Acupuncture in Wilmington
(910) 202-4248
(910) 202-4248

Category: Wellness

  1. Homepage
  2. Therapy
  3. Wellness

Help Back Pain with Acupuncture

By

Help back pain with acupuncture! In a previous blog we discussed the prevalence of chronic low back pain (CLBP) in America and the toll it takes on people and society in general, with lost days of work and enjoyment of life.  In Western Medicine, the typical standard treatment for CLBP according to The American Family Physician Website is, (My bolding of areas) “Acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are first-line medications for chronic low back pain. Tramadol, opioids, and other adjunctive medications may benefit some patients who do not respond to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Acupuncture, exercise therapy, multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs, massage, behavior therapy, and spinal manipulation are effective in certain clinical situations. Patients with radicular symptoms may benefit from epidural steroid injections, but studies have produced mixed results. Most patients with chronic low back pain will not benefit from surgery. A surgical evaluation may be considered for select patients with functional disabilities or refractory pain despite multiple nonsurgical treatments.” From aafp.org  Acupuncture is SUPPOSED to be recommended to patients with low back pain, but very few of our patients come to us through an MD referral.  Why does acupuncture help so many with CLBP feel better when other therapies don’t? Pain is viewed differently. Let’s look at pain through the lens of Chinese Medicine (CM). Particularly, how to help back pain with acupuncture and why it works. .  CM views pain as a stagnation of energy in the body. If all systems are working properly, the flow of energy, or Qi, is smooth and there is no pain. But, when the body gets stuck, sticky or stagnant, pain comes in and tells you something is wrong. How many times have you felt pain in your shoulder or low back and it literally feels like you have a knot or something stuck in that part of your body? That is exactly why pain is referred to as stagnation! When it comes to low back pain specifically, people struggling with it may have issues relating to the Phase of Water. In CM, the Water Phase consists of your kidneys, your bladder, your head hair, your endocrine system, your bones, your reproductive systems, plus the emotions of Fear, Anxiety, and Willpower. The Bladder Channel runs down the back. When the Water Phase Energetics are weakened due to stress, overwork, poor posture, excessive emotional upset, etc., the channel can become blocked, and pain can set in.  When we treat LBP in the clinic, we will do a postural assessment to determine what else is contributing to your pain. Then, not only do we treat points in the back, but we will also treat distal points. These help clear and support the channels that are stagnant and weak so that the pain dissipates and the channel strengthens.  We may recommend dietary changes with foods that specifically support the Water Phase. This strengthens your body from the inside out. We may also recommend certain exercises to help with postural disparities that are contributing to your LBP.  Specific treatment plans are designed with YOU in mind.  Because it is not a one-size-fits-all approach, every person has a specific treatment plan tailored to their needs. Also, it is not a one-and-done method either. Consistency is the key to long term wellness. Just like one day of eating well and going to the gym won’t get you fit and slim, typically one acupuncture treatment will not fix months or years of pain and suffering. The key is to come often enough to change your pattern to wellness, then sustain that wellness with monthly tune-ups. (more or less, again, it is very individual what each person needs to sustain their health.)   If you’re tired of suffering from CLBP and want to get on the path to a pain free, fulfilling life, call us today. Let’s talk and get you scheduled for a consultation to see how we can help you.  We look forward to helping you heal and feel your best! Let us help your back pain with acupuncture today! 910-202-4248

Acupuncture Helps Teen Anxiety

By

Acupuncture helps teen anxiety. Often very quickly. During adolescence the teen brain is rapidly growing and developing. The brain is literally changing size, shape and how it works all at once.  Connections within the limbic system, amygdala, and the prefrontal cortex, which are essential for emotional regulation, are shifting and forming.  While the brain is changing, hormones are changing, and the physical body is developing too. Who Am I?  During this developmental phase Teenagers are experimenting with who they are, who they spend their time with, and what they are interested in.  All of these big changes happening at once while also learning who they are leaves teenagers more vulnerable to stress, emotional instability and anxiety.  Add in how many media images our teenagers see on a daily basis that send messages of bodily perfection like; “thin is beautiful” or “acne is ugly”, it’s no wonder our teens struggle. Plus, there is gender stereotyping which can be difficult for those teens struggling with their sexual orientation and self-expression. Teenagers aged 13-18 years old spend an average of 8 hours and 40 mins a day on social media. In this complex world, they are being influenced by what they see on top of what they feel, which can add to body shaming, difficulty with self-expression, issues with peers, and an overall increase in their personal struggles. Anxiety looks different for teens and acupuncture can help. Anxiety in teenagers can look different than in adults.  As a parent, teacher or even a friend, recognizing the signs of teenage anxiety can be a crucial first step in getting the necessary help.   Does your teen suffer from: Recent irritability, Withdrawal from normal social activities, Chronic complaints of stomach aches and headaches Sleeping problems, A drop in grades, Trouble concentrating, Repeated reassurance seeking. These challenges and more, may be signs that your teen is suffering from anxiety. Once you recognize what is going on, getting help is the next step. Because acupuncture helps teen anxiety, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be part of an integrative approach. We also often recommend counseling, exercise, and dietary support.   When you bring your teen in, we look at the whole person; mind, body and spirit to find where the underlying imbalances are.  Often, multiple organs and channels systems in Chinese medicine play a role in the experience of anxiety.  To discover the imbalance, we listen to the individual’s experience and find the pieces of the puzzle. Then we pair that with feeling the pulse and looking at the tongue to discover the roots of anxiety. Treatment plans are formed uniquely to fit the individual. An acupuncturist will pick points, advise easy to integrate herbs, and give dietary advice. Also, there may be easy qi gong or other exercises prescribed to ease the anxiety while addressing the root cause.  Using a natural, and integrative approach before jumping straight to western medications gives teens a chance to get their body back into balance. Without the chemicals that can alter their internal chemistry, are difficult to get off of, and come with many and sometimes serious side effects, they have a stronger chance of long-term mental health wellness.   Acupuncture is proven to be a safe and effective alternative to help with teen anxiety. Acupuncture, when paired with counseling can greatly help teenage anxiety. This empowers teens with tools to take charge of their own health and wellbeing, helping them to become healthier, more balanced adults.   Plus, the treatments are simple, not painful, with oftentimes immediate positive effects! Call us today for a consultation. 910.202.4248

Acupuncture Helps Stress and Anxiety

By

Acupuncture helps stress and anxiety. How though, is anxiety defined in our culture? According to the website Anxiety.org,  anxiety disorders are characterized by a general feature of excessive fear (i.e. emotional response to perceived or real threat) and/or anxiety (i.e. worrying about a future threat) and can have negative behavioral and emotional consequences. Acupuncture helps the different types of anxiety that manifests in people. Do you: Often have a sense of dread, Have butterflies in your midsection, Have trouble sleeping, Start to hyperventilate, Have increased heart rate or Break out in a sweat? Acupuncture has known benefits to help with anxiety.  However anxiety manifests for you, acupuncture can reduce your anxiety and help you feel calm and normal again. In addition to the studies listed below, we have our own case studies of patients who have come in for anxiety and panic attacks with great results from acupuncture. One female, age 35, had been put on heart medications to stop her racing heart and sense of panic. After several treatments, she was able to get off the heart meds and live her life like a normal mother and business owner. Consistent treatments over time helped her and after she was better, doing follow up treatments as part of her self care routine made a tremendous difference in her quality of life. Research on how acupuncture helps with anxiety.  Because acupuncture helps stress and anxiety it helps to look at the research. A meta-analysis done in 2022 of 27 different studies, showed that acupuncture can effectively relieve the symptoms of anxiety with fewer side effects than the control group. Plus, our personal experience with helping patients speaks for itself. There is nothing better than helping someone who has come in and feels like they’re going to lose their mind, then, when they leave, they are so calm and chill they feel like they took medication, but they didn’t! But don’t take our word on it, below I’ve included some more information from the research. We look forward to helping you overcome your mental distress. Let us help your anxiety. Call us at 910.202-4248. We will get you in for a consultation to help you get your life back! According to Acupuncture for Anxiety: Benefits, Side Effects, and What to Expect (healthline.com), there have been several studies done about the effects of acupuncture on anxiety. These studies have focused mostly on generalized anxiety disorder and suggest that acupuncture is helpful in treating general anxiety. One promising study from 2015, for example, found that acupuncture improved symptoms in people with anxiety that didn’t respond to other treatments, including psychotherapy and medication. Participants received ten 30-minute sessions of acupuncture over the course of 12 weeks. They experienced a significant reduction in their anxiety, even 10 weeks after treatment. Meta Analysis from NIH: Efficacy of acupuncture for generalized anxiety disorder: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis  

© Infinity Acupuncture | Design Interventions