Dr Maggie Ju Acupuncture London Chelsea, North Kensington, Notting Hill, and Richmond

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is a viral infection that causes a painful rash. Caused by the varicella-zoster virus, the same virus responsible for chickenpox, shingles can be a discomforting and sometimes debilitating condition. Understanding its causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention is crucial in managing this ailment. Causes and Symptoms After recovering from chickenpox, the varicella-zoster virus remains dormant in nerve tissues near your spinal cord and brain. Years later, particularly when the immune system weakens due to age, stress, illness, or medications, the virus can reactivate and travel along the nerves to the skin’s surface, causing shingles. The hallmark symptom of shingles is a painful rash, often accompanied by itching, burning, or tingling sensations. This rash typically appears as a single stripe of blisters that wraps around one side of the torso but can also affect the face, eyes, or other parts of the body. Other symptoms may include fever, headach...

 

Tension-type headaches are the most prevalent form of headaches, occurring frequently and having a detrimental impact on a patient's quality of life. On the other hand, migraines are severe and episodic in nature. Extensive systematic reviews and meta-analyses have consistently shown that acupuncture provides significant relief in terms of reducing pain intensity and frequency of headache attacks when compared to standard care, medical management, and sham acupuncture. Acupuncture plays a pivotal role in the treatment and prevention of tension-type headaches, migraines, and other chronic headache disorders. Its effectiveness has been well-documented in various studies, highlighting its potential as an alternative therapeutic option. Additionally, cost-effectiveness analyses conducted in the United Kingdom and Germany have indicated that acupuncture is a viable and economically feasible treatment choice within these countries. Recognizing its therapeutic benefits, the European Feder...

Mast cells are a crucial type of immune cells in the human body that play a significant role in the progression of numerous diseases. They serve as regulators of protective host immunity. Acupuncture, on the other hand, has been proven to be an effective analgesic therapy. Acupuncture points, also known as acupoints, are characterized by a high concentration of subcutaneous mast cells (MCs), and their activation has been found to play a crucial role in the initiation of the analgesic effect. Recent studies have revealed that subcutaneous mast cells are involved in the mechanism of analgesia induced by acupuncture. The high density of skin mast cells in acupuncture points makes them highly sensitive to mechanical stimulation. The accumulation of mast cells and the dense arrangement of collagen fibers, microvessels, and nerves form the basis for acupoints as the reaction sites of acupuncture. During acupuncture manipulation, the activation of the mast cells occurs via the collagen networ...

Pain is an inevitable part of life that can have a significant impact on one's quality of life. The experience of pain involves the transformation of pain stimulus into a nerve signal that is sent to the brain. The pain sensation and pain response are produced by integrating and processing this information in the brain. Several neurotransmitters, such as opioid peptides, γ-aminobutyric acid, norepinephrine, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and glutamate, are involved in pain modulation. While painkillers can be effective in managing pain, they also have potential side effects such as addiction, drowsiness, and damage to brain function. Consequently, many people are turning to alternative therapies such as acupuncture, which is known for its few side effects. Acupuncture has gained popularity as a method of pain management around the world. Originally from China, acupuncture has been shown to have positive analgesic effects in many studies. Numerous clinical trials have demonstrated that the ne...

Migraine is a common neurological disorder affecting millions of people around the world. The condition is characterized by recurrent headaches, often accompanied by other symptoms such as sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and vomiting. The exact cause of migraine is not well understood, but it is believed to be related to the activation of the trigeminovascular system, which triggers an inflammatory response that results in pain and other symptoms. In recent years, acupuncture has emerged as a promising non-pharmacological treatment for migraine. Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat a wide range of conditions, including pain, anxiety, and depression. Several studies have investigated the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of migraine. One review analyzed data from 40 trials involving different types of migraine, including migraine without aura, chronic migraine, pediatric migraine, pure menstrual and menstrually related migraine, and acute migrai...

You Might Be Overlooking the Role of Fascia in Your Pain and Stiffness When we experience pain or stiffness in our bodies, we tend to attribute it to tired muscles or stiff joints. However, there is a part of our body that we often overlook in this context: the fascia. The fascia is a network of thin connective tissue that surrounds and holds every organ, bone, muscle, blood vessel, and nerve fiber in place. Despite its crucial role in our body's movement and structure, fascia received very little attention until recently. One of the fascinating aspects of the fascia is that it has nerves, making it almost as sensitive as skin. When it is stressed, it tightens up. Although fascia appears to be one sheet of tissue, it is actually made up of multiple layers with liquid in between called hyaluronan. It is designed to stretch as we move. However, certain factors can cause fascia to thicken and become sticky, which can limit our mobility and cause painful knots to develop. Factors that ...