All winter long, we see patients suffering with headaches, runny noses, congestion, phlegm and feeling “blocked up” where they can’t breathe. And as the seasons turn, more patients pour in struggling with painful sinus headaches and discomfort associated with the change of temperature. In reality, they’re dealing with not only external temperature changes but internal ones, too.
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Sometimes patients receive a diagnosis that creates a tremendous amount of fear and stress—even when the problem is too small to warrant intervention. It’s a curious but common combination of circumstances that can destroy peace of mind even if it’s not destroying the body. Dr. Teresa Shen of Eastern Medical Center explains how acupuncture can help bones and ligaments heal well and fast enough to avoid surgery in many cases. Scoliosis is a problematic curvature of the spine. The curve usually takes the shape of a “C” or “S” and can cause the person to stand and walk off-balance and have uneven shoulders and hips. According to the National Institutes of Health, a birth defect, tumor or another disease might cause the spine to have a curve that isn’t temporary. People with mild scoliosis might only need checkups to see if the curve is getting worse. From the Western medical perspective, others might need to wear a brace long-term or have surgery. You can’t discuss acupuncture and digestion without talking about the damage often done by the “American diet.” For starters, the American diet is cold, cold, cold! From a Chinese Medical perspective we always want the body in a healthy balance — making sure the organs and body systems aren’t too cold and damp or excessively hot. Either extreme will deplete your energy, lead to body dysfunction and uncomfortable symptoms. Detox from alcohol, drugs, smoking or even sugar is a matter of will. It’s a matter of strength. It’s a matter of emotions. And largely it’s a matter of body chemistry. When people are addicted, there’s an imbalance. It could be from an “addictive personality,” an emotional-based trauma, a means of escape or a physical issue. As a member of the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association, part of my job is helping patients get from addiction through withdrawal symptoms to balance and freedom. Quite frequently, people come to Eastern Medical Center looking for help with getting off “lifelong” Western medications. Often I hear about symptoms such as sluggishness and tingling in the fingers and toes, which are common side effects of many drugs. Fortunately, acupuncture is a powerful tool for getting off of medications while balancing the body so that it doesn’t “need” the pills to sustain stable health. We can use acupuncture to taper off medications in a safe, gradual way and balance the chemicals in the brain so that the patient doesn’t suffer withdrawl symptoms. I recently treated a patient who had been diagnosed with Wegner’s granulomatosis (inflammation of the blood vessels affecting the kidneys, lungs and other organs). He was on immunosuppressants, steroids and in horrifying joint pain. Everything was inflamed, from his knees to his arms to his wrists to his ankles. He had been told that he’d be dealing with this forever, and this person who you could tell had once been bursting with energy and zest for life was now a shell of himself. He loved to travel and felt that part of his life was over. He loved an active lifestyle and thought that part of his life was over. All this, based on the idea that he’ll never change. I would argue that there is change from day to day, hour to hour, albeit subtle and small. There is always change. Sometimes doctors tell their patients things that are difficult or unsettling to hear during a diagnosis: “I don’t know … We can’t do anything for you … Wait and see …” These types of conversations leave the patients feeling powerless to affect their own health and are especially common with autoimmune diseases or other “lifetime illnesses.” These aren’t mean or vindictive physicians; they’re just speaking the truth from the Western medical perspective. But from the Eastern medical perspective, the picture looks very different. |
Eastern Medical Center provides natural, non-invasive healing techniques from ancient Chinese medicine.
Free up the body's natural energy for effective (and side-effect free) pain management, beauty enhancement and healing. Call Eastern Medical Center today (925-847-8889) to make an appointment and sign up for our newsletter here. |
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