Suffer from muscle pain? Acupuncture can help

Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) refers to pain and presumed inflammation in the body's soft tissues or muscles. It is a condition of muscle pain. It is a chronic, painful condition that affects the fascia (connective tissue that covers the muscles). It could involve either a single muscle or a muscle group. The main complaint is muscle pain. The pain can be deep, aching pain in a muscle and it can persist or worsen with activity or stress. It can affect one’s sleep. Examination can find trigger points in related muscles and a tender knot in a muscle. The causes include a muscle injury, strain on a muscle, ligament or tendon, disks problem, chronic fatigue, repetitive movement, lack of activities, some medical conditions. Muscle tightness creates trigger points in the muscles. An acute muscle injury or continual muscle stress may lead to the development of trigger points. People who frequently experience stress and anxiety may be more likely to develop trigger points in their muscles.

There are four types of trigger points

An active trigger point is an area of extreme tenderness that usually lies within the skeletal muscle and which is associated with a local or regional pain.

A latent trigger point is a dormant (inactive) area that has the potential to act like a trigger point. It may cause muscle weakness or restriction of movement.

A secondary trigger point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that can become active due to a trigger point and muscular overload in another muscle.

A satellite myofascial point is a highly irritable spot in a muscle that becomes inactive because the muscle is in the region of another trigger pain.

Acupuncture can reduce myofascial pain effectively by releasing muscle tension and removing trigger points in the muscles.

How to make the skin glowing naturally? Facial acupuncture can help

Your skin looks tired, dull, dry? How to make your skin glowing naturally? When you search on line, there are many tips, which one is useful? There are a simple and effective way to get healthy glowing skin. And you don’t have to try every tip that makes life much more easier.

Drink more water to keep the skin hydrated. Dehydration can damage skin cells. It will make the skin look dull, dry and lack of glow causing premature aging.

Eat more vegetables and fruits to get enough minerals, vitamins and antioxidants which are needed for healthy glowing skin.

Use moisturiser to protect the skin from losing water. Get a moisturiser that is suitable for your skin.

Facial acupuncture can help improve skin circulation, so that the skin can get enough oxygen and nutrients that needed and get rid of toxin that would damage the skin. As a result, it improves skin health to get glowing skin. Also, facial acupuncture can help get rid of pigmentation. This is the key step to make your skin glowing.

Don’t pop a pimple, acupuncture can help

When you have pimples on the face, you want to pop them to make them go. But popping a pimple is not a good idea. It causes a disruption in the skin, it increases the chance of infection, worsening inflammation and even scarring, especially repetitively picking/scratching at acne pimples could lead to not only infection but scarring and possibly permanent change in pigment. If you have painful cystic acne, avoid popping it at all costs. Squeezing the contents of acne cysts through their small opening creates pressure, this pressure can rupture the cyst inside, creating a severe inflammatory reaction and possible infection that will likely require drainage and taking oral antibiotics.

Acupuncture can help reduce inflammation and help reduce acne pimples.

Mood swing? Acupuncture can help

Women have menstrual cycles every month, this could cause emotional problem in many women. It is a part of premenstrual syndrome. Apart from physical signs, they feel tired, stressed, anxious, having bad mood and difficulty to sleep and having headache. Mood swing sometimes is unbearable and could ruin their relationships. Abnormal spontaneous brain activity is found in PMS patients. Acupuncture effectively treated the emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, mood swing, insomnia and headache. A recent research has found that acupuncture can regulate brain activities to reduce these emotional symptoms such as mood swing.

References
Liao H et al Front Hum Neurosci. 2017 Feb 13;11:62. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00062. eCollection 2017.
Pang Y et al Front Hum Neurosci. 2018 May 31;12:104. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00104. eCollection 2018.

Having elbow pain, tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow? Acupuncture can help

The elbow joint is joined together by the tendons and surrounded by muscles that move the elbow, wrist and fingers and control the muscles of the forearm. Sometimes the elbow can become painful. Elbow pain is often caused by overuse. Many sports, hobbies and jobs requiring repetitive hand, wrist or arm movements can cause overuse the tendons and fascia in the joints.

Tennis elbow a condition that causes pain around the outside of the elbow, also known as lateral epicondylitis. It often occurs after strenuous overuse of the muscles and tendons of the forearm on the outside of the elbow joint. If the muscles and tendons are strained, tiny tears and inflammation can develop near the bony lump (the lateral epicondyle) the elbow. The main symptom is notice pain: on the outside of the upper forearm, just below the bend of the elbow, when lifting or bending the arm, when gripping small objects, such as a pen, when twisting the forearm, such as turning a door handle or opening a jar.

Pain that occurs on the inner side of the elbow is often known as golfer's elbow. The cause is similar to tennis elbow. Acupuncture can help to reduce inflammation and pain of tennis or golfer’s elbow. It's also important that you rest your injured arm and stop doing the activity that's causing the pain.

Having melasma, facial acupuncture can help

Melasma is a common skin condition of adults. It presents as brown or greyish patches of pigmentation, usually on the face. Most people get it on their cheeks, bridge of their nose, forehead, chin, and above their upper lip. It also can appear on other parts of the body that get lots of sun, such as the forearms and neck. It is more common in women, particularly during pregnancy (when up to 50% of women may be affected), so it is also called as pregnancy mask. Sometimes men may also be affected. The exact cause of melasma is unknown. For some reasons, the skin cells that produce melanin (which colours the skin) make more melanin that they should do, this causes pigmentation on the skin. Several factors can contribute to developing melasma: sun exposure, hormonal changes such as pregnancy, taking contraceptive pills, hormone replacement therapy etc. Skin affected by melasma darkens more than the surrounding skin when exposed to light. One of the most important things to prevent melasma worsening is protecting the skin from UV radiation.

Acupuncture can be used to treat melasma effectively. In a study, patients in the acupuncture treatment group received acupuncture needling on the Yangming meridians. Patients in the control group received oral administration of vitamin C and 3% hydroquinone topical cream. Hydroquinone is a cream used to lighten dark patches of skin. The acupuncture treatment group achieved a total efficacy rate of 82.22% and the drug control group achieved an efficacy rate of 62.50%. The acupuncture treatment did not have any serious adverse effects.

The effect of facial acupuncture on melasma was also studied. In this study, women suffering with melasma were randomly assigned into: 1) facial acupuncture (n = 20); or 2) facial/body acupuncture (n = 21). Each group was given 2 sessions per week for 8 weeks. Melasma area and darkness of its pigmentation were assessed using digital images.

Results have shown that

95.2% and 90% of participants in facial/body and facial acupuncture, respectively, had decreased melasma areas. 66.7% (facial/body acupuncture) and 80.0% (facial acupuncture) of participants had lighter melasma pigmentation compared to their baselines. The conclusion is that facial acupuncture, with or without body acupuncture, was shown to be effective in decreasing the size of melasma areas.

References
https://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1869-acupuncture-beats-drug-for-melasma-treatment
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1744388115300128

Feeling tired without causes, acupuncture can help

Chronic fatigue is a widespread symptom, with a prevalence of approximately 10% to 15% in the general population worldwide. Chronic fatigue presents as an overall lack of systemic energy that last for a few months and cannot be released by rest, affecting daily normal activities. It impairs the normal quality of life dramatically. Unexplained chronic fatigue is categorized into idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF) is sustained fatigue with unknown underlying pathologies. A prevalence of ICF is 10 times higher than that of CFS in the general population. Research has shown that older adults with ICF had reduced overall mitochondrial content which is energy producing device and its signalling function in the muscle compared to their age-matched group without ICF. Another study has shown significant alterations of oxidative parameters as well as antioxidant parameters in patients with ICF which indicates that oxidative stress is related to ICF.

Acupuncture can help with ICF. A research studied the effect of acupuncture on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF). The result has shown that 4 weeks in addition to usual care may help improve fatigue in CFS and ICF patients.

References

Jung-Eun Kim et al Trials. 2015; 16: 314.
Nicholas R. Wawrzyniak, et al Oncotarget. 2016 Aug 16; 7(33): 52695–52709.
Jin-Seok Lee et al https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-31270-3

Feeling tired all the time, acupuncture can help

Always feeling tired and lack of energy can make you exhausted. You would wonder why this is happening to the body. Chronic fatigue Syndrome is persistent fatigue that cannot be alleviated with sleep or rest, and that is exacerbated by physical or mental activity. Severe fatigue can be accompanied with muscle pain, poor memory and concentration, joint pain, headache, poor sleep etc. New research showed that chronic fatigue flare-ups can be triggered by mild to moderate muscle and nerve strain.

A research studied the effect of acupuncture on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and idiopathic chronic fatigue (ICF). The result has shown that 4 weeks in addition to usual care may help improve fatigue in CFS and ICF patients.

Jung-Eun Kim et al Trials. 2015; 16: 314.

Published online 2015 Jul 26. doi: [10.1186/s13063-015-0857-0]

Having leaking urine? Acupuncture can help

Leaking urine involuntarily or urinary incontinence or loss of bladder control is a common and embarrassing problem. It is not life threatening, but it does affect quality of life greatly. The severity ranges from occasionally leaking urine when you cough or sneeze to having an urge to urinate that's so sudden and strong you need a toilet in no time.

Types of urinary incontinence include:

Stress incontinence. Urine leaks when there is pressure on the bladder, such as coughing, sneezing, laughing, exercising or lifting.

Urge incontinence. There is a sudden, intense urge to urinate followed by an involuntary loss of urine. A minor condition, such as infection, or a more-severe condition such as a neurologic disorder or diabetes can be the cause of it.

Overflow incontinence. This is caused by the bladder not being emptied completely.

Functional incontinence. A physical or mental impairment keeps you from making it to the toilet in time.

Mixed incontinence. Combination of any types above.

There are many causes for urinary incontinence: Some food and drinks such as alcohol caffeine, chilli peppers and food containing high in spice, sugar, or acid. It can be caused by come medical conditions such as urinary tract infection, constipation enlarged prostate in men, pregnancy and childbirth in women etc.

Risk factors for urinary incontinence include gender, women are more likely to have leaking urine, age, older people turn to get more. Overweight, smoking, having diabetes, and neurological conditions.

Acupuncture is effective to treat urinary incontinence. This is proved by research papers. For example, a new research paper investigated the effect of acupuncture on stress urinary incontinence. The result has shown that after 6 weeks of treatment, the mean 72-h urinary incontinence episode frequency, proportion of participants with at least a 50% decrease in mean 72-h incontinence episode frequency, participant-reported SUI severity, International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form scores, and participants' self-evaluation of therapeutic effects all improved.

References
Wang W et al World J Urol 2018 Oct 13. doi: 10.1007/s00345-018-2521-2. [Epub ahead of print]

Fascia thickening, back pain and acupuncture

Fascia is a band or sheet of connective tissue consisting of collagen lying under the skin that attaches, stabilizes, encloses, and separates muscles and other internal organs. Fascia is classified by layer, as superficial fascia, deep fascia, and visceral or parietal fascia, or by its function and anatomical location.

A recent study by Helen Langevin a researcher at the University of Vermont has suggested that people with chronic and recurrent low back pain had 25 percent greater fascial thickness than a low back pain-free group. She concluded that increased thickness and disorganization of connective tissue layers may be an important and so-far neglected factor in human LBP pathophysiology. Another study in Skeletal Radiology, 2005,2 found that pathological Achilles tendons showed increased thickness and 89 percent were painful.

Antonio Stecco, MD, recently completed an unpublished study3 using ultrasonography on chronic (longer than 3 months' duration) neck pain patients, evaluating fascial thickness in the distal third of the SCM and scalenus medius. The deep fascia in both muscles were thicker due to the increased amount of loose connective tissue between the layers of the deep fascia (usually three layers) and the loose connective tissue between the deep fascia and the muscle. Study has shown that there was a correlation between the intensity of the pain and the thickness of the fascia compared to the control patients. Besides the thickening of fascia beneath the deep fascia and muscle, there may be thickening between the superficial and deep fascia, and the intramuscular fascia surrounding perimysium and endomysium.

Acupuncture can help reduce chronic pain.

References
Warren Hammer Dynamic Chiropractic (2012) Vol. 30 Issue 11

How to get ready for pregnancy

Eat well.

To boost your fertility from food aspect, you don’t have to make a long list for what you eat. To make it simple, what you eat need to include a few resources:

1 proteins: Proteins come from fish, meat, bean, nuts, eggs and milk.

2, minerals and vitamins: They come from fruits and vegetables.

3 fibres: They come from whole grains, some fruits and vegetables.

4, unsaturated fat: they come from nuts and seeds, oliver oil,fish, yogurt.

Sleep well.

Poor sleep damages body function and potentially causes illness. Heart disease, diabetes, obesity and poor brain function are all linked to bad sleep. Disruption of hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis function by poor sleep can affect fertility in both in women and men. Getting good sleep will help to boost fertility.

Life style changes

Stop smoking, reduce caffeine and alcohol consumption.

About alcohol affecting. It became common knowledge that alcohol affects health. If a couple are trying to conceive, their fertility could be affected by alcohol. There are studies that show the link between alcohol and infertility. Alcohol has negative impact on men’s fertility, such as testicular atrophy, decreased libido, and decreased sperm count, sperm morphology, sperm motility and semen volume. Alcohol has also negative impact on women’s fertility. Though the amount of alcohol is linked to fertility is not clear yet. Study showed that amounts of alcohol ranging one drink a week to 5 units a day can have various effects on fertility, for example, anovulation, luteal phase dysfunction, increased time to pregnancy, decreased probability of conception rate by over 50% and decreased implantation rate, abnormal blastocyst development, increased both the risk of spontaneous abortion and of fetal death.

Exercise.

Is exercise good for your fertility?

In men moderate amount of exercise can be good for their fertility. Study has shown that all sperm parameters are higher in men who did an hour exercise three times a week compared with those who did more frequent and rigorous exercise. Riding bicycle for over five hours per week has negative impact on sperm. In women excessive exercise can have negative effect on their fertility too. Increased frequency, intensity and duration of exercise were significantly related with infertility in women who exercised every day.

Blood flow is reduced in your reproductive system when you exercise

Blood flow (BF) increases with increasing exercise intensity in skeletal, respiratory, and cardiac muscle. In humans during maximal exercise intensities, 85% to 90% of total cardiac output is distributed to skeletal and cardiac muscle. During exercise BF increases modestly and heterogeneously to brain and decreases in gastrointestinal, reproductive, and renal tissues and shows little to no change in skin. If the duration of exercise is sufficient to increase body/core temperature, skin BF is also increased in humans. Because blood pressure changes little during exercise, changes in distribution of BF with incremental exercise are essential approach the body used to supply adequate oxygen to the active skeletal muscles.

Recognise anything unusual related to fertility

In women, if you have irregular cycles, spotting, shorter or longer cycles, chronic abdominal pain, chronic low back pain, severe period pain, these could potentially be a problem of fertility.

In men, sperm checking could identify any problems from sperm.

Acupuncture

Blood supply to the reproductive system is key for eggs and sperm to get nutrients and oxygen. Acupuncture increases blood flow to reproductive system and boosts fertility for both women and men. Acupuncture can reduce inflammation and balance hormone to improve eggs and sperm quality.

Acupuncture is effective for pelvic floor dysfunction

Pelvic floor consists of muscles and ligaments. These muscles can contract and relax and coordinate with abdominal muscles to assist pelvic organ function. If the pelvic floor muscles and ligaments are impaired and are not be able to contract or relax, this will affect pelvic organ’s function causing pelvic floor dysfunction. For example,50 percent of people with chronic constipation have pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD). The symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction include urinary problems such as feeling urgent to urinate or painful urination, constipation, low back pain, pain or pressure in the pelvic region, genitals or rectum, discomfort during intercourse, muscle spasms in the pelvis. The common causes of pelvic floor dysfunction are childbirth, pelvic trama, obesity, pelvic surgery, nerve damage. Recent research has shown that acupuncture is an effective treatment for pelvic floor disorders, particularly with respect to pelvic pain.

References
Arnouk A et al Curr Urol Rep. 2017 Jun;18(6):47. doi: 10.1007/s11934-017-0694-7.

Pelvic pain, pelvic floor physical therapy and acupuncture

The pelvis is the lowest part of abdomen. Within the pelvis there are the bowel, bladder, uterus, and ovaries. If something goes wrong with these organs and pelvic suroundings, it can cause pelvic pain. People should know that pelvic pain is not normal. Getting treatment early is important. Pelvic pain can be caused by any of those pelvic organs. Pelvic pain can also originate in the pelvic bones, muscles, nerves, joints, or blood vessels. Pelvic pain from a pelvic floor muscle problem can be helped by a special type of physical therapy known as pelvic floor physical therapy. Pelvic pain sometimes occurs when muscles of the pelvic floor are too tight. This causes a condition called myofascial pain, or pain caused by muscle irritation. Pelvic floor muscle pain tends to be ignored, doctors tend to look for other causes from pelvic organs, such as a problem with the bladder, uterus, or vulva. Pelvic physical therapy can help not only with myofascial pelvic pain but also reduce symptoms of other conditions caused by pelvic floor problems, such as urinary and fecal incontinence, painful intercourse, and sexual dysfunction. How effective pelvic physical therapy will always depend on individuals and the severity of the case. Pelvic floor physical therapy can also serve as an adjunct therapy and does not always have to be the sole treatment. Acupuncture can be one of the combination therapies involved in treating pelvic pain. Acupuncture can help release tension of pelvic floor and inflammation that causes pelvic floor muscle tightness.

What is pelvic floor?

Pelvic floor is the area underneath the pelvis and it comprises muscles and connective tissue such as ligaments and fascia. It separates the pelvic cavity above from the perineal region below. It provides support to the bladder, intestines and uterus (in females). It assists with continence through control of the urinary and anal sphincters. It facilitates birth. it helps to maintain optimal intra-abdominal pressure.

Ligaments of the Pelvis

Iliolumbar ligament - from tip of transverse process of L5 to posterior aspect of inner lip of iliac crest; strengthens the lumbo-sacral joint.

Lateral lumbosacral ligament

Sacrotuberous ligament- from sacrum to tuberosity of the ischium

Sacrospinous ligament - from ischial spine to lateral margins of the sacrum

Sacroiliac Ligaments

Ventral/Anterior sacroiliac ligament- from antero-lateral aspect of sacrum to auricular surface of the ilium

Dorsal/Posterior sacroiliac ligament

Upper portion (short posterior sacroiliac ligament) - from 1st and 2nd transverse tubercles of sacrum to tuberosity of ilium

Lower portion (long posterior sacroiliac ligament) - from 3rd transverse tubercle of sacrum to posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS)

Interosseous sacroiliac ligament- lies deep to posterior SI ligament and runs between the tuberosities of the sacrum and ilium

Sacrococcygeal Ligaments

Ventral/Anterio sacrococcygeal ligament -from anterior surface of sacrum to the front of the coccyx; continuation of the anterior longitudinal ligament of the spine

Dorsal sacrococcygeal ligament

Deep portion - from inside sacral canal at the 5th sacral segment to the dorsal surface of the coccyx; continuation of the psoterior longitudinal ligament of the spine

Superficial portion - from free margin of sacral hiatus to dorsal surface of the coccyx; corresponds with the ligamentum flavum of the spine

Lateral sacrococcygeal ligament - from inferior lateral angle of the sacrum to the transverse process of the 1st coccygeal vertebra

Pubic Symphysis Ligaments

Superior pubic ligament - runs between pubic tubercles

Inferior pubic ligament (aka arcuate public ligament) - runs between inferior pubic rami and blends with fibrocartilagnous disc of pubic symphysis

Anterior pubic ligament

Posterior pubic ligament - membranous structure which blends with periosteum

Endopelvic Fascia - Ligaments

Female: Pubovesical ligaments - attach bladder to pubic symphysis

Male: Puboprostatic ligaments - attach bladder to pubic symphysis

Sacrogenital - these are thickenings of the fascia, not specific ligaments

Uterosacral ligaments - attach upper vagina, upper portion of cervix and uterus to the 3rd sacral vertebra

Cardinal ligaments (aka Mackenrodt's) - attach upper vagina, cervix and uterus to the side walls of the pelvis

Round ligaments - attach uterus to mons pubis

Broad ligaments - attach uterus to medial aspect of the ilium

Uracus ligament - attaches bladder to umbilicus (formed from the remnants of the umbilican vein)

Penile Suspensory Ligaments

Penile Suspensory ligament - attaches to anterior aspect of interpubic disc and divides in two to sling around the penis

Fundiform ligament - extends from inferior linea alba and divides to wrap around the penis

Parietal pelvic fascia - lines the internal surface of the muscles of the pelvic floor and walls

Visceral pelvic fascia - invests each pelvic organ

The parietal and visceral fascia are continuous where organs penetrate the pelvic floor. They thicken to form the arcus tendineus, arches of fascia running adjacent to the viscera from the pubis to the sacrum.

Endopelvic fascia* - meshwork of smooth muscle, ligaments, blood vessels and connective tissue lying between the parietal and visceral fascia, sometimes condensing to form fibrous fascial septa which separate and suspend the organs.

Anatomists use the name subserous fascia whereas surgeons refer to this layer of retroperitoneal fascia as endopelvic fascia.

Hypogastric sheath - separates retropubic space from presacral space; conduit for vessels and nerves

Transverse cerical (cardinal) ligaments - part of hypogastric sheath; runs from lateral pelvic wall to uterine cervix and vagina; transmits uterine artery and provides passive support for the uterus

Vesicovaginal septum

Rectovesical septum

Rectovaginal septum

References

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Pelvic_Floor_Anatomy

What are pelvic floor muscles

Pelvic floor muscles are the skeletal muscles spread on the bottom of the pelvis. They stretch from front at pubic bone to the back at the tailbone and from one side of the sitting bone to the other side of the sitting bone. They support the pelvic organs including bladder and bowel in men and bladder, bowel and uterus in women. These organs lie on the pelvic floor muscle layer. The pelvic floor muscle layer has holes for passages to pass through. There are two passages in men (the urethra and anus) and three passages in women (the urethra, vagina and anus). The pelvic floor muscles normally wrap quite firmly around these holes to help keep the passages shut. There is also an extra circular muscle around the anus (the anal sphincter) and around the urethra (the urethral sphincter). The sphincters help conscious control over the bladder and bowel so that the release of urine, faeces (poo) and flatus (wind) can be controlled until it is convenient. Pelvic floor muscles are also important for sexual function in both men and women. The pelvic floor muscles in women also provide support for the baby during pregnancy and assist in the birthing process. The muscles of the pelvic floor work with the abdominal and back muscles to stabilise and support the spine.

Suffering sciatic pain? acupuncture can help

The sciatic nerve starts from the spin and is the longest single nerve in the body. It runs from the lower back, through the buttock, and down the back of each leg. If this nerve is irritated, it causes pain. This is known as sciatic pain or sciatica.

sciatic pain or Sciatica is an extremely common pain condition and is estimated to affect around 5 percent of men and 4 percent of women in their lifetimes.

The typical sciatica symptoms are constant pain in only one side of the buttock or leg; it can accompany with numbness, tingling, weakness, and the pain radiates into the foot—largely depend on where the nerve is pinched. Pain that is worse when sitting. A sharp pain that may make it difficult to stand up or walk. Sciatic pain can vary from infrequent and irritating to constant and debilitating.

Recent research discovered that neuroinflammation seen in spinal cord, nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica. A study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found that patients with chronic sciatica -- back pain that shoots down the leg -- have evidence of inflammation in key areas of the nervous system. Average levels of a marker of neuroinflammation were elevated in both the spinal cord and the nerve roots of patients with chronic sciatica. The pain can be relieved by steroid injection for some people. The study showed an association between neuroinflammation and response to anti-inflammatory steroid injections, with levels of neuroinflammation differing between those whose pain was and those whose pain was not relieved by steroid injection treatment.

Acupuncture can release sciatic pain effectively.

References

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180509185451.htm

Acupuncture possible treatment for dental anxiety

Dental anxiety affects up to an estimated 30% of the adult population in countries world-wide. Patients can experience nausea, difficulty breathing and dizziness at the thought of going to the dentist, during an examination, and following treatment.

Acupuncture possible treatment for dental anxiety

A review of six trials with 800 patients studied this subject. A points scale was used to measure anxiety and studies and the result has shown that anxiety reduced by eight points when dental patients were given acupuncture as a treatment. This suggests that acupuncture could be a possibility for tackling dental anxiety.

references

https://www.york.ac.uk/news-and-events/news/2018/research/acupuncture-possible-treatment-for-dental-anxiety/

IVF could make first-time mothers in their 60s a common site, Is this good or bad?

World's largest fertility conference says there will be a rise of 'grey mothers' comes after UK's oldest mother gave birth at the age of 66 following IVF. Latest figures show that, in England and Wales, babies born to women aged 50 to 54 quadrupled in a generation – from 55 in 2001 to 238 in 2016. In those over 55, there were two babies born in 2001 and 20 in 2016. There are no figures for women in their sixties, but Britain’s oldest mother, Elizabeth Adeney, gave birth aged 66 in 2009 following IVF treatment in Ukraine.

These women not only put themselves on the risk during pregnancy by increasing pregnancy complications and they also put their children at risk by traumatizing them losing their parents at young age when they still need to be looked after by their parents. This is common sense.

What does experts say about this?

Fertility psychologists warn that women using IVF to have babies in their fifties and sixties risk traumatising their young children by dying or becoming ill, as well as the serious medical complications they face by becoming pregnant so late in life.

Dr Zweifel said: ‘The drive to be a mother is so strong they don’t think about the problems their child will face until after it is born.

References
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6262685/IVF-make-time-mothers-60s-common-site.html

Having low progesterone? Acupuncture can help

Progesterone is one of female sex hormones. It is produced in the ovaries. Progesterone level varies during the menstrual cycles and high level after ovulation is seen. It help uterine lining development and make it ready for embryo implantation. If pregnancy occurs, it helps to maintain the uterine lining throughout pregnancy; if there is no pregnancy, progesterone level drops and period starts.

You should be concerned about low progesterone level, if you want to get pregnant. If you don’t have enough progesterone, you may have trouble getting or staying pregnant. If progesterone level is low, the uterine lignin will not develop well and if the lining is not thick enough, the egg won’t implant. Irregular cycles including short cycles, spotting after ovulation, absence of periods are the signs of low progesterone level. This indicates that ovaries are not functioning well. Low progesterone is one of the causes of miscarriage. Pregnancy needs progesterone to support. If progesterone levels are too low, the uterus may not be able to carry the baby to term.

Acupuncture can help, if you have low progesterone. Acupuncture improves ovary circulation and improves follicle development to increase progesterone production.

How to live long, according to a Japanese doctor

It’s wonderful to live long. But how? A Japanese doctor lived to 105. Here's his advice for a long life.

Dr. Shigeaki Hinohara, the physician, chairman emeritus of St. Luke's International University, and honorary president of St. Luke's International Hospital recommended several basic guidelines for living a long, healthy life.

Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. He said that We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It’s best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.

All people who live long — regardless of nationality, race or gender — share one thing in common: None are overweight. For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat.

Others include always plan ahead and keep working, stay healthy and do exercise.

He believes that pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it.

Science alone can’t cure or help people. Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.

References

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2009/01/29/people/authorphysician-shigeaki-hinohara/#.W73anmhKiUm

How the body get energy? Acupuncture can help improve the body energy supply.

The food that we take are digested and absorbed into the blood; the oxygen that we breath in is also absorbed into the blood. And then the blood will be circulated by the blood circulatory system to provide energy to the body needs. The blood circulatory system (cardiovascular system) delivers nutrients and oxygen to all cells in the body as an energy. The circulatory system comprises heart and blood vessels. Blood vessels consist of arteries, capillaries and veins, they form an intensive network and run through the entire body. The heart pumps blood with nutrients and oxygen from it into arteries. When the blood runs through organs the nutrients and oxygen are released and provides energy supply to the organs of the body. The heart also pumps blood with wastes and carbon dioxide from the veins back and disposes the wastes and carbon dioxide. If the blood circulation is not as good as it should be, the energy supply to the body will be compromised and you would feel tired. Acupuncture can improve blood circulation, improve energy supply  and reduce fatigue.

Bladder pain syndrome no laughing matter for comedian, acupuncture can help

Bladder pain syndrome (BPS) or Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder health issue. It is a feeling of pain and pressure in the bladder area together with frequent urination and urgency. Local comedian Ashley Corby shares with her audience as part of her standup routine, including a 5-minute bit about “shady” rest areas she has visited due to interstitial cystitis (IC).

Corby said. “I don’t want to use them because I know what those bathrooms are like and they never have toilet paper,”

“But if you have IC you don’t have the choice to just wait until the next stop. You have to take that chance that you might not ever leave that bathroom.

She has long dealt with a bladder pain syndrome known as interstitial cystitis, which was diagnosed at age 19. It is debilitating, and people weren’t talking about the bladder problems. People tend to get the sense that there is nothing they can do, but live with it and that’s really not true because there are a lot of things you can do to help increase your sense of control over the pain and reduce the frequency and urgency.

Acupuncture appears to be an effective, useful, non-invasive method in IC/BPS patients. A study reviewed a recent research papers and found that acupuncture significantly reduces the 24-h urinary frequency and pain score.

References

http://news.vumc.org/2018/05/17/bladder-pain-syndrome-no-laughing-matter-for-comedian/
Verghese TS et al Int Urogynecol J (2016) 27:1127-36

The back is aching, burning? Acupuncture can help.

Treating lower back aches without drugs and surgery

Low back pain is a very common condition, but what is the right treatment is still in debate. New research on back pain encourages exercise, shows having back surgery is not necessary and the evidence of benefit from surgery is weak, scans, x-rays, cortisone injections and long-term opioid use are often unhelpful.

Despite this, plenty of people are still going under the knife. Lumbar spine surgery rates are doubling roughly every 10 years, according to University of NSW professor of orthopaedic surgery Ian Harris.

There are however, cheaper, more effective ways to deal with back pain.

Get moving or exercising. Once you have the all clear from a doctor or physiotherapist, you are safe to move. In the case of chronic pain the brain is sensitized. It is over protective and creates a bigger than necessary pain buffer zone. you can still move and exercise within that pain buffer zone, without causing tissue damage, according to University of South Australia professor of clinical neurosciences Lorimer Moseley. Exercise reduces the rate of recurrence by 50 per cent. That's a good reduction. Not a lot of medical treatments are that effective. Experts said that there is no strong evidence that one type of exercise is superior to another, most exercise is beneficial.

Corticosteroid injections reduce sciatica (leg pain associated with back pain) by only five points on a 100-point scale compared to placebo in the short term, with no long term benefit," Associate Professor Hancock said. Professor Harris said that surgery is not best option for ordinary low back pain. Stay of drugs. Try to avoid opioids in almost all cases.

Acupuncture can trigger brain release endorphins to have analgesic effects for back pain.

References

http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2018-06-11/treating-lower-back-pain-without-drugs-and-surgery/9850798

Can berries prevent your back from aching? Acupuncture certainly can

Back pain is a very common condition. Many people get it at some point of their life. An article revealed that berries can reduce your back pain, claimed by a nutritionist from a news in express.co.uk. According to nutritionist Kimberly Snyder: Acai berries are a great choice of food for patients looking for pain relief from back pain. They’re rich in antioxidants, which help to get rid of damaging free radicals in the body. Free radicals can damage cells, and even lead to inflammation in some people. Inflammation is one of the main causes of back pain. Delicious acai berries are high in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which are powerful pain fighters. Dark leafy green vegetables could also help to prevent the painful signs of backache, said Snyder. Spinach, kale and Swiss chard are also high in antioxidants and nutrients that fight oxidative stress. she said that certain foods could trigger back pain and should be avoided. Avoid eating too much dairy products, eggs, gluten or fried foods.

Acupuncture can help reduce back pain. It is recognised by more people. A research has shown that Acupuncture treatment for back pain increased 22% from 2006-2016. People with back pain who had acupuncture treatment have seen benefit from the treatment.

References

https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/1027071/back-pain-diet-prevent-lower-backache-symptoms-acai-berries
Riccio B et al ,Front Vet Sci. 2018 Aug 23;5:195. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2018.00195. eCollection 2018.

How can acupuncture help in the treatment of migraines?

According to the Migraine Trust, migraine is the third most common disease in the world, affecting about one in seven people. A chronic migraine affects approximately 2% of the world population and three times as many women as men get migraines. Research suggests that there are more than 190,000 migraine attacks every day in the UK. There is a large body of evidence to suggest that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of a migraine.Research supports acupuncture for a migraine. A review involved 4,985 participants in 25 randomised controlled trials, found that adding acupuncture to symptomatic treatment of attacks reduces the frequency of headaches. It also showed that the available trials also suggested that acupuncture may be at least similarly effective as treatment with prophylactic drugs. Acupuncture can be considered an option for patients willing to undergo this treatment, the review concluded. NICE recommends acupuncture for a migraine. 10 sessions acupuncture could be offered for migraine prevention. Acupuncture is considered very safe treatment, well, of course, for well trained acupuncturists.

7 reasons why acupuncture is good for a migraine based on the research

It provides pain relief – by stimulating nerves located in muscles and other tissues, acupuncture leads to release of endorphins and other neurohumoral factors and changes the processing of pain in the brain and spinal cord (Zhao 2008, Pomeranz, 2001)

It reduces inflammation- increasingly there is evidence that inflammation is associated with a migraine. Acupuncture promotes the release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors that can counter this (Kim, 2008; Kavoussi, 2007; Zijlstra, 2003).

It reduces the degree of cortical spreading depression – This is an electrical wave in the brain associated with a migraine. (Shi, 2010).

It reduces plasma levels of calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance – These are pain-signaling neuropeptides that may be implicated in the pathophysiology of a migraine. (Shi, 2010).

It modulates extracranial and intracranial blood flow – changes in cranial blood flow don’t necessarily initiate migraine pain but may contribute to it. (Park, 2009)

It affects serotonin levels in the brain – serotonin may be linked both to the initiation of migraines and to the relief of acute attacks (through triptans, drugs that promote seretonin levels). (Zhong, 2007)

It increases local microcirculation – This aids the dispersal of swelling. (Komori, 2009)

References
https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/acupuncture-treatment-migraines/51651/

Why your hip hurt? Acupuncture can help

If your hip hurts, this needs to cause your attention and get it treated as soon as possible. The causes for hip pain vary. Hip bursitis is a common diagnosis. Hip bursitis is an inflammation between the thighbone and nearby tendons. The pain is from outer side of the hip. Tendinitis: there are many tendons around the hip connecting buttocks to the hip bone. This tendons can get inflamed causing outer side of hip pain.IT band syndrome. IT band is a long band f connective tissue that runs from the hip to the knee on the outer side of the thigh. If IT band is injured and inflamed, it causes our side of hip pain. Tight gluteal muscles and IT band and they pull the bone that they attached causing pain on the hip. Low back pain can be a source of hip pain. Acupuncture can help reduce inflammation and release muscle tension, it reduces hip pain and improve hip movement. Of course if you can do some exercises as long as pain allows, this can help balance the muscles and speed up the recovery.

Having acne? Acupuncture can help

Acne is a problem for the young: How do you cope with acne?

Study: Teenage pimples may mean success in college, workplace. What do you think about this?

A Ball State University professor studied the link between struggles with teenage acne and higher levels of educational achievement and higher earnings. In a study to be published in the Journal of Human Capital, economics professor Erik Nesson provides what he sees as a comforting sense of reassurance that problems for pimple-prone teens may clear up in the long run as they secure success.

The point that he was making is that kids battling acne tend to feel less socially accepted and participate less in sports clubs and more in non-sports clubs, which hints at “a possible shift from physical to intellectual pursuits.”Rather than push themselves socially, teens with acne may feel compelled to focus more on their studies, which may elevate their educational attainment. Women may also go on to reap higher earnings, according to the first-of-its-kind study.

Have you tried acupuncture to treat your acne? Acupuncture is effective for reducing acne breakouts and acne scarring. A research has shown that after 12 acupuncture treatment sessions, there was a significant reduction in the inflammatory acne lesion counts.

References

https://eu.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2018/10/05/teen-acne-upside-success-college-workplace-study/1496666002/

Son BK et al Acupunct Med. 2010 Sep;28(3):126-9. doi: 10.1136/aim.2010.003004.

Acupuncture is effective to treat acne

Acne vulgaris (acne) is a chronic condition that begins in adolescence and can last over 10 years. Globally, acne vulgaris affects 85% of individuals aged 12 to 25 years. The condition affects 80% of people in the United States at some point in their lives. 25% of women over 30 are still experiencing acne. Acne is characterized by inflamed and noninflamed comedones, oily skin, and cysts. New drugs are approved for treating acne. Officials with the FDA have approved a group of antibiotics -sarecycline (Seysara, Paratek and Almirall) for the treatment of inflammatory lesions of non-nodular moderate to severe acne vulgaris in patients aged 9 years and older. it becomes available in 2019 in the US

FDA approves Seysara™, a New Chemical Entity for moderate to severe acne [news release]. Barcelona, Spain; October 2, 2018: Almirall website. https://www.almirall.com/en/media/press-releases/media-detail-new?title=fda-approves-seysaratm-a-new-chemical-entity-for-moderate-to-severe-acne&articleId=3540239. Accessed October 3, 2018.

FDA Approves SEYSARA (Sarecycline) for Inflammatory Lesions of Non-Nodular Moderate to Severe Acne Vulgaris in Patients 9 Years of Age and Older [news release]. Silver Spring, MD; October 3, 2018: FDA Office of Clinical Pharmacology, Office of Translational Sciences, CDER.

Is there other option for treating acne without antibiotics? Yes, acupuncture is effective for reducing acne breakouts and acne scarring. A research has shown that after 12 acupuncture treatment sessions, there was a significant reduction in the inflammatory acne lesion counts.

References

https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/sarecycline-granted-fda-approval-for-acne-vulgaris

Son BK et al Acupunct Med. 2010 Sep;28(3):126-9. doi: 10.1136/aim.2010.003004.

Clear & Simple faulty digital pregnancy tests recalled

Spread the words

More than 58,000 digital pregnancy tests have been recalled after some wrongly told women they were expecting.

Women who have bought the Clear & Simple test, manufactured by Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech, are being advised to return it.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency "strongly encourage" women to report issues with the test, which has been distributed in the UK.

The specific lot number of the affected tests is on and inside the packaging.
Description - Clear and Simple Digital Pregnancy Test
Catalogue Number - DM-102
Lot Number - DM10220170710E
Expiry Date - January 2020

A recall notice from the manufacturer dated 1 September said this particular batch of tests was "producing a number of false positive results".

Dr Duncan McPherson, clinical director of medical devices at the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, said: "Patient safety is our highest priority.

"We strongly encourage anyone to report any issues with this product, or more generally with any medical device, to our Yellow Card Scheme.

"If you have any questions about using digital pregnancy tests, please speak to your healthcare professional."

Positive results in normal circumstances are almost always correct, the NHS advises, while a negative test result is less reliable.

References
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45749573

Having back pain? Acupuncture can help

Back pain is very common, with around one in three of us getting it every year. It’s usually the lower back that’s affected. Lower back pain doesn’t normally have a serious cause and in most cases the pain will improve within four to six weeks. However, for some back pain can continue for many months or even years.

When your back is painful, what do you do about it? Do you take pills? Do you go for acupuncture? What else do you do? Do you take placebo pills?

A recent research studied the effect of placebo pills to back pain. 100 people with back pain participated the study. All the volunteers had suffered for years and felt their current medication wasn't up to the job. These people were randomly split into two groups. One group received no more than nine minutes and 22 seconds with the GP to discuss their back before being given a supply of pills and hustled out - that's the length of an average GP consultation. The other group was given more than twice as long. These people were given placebo pills (fake pills) which contain no pain killers’ drugs. Three weeks later, half of people reported significant relief from taking the pills - even though they were fake. And the time they spent with the doctor had a substantial effect on the outcome, with people benefitting from having a longer consultation with their GP.

Why this happened? research has shown that taking a placebo can trigger the release of endorphins from the brain- natural painkillers that are similar in structure to morphine.

It is like acupuncture, acupuncture can trigger brain release endorphins to have analgesic effects.

References

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-45721670

What is cosmetic acupuncture?

If you’re looking for wrinkle prevention or wrinkle reduction and you don’t want to go under the knife, cosmetic acupuncture may be just what you’re looking for.

What is a cosmetic acupuncture?

Cosmetic acupuncture is also known as facial acupuncture that you are having needles inserted in the facial skin. The focus is on rejuvenating the facial skin and reducing wrinkles for anti-ageing and skin health and acne. Is facial acupuncture safe? Well, you need to find good practitioners who know what they are doing.

How does face acupuncture work?

Acupuncture needles are put into the particular points on the face, it creates a ‘micro injury’ that triggers an increase in blood flow in the skin and promotes collagen production; it also relaxes facial muscles to reduce wrinkles and improve skin circulation and skin dryness.

You can expect to see an improvement in all of the following: reduction of fine lines and wrinkles, lifting and toning facial muscle, reducing acne spots and scarring, improving sagging and drooping skin and skin dryness, flakiness and evening skin tone and texture.

How the body get its energy?

Food provide energy to the body. How does it work? Digestive system is the first line to turn food to nutrients and then turn it into energy for body use. Digestive system includes mouth, throat, esophagus (food pipe), stomach, small intestine, large intestine, rectum and anus. They are different sections of a long pipe where food pass through. In addition to this pipe, there are three organs pancreas, liver and gallbladder which are helping food digestion. Digestion starts from as soon as the food are put into mouth. Chewing breaks down the food into small pieces that are easily digested; stomach store the food and grinder them for short time; small intestines continues the breaking down process intensively and absorb them into blood stream. The unwanted food (waste) was moved to the large intestines and store them waiting to excrete. Pancreas produces enzymes to break down the food, gallbladder produce liquid to help food absoption and liver clean the blood from intestine with absorbed food.

Stomach contains acid to digest the food. This acid can burn the lining of the stomach causing inflammation and it can also go backward to the esophagus and causing damage to the esophagus lining. Large intestines also easily get inflamed causing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). If these happened, abdominal pain, tenderness can be seen. Fatigue is a common symptom for these conditions. Acupuncture can help reduce inflammation and reduce, fatigue, abdominal pain and tenderness.

Spotting to get pregnant? Acupuncture can help

Women have menstrual cycles which start from bleeding from the vagina for a few days. A typical cycle is 28 days and period last about 5 days. The blood is red on the heaviest days and it is pink, brown on the lighter days. There should be no bleeding between the periods. Some women have light bleeding between the periods or socalled spotting. There are many causes leading to spotting. Some of them can be serious; the cause of some spotting can not be found. Hormone imbalance is a common cause for spotting. Estrogen and progesterone are two hormones that regulate the menstrual cycles. If these hormones are out of balance, spotting may occur. These two hormones are produced in ovaries, this could indicate that the ovaries are not functioning properly. Thyroid gland problem could be one of the causes. Of course, starting or stopping birth control pills can cause spotting. If you want to get pregnant, and you have spotting, this could be a problem. If you have spotting between periods, the egg quality is not good enough, because it does not produce enough hormones to sustain the uterine lining; the uterine lining is not good enough either because the lining is breaking down during spotting and it causes inflammation in the uterus. These affect fertilization and implantation. As a result, you would have difficulty to conceive or have miscarriage. Acupuncture can help regulate hormones and reduce inflammation to help to get pregnant.

Acupuncture for chronic pain

Acupuncture is widely used to manage chronic pain, but the effectiveness is still debating. Recent research analysed the data from previous research using large amount of induvial patient data from high quality control trials of acupuncture for chronic pain and. The research studied the effectiveness of acupuncture and the cause of the factors that affects the effects. The available individual patient data set included 29 trials and 17,922 patients. The chronic pain conditions included musculoskeletal pain (low back, neck, and shoulder), osteoarthritis of the knee, and headache/migraine. The result has shown that acupuncture is effective to treat these chronic pain condition and reduce the pain significantly. Also the effect of acupuncture lasts over 12 months as far as the research goes. The update to the research has shown that acupuncture was superior to sham as well as no acupuncture control for each pain condition including randomized trials of acupuncture needling versus either sham acupuncture or no acupuncture control for nonspecific musculoskeletal pain, osteoarthritis, chronicheadache, or shoulder pain. There is clear evidence that the effects of acupuncture persist over time with only a small decrease, approximately 15%, in treatment effect at 1 year. There is no obvious association between trial outcome and characteristics of acupuncture treatment, but effect sizes of acupuncture were associated with the type of control group, with smaller effects sizes for sham controlled trials that used a penetrating needle for sham, and for trials that had high intensity of intervention in the control arm. Of course, the specific effects of needling at correct acupuncture point locations are most important to the treatment effect. The conclusion is that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain, with treatment effects persisting over time. Although factors in addition to, decreases in pain after acupuncture cannot be explained solely in terms of placebo effects. Variations in the effect size of acupuncture in different trials are driven predominantly by differences in treatments received by the control group rather than by differences in the characteristics of acupuncture treatment.

References

Vickers AJ et al J Pain. 2018 May;19(5):455-474. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2017.11.005. Epub 2017 Dec 2.

MacPherson H et al Pain. 2017 May;158(5):784-793. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000000747.

Dancing for treating Parkinson's disease

Hope this will inspire you to fight for better. Acupuncture can help improve symptoms of Parkinson's diseases,