How the brain and the head get oxygen and food?

Although the brain is only about 2% of the total body weight in humans, it receives 15-20% of the body's blood supply. Because brain cells will die if the supply of blood which carries oxygen is stopped, the brain has top priority for the blood. Even if other organs need blood, the body attempts to supply the brain with a constant flow of blood. The blood brings many materials including oxygen, carbohydrates, amino acids, fats, hormones and vitamins necessary for the brain to function properly. The blood also removes materials including carbone dioxide, ammonia, lactate and hormones from the brain. This function is performed by many blood vessels.

The head’s blood supply comes mainly from the external and internal carotid arteries.

The internal carotid artery travels up from the aortic arch just outside the heart. It travels into the brain to provide oxygenated blood to the eyes, the front of the brain, and portions of the scalp.

The external carotid artery helps supply part of the brain through its many branches, and it also gives blood to the thyroid gland in the neck.

These arteries go through the neck and reach the head.

The vertebral arteries arising from the subclavian arteries and continuing to the basilar artery is another source of the blood vessels to the brain.

In the brain, a circle consisting to of two carotid arteries and the basilar artery form the circle of Willis. This supplies blood in the center of the brain and branches to the cerebrum, pons, medulla oblongata, cerebellum, and the beginning of the spinal cord.

Deoxygenated blood leaves the brain and the head and goes back to the heart through veins accompanied with the arteries.

The cranial venous sinuses also remove blood from the head. Unlike normal veins, these are large channels that drain blood.

Hip joint, hip pain and acupuncture

The hip joint is a ball and socket cynovial joint. The ball is the femoral (thigh bone) head, and the socket is the acetabulum (a part of the pelvic bone). The hip joint is one of the most flexible joints in the body and it allows a great range of movement. Because of hip joint, walking, running and jumping become possible. It supports the body’s weight and bears the force of the strong muscles of the hip and leg when standing, walking, running etc. The hip joints have very important roles in retaining balance, and for maintaining the pelvic inclination angle.

Surrounding the hip joint are many tough ligaments that prevent the dislocation of the joint. The strong muscles of the hip region also help to hold the hip joint together and prevent dislocation.

Injury of ligaments and muscles around the hip joints is a common cause of hip pain. Acupuncture can help reduce hip pain.

Suffering from period pain? Acupuncture can help

Period pain or painful period is the most common gynaecological complaint. Lower abdominal chronic pain is the most common symptom accompanied with or without other symptoms such as headaches, nausea and vomiting. Typically symptoms occur at around the start of menstrual flow and last for the first 24-48 hours. Smoking may prolong the duration of the pain due to nicotine-induced vascular vessel constriction. The majority of the period pain is primary or functional, associated with normal ovulatory cycles without pelvic pathological changes. The pain for primary period pain is caused by over-production of prostaglandins (PGs) and leukotrenes (LTs) within the endometrium after ovulation. PGs and LTs are inflammation modulators which cause myometrial contractions and vasoconstriction resulting in local tissue ischemia, which is involved in cramp pain (muscle contraction).

Treatment for primary period pain is divided into two categoies: traditional (ie, medical and surgical) and alternative. Traditional approach includes nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which inhibit PG synthesis, combined oral contraceptives and long-acting hormonal therapies. Alternative approach is as follows: vitamins including vitamin E and B1, previous research suggested that vitamin E and B1 significantly reduce period pain through inhibition of PG synthesis; minerals such as magnesium; diet containing omega-3 fatty acids (such as fish) which lead to the uterine production of less potent PGs.

Acupuncture. Acupuncture has analgesic effect. There was one study which investigated the effect of acupuncture in the treatment of primary period pain. The result showed significant difference of pain relief between acupuncture group and control group (without acupuncture). Acupuncture is very effective on primary period pain probably by regulating prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) level in menstrual fluid and also regulating hormones related receptors.

The gluteus maximus and low back pain, acupuncture can help

The gluteus maximus is located at the buttocks and is regarded as one of the strongest muscles in the body. It is one of the three muscles connecting the spine to the thigh and attached to the coccyx, or tailbone, as well as the surrounding pelvic bones and ended at thigh bone around the hip joint and connect to IT band. Its main function is extending the hip and maintaining the trunk in the erect posture. There are three trigger points that can be found in gluteus maximus which contributes to the muscle pain: medial trigger point is along the edge of the sacrum, the tailbone trigger point is around the tailbone region and the lower trigger point is below the hip joint. The presence of trigger points is a common cause of low back pain. Acupuncture can help release trigger points at the muscle, reduces muscle spasm and reduce back pain.

Acupuncture can help if you have IVF or egg freezing

The psoas muscle, back pain and acupuncture

3 muscles connect the spine to the thigh and they are the gluteus maximus, piriformis, and psoas muscles.

The psoas muscle originates from lumbar spine, crosses the outer edge of each pubis, and attaches at the femur (thigh bone) after it joins iliacus muscle. Your iliacus and psoas muscles are together known as the iliopsoas. The psoas major is divided into a superficial and deep part. Between the two layers lies the lumbar plexus (nerves to the lower limbs). The main function of psoas is to flex the hip joint and also rotate laterally and adduct weakly to the hip. It plays essential role of walking, standing, running. Tightness of the psoas can result in spasms or lower back pain by compressing the lumbar discs. Tightened and inflamed psoas can lead to irritation and entrapment of the ilioinguinal and the iliohypogastric nerves, resulting in a sensation of heat or water running down the front of the thigh. Tight psoas pulls the low back vertebrae forward and down toward the femur, pushing the abdominal contents outward and overarching in the lumbar spine. The inflamed iliopsoas or trigger points in the muscle can cause pain in the region of the lower back and the upper thigh. As a result, walking or standing could be painful.

Painful urination? Acupuncture can help

Painful urination is a symptom that presents discomfort, pain, burning or stinging during urination or soon after. This is a common symptom. This pain may originate in the bladder, urethra or perineum.

Infection is one of the most common causes leading to painful urination. Infections can occur in any part of the urinary tract from kidney, bladder to urethra. Apart from urination pain, there are often other symptoms associated with such as, more frequent and urgent urination, fever, strong smelling urine, cloudy or bloody urine.

Interstitial cystitis (IC) is also known as painful bladder syndrome. It presents urination pain burning, stinging. When examine, it shows pain and tenderness in bladder and pelvic region.

Urethritis is a condition in which the urethra, becomes inflamed and irritated. Painful urination is the primary symptom of this condition.

Prostatitis is a cause of painful urination in men. It is the inflammation of the prostate gland. It presents urinary burning, stinging, and discomfort.

Vulvovaginitis is an inflammation of the vulva and vagina in women. It can cause urination pain.

Nonspecific painful urination. If the causes for painful urination, this is nonspecific. The causes need to be rule out by all the available tests.

Acupuncture can help, if you have painful urination.

Facial acupuncture, the best way to prevent wrinkle formation.

Wrinkles are formed by the folding of the skin. Why the skin is folded? This is because what is happening under the skin. Under the facial skin, there are expression muscles. Every time people make facial expressions such as frowning, smiling or squinting, These muscle are contracting resulting in the skin above folding.

a natural part of the aging process. As people get older, their skin gets thinner, drier, and less elastic, and less able to protect itself from damage. This leads to wrinkles, creases, and lines on the skin. Facial expression stops, the muscles are relaxed, the skin should unfold. If the muscles are not relaxed completely, the skin will stay folded and the lines will not go. When a person is young, the skin springs back, but as they get older, the skin loses its flexibility. Springing back becomes harder and less frequent, resulting in more permanent grooves.

UV light accelerates wrinkle formation. UV light breaks down the collagen and elastin fibers in the skin which causes the skin to become weaker and less flexible. The skin starts to droop, and wrinkles appear. Regular smoking accelerates the aging process of skin, because of the reduced blood supply to the skin. Alcohol dehydrates the skin, and dry skin is more likely to wrinkle.

Facial acupuncture can help prevent and reduce wrinkles. It can relax facial expression muscles unfolding the skin and also increases collagen and elastin fibers synthesis. It improves skin blood circulation and keeps the skin hydrated.