Category Archives: Acupuncture

Cupping Therapy For The Treatment Of Fibromyalgia

If you are one of those suffering from Fibromyalgia, you will know that it is just as important to learn about available alternative treatments that can relieve your symptoms as it is to know the best kinds of conventional medical treatment. Unlike most medication-based treatments, alternative therapy does not leave you with any adverse side effects and in regard to Fibromyalgia treatment, there are several extremely effective forms of these therapies that can help alleviate pain caused by the condition. For alternative health physicians and practitioners, cupping therapy is certainly one of the most popular and powerful choices of treatment for Fibromyalgia.

What Is Cupping Therapy?

A natural and alternative type of treatment that has been taken from ancient Chinese medicine, cupping therapy involves the application of special cups to the body in order to facilitate healthy circulation, eliminate toxins from the body, and relieve pain. The cups function as vacuum with the aid of either suction or heat. They are placed on specific points on the body called ‘triggers’ same as the ones used in acupuncture. The cups are usually left on the body for about 15 minutes. Cupping therapy can be performed in a couple of ways: stationary cupping and massage cupping. As the name suggests, stationary cupping, involves applying the cups and simply leaving them for the rest of the session, while massage cupping involves moving the cups on the skin surface to massage muscles and joints.

How Are the Cups Applied?

The application of cups on the body is quite simple. A ball of cotton is soaked in alcohol and lit in order to produce the vacuum effect. Then, the burning ball of cotton is held inside the cup until the oxygen inside the cup is used up. The cotton ball is immediately removed once this has been achieved, and the cup is placed over the targeted acupoint on the body. In theory, this may sound painful, but what the patient actually feels is simply a light sucking sensation. The process usually leaves reddish round marks on the skin after treatment although these marks vanish within a few hours.

How Can Cupping Treat Fibromyalgia?

After a cupping treatment session, the patient usually enjoys a state of extreme relaxation thanks to the removal of toxins and increased circulation in his body. This helps the body enjoy a faster rate of healing in the ligaments, tendons, and muscles. For Fibromyalgia patients, this can be a significant reduction of the stiffness usually felt in the tissues and muscles. Cupping can improve the overall flexibility of the muscles and alleviate the pain resulting in a better range of motion in previously stiff joints. Most patients also experience a lowering of their anxiety levels, depression, and stress.

TCM Treatments For Constipation

The techniques used in TCM or Traditional Chinese Medicine discussed below are applicable provided the person has no major health issues such as obstruction or tumor.

Acupressure is the most convenient and versatile way to manage constipation at home. All a person suffering from constipation needs to do is to use his fingers to stimulate a number of specific acupressure points on his body. Some people say they have located of a “poop button” which is three finger widths under the bellybutton although for practicality’s sake, it would be better for a constipated person to undergo regular acupressure treatment for longer sessions.

Here are a few commonly used acupressure points to help treat constipation:

At the back – On the pelvic bone, the point is located a couple of fingers width from the backbone; with crooked arms, use thumbs to feel below the lowest rib bone.

Around the navel – Three fingers width right and left from the navel.

On the arms – Between the fleshy region of the index finger and thumb, between the bony area of the index finger and thumb, below the pinkie, on the wrist, and, when the arm is folded, on the end of the elbow’s crease.

Not Sure About Acupressure?

Both acupuncture and acupressure follow the same TCM principles. People who may not see results from acupressure will probably respond to acupuncture. Needles are stuck to the four acupuncture points around the bellybutton. Acupuncture’s efficacy on postsurgical constipation was recorded on a fluoroscope where the needles stuck on the limbs generated movements in the intestines. Despite the failure of modern science to explain TCM, experienced practitioners in the field of electro medicine have observed that acupressure points and meridians have certain levels of electromagnetic energy in them that non-acupressure points don’t possess.

Gua sha therapy is also another option worth considering. It is a more intense form of constipation treatment at home but not as painful as acupuncture. Gua sha basically means to scrape the skin until petechiae, which are tiny red spots that resemble sand, appear. Gua sha is a popular form of treatment among the homes of people living in Indonesia and Vietnam and in other countries of East Asia. When it comes to treating constipation, the practitioner uses a smooth edge instrument like a porcelain spoon emolliated with herbal oil or rice wine to scrape acupoints in the backbone and around the bellybutton in downward strokes.

In treating constipation, a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine will first observe the patient’s tongue and pulse. He will determine whether the patient’s illness is due to a deficiency of chi in the body, or whether it is due to excess cold or excess warmth. He then rectifies the imbalanced yin and yang appropriately, usually prescribing herbs to reestablish harmony in the body.

In the case of excess heat, for instance, the practitioner will not only prescribe herbs to treat the intestines but to also strengthen or tonify the kidneys and lungs which, in TCM, are deemed sources of fluids for normal bowel movements. Does TCM have a good track record in treating constipation? There are several clinical case studies that will attest to its effectiveness.

Chinese Acupressure Massage On The Shen Men Point To Relieve Stress

For people wanting a natural and effective method to relieve stress, there’s a simple technique to help them relax.

The effects and causes of stress are wide and varied, and can be experienced in different ways. When we experience stress, we feel an aching and heavy sensation in specific parts of our body. Stress is the greatest cause of a wide range of diseases hitting the US these days.

Chinese acupressure massage can work miracles for our health. This practice is a fairly easy way to manage stress through the massaging of specific acupoints on the ear.

Alleviating Stress by Applying Pressure to the Shen Men Point

What you should do when you are stressed out?

First, remove all negative emotions. Keeping stress insidetends to upset the balance in your body. Your body processes it’s very own anti-stress areas, and through psycho-reflexology, these areas can eliminate the physical effects of stress.

In ancient Chinese culture, this acupoint or area is called “The Gate of Heaven” or the Shen men point. Our entire body derives cosmic energy when this acupoint is treated. The Shen Men is a special point in that it boosts energy levels, helps reduce stress, and strengthens our overall health.

Addiction and inflammation are subdued by applying Chinese acupressure massage to this point. At the same time, this technique can alleviate pain in every part of the body.

You can find the Gate of Heaven or Shen Menacupoint on the upper thirdarea of your ear.

To stimulate the Shen Men acupoint, here’s what you need to do:

– Apply Chinese acupressure massageto the point and gently massage it with a cotton swab. You need to listen to your body and breathe deeply.

– While inhaling, turn your head to the left; turn your head to the right while exhaling. Soon, you’ll feel your body slowly relaxing.

– Use your fingers to massage this acupoint. Perform this very effective technique each time you are under extreme stress. In addition, you can perform it each night before you go to sleep.

Chinese Medicine for Curing PCOS

One of the leading and most common causes of female infertility is PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome is. In the US, It’s one of the female reproductive issues that’s very difficult to treat. On average, the US has about 7.5% of women suffering from this condition.

For a lot of women, becoming a mother is a most cherished dream and nothing is more disappointing and frustrating than to know that you have PCOS that may prevent from realizing that dream. This condition can be turned about by researching about PCOS and knowing the treatments that can help cure this problem.

A 27-year-old patient, married with no children who was diagnosed with PCOS came into my clinic distraught and stressed. Her PCOS prevented her from having at least one child and raising a family. If she decides to undergo a Western medicine type of treatment for PCOS, she feared the expenses, the waiting lists and the apathetic medical staff she was forced to interact with.

Oftentimes, Western doctors are only too happy to rely on pharmaceutical medicines alone to treat women having difficulty becoming pregnant as they often are unware of the natural and alternative treatments that can be used to treat infertility. In addition they don’t even know that infertility brings emotional pain to the sufferer.  Usually, they offer no back-up plan or ignore natural remedies that have been available that have been used to treat infertility for thousands of years.

Chinese herbal medicine treatment for PCOS

Treating infertility using natural remedies have been around for hundreds of years to assist women having a hard time conceiving or getting pregnant. According to Chinese medicine, PCOS is a problem related to the kidneys. Chinese herbal remedies such as rehmannia and cinnamon recommended for treating this condition.

With regard to herbal medicine, traditional Chinese medicine has more than one way for addressing a problem than simply drinking herbal tea or taking herbal supplementation. Patients suffering from infertility should consult with a licensed practitioner to help address their condition in the most effective and best way.

If you have given up taking pharmaceutical medications that do not work and found little success with doctors who have a long waiting list, you he can begin realizing that there is a much better way for treating your condition. Using alternative treatments and natural remedies may be the most the best way in helping you to conceive and eventually get pregnant.

When you have decided to become pregnant, you should not let anyone or anything stand in your way.  According to doctors, a lot of women just like you have been diagnosed with infertility and have a small chance of ever becoming pregnant and eventually, a mom.  If you go online and do a little research about infertility, you’ll see that there are a lot of alternative and natural treatments that can help cure infertility and many of them have been successfully used for ages. Chinese herbal medicine is one such natural treatment. Perhaps, it is one of the most powerful cures for infertility and PCOS.

If your dream is to become a mother, you should not let PCOS or infertility deprive you of the dream. Never allow doctors to put you down with their negative assessment of your problem. Be proactive when addressing infertility. Consult with a licensed practitioner of Chinese medicine and get Chinese medicine treatments for infertility and PCOS ASAP.

Chinese Medicine And The Cure For Malaria

The cure for malaria was developed by an academic institution found to have been recorded in ancient Chinese Medicine texts over 5000 years ago.

Itwas very encouraging news when dried plant leaves totally cured all 19 patients with malaria who were on the verge of death. However, there was one part of the story that was never reported: this same treatment that the institution claimed to have “developed” actually has already existed for 5000 years and used by ancient practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

A medical doctor at a Congo clinic who was treating 19 people stricken with malaria was discouraged when the conventional drugs failed to heal them. The patients, was age ranged from 13 months to 62 years old, had reached the severest stage of the disease, which was characterized by pulmonary edema, convulsions, respiratory distress and a loss of consciousness. One patient, a five-year-old had even gone into a coma. Thedoctor,fed up with using the conventional treatment of intravenous artesunate that didn’t work, decided to try a never before used and not yet sanctioned malaria therapy involving the use of a dried leaf from the Artemisia annua plant.

Shockingly, all 19 patients experienced a total recovery within a period of just five days, and blood tests revealed there were no more parasites in their blood. While the academic institution immediately took credit for developing the cure, the fact is that the same herb, called Qing Hao was being used by the Chinese for thousands of years as a way to cure diseases such as malaria. Actually, it seems even in a TCM document that was written in the 1500s, the institution’s in helping the lives of these people should not be downplayed, although it would be fairly more accurate for them to stay they sort of “rediscovered” this cure instead of having developed it.

Couldmodern plants treat different types of diseases?

Just consuming the plant’s leaves was all it took for the people to be cured to this oftentimes fatal illness, which affects the circulatory and systems and liver, and is transmitted via mosquito bites. Compare this to the new vaccine for malaria, which is being developed by University of Tubingenresearchers. This involves the injecting of the malaria pathogens into healthy volunteers. The pathogens entered the body where they accumulate in the liver. These individuals must then take an anti-malarial medication that allegedly weakens the parasites when they enter the bloodstream. What kind of treatment when you prefer?

There is replete with medicinal plants that can naturally cure a wide variety of illnesses, but you won’t hear much about it in the media. Why not? Because Big Pharma’s vast reach and its billions of dollars are utilized to keep these herbs away from the public consciousness and at the same time promote their drugs that are merely designed to address the symptoms and not the underlying cause of the disease. This is evident in the way big Pharma treats the cannabis plant, a plant that has a wide variety of uses from the treatment of anxiety to the relief of chronic pain and even autism. One other herb known as cat’s claw bark, is largely unknown in the US but is widely used in in South America to help treat leukemia, leukemia and breast and lung cancer. Instead of this plant being used extremely deadly and invasive therapies such as chemotherapy and mammograms are heavily promoted because they rake in billions of dollars for the pharmaceutical cartel.

With almost half 1 million people dying from malaria in 2015 alone and resistant forms of malaria turning up in Europe and Africa,the potential of Qing Haoto save literally hundreds of thousands of lives is just incredible.

Chinese Deep Tissue Massage & Craniosacral Therapy To Relieve Scoliosis Symptoms

Scoliosis is a curvature disorder of the spine that affects about six million people in the US. Adults, teenagers, and children can be affected by this condition. The human spinal column has a number of natural curvatures that allow it to be flexible and mobile. Scoliosis is identified when the spine possesses an anomalous curvature. This condition is very seldom fatal although it can seriously affect the quality of life of the sufferer, both psychologically and physically. Massage therapy can be of use in alleviating some of the resultant back pain, insomnia, headaches, sciatica, and shallow breathing brought about by this aberrant spinal condition.

Spinal Curves

The normal aspect of the structure of the spine is its curves. When you observe the spine sideways, you would observe that a normally developed spine appears like a soft ‘S’ shape that helps balance the spine over the pelvis. Observing a normal spine from the rear will show the spine appearing vertically upright from the neck to the rump.

Scoliosis is identified when the spinal column, from a rear view, shows lateral bends. To the right of center, a scoliosis curve will develop that has an adjusting bend on the side of the left back, and vice versa. Scoliosis typically forms in the lumbar or thoracic regions of the back. A healthy spine is characterized by a less than (<) 10 degree vertical curve. When measuring the angle of the curve utilizing the spinal column at the top of the curve as the beginning, a mild scoliotic spine will measure curves of 10° and in the most severe cases, curves of up to 90°.

Causes of Scoliosis

In a majority of cases scoliosis is an idiopathic disorder, which means its origins are unknown. Research shows that girls are more affected by scoliosis than boys. In 80% of all instances, the disorder starts to develop in adolescence. Although scoliosis is also found in adults, most professionals mistakenly believe that these scoliosis diagnoses were overlooked during childhood.

Scoliosis can sometimes be due to physical stress or trauma, such as a car accident. Infantile or congenital scoliosis rarely occurs but when it does, the patient will manifest severe spinal deformities at birth. Although the following assumptions have yet to be validated, studies have shown that probable causes of scoliosis include:

 Nervous system disorders
 Hormonal imbalances
 Hereditary/genetic factors
 Consistent emotional or physical stress
 Connective tissue disorders

Scoliosis Treatment

Once you are diagnosed with scoliosis, your doctor will take a number of considerations before deciding what plan of Scoliosis treatment to take. These considerations may include:

 The degree of the patient’s lifestyle that’s affected
 The possible further progression of the curve – patients with large curves before their adolescent growth spurts tend to have a higher risk for curve progression.
 The location of the curve – Based on their research, the Scoliosis Research Society believes that the lumbar curves are less likely to progress than thoracic curves
 If the spine is still changing and growing
 The severity of the curvature

After analyzing these variables, the following three treatment choices may include:

1. Orthopedic Bracing – For scoliosis sufferers, this is the most widely used treatment. For curves of 30-40 °, doctors usually recommend bracing. Although bracing will not lessen the degree of curvature the patient already has, it can put an end to the progression of the curve. Because a lot of curve progressions develop during the growth phase of a child, bracing is a common preventative measure from babyhood through adolescence. Braces should be worn by the patient 23 hours each day. They’re considered a replacement for non-removable full torso casts.

2. Observation – This is recommended for mild cases of scoliosis. , the only treatment warranted is routine doctor observation to make sure that the disorder has not worsened.

3. Surgery – This is designed to steady the spine. An orthopedic surgeon performs a procedure known as Bone-Fusion which involves taking tiny bone pieces from the pelvis of the patient and inserting them between the spinal column as a way to stimulate the bones to develop together in due time. Hooks, a metal rod and wire are used during the surgery and inserted to the vertebrae to maintain the straightness of the spine till the bones fuse. These things are very seldom removed since that would entail another long drawn-out surgery.

Alleviating the Symptoms of Scoliosis via Alternative Medicine

Scoliosis is deemed a deformity and the treatment mentioned above are mainly aimed at decreasing the progression of the condition. Because of the stretched musculature on one side and the diminished musculature on the opposite side, insomnia, headaches, shallow breathing, and back pain are persistent problems that a scoliosis sufferer must deal with. As a result, a wide variety of alternative therapies are used to lessen the symptoms caused by abnormal spinal curvature.

While exercise and acupuncture, among others, have been proven to improve scoliosis symptoms, a couple of massage treatment methods can also help with this deformity:

1. Chinese Deep Tissue Massage – Assisted stretching techniques, neuromuscular therapy, deep tissue work to loosen extremely tensed muscles, improve local circulation and help alleviate muscular adhesions and pain. By lengthening these tensed regions, the causal yanking on the spine can relax. Therapists should realize, though, that deep work on the overextended fascia blanketing the ribs is not a good idea.

2. Craniosacral Therapy – When restricted tissue patterns within and surrounding the spinal column, the dural tube, and adipose tissue are gently addressed, craniosacral therapy’s gentle traction, mobilization of fascia mobility and increasing mobility of the body can help restore some bit of balance to the spine.

Since scoliosis alters bone and can be much harder to fix after the age of 25, younger sufferers can achieve more stunning results. Although scoliotic patterns may be reduced for adults as well, older bodies change rather differently and slowly than with youth.

We do not recommend replacing your medical doctor’s prescription with alternative therapies. Nonetheless, massage therapy can be a major help in relieving some of scoliosis’ associated symptoms. Proper administration of Chinese deep tissue massage and craniosacral therapy can give the sufferer relief for continuously overextended muscles and fascia, thus reducing the stress on a significantly distorted spinal column.

Can Craniosacral Therapy Stop Tinnitus?

More and more, tinnitus patients are willing to try craniosacral therapy as a way to treat their condition. Tinnitus can be difficult to cure with just a single treatment since it can have several possible underlying causes. What partly distinguishes this method from other therapies is that in many instances, it has the ability to resolve the underlying imbalance within the nervous system of the human body.

Tinnitus is marked by a buzzing or ringing sound in the ears that can usually be only heard by the person with the problem. With craniosacral therapy, certain bones can be freed of restrictions, especially the temporal bone and the ligaments and muscles that can greatly contribute to the exacerbation of this condition.

The body’s craniosacral system is made up of the cerebrospinal fluid, the vertebrae or spinal cord that extends from the cranium to the coccyx area of the body, and a number of membranes that protect the brain. This region of the body can affect balance and the sensory and motor functions of a person.

The craniosacral system can be felt across the whole body just like the cardiovascular system. Through the administration of light pressure in certain parts of the body in certain areas, a trained practitioner of this therapy is able to identify the pressure points that may have issues and blockages that result in tinnitus and imbalance.

Despite the fact that craniosacral therapy is not a certain cure for tinnitus, it can be a viable tool in the battle against it. People suffering from this condition who have tried different forms of medications and treatments without success may want to consider craniosacral therapy as an option.

Once they locate the area where a blockage has occurred, experienced and skilled therapists may be able to heal the soft tissue and move the fluid to help the body heal in a self-correcting and natural way. Craniosacral therapy is definitely one of the safer and more natural ways to relieve the symptoms of tinnitus for people affected by it.

Addressing Crohn’s Disease With Traditional Chinese Medicine

We will discuss in this article some ways we can treat Crohn’s disease using TCM or traditional Chinese medicine. Crohn’s disease is an autoimmune inflammatory disease affecting the bowels.It’s marked by physical symptoms such as inflammation, ulcers and fissures. It is associated with other symptoms such as chronic diarrhea, severe abdominal pain and weight loss.

With fibrosis being a key physical marker of Crohn’s disease, this indicates preceding inflammation and therefore, preceding stress, whether that’s psychosomatic stress, chemical stress, biological stress etc. The increased level of stress hormones leads to the inflammation of the bowels and that chronic inflammation is causing fibrosis of the intestinal wall.

Now turning to Chinese medicine for help, TCM has been able to successfully treat various chronic digestive conditions for thousands of years. The primary reason why Chinese medicine is so successful in managing digestive diseases is through its systematic holistic approach. Most digestive diseases have their roots in psychosomatic factors.

It’s not enough to just treat the symptoms or manage the inflammation, we have to take it a step further and figure out what’s causing that inflammation, what sort of patterns and habits are leading to that chronic inflammation that is inflaming the bowls and causing them to become fibrotic.

In terms of treatment, there are two predominant types of Crohn’s. There are mild to more severe cases. In treating mild to moderate cases of Crohn’s, a practitioner of TCM is going to recommend a few things: immunomodulatory herbs to help regulate the immune system that is otherwise autoimmune so the immune system is not functioning properly.

The use of immunomodulatory herbs is very helpful in treating Crohn’s disease and in regulating the immune system rather than simply suppressing it with an immunosuppressant drug. Other routes of treatment include an anti-inflammatory diet that supports the health of the spleen and the stomach as well as anti-inflammatory herbs.

Other approaches include addressing the underlying psychosomatic factors that are so prevalent in digestive diseases. This is usually going to involve the use of acupuncture, Qigong and maybe even meditation to help with the psychological stress that could be setting off the Crohn’s disease.

In addressing more severe cases of Crohn’s disease, a very similar route can likely be taken; with one adjustment, which is usually going to be the goal of getting the person out of antibiotics, immunosuppressants and anti-inflammatory medications. All these things are just for managing the symptoms; however, they likely lead to new issues associated with toxic side effects.

Also, these drugs just inhibit the natural homeostasis of the body. Once a person comes off them, their illness usually comes back. These medications are just for managing the symptoms and not addressing the person’s underlying health problems. So another goal in the treatment of Crohn’s disease is to help the person gradually get off these drugs as his body becomes healthier.

That part is obviously going to be accomplished by working with a Chinese medicine practitioner and a practitioner who has prescribed those medications in the first place.

Now getting to some simple things you can do. Keep in mind these tips are recommended for people with mild to moderate conditions or for people who are just interested in getting a different perspective. I wouldn’t recommend jumping into these things, just coming off medications and just abandoning everything. Gradually follow these tips, implement them and see if you notice any improvements.

Again, bear in mind that one of the major causes of symptoms of Crohn’s disease is inflammation. Inflammation on a cellular level is usually always preceded by some sort of energy interference. Something is happening in the metabolic system and in cellular respiration. The cells are basically not properly uptaking energy, which leads to inflammation on the cellular level.

So, one thing you’re going to really want to look into is what’s inhibiting cellular energy production. This is the biochemical definition of stress. Anything that inhibits the production of energy on a cellular level is called stress and the byproduct of that is going to be increased stress hormones. I highly recommend the works of Ray Peat in regards to cellular respiration, as follows metabolism and energy production.

I highly recommend looking into how to properly care for your thyroid and liver. These are the two governing glands and organs that govern metabolism and most of the body. Actually, most inflammation can be traced right back to the liver. If this organ is not working properly, then thyroid function shuts down and your overall metabolism stops working efficiently, which leads to cellular stress and inflammation.

Generally speaking, a healthy liver is going to improve the overall health of your body. You want to make sure you’re feeding your liver healthy sugars and that it has enough energy to perform its functions. Not doing so is a major way that the liver can become impaired. However, there are also other causative agents that can also weaken and damage the liver.

You need to better take care of your liver and improve thyroid function, overall metabolic function and reduce inflammation. Remember that thyroid function, when it’s operating well, the thyroid hormone inhibits things like estrogen, cortisol and other inflammatory hormones.

Other simple forms that you can do to manage Crohn’s or any digestive disease is to manage emotional and mental stress. It doesn’t matter whether you’re mentally or physically stressed, the byproduct is increased stress hormones and those again inhibit proper metabolic function, which can increase inflammation.This can lead to cellular damage, breakdown of tissues and cells, etc.

So, we want to make sure we’re getting a handle on our emotional and mental stresses, which is easier said than done. There is no short-term solution for this that I’m aware of other than perhaps, going for a walk, talking about your feelings, finding somebody that you can confide in and then figuring out what is causing your mental and emotional turmoil.

In terms of simple dietary recommendations, the major foods you may really want to get rid of include processed junk foods, specifically, the things in these foods that are really damaging to your gut and metabolism. You need to avoid polyunsaturated fats, unrefined or refined and grains since they usually contain high levels of phytate and lectins, as well as anti-nutrients that damage the gut. If they are not digested very well, they can lead to the overgrowth of pathogens that can bring about inflammation and other sorts of issues.

You can avoid a lot of these hard to digest, anti-metabolic ingredients just by avoiding most junk foods. However, the things you’re going to want to look out for include grains, legumes, polyunsaturated fats, canola oil, vegetable oil, soy, peanut oil and all the plant fats that are unsaturated. Those things are not synthesized by the body properly and can lead to inflammation.

Eating a diet that supports spleen function is going to be helpful in terms of Chinese medicine. These things are usually easy to digest. Raw foods over cooked foods also can be helpful for people with Crohn’s disease.

Something that might be controversial in Chinese medicine is that you need going to get some high amounts of calcium. What people don’t realize is that calcium, when it’s chronically low, para thyroid hormone goes up as follows prolactin, which causes the cell to uptake more calcium. You can counter the effects of parathyroid hormone and prolactin by getting a generous supply of dietary calcium.

The best source of calcium is going to be high quality dairy. Take some easy to digest dairy, and if you’re not able to digest it, it may likely indicate that you have SIBO or small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and those endotoxins decrease the production of lactase, which causes you to not digest dairy very well. So you need to work on managing SIBO bringing down that gut bacteria, which if you adhere to these dietary recommendations, you’re halfway there. But you definitely need to get a good amount of calcium in your diet because, if you’re calcium is low, parathyroid hormone as well as prolactin hormone goes up and they interfere with energy production that causes the cells to pull in more calcium, which leads to inflammation and edema.

Keep in mind that Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory disease that causes fibrosis. One simple thing you can do is get enough calcium in your diet. If you don’t want to take in dairy, then try to eat cooked kale on a daily basis.

These are some of things that you can do in terms of managing Crohn’s disease.

Anxiety And Stress Treatment By Means Of Craniosacral Therapy

In dealing with danger, anxiety and stress are part of the natural defense mechanisms of the body. Heart and cardiovascular problems such as high blood pressure can develop if the body continually secretes stress hormones. Anxiety is a condition characterized by phobias or feelings of panic that’s related to certain social situations. If left unchecked, this can result in depression. Most of us are searching for non-invasive natural therapies to manage our stress and relieve anxiety. In this regard, Craniosacral Therapy is one lesser known healing technique that’s worth considering.

What is Craniosacral Therapy?

Craniosacral Therapy is an alternative form of healing that concentrates on the spine and cranium, or skull, of the body. According to this therapy, the spinal fluid around our nervous system is critical to our health. Craniosacral Therapy helps improve the mechanisms of all our body’s organs through the manipulation of the cranium. It has been utilized for relief and treatment of a wide gamut of illnesses and disorders including anxiety-related problems, stress, spinal cord and chronic brain injuries, fatigue, motor coordination disorders, tension, and back and neck pain.

Anxiety and Stress

Stress is marked by the release of stress hormones into the blood stream that causes our breathing rate, blood pressure, and heart rate to elevate. Normally, these responses help us deal with potentially dangerous situations, such as fleeing from a threat. When the release of stress hormones is activated continually or too often, the body organs are subjected too extreme pressure – and this can cause the phenomenon of stress. Anxiety can be brought about by encountering and/or having to deal with new situations – when anxiety occurs too often because of reasons or feelings that are often irrational, the signs and symptoms felt can include breathing difficulty, sweating, and a rapid heartbeat. This can cause depression and anti-social behavior. Properly managing stress is one way of preventing people from experiencing the negative health implications of these two strong negative emotions. Anxiety and stress can be managed by integrating the following lifestyles into your life:

• Sufficient rest and sleep
• Adequate exercise
• Limiting or avoiding stress or anxiety in your life
• Healthy eating habits
• Downtime and adequate relaxation

People under anxiety and stress can also try disciplines such as Craniosacral Therapy, meditation and yoga which are used by more and more people to help them heal and recover.

How Does Craniosacral Therapy Relieve Anxiety and Stress?

The ultimate objective of Craniosacral Therapy is to eliminate the blockages in the flow of energy within the nervous system by means of manipulation techniques similar to gentle massage. This is often administered by therapists trained in the discipline with the client lying on a massage table and partially or fully clothed. Therapists usually concentrate on the pelvic area, spine and head with the therapy session that often lasts an hour or so. Multiple sessions are usually required to bring about positive effects.

Auricular Acupuncture For Treating Hypertension

The development of hypertension or high blood pressure development is an ongoing and long term process. If not treated, hypertension can lead to damage to the kidneys, eyes, brain, heart, and blood vessels without causing any symptoms. Only until a life-threatening problem appears, most people wouldn’t even be aware of their blood pressure condition. In 2013, the World Health Organization released a statement saying, hypertension affects a third of the adult (people 25 years age and above) population all over the world. That’s one in three adults. This means that hypertension is responsible for almost 9.4 million deaths each year.

Fortunately, hypertension is both treatable and preventable, and along with early detection, long term management and aggressive treatment is essential.

Lots of alternative and complementary therapies are available for preventing and treating hypertension. One popular form of Chinese treatment is auricular stimulation which involves the stimulation of specific acupuncture points on the ears. These points are associated with the various organ systems in the body. The ears, in TCM, (traditional Chinese medicine) are intimately related to the internal organs and not merely for hearing. In TCM, the ears are regarded as an important part of the body for medical diagnosis and treatment, activating the acupoints on the ears can lead to local or general effects. The manner by which the ear acupoints are stimulated can be achieved by moxa heating, pressure, bloodletting, injection, electricity, or needling.

TCM practitioners use auricular stimulation for a number of conditions. It is a simple process and quite easy to apply. The most common selected acupoints for lowering BP and hypertension are the adrenal gland, sympathetic, shen men, kidney, liver, and heart points. The following are some of the more popular auricular stimulation techniques for hypertension:

Magnetic bead pressing technique

Choose magnetic beads with a magnetic intensity of (400G) or (0.04 teslae) around and a size of 1 ½ to 2.0 mm in diameter. Prepare three groups of acupoints: lowering BP notch; kidney and liver and heart and shen men. Every week, place the beads on both ears and on one ear. Measure blood pressure for records prior to replacing the magnetic patches; halt the treatment if no improvement is seen after 9 weeks.

Seed pressing technique

White mustard seed or vaccaria seed are seeds used for this technique mainly because they are tiny enough to precisely place on the ear acupoint. The seed can serve to reduce blood pressure, alleviate pain, to calm down and to treat cramps. Depending on the sickness, the seeds are held in place with adhesive tape on certain points of the ears. They may be left in place for a few days or weeks. The person should regularly press these seeds to generate a therapeutic effect.

For hypertension, commonly used points for activation are on both eyes, occipital, forehead, lowering BP notch, liver, and ear eyes apex. The site of treatment and the tool should be sterilized and cleaned before the operation. In one ear, choose three to four acupoints. Place the seed patches on them, and press for half a minute in order to make the areas turn red, and feel pain and heat. Advise the patient to perform that at home for 5 minutes, pressing for four to eight times a day every three days. Replace the patches on other side, and measure your blood pressure for recording.

Bloodletting technique

Also known as “blood-letting acupuncture” this process often use as tool a three-edged needle. Some people believe that applying the right techniques to release a few drops of blood can enhance the localized vital energy or chi and circulation, which is helpful to issues such as head symptoms, restless mind, hyperactive organs, blood stasis, pain, swelling, and buildup of toxic heat.

The site of treatment and tool should be sterilized and cleaned prior to the operation. In treating hypertension, make the veins congested by rubbing the back of the ear. Then prick quickly on a vein and gently squeeze gently to release four to five drops of blood. Then, stop bleeding by applying pressure on the punctured acupoint with a clean swab. You can do this every 2 days, insert needle on alternative side ten times as one course. This therapy is not recommended for pregnant women, hypotension, anemia, and bleeding problem.

Needing technique

Choose acupoints such as heart, lowering BP notch, shen men, and adrenal gland. Sterilize one ear and activate with 13mm or 25mm needles. Stick the needle into the cartilage and then quickly twirl for half a minute. It’s important not to penetrate through the ear. Leave the needle in place for twenty to thirty minutes to promote further manipulation and to boost stimulation. After treatment and to prevent bleeding, press the acupoint with a cotton ball for a short while; then sterilize again. Stimulate on both ears or on one ear every two days or every day. Intradermal needles can be used instead if people cannot get treatment on time due to work, which can take about two to four days. Remind the person to apply pressure on the patches many times a day.

Although considered a very safe treatment, auricular therapy should not be used on people with skin problems or if their ears are damaged or inflamed or if they suffer from infections, sores, and ulcers. In addition, for needling procedures auricular therapy should not be used on pregnant women, and for people with anemia, and people who have a tendency to bleed. This therapy can attain a better healing outcome when it’s combined with other healing modalities.