Studies reveal that roughly 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. That’s about 1 in 6 Americans, which breaks down to 20 million women and 25 million men. Those who experience migraines typically have a family history of this type of headache. Tension headaches are the most common, occurring in about 69 percent of all males and 88 percent of all females.
Western medicine places a heavy emphasis on pharmaceutical remedies for chronic headaches. The problem with this approach is that virtually every headache drug has side effects, and the potential for side effects is usually higher for prescription drugs. Some of these side effects can be quite serious and may even be life threatening.
Alternative treatments for chronic headaches include acupuncture, herbs, and acupressure massage practiced by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners.
Often something as simple and non-invasive as acupressure can offer relief from chronic headaches. This ancient TCM technique promotes healing by stimulating channels of energy called meridians. TCM believes that pain often occurs when the body’s energy or Qi is out of balance. The blockage of energy flow at one or more of the body’s key points or meridians is believed to cause this imbalance. Applying pressure to these blocked medians allows one’s “life energy” to flow more freely.
Western medicine views acupressure/acupuncture as meditative in reducing pain by improving circulation, reducing muscle pain and tension, and stimulating the release of endorphins. From a western practitioner’s standpoint, increasing blood flow to a sensitive location can stimulate healing by increasing access to nutrients and oxygen in the damaged tissue. In addition, inflammatory substances and injury related toxins can be removed more efficiently by increasing one’s circulation.
Chinese herbs have also been known to ease the symptoms of chronic tension headaches. Here are some of the most popular:
Ginger—
Rub a little ginger oil into the temples to relieve pain and reduce tension.
Poria Cocos—
Often called Indian Bread, this mushroom is available from many herbal supply stores and is often used as part of calming herbal mixtures.
Chinese Licorice Root—
Containing properties similar to aspirin, this herb can relieve tension headache pain.
Peppermint—
Sometimes called Bo He in Chinese medicinal circles, rubbing oil of peppermint into the forehead or back of the neck works like aspirin to relieve pain.
Valerian, Wild Lettuce and White Willow Bark—
Valerian and wild lettuce are both relaxing herbs. White willow bark is an anti-inflammatory herb. Combined, these herbs provide an ideal balm for tension headaches. Take no more than 60 milligrams of white willow bark per day.
If you would like to try acupuncture and Chinese herbs to rid of your pain, you have come to the right place;
we are here to help you!
Want to Shed Some Pounds? Give Acupuncture a Go!
In our fast-paced society, it sometimes seems hard to find time to eat at all. However, the fact of the matter is that we often eat too much and gain unwanted weight. So, what’s the best way to shed those unwanted pounds? A healthy diet combined with physical activity would most likely be the number one approach to solving the problem. Sure, a restrictive diet can work for a specific amount of time, but drastic diets often backfire.
Eastern medicine offers an alternative method to help those who are trying to slim down: acupuncture. Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that entails the insertion of very fine needles at specific locations in the body to treat and prevent different types of medical conditions. Acupuncture focuses on bringing back balance to the body and treating the root cause of a problem. Combining this form of alternative medicine with exercise can have tremendous results in the race to lose weight.
You may have read about
acupuncture for weight loss from us before.
Acupuncture helps a person lose body fat by reducing appetite and thus reducing the calorie consumption by the body. On the other hand, it increases the metabolic rate of the body and aids in burning more calories. Acupuncture also stimulates the release of endorphins that help to reduce the body fat and insulin levels.
Ear acupuncture, known as auricular acupuncture, is most commonly used for weight loss.
Contact the PCOM acupuncture clinic
to schedule your first treatment and begin your journey to weight loss!
On Tuesday, January 28
th
, PCOM San Diego alumnus Dr. Daniel Hsu (pronounced “shoe”), owner of New York AcuHealth, a successful acupuncture clinic in New York City, made his seventh appearance on The. Dr. Oz Show. Hsu has made numerous television appearances on the national level including: CBS’s Early Show, NBC’s Today Show, Over the Hump, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and of course, The Dr. Oz Show.
Hsu is a prominent and reoccurring guest on Dr. Oz’s program having appeared six times.
His presence on the show has created a national awareness of the practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has shed light on various forms of the medicine including acupuncture, cupping, and herbal treatment.
On Tuesday, Dr. Hsu discussed the use of Chinese herbs to treat chronic pain.
When describing his experience as a student at PCOM, Hsu said, “I think PCOM stands out as having some of the very best administration, faculty, and staff. The fact that the college has three vibrant campuses, of which each could be a great acupuncture college by itself, speaks to the success of the school and its graduates. If I could do it all over again, I would still choose PCOM.”
In a statement about his work as a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.), he explained, “
Being a practitioner of TCM and especially having gone through the D.A.O.M. program at PCOM San Diego has really given me an appreciation of the power of natural healing. Acupuncture and herbal medicine has helped to bring wellness and healing to countless patients yearning for help,” Hsu said.
“It gives me joy every time someone tells me how much acupuncture or herbs have eased their suffering. I give tremendous credit to people such as Jack Miller (L.Ac. and President of PCOM) who has helped to advance the profession by providing a fertile academic environment.”
Through his passion for treating his patients at New York AcuHealth and his graciousness to share his knowledge with the world on programs such as The Dr. Oz Show, Dr. Daniel Hsu is spreading the message of Chinese medicine and is ensuring its practice for years to come.
If you were unable to catch Dr. Hsu’s appearance on Tuesday, visit
http://www.doctoroz.com/episodes
to watch episodes that you may have missed and re-visit any episodes that you would like to see again.
One of the principles of Chinese medicine is that your optimal health can be reached by being “present”. Live in the moment and cultivate an awareness of your body and your surroundings. According to Chinese medicine, your body will have changing needs with each season.
Welcome to fall. In Chinese medicine, this season is associated with the lungs and large intestines. Try these tips to feel your best this autumn:
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Support the lungs and large intestines with foods such as pears, radishes, daikon radish, cauliflower, and cabbage.
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Avoid cold foods and drinks, as lung tissue is sensitive at this time of year.
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Try to steer clear of mucus-forming foods such as sugar, anything white or processed, or dairy—especially if you feel a fall cold coming on!
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Try something spicy! In Chinese medicine, pungent flavors are associated with the lungs. Work in some onions, ginger, garlic, and turnips into your meals.
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Sweat. Both the lungs and large intestines are related to detoxifying the body. It may seem strange as the weather cools down, but fall is a great time of year to focus on sweating and ridding yourself of toxins. Try an extra hard workout or visiting a sauna.
April is Alcohol Awareness Month; so to shed light on the subject of alcohol and the addicting grip it has had on so many, we would like to elucidate some Oriental medicine (OM) methods that have worked to renew hope and aid in relinquishing this substance’s hold on lives.
Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States- 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence, according to the
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
.
That statistic is pretty overwhelming, but what’s amazing is a treatment method stumbled upon in the 1970s by Dr. H.L. Wen.
Wen was experimenting with electroacupuncture for pre-operative anesthesia on patients addicted to opiates, when he reported that the electroacupuncture did more than act as anesthesia…it also dramatically decreased the patients’ withdrawal symptoms.
Ever since then, acupuncture has continued to be developed as an aid for a variety of addictions, including alcohol.
Read more
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine students and faculty have teamed up with the American Chinese Cultural Education Foundation (ACCEF) and embarked on a three week adventure to China, where they will be experiencing traditional Chinese medicine at its source! Experience through their eyes the sites, the culture, and the medicine.
Check out our China blog here!
OM in the news this week! Check it out!
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Acupuncturists Lobby HHS to be Included in Obamacare
in The Foundry blog from The Heritage Foundation. Lobbyists are trying to get acupuncture included as an “essential health benefit.”
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Battlefield Acupuncture for Soldiers
on NaturalNews.com. Acupuncture for soldiers is a safer more effective method than dangerous painkiller drugs.
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Health Benefits of Ginger
in News Olio. Ginger has been used in Oriental medicine for centuries. Find out what it can do for your health!
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Ultimate Guide to Acupuncture for Injuries
in Yahoo! news. Find the injury that’s plaguing you and the treatment regimen suggested as the cure!
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Nomads with Needles
in Acupuncture Today. Acupuncturists from the USA and Canada joined a “World Healing Exchange” tour organized by “Acupuncturists Without Borders” and they share their reflections on how community based acupuncture is helping people all over the world.
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine Faculty Member and LAc Dr. Mohammad Javaherian (or Dr. J) is here to to share all the details you want to know before your first acupuncture experience.
Patient:
I’m nervous about trying acupuncture, but I hear it’s pretty safe…what can you tell me about it?
Dr. J:
Don’t be nervous! The number one goal of acupuncture is to make you, as the patient, feel calm and relaxed; it’s definitely not meant to be an uncomfortable experience. Acupuncture is a very safe method of treatment; it goes back thousands of years and has proven results across societies from East to West.
Patient:
But I really don’t like needles…..
Dr. J:
A lot of people don’t like needles, but our needles are different from hypodermic needles. Acupuncture needles are thin, not hollow, and don’t cause much, if any, pain or discomfort. We will put the first needle somewhere that’s not sensitive, to get rid of that mental fear. Most people don’t feel the needles at all! All needles are sterile and disposable, only used once, so no chance of cross contamination.
Read more
Spring is officially here!
And that means change right?
Longer days, warmer weather, flowers blooming…just to name a few, but what about us?
With all these changes going on around us, our bodies are naturally bound to react, and to prevent flu-like symptoms or other negative effects this spring, acupuncturists are recommending getting your dose of seasonal acupuncture.
Read more
