More and more women are turning to Chinese Medicine for the treatment of menopausal symptoms, particularly after recent concerns regarding the safety of hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Recent research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that H
RT may lead to an increase in the risk of heart disease, breast cancer, stroke, and blood clots. HRT has also been linked to gallstones and gallbladder disease. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs are natural therapies offering significant relief from the debilitating symptoms women experience as they go through menopause without the risks associated with more conventional treatment.
When Roslyn Samet began going through menopause, she experienced major discomfort from hot flashes – not only at night, but frequently during the day, sometimes as often as once or twice an hour. “I really didn’t feel good about taking hormones,” said Samet. “Cancer runs in my family and I didn’t even consider HRT as an option. It seemed so unnatural to me – I just refused to do it”. Click here to read more…
Relieving Neck Pain with Massage and Acupuncture
March 5, 2008
Has this ever happened to you? You put your car in reverse, quickly turn your head around to look behind you, and suddenly — UH-OH — your neck has seized in pain??
The neck is one of the most common places we experience pain. Because of its flexibility and the effort needed to carry the weight of the head, the neck is susceptible to pain and injury. Sleep habits, posture, work habits, and athletic activity can all contribute to muscle spasms and nerve damage in the neck.
Neck pain can also be the result of a degenerative condition such as osteoarthritis, or injuries such as whiplash. A herniated disk or pinched nerve can also cause pain in the neck.
If neck muscles are in spasm from stress, misuse, or overuse, massage is a great modality. Massage will help to relieve the tension in the muscles and relieve muscle pain and inflammation. Using herbal creams or liniments with massage therapy can increase the therapeutic benefits by increasing circulation in the neck and relieving tight muscles.
In Chinese medicine it is said, “when there is pain, there is no free flow.” What does this mean, no free flow? Chinese medicine teaches that Qi (life force energy) and blood flow through meridians, the lines throughout the body you see on acupuncture charts. There are two primary causes of a lack of free flow – Qi can be weak and deficient, or Qi and blood can be stuck, or stagnant. Deficient pain feels tired and weak – the head may feel too heavy for the neck to hold up. If the Qi is stuck or stagnant, the pain is dull, with a generalized achey feeling. If the blood is stuck (or static), pain is fixed, stabbing, and sharp.
Acupuncture needles are used to free the flow. Needles are placed in the meridians not only in the neck, but also around the body to build up Qi that is deficient, and circulate the Qi and blood that are stuck. Acupuncture is beneficial for pain relief and for healing the underlying causes that lead to pain in the neck.
