Acupuncture & Digestion: The TCM Perspective

TCM states that the stomach receives food, while the spleen transports, distributes and transforms nutrients. They both share the work and coordinate to fulfill the task of the digestion and absorption of food. When the function of the spleen in transporting and transforming the nutrients is in disorder, symptoms such as poor digestion, poor appetite, abdominal distension, weakness of the limbs and weight loss may occur.

The small intestine receives the food content that has been partially digested by the stomach and then completes the digestion and absorbs it. In the light of modern medicine, most of the carbohydrates, proteins and fats in the food are absorbed by duodenum and jejunum, while the bile salts and vitamin B12 are absorbed by ileum. Water and electrolytes are also exchanged in the small intestine. The endocrine function of the pancreas also contains various digestive enzymes important to digestive function.

So what does that all mean for your acupuncture treatments? Acupuncture stimulates energy to the liver, gall bladder, stomach and spleen (the four main channels for digestion) along with the small intestine, large intestine and even lung or heart channels (depending on the particular patient). Acupuncture isn’t a one-size-fits-all treatment. Needles can be placed at specific points to maximize the effectiveness for the patient, and those “patterns” will somewhat change from session to session based on exactly how the patient is doing that day and responding to treatment.

Acupuncture & Digestion: The Process

Every patient is different. Some patients have varying degrees of “excessive heat” in their system causing problems, while others have varying degrees of “excessive cold” creating symptoms. Through a consultation we’ll discuss your main issue, the type and intensity of your discomfort and when that discomfort occurs. We’ll discuss your diet and lifestyle and eating habits to determine if there’s anything contributing to the problem. And the acupuncture sessions will combine treatments and nutritional counseling.

It can be wonderfully empowering for a patient to not only feel better and experience better digestion from acupuncture treatments, but also feel he or she has more control over how to stay healthy moving forward.

In the next post, we’ll discuss the effect of the “American diet” on digestion and how acupuncture treatment and nutritional changes can lead to radical digestive improvements.

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.

Well, collagen is the most abundant fibrous protein in the human body. Up to 30 percent of all protein in the body is collagen and up to 70 percent of the proteins in the connective tissues are composed of collagen. It is made up of specialized cells in the skin, ligaments, bones and cartilage and is amazing stuff that will smooth your skin and support your body.

Here are just some of the benefits:

• Anti-aging – provides positive nitrogen balance, which is important in the nutritional support of age related degeneration. It is an excellent food product for individuals with a sedentary lifestyle
• Inflammation – helpful nutritional support for individuals predisposed to repetitive joint injury, pain and muscle discomfort
• Musculoskeletal injuries – helps supply nutritional materials for cell repair.
• Skin tone – by providing critical nutrients it helps support skin strength and texture.  Healthy skin retains moisture better and is more elastic and less prone to develop fine lines and wrinkles.
• Hair condition – provides nutritional support for hair
• Nail strength – provides the building blocks for nails
• Muscle tone, strength and metabolism – are supported, especially for athletes

Long term effects of collagen include: reduced pain, improved sleep, support of repair of musculoskeletal injuries, reduced inflammation, improved hydration of connective tissues of the body, improved joint flexibility, improved signal induction, improved cellular calcium uptake and increased metabolic rate.

How Does it Work?

The body’s natural ability to repair supporting connective tissue (bone, joints, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, skin, hair and nails) and maintain hydration of the cells diminishes after age 25. Hydrolyzed collagen provides the missing link in supplying additional amounts of amino acids like glycine, lysine and proline, which are specifically needed by the body to build connective tissue structures and to regulate the functions of the cells.

Who Created This Product?

California nutritionist Dr. Bernd Friedlander worked with the 1984 U.S. Olympic Team and professional athletes from the Los Angeles Rams (now St. Louis Rams) and Oakland Raiders. He is well known for his intuitive chiropractic work as well as his nutritional formulas. He is a frequent speaker at the annual New Living EXPO in San Francisco.

A Healthy & Happy New Year

We’re extremely excited about this addition to the ways we can help our patients feel better and have a higher quality of life over the long term. Our collagen peptide products are easily assimilated and absorbed by the body, and they’re ready for purchase today!

So, we wish you happy holidays and a New Year of great health. Please call us or stop in so we can help you have a healthy and prosperous 2010.

Give the gift of a special holiday discount package of acupuncture sessions at a dramatically reduced rate!

There’s a sad truth in our society that many people — including some of our friends and family — won’t spend money to invest in their own health. Something like making an acupuncture appointment to address a nagging (or even serious) health problem is “too expensive” or “not a priority.”

Sometimes money is tight and that has to be respected. But often it’s more of a barrier in thinking than a barrier in finances. Until you come in for a session and feel the difference in your health, it’s sometimes hard to understand how important that treatment is. And for whatever reason it’s a lot more straightforward to repair a roof that’s leaking or a car that’s breaking down than it is to go get care (an spend money on) a body that’s breaking down in some way.

That’s why the holidays is such a wonderful opportunity to give the gift of great health to someone you care about who you know won’t spend money to help him or herself.

For the rest of December, you can a special Holiday Discount package that dramatically reduces the price of each treatment in the 10-pack. The treatment package never expires, so that’s 10 sessions someone in need can use all at once or for 10 tune-ups next year with $120 in savings.

Happy holidays from Eastern Medical Center!

With 10 acupuncture or acupressure treatments, a loved one can get to the root of troubling symptoms and heal. A friend can finally be free of pain after months or years suffering from an injury that never fully went away. A family member can heal that sore shoulder, knee or back … or address insomnia, allergies or migraines. A spouse can experience revitalized energy, recapture youthfulness with a well-functioning body or enjoy a facial or acupressure body massage.

There’s really no limit to the benefits, and all treatments will work with the intention to help that person feel WAY better FAST. So, if you know someone close to you who will let money prevent them from taking care of themselves, this could be a truly life-changing gift to remember.

Please feel free to call (925) 847-8889 or contact us at Eastern Medical Center to talk more about the possibilities or purchase this special limited time discount package for you or someone you care about.