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By Dr. Teresa Shen, on July 21st, 2010
Acupuncture can treat many different problems and conditions, as we’ve talked about before. And there’s one women’s issue that acupuncture is particularly effective in helping: getting pregnant. Besides all the current research and past treatment sessions, there are three recent patient stories that tell me acupuncture can do wonders for fertility.
All of these patients ultimately got pregnant, but they all came in for very different reasons:
The Endometriosis Patient
This woman came to Eastern Medical Center experiencing intense pain from a recent surgery. On a scale of 0-10, she said her pain level was a “10.” All she wanted from acupuncture was some pain relief — and after one treatment she reported an “90 percent” reduction of her pain. She returned one more time to get rid of the rest of that pain for good.
Once she wasn’t dealing with excruciating pain, she was again clear and relaxed enough to consider, and talk about, her other health goals. The big one revolved around fertility. She wanted to get pregnant, but physicians had told her that it would be difficult for her to get pregnant considering her endometriosis condition. We started addressing that through acupuncture by removing blockages and increasing blood flow. The acupuncture helped stimulation to the uterus and vascularize the lining and keep the area open from obstructions or imbalances. We strengthened her energy so that she could hold the pregnancy. And soon after, she got pregnant!
The Arthritis Patient
This woman came in with arthritis in her hands. As that condition improved with acupuncture, she mentioned that she wanted to have another child but had a very particular concern: She once had an abortion that might affect a new pregnancy. From an Eastern medical perspective, this abortion left a bruise, stagnant blood that we wanted to get rid of so that the energy could flow properly again. We also didn’t want there to be any cellular memory of the abortion to be there, as that could increase the possibility of a miscarriage. She was already exercising regularly, which was a big help. So, we used acupuncture for stimulation, blood circulation and good energy flow through the meridians in her body to help boost her metabolism. After four treatments, she got pregnant and we kept working together to support her body and prevent any problems throughout the pregnancy.
The ‘Cravings’ Patient
This woman wanted to lose weight and needed help with the various addictions in her life. Through acupuncture, we helped her stop smoking, reduce her cravings for junky foods and reduce her appetite. Yet, she still wasn’t seeing the weight loss she wanted. An investigation into that concern revealed that she wasn’t losing weight because she, in fact, had gotten pregnant! So, our acupuncture started focusing on alleviating “morning sickness” and helping her body feel good throughout the pregnancy.
Many women experience morning sickness because of energetic weakness. Energy is meant to go down through the stomach channel. But when there’s a bulge and if the body is weak, the energy tries to go down but fails … and begins to reverse flow. And when what’s supposed to be going down reverses flow and comes back up, that’s what morning sickness looks and feels like.
Acupuncture is a tremendous resource for dealing with the various conditions women experience when pregnant — from food cravings to morning sickness to arthritis, swelling and migraines. Sometimes a woman’s body runs so hot during pregnancy that no amount of air conditioning will give her relief. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs help her reduce those problems naturally, without medications.
So, if you or someone you care about either wants to get pregnant or is concerned about ensuring a healthy pregnancy, please contact me at Eastern Medical Center to see how acupuncture can help. And if any of the other conditions mentioned in this post (endometriosis, arthritis, addiction, intense pain) ring a bell, we’d love to help with that, too.
By Dr. Teresa Shen, on July 14th, 2010
One of the most commonly asked questions about acupuncture is, “What does it treat?” Perhaps a better question is actually, “What doesn’t it treat?” Because Traditional Chinese Medicine is designed to balance the whole body (rather than just subduing a symptom or working in isolation), there are very few illnesses or health disorders beyond the scope of acupuncture.
Simply put, when your body’s energy systems and blood flow are brought back into a natural, balanced state through acupuncture, the body can do what it’s designed to do: function properly. Health conditions are various forms of dysfunction in the body as a result of toxins and clogging and imbalances. A body that’s in balance is a healthy body. We may never put a needle at the sight of your health issue; but when the needles that are placed help to correct the underlying imbalances, the health issue becomes less and less noticeable … and in many cases just vanishes completely. That’s not magic; that’s just a body working the way it’s meant to do.
Many people have been in discomfort or pain or illness for so long that they’ve forgotten what being healthy actually feels like. That’s the state acupuncture helps restore.
Now, let’s be clear: There is certainly a time and a place in our society for taking your concern directly to Western medicine. If someone’s in a car accident and is in critical condition, that person should go directly to the hospital for acute care. But in pain management, accelerating recovery and rehabilitation, acupuncture would be of great service to that individual.
Major Conditions Treated by Acupuncture:
According to sources as official and recognized as the World Health Organization and National Institutes of Health, acupuncture is useful in the treatment of:
Chronic and acute pain: Injuries, headaches, neck and back pain, tendonitis, sciatica, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia
Neurological disorders: Post-stroke recovery, Bell’s palsy & Trigeminal neuralgia, movement disorders
Upper respiratory disorders: Asthma, allergies, bronchitis, sinusitis, sore throat, laryngitis, colds and flu
Digestive disorders: Irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, constipation, diarrhea, gastritis, heartburn, food allergies, ulcers
Urinary and reproductive disorders: Cystitis, menstrual cramps, irregular or heavy periods, infertility, menopausal symptoms
Immune function: Recurrent infections, supportive treatment for cancer and AIDS patients
Addictions: Dependency on nicotine, alcohol or drugs
Eye and ear disorders: Tinnitus, Meniere’s disease
Depression, anxiety & insomnia
Much more … Please click this link for additional details about our acupuncture services and benefits.
If you or someone you care about has a specific health concern (whether on this list or not), please feel free to call us at Eastern Medical Center at (925) 847-8889 to discuss how acupuncture or other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine might be able to help.
By Dr. Teresa Shen, on June 30th, 2010
Last week, we compared the cost of acupuncture to the cost of Western medicine and touched upon the massive costs of Western prescription drugs for the average American. No part of the population has been hit harder by the rising costs of prescription medications than the elderly.
Purchases of cholesterol and diabetes prescription drugs by elderly Medicare beneficiaries reached nearly $19 billion in 2007 — about one-fourth of the approximately $82 billion spent for medications for the elderly, according to the latest News and Numbers report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). And according to a recent AARP study, the average prices of many brand-name prescription drugs widely used by elderly Americans rose more than twice as fast as general inflation during a three-year span. Moreover, we have all seen news reports about elderly Americans having to choose between paying for food or paying to fill their prescriptions — and the difficult side effects they have to try to live with.
On top of the skyrocketing costs and side effects, most of these drugs are designed to treat (or cover up) symptoms rather than address root causes of illness and pain. That approach ensures elderly patients will be taking — and paying for — these medications for the rest of their lives and may never truly feel they way they did before the illness presented itself.
This isn’t a pretty picture, which is why it’s so essential that we all play a part in educating the senior part of our population about the benefits and possibilities of acupuncture and other forms of Traditional Chinese Medicine. In California and many other parts of American today, acupuncture is well known, accepted and celebrated for its natural and lasting health benefits. But for our American seniors, acupuncture isn’t so “mainstream.” Many elderly Americans have never experienced an acupuncture treatment or even heard a thorough explanation of how acupuncture works and helps people heal.
For all Americans, acupuncture holds the promise of treating the root cause of illness by balancing the whole body, so it can heal itself. Every case and every person is different, but for many, acupuncture treatments can gradually remove the need for taking prescription medications at all — even those prescribed “for a lifetime.” For some seniors, acupuncture may give them a feeling of health and vitality and energy that they sacrificed long ago and never thought they’d get back.
Our commitment at Eastern Medical Center is to do everything we can to help our patients find relief, comfort and healing, regardless of age or circumstance. If you or someone you know is a senior suffering from an illness or the cost and side effects of drugs associated with illness, please call us to set up a consultation where we can discuss what’s possible with acupuncture. It may be something “different,” but it also may be something positively life-changing.
By Dr. Teresa Shen, on June 23rd, 2010
A common question for those considering acupuncture treatment for the first time is to ask, “How much does acupuncture cost — especially in relation to Western medicine?”
It’s a Quality of Life Question
It’s a question that can be answered on a number of different levels. My thoughts immediately go to quality of life for those who aren’t finding relief using our society’s default approach to medicine. In our culture, we pop pills, treat symptoms (rather than root causes) and if things get really bad, have surgery. But if you’re still suffering through daily experiences with pain, low energy, emotional distress or a million other nagging conditions, what’s the cost of that? What do you miss when you’re always sick or weak … or are distracted by pain or symptoms? How many side effects do you have to deal with from prescription medications before looking for a better way? How much do you have to struggle before you’re worth the cost of a better life? To me, the real “cost” is in not seeking natural and effective treatment methods to have a healthy body and well being.
It’s a Dollars and ‘Sense’ Question
 But most people aren’t necessarily looking for a philosophical discussion. They’re looking for numbers and dollars. Well, we can certainly do that, too! The easy answer is Western medicine is dramatically more costly than acupuncture and other natural treatment methods. Take one statistic as an example. According to a recent Associated Press article, Americans spend a staggering $86 billion a year treating back pain without even finding much relief. The vast majority of that care is Western in its medical nature, from scans and X-Rays to pain pills to other drugs. Speaking of medications, the latest statistics I can find from the U.S. Department of Labor state that the average American spends $335.36 on medications each year, with the average American family spending $185 per year on over-the-counter drugs. And the cost of prescription medication continues to rise steeply, contributing to the health care crisis that prompted recent national legislation.
It’s About Prevention
In comparison, acupuncture is far more cost effective than surgery and a lifetime of lab work and expensive medications. An acupuncture treatment center at Eastern Medical Center costs $80. If you have an acute condition, you might have to come back once a week or so for a while. When your body is back to its natural state of good health, those sessions will become once a month or once every two months.
And while acupuncture will help you get through any current health difficulties, acupuncture by its very nature is about prevention; it’s about preventing you from getting sick, which also prevents you from having to spend money on medical care. Regular acupuncture prevents heart attacks, strokes, illnesses resulting from a weak immune system, diabetes and unnecessary surgeries, just to name a few. This is possible by keeping the body in natural balance, where it functions properly and can really take care of itself. In addition, people who cannot derive the energy they need to recharge themselves (such as with fibromyalgia), people whose lives are filled with constant stress and people who cannot seem to fully recover from illness using conventional Western techniques, these patients can all benefit from regular acupuncture. Why wait until you get diabetes to start taking medication? If you know you are pre-diabetic, did you know that acupuncture, natural herbs and diet change can help prevent the onset of diabetes?
Not to mention, when getting acupuncture treatments regularly, many other symptoms start going away as well. Acupuncture can help the body with so many ailments that I will normally see a patient for one reason, and end up helping with that and healing something else entirely. That’s two medications off the monthly books — along with all the out-of-network specialist visits. And most insurance plans cover a number of acupuncture treatments, and at Eastern Medical Center we accept Workers’ Compensation and auto accident claims.
I hope this helps explain how much acupuncture costs. I also hope it helps even more to explain the cost of not seeking better, more natural care.
By Dr. Teresa Shen, on June 14th, 2010
Your testimonials are sincerely appreciated and benefit others looking for success stories and hope. If you have a testimonial you’d like to share, please contact us here.
“Six years ago I was diagnosed with Meniere’s disease. Menieres is known as an inner ear disorder that causes a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, tinnitus/ringing in the ear, fluctuating hearing loss, and episodes of vertigo/spinning. Unfortunately, the origin of Meniere’s disease is presently unfounded and for that reason, I was faced with many variables and ‘what ifs’ in the scope of coping with this disorder or the hopes of ever getting better and being ‘attack’ free.
“I tried multiple options to lessen my symptoms in the hopes of creating a higher quality of life for myself and indirectly for my family, as they were greatly affected by my immobility during the lengthy attacks and the aftermath of the attacks, which would leave me exhausted for days at a time.
“I turned to Eastern Medical Center for help, and I am incredibly happy to say I have experienced great progress in my health and stand symptom free of a debilitating disorder.”
“Under the care of Westernized thinking, I was instructed to take an over-the-counter anti-nausea medication called Meclizine in addition to an antihistamine. The reason given was that this route worked for some of the patients some of the time. Being the good patient that I was, I did as I was told despite my apprehensions. I probably took these OTC medications for three and a half years, religiously, sometimes two to three times in one day depending on how I felt. I didn’t feel good about popping these OTC medications like candy every day for the rest of my life, as I was instructed to do. The clincher was when I was informed that there was no real way of knowing as to whether the OTC medications were actually working but to continue using anyway.
“Sadly, after the three-year mark of being symptom free, I found myself dealing with an attack that lasted 12 hours. The attack set me back both physically and emotionally. I became slightly depressed, anxious, and felt helpless. I felt fatigued all the time and this was frustrating as I have always considered myself to be an active person. Upon returning to my Western doctor in search of help, I was told to continue taking the OTC medications despite the recent episode. I was also offered a prescription for Valium to ‘take the edge off’ during any future attacks. This didn’t make any sense to me, as I didn’t want to take a drug that could potentially be addicting, as well as the impossible feat of being able to keep the prescribed medication in my stomach while vomiting profusely. My other options in the Western frame of mind was to possibly undergo a procedure that would inject a high potency antibiotic into the inner ear causing the probability of permanent hearing loss to increase dramatically and with no guarantee that it would relieve the symptoms. Unbelievably, that was the least intrusive procedure, the alternative procedure was explained literally as ‘a step away from brain surgery.’ Need I say more!
“It was after that visit when all my dismal options were layed out for me I realized I needed to seek out alternative choices in dealing with my disorder, as the Western way of approaching symptoms no longer made much sense to me. I turned to Eastern Medical Center for help, and I am incredibly happy to say I have experienced great progress in my health and stand symptom free of a debilitating disorder. I began seeing Dr Shen shortly after the occurrence of my last attack, back in January 2010. In the months I have been undergoing acupuncture and taking herbal medications — both purely natural treatments — I have gone from the state of having fullness in the ear, moderate ringing in the ear, and the feeling of exhaustion to a gradual transgression into a symptom free person who has her energy level back to its normal state. The extremely promising aspect for me is that as a person who has been living with Meniere’s, my symptoms in the past have always followed a natural progression into a full-blown attack. Since seeking out the help of the Eastern Medical Center, the typical progression of my disorder has become non-existent and I am truly forever grateful.” —Amanda C.
Click here for many more testimonials and Eastern Medical Center success stories!
By Dr. Teresa Shen, on April 22nd, 2010
The numbers of people diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are skyrocketing. Some people suffering from this all-too-common condition turn to medication to get it under control. But drugs aren’t always the best solution. Although they might help in the short term, medication always has side effects on the body — even if we don’t see them right away.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body has a natural homeostasis. Any time we introduce a foreign chemical like a drug to the body, it creates an imbalance to this natural state. And disturbing our body’s delicate balance could have negative side effects later on, particularly to the adrenals and kidneys.
More and more people are coming to Eastern Medical Center for a natural alternative to lower their blood pressure without side effects. Drugs mask hypertension’s symptoms, which can include dizziness, flushed face, tinnitus, headaches or insomnia. But acupuncture offers more than a temporary fix. Acupuncture treats your symptoms so you are more comfortable — while also treating your body as a whole so your blood pressure naturally lowers as you get back into balance.
There’s no one single reason for hypertension. Everybody is unique, and it’s important to treat each person individually. So the first thing we’ll do is find the root causes of your hypertension.
Common Causes of Hypertension from a TCM Perspective
What are some of the common causes I see? A deficiency or excess of yin or yang energy. If that’s the case, we’ll balance out the meridian systems. If the cause is stress, we’ll increase your serotonin levels to calm the mind and nourish the heart. If you have a local blockage, we’ll work to unblock the channels in that area.
After we discover the root cause of your hypertension, we’ll carefully address it through herbs, cupping, acupuncture and acupressure. These natural alternatives can help you avoid problems caused by medication down the road: I’ve seen people who’ve never had a problem come to me with numb limbs or horrible pains in their body after they’ve started taking medications.
I’ve also had patients who’ve never had high cholesterol or high blood pressure offered drugs such as statins from their doctors. I always remind people to get a second opinion and to always question your doctor about these kinds of drugs before taking them.
I believe that all pain is a sign that the body is not happy with something. If you are struggling with high blood pressure or side effects from drugs, visit your acupuncturist. At Eastern Medical Center, we’ll figure out why your body is unhappy and I’ll do my best to help you heal.
By Dr. Teresa Shen, on April 22nd, 2010
The numbers of people diagnosed with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, are skyrocketing. Some people suffering from this all-too-common condition turn to medication to get it under control. But drugs aren’t always the best solution. Although they might help in the short term, medication always has side effects on the body — even if we don’t see them right away.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body has a natural homeostasis. Any time we introduce a foreign chemical like a drug to the body, it creates an imbalance to this natural state. And disturbing our body’s delicate balance could have negative side effects later on, particularly to the adrenals and kidneys.
More and more people are coming to Eastern Medical Center for a natural alternative to lower their blood pressure without side effects. Drugs mask hypertension’s symptoms, which can include dizziness, flushed face, tinnitus, headaches or insomnia. But acupuncture offers more than a temporary fix. Acupuncture treats your symptoms so you are more comfortable — while also treating your body as a whole so your blood pressure naturally lowers as you get back into balance.
There’s no one single reason for hypertension. Everybody is unique, and it’s important to treat each person individually. So the first thing we’ll do is find the root causes of your hypertension.
Common Causes of Hypertension from a TCM Perspective
What are some of the common causes I see? A deficiency or excess of yin or yang energy. If that’s the case, we’ll balance out the meridian systems. If the cause is stress, we’ll increase your serotonin levels to calm the mind and nourish the heart. If you have a local blockage, we’ll work to unblock the channels in that area.
After we discover the root cause of your hypertension, we’ll carefully address it through herbs, cupping, acupuncture and acupressure. These natural alternatives can help you avoid problems caused by medication down the road: I’ve seen people who’ve never had a problem come to me with numb limbs or horrible pains in their body after they’ve started taking medications.
I’ve also had patients who’ve never had high cholesterol or high blood pressure offered drugs such as statins from their doctors. I always remind people to get a second opinion and to always question your doctor about these kinds of drugs before taking them.
I believe that all pain is a sign that the body is not happy with something. If you are struggling with high blood pressure or side effects from drugs, visit your acupuncturist. At Eastern Medical Center, we’ll figure out why your body is unhappy and I’ll do my best to help you heal.
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Eastern Medical Center provides natural, non-invasive healing techniques from ancient Chinese medicine.
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