Those aches and pains you are experiencing after your car accident, injury or fall are an indication that the area has suffered damage. The majority of auto accident and injury victims are unaware of hidden injuries because at times medications are masking the pain.  Pain-relief and anti-inflammatory medications provide excellent short-term pain-relief by blocking the production of pain-causing substances (prostaglandins). When an injury occurs, not only is tissue damaged, but also the injured area loses its integration with the rest of the body.

WHOLE BODY TREATMENT IS IMPORTANT. Whole body treatment helps restore the integrity of your system.  Untreated and/or poorly treated cases of general injuries and auto injuries can result in life long problems and suffering.  Our goal at Innovative Healing Center is to optimize your recovery while minimizing long-term problems that can occur. Treatment of the whole body can identify and address both major and minor injuries that may have been overlooked, but still need to be treated. When a major impact occurs such as in a fall or an auto accident, often many injuries occur simultaneously, both large and small. If ignored, the pain may go away for a while but left untreated as the tissue heals scar tissue develops the damage will not heal correctly. Some soft tissue symptoms include:

• Muscle Stiffness
• Neck Pain
• Numbness and Tingling
• Low Back Pain
• Fatigue
• Spasms
• Headaches
• Mid-Back Pain
• Difficulty Sleeping
• Sore and Achy Muscles
• Difficulty Concentrating

Here at Thrive Acupuncture Center we have the expertise and skills to diagnose your injuries and provide the care that you need to optimize your recovery.

Do I need to seek treatment?

If you answer YES to any of the questions below, you may be suffering from a misalignment or dislocation due to an auto accident or injury.

1. Are you experiencing headaches, head and neck pains, stiff neck, muscle spasms?
2. Do you have restricted head motion?
3. Do you have equilibrium problems, loss of hearing, ringing in the ears?
4. Are you experiencing eyestrain, increased sensitivity to light?
5. Have you felt light-headed, excessively tired, or blacked out?
6. Have you had any neuralgia (nerve pain) or neuritis (nerve inflammation)?
7. Do you have cold hands or feet, or numbness of arms, hands, shoulders, feet, legs?
8. Are you experiencing periods of unexplained depression, anxiety, irritability?
9. Are you unable to concentrate, have poor memory?
10. Do you have pains between the shoulders, low-back pains, tremors, rapid heartbeat?

Symptoms of Whiplash
People who experience whiplash may report experiencing one or more symptoms. Symptoms can occur immediately after the accident, or may appear several days or even weeks later:

• Neck / Shoulder pain and stiffness
• Headaches
• Low back pain
• Sensations such as burning or “pins and needles”
• Irritability
• Poor sleep
• Fatigue
• Difficulty with concentration or memory
• Depression
• Dizziness / Light-headedness
• Pain or numbness in the arm and/or hand
• Ringing in the ears
• Blurred vision

Several different lung conditions are commonly diagnosed as asthma by MDs . But acupuncturists see asthma in a different light. To an acupuncturist, asthma could be any combination of the following syndromes:

ACUPUNCTURE TECHNIQUE: Acupuncture treatment will vary depending on the traditional Chinese diagnosis, and the patient’s overall constitution. Asthmatic patients who are strong or have plentty of qi (energy), for example, can receive more aggressive acupuncture than a frail asthmatic patient. An acupuncturist can make this diagnosis using a technique called the four examinations, which includes looking, listening, smelling, and touching.

Acupuncture techniques can include ordinary acupuncture needling, ‘five star needling’, where the skin is gently tapped but not penetrated, “gua shi” where the lung points of the upper back are scraped or massaged until the skin is red. Cupping may also be applied with acupuncture or with any of these acupuncture methods. Cups are glass or plastic open spheres that adhere to the skin after the air has been removed by fire or by vacuum pump. In asthma cases, cups are applied to the upper back.

Acupuncture Asthma Research

There are many studies relating to the success of acupuncture treatment for asthma reported in medical journals. In 1979 the World health Organisation listed 40 diseases for which acupuncture was considered to be beneficial including asthma and bronchitis.

One report stated that acupuncture is excellent for a mild attack and well accepted for children.” This view is supported through the international medical literature and the published controlled studies.

In a study at the Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care in the University Hospital of Vienna over 70% of patients with long-standing asthma reported a significant improvement of their ailments after ten weeks of acupuncture treatment.

(1). Aldridge d & Pietroni P (1987) Clinical assessment of Acupuncture in Asthma Therapy: a discussion paper. Journal of the Royal Soc of Med, 80, 222-4.

Scientists at the Department of Acupuncture, Second Municipal People’s Hospital, Henan Province studied 192 patients suffering from bronchial asthma , all of whom were treated by acupuncture on acupuncture points Kongzui (Lu 6) and acupuncture point Yuji (Lu 10). The study found that 40 minutes of needle retention was the most desirable. Acupuncture treatment of bronchial asthma was considered very effective There was an effective rate of 98.9%, and the rate of clinical remission dropped.

Acupuncture and asthma: a review of controlled trials.
See document: nih.gov [PDF]
J Kleijnen, G Ter Riet, P Knipschild – British Medical Journal, 1991 – thorax.bmj.com

The effects of acupuncture on Asthma : a problem reassessed and a framework for future research
GT Lewith, C Vincent – The Journal of Alternative and …, 1996 – liebertonline.com
… QUESTIONS ADDRESSED IN CLINICAL ACUPUNCTURE RESEARCH

Immunomodulatory effects of acupuncture in the treatment of allergic asthma
S Joos, C Schott, H Zou, V Daniel, E

For most people arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. In fact, most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can often be managed Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.

What is Arthritis?

Arthritis isn’t just 1 disease; it’s a complex disorder that comprises more than 100 distinct conditions and can affect people at any stage of life. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While these 2 forms of arthritis have very different causes, risk factors, and effects on the body, they often share a common symptom—persistent joint pain.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in the United States, affecting an estimated 21 million adults. OA begins with the breakdown of joint cartilage, resulting in pain and stiffness.
OA commonly affects the joints of the fingers, knees, hips, and spine. Other joints affected less frequently include the wrists, elbows, shoulders, and ankles. When OA is found in a less frequently affected joint, there is usually a history of injury or unusual stress to that joint. Work-related repetitive injury and physical trauma may contribute to the development of OA. If you have a strenuous job that requires repetitive bending, kneeling, or squatting, for example, you may be at high risk for OA of the knee.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can affect many different joints and, in some people, other parts of the body as well, including the blood, the lungs, and the heart. Inflammation of the joint lining, called the synovium, can cause pain, stiffness, swelling, warmth, and redness. The affected joint may also lose its shape, resulting in loss of normal movement. RA can last a long time and can be a disease of flares (active symptoms) and remissions (few to no symptoms).

Diagnosis and Treatment of Arthritis with Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

According to Chinese medical theory, arthritis arises when the cyclical flow of Qi in the meridians becomes blocked. This blockage is called, “bi” type pain and is widely studies and successfully treated using a combination of acupuncture and/or Chinese herbs.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine have been found to be extremely effective at treating the pain and inflammation associated with all types of arthritis. The acupuncture points and herbs that are used depend on if the blockage of Qi (arthritis) is caused by the pathogen wind, cold, damp or damp-heat.
Traditional Chinese Medicine does not recognize arthritis as one particular syndrome. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body. Therefore, if 10 patients are treated with Oriental medicine for joint pain, each of these 10 patients will receive a unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs and different lifestyle and diet recommendations.

Your acupuncturist will examine you, take a look at the onset of your condition and learn your signs and symptoms to determine your Chinese diagnosis and choose the appropriate acupuncture points and treatment plan.

The Acupuncture Treatment

Acupuncture points to treat Arthritis are located all over the body, not just directly over the affected area. During the acupuncture treatment, tiny needles could be placed along your legs, arms, shoulders, and perhaps even your little toe!

There seems to be little sensitivity to the insertion of acupuncture needles. They are so thin that several acupuncture needles can go into the middle of a hypodermic needle. Occasionally, there is a brief moment of discomfort as the needle penetrates the skin, but once the needles are in place, most people relax and even fall asleep for the duration of the treatment.

The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary. Typical treatments last from five to 30 minutes, with the patient being treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after the first treatment, while more severe or chronic ailments often require multiple treatments.

Chinese Herbs for Arthritis

There are many Chinese Herbal formulas that are prescribed for arthritis. Your acupuncturist will examine you, take a look at the onset of your condition and learn your signs and symptoms to determine which herbs are best for you.

Here are some commonly prescribed Chinese herbal formulas for arthritis:

• Remove Painful Obstruction Decoction (juan bi tang)- For joint pain that increases with cold and is possibly accompanied by heaviness and numbness in the limbs.
• Cinnamon Twig, Peony, and Anamerrhena Decoction (gui zhi shoa you zhi mu tang)- For swollen and painful joints that are warm to the touch and worse at night.
• Angelica Pubescens and Sangjisheng Decoction (du huo ji sheng tang)- For heavy and painful sensations at fixed locations in the lower back and lower extremities accompanied by weakness and stiffness.

Studies on Acupuncture and Arthritis

Several studies have shown that acupuncture can help people with arthritis and related auto-immune diseases.

In one Scandinavian study 25 percent of arthritis patients who had been scheduled for knee surgery cancelled their operations after acupuncture treatment. In the study, researchers compared acupuncture with advice and exercise for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip. Thirty-two patients awaiting a total hip replacement were separated into 2 groups. One group received one 10-minute and five 25-minute sessions of acupuncture, and the other group received advice and hip exercises over a 6-week period.

Patients were assessed for pain and functional ability: Patients in the acupuncture group showed significant improvements, while no significant changes were reported in the group that received advice and exercise therapy. The results of this study indicate that acupuncture is more effective than advice and exercise for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip.

Another study at the University of Maryland showed that elderly arthritis patients with knee pain due to arthritis improved significantly when acupuncture was added to their treatment.

The randomized clinical trial, performed at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, determined whether acupuncture was a clinically safe and effective adjunctive therapy for older patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

The study addressed these questions:

1. Would the addition of acupuncture to conventional therapy produce an added measure of pain relief?
2. Would the effects of acupuncture last for 4 weeks following the end of treatment?
3. Would acupuncture have any side effects?

Seventy-three patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group received twice-weekly acupuncture treatments and conventional therapy for 8 weeks, and the other group received conventional therapy only. Patients who received acupuncture had significant pain relief and showed improvement in function. Those who did not receive acupuncture showed no significant change. No patients reported side effects from any acupuncture therapy session.

Safe Alternative to Medication

Even without the studies, the popularity of acupuncture for arthritis continues to grow because more and more people have found significant relief from Oriental Medicine without the negative side effects that come from Western pharmaceuticals.

Lifestyle and Dietary Instructions

Your diet plays a crucial role in helping you avoid or control arthritis. The first objective of a healthy diet is to help you lose weight if you are overweight. Being overweight can cause additional stress to your joints.

The second way a balanced, varied diet can help ease the pain of arthritis is by providing vitamins and minerals that keep your joints healthy and avoiding “damp” foods such as dairy products and greasy or spicy foods.

If you have arthritis or knee or hip pain, vitamin C and vitamin D can help prevent bone and cartilage destruction. And a multivitamin can help ensure that you always get the nutrition you need.

Here are some other healthy (and delicious) choices to include in your diet.

• Ginger - A natural anti-inflammatory, available as powdered extracts in capsules as well as alcohol-based extracts. Follow the dosing directions on the label. Or make tea by combining one-half teaspoon of grated ginger root with eight ounces of boiling water. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain and add honey to taste.
• Fresh pineapple - Bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple, reduces inflammation. Be sure the pineapple is fresh, not canned or frozen.
• Cherries - Recent research has shown that tart cherries are an excellent source of nutrients that may help to reduce joint pain and inflammation related to arthritis.
• Fish - Cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep joints healthy as well as reduce pain and swelling. If you don’t care for fish, consider supplementing your diet with fish oil capsules.
• Turmeric - Another natural anti-inflammatory. Look for an extract of whole turmeric, in health-food stores; follow the dosage directions on the label.

Our bodies are hardwired to help us react to stressful events.  At the first sign of a threat, whether real or perceived, our sympathetic nervous system kicks in and facilitates what is called the “fight or flight” response.  Our heart rate increases, our pupils dilate, and our digestion temporarily shuts down, directing blood to our extremities, so that if need be, we can either fight what is threatening us, or turn and run if the threat is too formidable.

Unfortunately, the “fight or flight” response, which worked well in caveman days, does not serve us as well if the “threat” is a demanding boss, nasty co-worker or even a worrisome situation that is not being resolved.  More often than not, the stress in our lives is long-term, and as a result, we find ourselves in a constant state of “fight or flight”, or stress.  Over time, the constant state of stress takes its toll.  Cortisol, the body’s stress hormone elevates, blood pressure increases, and our immune function is suppressed.  Over time, these symptoms become worse and can develop into anxiety, depression, fatigue, digestive problems, and tension headaches.

Emotions from a Chinese Medical Perspective

In Chinese medicine, stress, anxiety, depression or any strong emotion interrupts the smooth flow of energy throughout the body.  According to Chinese medical theory, energy flows through our body through a network of “roads”, almost like a highway system.  Stress, anger, or any intense emotion acts like a traffic jam, blocking the free flow of energy in the body.  For example, many people who are very stressed out complain of upper back, shoulder and neck pain.  This is because stress is causing tension in those areas, blocking the free flow of energy, causing pain, tightness, and often leading to headaches.

In a highway system, when there is road construction or an accident, traffic may be also backed up on other secondary roads that feed into or out of the affected area.  This is true in the body, too.  Stress may affect many other parts of the body, most notably digestion, the ability to sleep, pain conditions, and blood pressure. Stress can also aggravate an already troublesome health condition.

Through acupuncture, theses energy blockages can be addressed. Acupuncture points serve as the on and off ramps to the energy highway, and can help energy flow smoothly, and alleviate not only the symptoms of stress and anxiety, but the stress and anxiety itself.

From a Western viewpoint, acupuncture works to alleviate stress by releasing natural pain-killing chemicals in the brain, called endorphins.  In addition, acupuncture improves circulation of blood throughout the body, which oxygenates the tissues and cycles out cortisol and other waste chemicals.  The calming nature of acupuncture also decreases heart rate, lowers blood pressure and relaxes the muscles.

Lynn Jaffee, LAc, Dipl. OM

Acupuncture and Seasonal Allergies

Symptoms of running nose, sneezing, and watery itchy eyes that recur during specific parts of the year (especially Spring and Fall) are a cause of much suffering of a large segment of the U.S. population. Millions of dollars are spent on medications and the allergy shots for the treatment of seasonal allergies.

Western medicine views seasonal allergies as a form of immediate hypersensitivity reaction which occurs when anti-bodies produced by lymphocytes interact with airborne particles such as pollen. Western medicine describes the locations of lymphocytes in addition to being in the blood stream as also in Peyer’s patches in the gastrointestinal tract, spleen, lymph nodes, and bone marrow. Interestingly in my practice of acupuncture the Spleen, Stomach, and Large Intestine meridians are utilized a great deal. One sees an interesting overlap of Western and Chinese medical thought. Also, Chinese medical thought sees sweets as being harmful to the Spleen (Chinese sense of the Spleen) function. In my practice sweets are often a major factor in the persistence and intensity of seasonal allergy symptoms.

I find it gratifying to treat seasonal allergies with acupuncture. There is often a quick response. Often patients get some relief during the first visit while lying on the exam table with their acupuncture needles in place. Patients are asked to score their nose stuffiness on a zero to ten scale. Zero meaning no stuffiness at all and 10 being the worst possible stuffiness for the patient. A score may be determined before and after the acupuncture treatment. Patients can also determine the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment by tracking the number of sneezes per day and the number of itching episodes around their eyes. After an initial series of treatments, patients come in for further treatments on an as needed basis. Some patients come back in once or twice a year for a booster while others may come more often. In general, patients do better if they avoid sugar and milk in their diets. They have better and longer lasting responses. I have seen many patients who failed medication and allergy shots respond to acupuncture. Patients continue with whatever standard treatments they are currently undergoing while getting acupuncture treatments. Most patients end up significantly reducing or eliminating their dependence on allergy medications.

There are many different ways of performing acupuncture, for example TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), Japanese, Korean, French Energetics, Worsley 5 Elements, ear, hand, etc. In choosing an acupuncturist the specific style a practitioner uses is not so important as the success rate a practitioner obtains with whatever style they use. Prospective patients should speak with the acupuncturist and inquire about past experience in treating seasonal allergies and their success rate.

In conclusion, it is my opinion that acupuncture is an excellent treatment option for seasonal allergies.

by Patrick J. LaRiccia, M.D.

When: December 15th at 7:oo pm

Where: Thrive Acupuncture Center

What: An introduction to Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Also, we will be introducing our latest and greatest Massage Therapist.

Why: You’ll learn a lot of of great and useful information that you can incorporate in your daily life.  Also, you will receive a discount on your next massage appointment!!

Holiday Gift Certificates are available!

Give the greatest gift of all…health and well-being!

We have gift certificates for Acupuncture, Massage Therapy, stop smoking packages, weight loss packages and nutritional counseling.

Stop in and pick yours up today!

Offer expires 5/01/2011