Listen to your body

As you sit listening to the symphony, taking in the beautiful architecture and the rich, melodic sound surrounding you, there is something else that you are neglecting to notice.  Your body.  It is screaming at you, and you aren’t listening.

When it finally does get your attention, you’re alarmed.  Your legs are aching and you feel really run down.  By intermission, your back has joined in the cacophony of pain you’re experiencing.  What is going on?  Then you stop to think.  I guess I have been a little stressed lately.  And I haven’t been sleeping very well or exercising much.  I’ve also been grabbing food on the go, usually in the form of a burger or a burrito.

This kind of behavior adds up.  Not sleeping, living a stressful life, not eating a proper diet and-it goes without saying- not having enough time to exercise can all be harmful to your health.  But you don’t need me to tell you that.  Your body already has.

Each problem informs the other.  You’re tired because you aren’t sleeping well, so you eat more to keep up your energy.  Your body aches, so you don’t feel like exercising.  But if you tackle one of the problems you’re experience, oftentimes that starts the healthy ball rolling and the other issues get solved too.  Don’t want to take any heavy pharmaceuticals to ease joint or back pain?  Eschew the muscle-relaxers and NSAIDs in favor of a natural treatment like acupuncture.  In a recent study, 40 patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knee were given daily acupuncture treatments for 10 days.  At the end of the treatment period the patients experienced reduced pain and stiffness and increased mobility, all without any use of drugs.  Committing to reducing chronic pain can help you achieve better quality sleep and will help you feel more relaxed as you deal with everyday demands.

Another good way to take care of your body is to make sure you get all the proper nutrients.  It’s hard when you’re busy to eat a balanced meal, right?  Wrong.  By the time you’ve waited in the long lunch line at the nearest fast food joint, you could’ve raided the salad bar at your local grocery store.  And if you’re sleeping well, you can spare five extra minutes in the morning to make a quick turkey sandwich, grab an apple and cut up some fresh yellow and red bell peppers.  This doesn’t mean you can’t ever have a burger or an ice cream soda.  But save the treats for a Friday afternoon, when you’ve put in a hard week.  The reward will seem even sweeter.

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Reference: http://www.vitasearch.com/get-clp-summary/38530 “Clinical and endocrinological changes after electro-acupuncture treatment in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee,” Ahsin S, Saleem S, et al, Pain, 2009; Sept 17; [Epub ahead of print]. (Address: Department of Physiology, Army Medical College Rawalpindi, Pakistan; Department of Natural Sciences, School of Health and Social Science, Middlesex University, UK).

Update - 4 Weeks Later

I’m sure you’ve noticed, but a new season is upon us, whether we’re ready or not! I love this warm weather – the great part is that it cools off to the mid-40s, so you can sleep all snuggly under the blankets until 8:30 a.m. (yes, that’s what time I set my alarm to.

That and 3 a.m., so I can take two Tylenol so I don’t wake up with a headache. But, I am so pleased! I am off of the hard drugs, and virtually pain free!!!!!!!!!

And, my hand is making incredible strides these days – it gives me actual hope! Oh, and I ran back and forth in my hallway, (just to see if I could), and my knee didn’t give out as much as usual!!!!! There is hope for me yet.

Next? FLIP FLOPS, my arch nemesis. 

My hair is coming in okay – probably fast to some, but I still have to do my hair everyday to cover it up, and the scars they sent me home with are healing nicely (almost gone).

In addition to all of this, I can drive again! (I was supposed to voluntarily take a month off after the surgery – cause it’s on your brain, and thinking and reaction time could be affected. “What if you got in an accident?” Dr. Chen said. “Okay, I will follow the rules.”

But the rules have time limits, luckily!

I have 8-10 appts. each week, and am trying to stack them on two days and/or nights, so I can start subbing again. I’ve applied to a few jobs, one that I’m really excited about, so I’m waiting to hear back. I think I’m ready! (we’ll see)

I have been getting tired, surprisingly, since about Saturday. My specialists said that it could be from the stress creating adrenaline the last 4 weeks, or the after effects of the anesthesia finally wearing off. Who knows, but this tired stuff isn’t all it’s cracked up to be – especially when you have places to go! 

I can finally push the elevator buttons with my left fingers, and can button my jeans the first time, every time! (the pulling one side over to the button and the pushing the button through has been a challenge. We are just fine tuning, really. 

Some of my therapies have stalled out because they are waiting for further “you’re not fragile, you can lift a two pound dumbbell” instructions from Dr. Chen, but I can’t see him until I get an MRI, and they are delaying calling me back to schedule…it’s okay, because I HATE MRIs. Loathe. Abhor. I wish I could eat hospital food for a week over getting anymore…

The naturopath wants to put me on a detox soon if I’m not too fragile, so I can get a clean start from after the surgery, and I am getting acupuncture twice a week to help with circulation, stress, range of motion, and headaches. I go in for a check-up with Dr. Wojciechowski (the eye specialist), next week, to see how I’m progressing, and to set a plan up for the future. 

Overall, I am happy, and so thankful everything went as well as it did. And, I am thankful that I will not have to take public transportation in the rain this fall! Sorry polar bears, I must drive!!!

Read Katherine Wolf’s blog (link to the right). She inspires me to keep going. Did I tell you her acronym for all of this?

W.I.N. – Whatever Is Necessary. Yep, sounds like me – I am going to borrow it from her. 

*Book is coming along, in between appts. I just found an email I sent to my college roommate detailing an incident I already wrote about! I am thrilled to have found an original source, written the same day, not 8 years later. I am s o excited for it!

Acupuncture update

Yesterday I had my third acupuncture session…and I am not happy…

If you remember I started spotting after my first session, and that spotting got heavier over the next few days until I ended up with a full bleed. I was very confused, as I thought I was due to ovulate that month and here I was with what looked like a period, two weeks after my last period. I started to panic a bit and thought for a mad few hours that I was having another miscarriage – it seemed like I was. I ended up taking a pregnancy test, fearful that I was and fearful that I wasn’t at the same time. Of course it was negative, but it took a huge toll on me emotionally.  I bled for most of that week after my first session.

When I went back the next week, the practitioner said not to worry, although it was an extreme reaction, it was part of the process of regulating my cycle. Now, I thought my cycle was pretty regular to begin with, but since starting acupuncture, my CM has dried up and I am not ovulating.  I need to trust in the process and hold onto the bigger picture. It is hard though. I worked for nearly a year to get myself to a point where my periods were regular and I was ovulating, so it is hard to let go of the control and find myself in this position again. It is hard to trust the process sometimes….

Matrix Energetics

I can no longer see the Acupuncturist I started this journey with since she is in Seattle and I live in Florida. I saw a new one yesterday and something interesting happened after my treatment. She is an Acupuncturist that does energy work, body talk and Matrix Energetics.

During the treatment she told me there’s  sadness stuck in my heart. I just started my period that morning and I was really sad all day but I was trying to stay positive. I stood up after the treatment and she did some Matrix Energetics on me. When She moved my uterus area around I started crying and I couldn’t stop. I tried so hard to control it but it was coming out. It was as if she cleansed the sorrow out of me.

I will see her again in two weeks.

Arnica-Moms best friend (along with calendula)

September 17, 2009, 11:52 am

The Alternative Medicine Cabinet: Arnica for Pain Relief

By Anahad O’Connor

Tony Cenicola/The New York Times What alternative remedies belong in your home medicine cabinet?

More than a third of American adults use some form of complementary or alternative medicine, according to a recent government report. Natural remedies have an obvious appeal, but how do you know which ones to choose and whether the claims are backed by science? Today, New York Times “Really?” columnist Anahad O’Connor begins a weekly series exploring the claims and the science behind alternative remedies that you may want to consider for your family medicine cabinet.

The Remedy: Arnica

The Claim: It relieves pain.

The Science: Arnica Montana, a plant native to mountainous areas of Europe and North America, has been used for centuries to treat a variety of pain. Athletes rub it on muscles to soothe soreness and strains, and arthritis sufferers rub it on joints to reduce pain and swelling. It’s believed that the plant contains derivatives of thymol, which seems to have anti-inflammatory effects.

Either way, scientists have found good evidence that it works. One randomized study published in 2007 looked at 204 people with osteoarthritis in their hands and found that an arnica gel preparation worked just as well as daily ibuprofen, and with minimal side effects. Another study of 79 people with arthritis of the knee found that when patients used arnica gel twice daily for three to six weeks, they experienced significant reductions in pain and stiffness and had improved function. Only one person experienced an allergic reaction.

The Risks: Arnica gels or creams can cause allergic reactions in some people, but it is generally safe when used topically. However, it should never be rubbed on broken or damaged skin, and it should only be ingested when in a heavily diluted, homeopathic form.

Some Studies on How Acupuncture Works

Here are the basics of what we know about how acupuncture works, both Eastern and Western theories. The basic principle of Chinese medicine is that disease is caused by interrupted, or stagnant, energy flow. The fundamental energy of the Qi flows through 14 main meridians, or pathways, along the body, each of which connects with the energy of a major organ (i.e., kidney, liver, etc.) or body function. Acupuncturists strive to balance and harmonize the flow of energy, or Qi, throughout the body. We insert needles along specific points of the body, along the energy pathways, to affect change in the way your energy is flowing.

Once the energy flow changes, the rest of your body adjusts to adapt to the change. You know the importance of flexibility and adapting to change externally. The same principles should be applied internally to keep your body functioning efficiently. As the Qi flows freely, so does life and good health.

There has been some scientific research applied to traditional Chinese medicine to find out what it affects and how it works. What researchers have found is evidence that acupuncture stimulates the release of brain chemicals, such as endorphins, that function to relieve pain. Research has also shown that acupuncture strengthens the immune system, improves circulation, decreases muscle tightness, and increases joint flexibility. In addition, acupuncture has a vasodilating effect. Both the eastern and western approaches to medicine maintain that proper circulation is vital to health. Studies have shown that acupuncture stimulation improves blood flow to the skin, muscle, brain and various other internal organs.

Researchers at the University College London and Southampton University did a series of positron emission tomography (PET) scans to see what happens in the brains of people who receive acupuncture. What they found was that several areas of the brain were activated during acupuncture treatment, including an area of the brain associated with the production of natural opiates (substances that act in a non-specific way to relieve pain), the area involved with the sensation of touch, and the insular, which is thought to be involved in pain modulation.

So, how does acupuncture work? It works well, very well, to help you achieve your optimal level of health. There are all kinds of studies out there that say one thing or another about how acupuncture works, the placebo effect, etc. I think experience is the best teacher. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years, because it works. I have experienced greater health as have my patients and my instructors and their patients and their instructors and their patients — you get the point.

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

Acupuncture and mixed signals - A match made in heaven

Now, we all know the simple truth: regardless of the proposed mechanism of action, acupuncture still does not appear to work.  Any randomized, double blind studies that have been conducted on the matter have consistently shown it to be no better than placebo.  Of course, the acupuncture enthusiasts response to these results has been quite ingenious: “The fake acupuncture works just as well as the real thing.” They both work!!! Talk about mixed signals!

Today, I ran across this article which tries to  dispel these mixed signals and clarify the matter for us. From the get go my expectations were pretty low. Any article that claims to clarify how acupuncture works is bound to get ridiculous, and TheHorse.com does not disappoint in that regard. Why is this article appearing on a equine website?  Why they are talking about animal acupuncture obviously! Let’s get started with the ridiculing…I mean analyzing.

Although acupuncture is frequently used in human and animal health, it needs to be described in terms that most people accept and understand, said Narda G. Robinson, DO, DVM, MS, who recently authored a report on the topic.

Qi (Energy) flows through your body down the meridians (think of it as a road grid, like the square grid in Manhattan). Sometimes the energy flow is affected and it goes out of balance. You stick needles in specific acupoints to restore the balance and you feel better. What can be simpler to understand than that? What is so confusing about it?

Traditional Chinese medicine explains that the invasion of environmental agents, such as cold, wind, dampness, and heat cause pain, and an upset in Yin and Yang disrupts organ function. Acupuncture is supposed to correct this, but to today’s modern mind that sounds like superstition.

That’s because it IS superstition.

“We shouldn’t be selling mysticism as medicine,” Robinson said.

Yes! Finally a sensible person. This is what I have been saying all along! No need for mysticism, just science based medicine.

“Acupuncture is real medicine, based on anatomy and physiology,” she explained. “Getting the best results comes from seeing what’s right in front of us–muscle tension, imbalances in the nervous system, and the health impact of stress, malnutrition, and under- or over-exercise. Belief systems imported from China only muddy the message.”

Ah shoot, got me! For a moment there I thought they were gonna be sensible. Alas, no such luck! No, acupuncture is not real medicine based on either anatomy or physiology. And just what is an “imbalance in the nervous system”? Oh yeah, I know. It’s the modern version of the old mysticism of energy imbalance. I thought we weren’t selling mysticism anymore. What is this the Intelligent Design of the acupuncturists? Yeah, who needs to muddy the new mystic message with the old mystic message?

In medical terms, “Acupuncture appears to work because it dampens pain transmission in the nervous system, which means it turns down the ‘volume’ of painful impulses entering the spinal cord and brain, and changes our emotional state and reaction to painful stimuli,” she said. “Sophisticated brain imaging techniques have told us which parts of the brain are responding to acupuncture and when, providing a ‘real time’ window into brain function during and after acupuncture.”

I know, I know! It’s the parts of the brain that respond when someone is stuck with a needle, or a toothpick for that matter! And just how exactly does acupuncture dampen pain transmission and turn down the pain volume? Of course no one knows, they just claim it does.

Owners who want to use acupuncture to treat their horses should choose a veterinarian who approaches acupuncture scientifically, she said.

This is easy, there shouldn’t be any, since acupuncture is not a scientific modality!

Robinson recommended that owners find out the facts about any modality before using it on their horse.

Great, and that research should show the owners that acupuncture has never been shown to work. But then of course we can’t expect anyone to be aware of the criteria for good evidence and properly designed studies, so most likely they will be convinced by the anecdotes.

Oh acupuncturists, acupuncturists, when will you stop with the BS?

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

***DR. JILING HU - Acupuncturist***

Preferred Vendor (CLICK HERE)

Dr. Jiling Hu, a women’s health specialist with extensive education in both Eastern and Western medicine, has more than 20 years of clinical experience on acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine specializing in: Anxiety, Depression, Menopause and Infertility.

 

Jiling Hu, LAc. OMD

2001 S. Barrington Ave. Suite111

Los Angeles, CA90025

310-914-9020 

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