who received acupuncture for migraines, those who received sham acupuncture for migraines, and a wait-list control.

The researchers concluded that sham acupuncture was no less effective than regular acupuncture. Both acupuncture for migraines and sham acupuncture, however, had much greater positive effect on migraines than did the wait-list control.

2. Blackwell Synergy

In this study, 160 women were studied to determine if acupuncture for migraines was effective or not. This study pitted acupuncture for migraines against the use of Flunarizine for migraines.

* Group A received acupuncture for their migraines every week for two months. After that, they received acupuncture once monthly for four months.

* Group B was given Flunarizine every day for two months. After that, they received the medication twenty days out of the month for four months. The study’s conclusion was profound. Acupuncture for migraines won as the more effective treatment of the two.

Acupuncture for Migraines – Does It Hurt?

You may be among those migraine sufferers who see acupuncture for migraines as a choice between the pain of the headache and the pain of needles. You may be among those who have an intense fear of needles. How can you get past the fear?

1. FIRST: Seek out a well-qualified, professional acupuncturist. Get recommendations, if possible. Your Oxnard Chiropractor will be happy to help. Be sure the acupuncturist is licensed and certified according to the law in your area.

2. SECOND: Visit the acupuncturist before making an appointment. Ask to see needle-sterilizing procedures. Ask if they use disposable needles.

3. THIRD: If you still fear the needles, ask if there is an alternative. Some offer magnetic needles, ear cups, and/or herbal methods.

4. FOURTH: Make an appointment.

When you go for your appointment, be sure you explain exactly the problem you are having, its frequency, and intensity. Provide as much medical information as possible. This will help the acupuncturist provide the acupuncture for migraines treatment that is best for you.

NOTE: It is wise to keep your primary health care provider aware that you are using acupuncture for migraines in addition to or in place of any treatment he or she may advise.

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, migraine headaches

Many people are familiar with the physical act of acupuncture, the act of inserting needles into the skin for the purpose of relaxation and natural healing. Acupuncture goes much further than needles in the skin. The Chinese used acupuncture to re-align one’s Chi, which is an energy of universal life that is believed to flow through all people. When the Chi is blocked and unable to flow freely, health is affected. Now, researchers are investigating the role of acupuncture for migraine reduction and treatment. Read below for more on how acupuncture for migraine reduction works.

The Studies

Two publications have published studies with strong conclusions on the effectiveness of acupuncture for migraine relief. The Journal of the American Medical Association, or JAMA, published “Acupuncture for Patients with Migraine.” In this study, scientists used 302 patients, most of them women who suffered from migraine headaches. Patients were administered acupuncture, sham acupuncture and a waiting list control. Researchers concluded that sham acupuncture was no less effective than regular acupuncture, though both had much more of an effect on migraines than did the wait list control.

Another study, published by Blackwell Synergy, one hundred sixty women were run through a controlled study examining the effects of acupuncture for migraines versus flunarizine for migraines. Group A was administered acupuncture weekly for 2 months and then once monthly for 4 months. Flunarizine was given to the patients every day for two months and then twenty days out of the month for four months. The conclusion was profound: acupuncture won the contest for the most effective treatment out of the two.

Getting Past The Fear

The first thing to look for when seeking out a professional acupuncturist is to make sure that the acupuncturist is licensed and certified, depending on the state in which you live. Most acupuncturists will walk you through their sterilizing procedures, and most use disposable needles. If you cannot get past the fear of acupuncture needles, the acupuncturist will probably provide alternatives for you. These include herbal methods, magnetic needles and ear cups that can be taken for similar results.

When you go to the acupuncturist, be sure you know what you are seeking treatment for, and have as much medical information as possible. This will help the acupuncturist decide what acupuncture for migraine techniques are right for you.

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Chiropractic oxnard presents a new article about and old medicine!

Acupuncture has been around for a long long time. The term derives from the Latin acus, which means needle, and pungo(punctura), which means to puncture. Acupuncture is actually an effective method of diagnosing, preventing and treatment all kinds of illnesses with the help of special metal needles which are inserted into the patient’s body. The needles are inserted in special locations which are called acupuncture points. Uninitiated people may already have a nasty nagging sensation when thinking about all this but the truth is that an acupuncture specialist will make each insertion no more painful than a mosquito bite. The origin of acupuncture dates back from antiquity, when it is said that Chinese warriors found out that getting hit by an arrow in a specific part of the body helped another part of the body recover from previous injuries. Although it has a long history, acupuncture has not had an easy ride all the way. Controversies existed along the way, but it was its fascination and effectiveness that kept it alive. Entire libraries of books have been written, books which define over 600 acupuncture points. However, in the 19th century, the acupuncture school fell victim to the western trained Chinese doctors. Only folk medicine kept it alive, although it was forbidden in hospitals all over China. However, in the 20th century, in 1949 to be more specific, Chairman Mao worked at rehabilitating traditional Chinese medicine and placing it into a modern context. At that time, there were about 70.000 practitioners of modern medicine and about 500.000 traditional doctors. Nowadays, it’s estimated that about 90% of China’s illnesses are taken care of (at least partially) with the help of acupuncture. For each particular acupuncture point, there are observations which account for thousands of years of experience. There are many dedicated Chinese doctors who devoted their lives into the study of a single acupuncture point, and who have passed on their knowledge to their students. So in the 20th century, the whole acupuncture science was researched again under Chairman Mao’s insistence. The entire system was put in a scientific and logical manner, and thus modern acupuncture was born. It combines elements of traditional Chinese medicine with the modern western approach. This has not been a fortunate combination all the way though, as there are many differences in the two approaches. As the acupuncture medicine states, human body is filled with life energy, which circulates through the body, by means of invisible pathways which all called meridians. This can be compared to the system of aircraft routes, which is invisible in the sky, but it exists nonetheless. Each meridian is associated with a vital organ, such as the heart, kidney, lungs, etc. There are also other basic differences between the two medicine schools, but one thing is clear though: acupuncture has been around for thousand of years, and it couldn’t have been without effectiveness. That’s why the acupuncture school is still an important part of oriental medicine.

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