Health Synergy Blog

Affecting an estimated 4-10% of women worldwide, endometriosis is all-too-common disease in which cells from the uterus begin to grow outside the uterine cavity. Symptoms vary depending on a number of different factors, but severe pelvic pain is reported by many women suffering from this disease. Thankfully, there are several effective treatment options available for endometriosis.

Most women who suffer from endometriosis assume conventional treatment (e.g. prescription painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, surgery, hormone therapy, oral contraceptive) is the best course of action. The problem with such treatments is that they often come with unwanted side effects. Undergoing hormone therapy, for instance, may lead to infertility, while painkillers only mask the problem without treating its underlying cause.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a more direct approach to treating endometriosis. TCM may include the use of herbal medicine, cupping, acupuncture, aromatherapy, naturopathy, and lifestyle changes, all of which are designed to restore the body and mind back to its healthy state.

So, how can Traditional Chinese Medicine help? While there are dozens of different types of TCM available, nearly all of them focus on one basic principle: to restore the flow of the body systems. Endometriosis is characterized by many factors in TCM. Whether it’s acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping, or a combination of the three, women with endometriosis should look into TCM. It’s a safe and effective way to treat a variety of conditions while improving the body’s health.

Give me a call today to learn how you can get on track to better health.

Recent research in to the efficacy of acupuncture as a treatment and prevention of migraines has shown that acupuncture decreases the frequency of migraines while also decreasing the intensity. Researchers also found a link between acupuncture and the biological mechanisms which relieve pain. Acupuncture stimulates the body’s release of adenosine which is a natural pain reliever and may be linked to acupuncture’s ability to treat and prevent migraines. Electro acupuncture also outperformed the drug, flunarizine in the treatment and prevention of migraines. This research is promising news for anyone who regularly suffers from migraines as they can be debilitation and excruciating. If you or anyone you know suffers from migraines, and has had their life severely affected by them, you should contact the acupuncturist about treatment.

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Many people unfamiliar with acupuncture are hesitant to try it for a number of reasons. Some are afraid of needles or have been truing off the idea by their doctors, who insist that acupuncture is a sham, has turned others off of the idea. A wealth of scientific research into the efficacy and biological outcomes of acupuncture over the past few years has shocked the western medicine by revealing that acupuncture can vastly improve quality of life in a number of cases. Cases ranging from depression to stress, to nausea and chronic pain (to name a few) have been proven to be treatable with acupuncture. Several studies have also concluded that acupuncture, as an adjunctive to pharmaceuticals for ailments such as migraines and other chronic headaches, is very effective in treating these ailments. In the face of such overwhelming evidence, doctors are changing their tune and are starting to come around of acupuncture.

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Movie stars demand it. Professional athletes swear by it. And now the masses are discovering the ancient “secret” to enhanced beauty, a stronger immune system, increased mental and physical performance, and drugless recovery from chronic illness. Often regarded throughout the West as a mysterious form of pain relief, acupuncture is so much more than that! Here are just a few celebrities who love acupuncture, and why they use it.

Sandra Bullock reportedly demands that acupuncture be included in her contract with studios, whether she’s at home or on set. Studios gladly foot the bill for her thrice-a-week treatments. According to one source, Bullock has needles placed in her forehead, face, stomach, and feet, and believes it helps her look more youthful and feel healthier in general.

Cosmetic acupuncture, a specialized method of acupuncture that aims to reduce wrinkles, balance oily or dry skin, clear acne, eliminate shadows under the eyes, get rid of puffiness, and bring a healthy color to the face by stimulating circulation, is hot among a number of celebs (as well as ordinary people who just want to look as great as their favorite celebs). Jennifer Aniston, Angelina Jolie, Sean Connery, and Madonna keep looking gorgeous in the spotlight thanks to their acupuncturist!

In addition to helping celebrities look youthful without going under the knife, acupuncture also helps them get slim and trim or events where paparazzi are sure to be snapping photos of everybody’s bare triceps as they wave. Jennifer Lopez used acupuncture and Chinese herbs to help her lose 15 pounds. According to OK Magazine, one source revealed that Lopez has “been gushing about how obsessed she is with acupuncture and herbs.” Acupuncture can assist with weight loss by stimulating the body to balance its hormones and stimulate a sluggish metabolism. The relaxation brought about by acupuncture can greatly improve sleep quality, which assists with building lean muscle and reducing a voracious appetite for unhealthy foods.

Robert Downey, Jr., told one source that acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine has impacted all areas of his life a several years. “I confess that I am as close to being a Chinese-American as any Caucasian ever could be in his life,” he said. In addition to acupuncture, Downey utilizes Chinese herbal medicine and practices qigong.

Or Gwyneth Paltrow, acupuncture is not just about the physical benefits. According to her, acupuncture has brought her to a higher state of consciousness. The positive influence of acupuncture on her mental and spiritual well-being has helped her in her marriage, and it has helped her cope with her father’s death. Paltrow told Oprah, “I have been a big fan of Chinese Medicine for a long time because it works.”

Supermodel Elle McPherson eschews new fads for tried and trusted ancient remedies. She sees a Chinese Medicine doctor or acupuncture on a regular basis, and she prefers to use herbal preparations for her ailments instead of reaching for pills. McPherson reports that she looks after her body from a Chinese Medicine perspective, which she believes promotes optimal health.

Celebrities and top performers are not going to waste their time on therapies that simply don’t work. The fact that many of Hollywood’s elite take advantage of the healing and restorative powers of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine is a sign that it’s a superior method of healthcare. The spectacular news is that acupuncture and herbs are very affordable to the average American.

A new study has found that modern human’s stress reactions are doing us more harm than good. In the early days of human evolution human’s needed stress indicators to release certain chemicals in our bodies so we could hunt better or escape predators. Today, however, that stress compounds as it doesn’t find the same kind of outlet and this build up stress can lead to physical problems. Over active stress can lead to heart attack and can weaken the immune system. Acupuncture has been long been thought of as a powerful way to fight stress and modern medicine is finally starting to provide the necessary evidence to prove this. It’s difficult to process the idea that stress may be causing our physical issues as this thought can lead to more stress but consider acupuncture as a safe and natural way to treat stress without letting it get out of control.

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Stress: It’s Worse Than You Think
Acupuncture Makes Moms Less Anxious, Resulting in Less Anxiety in Children

Injury is the most dreaded of possibilities for athletes, amateur or professional. The down time waiting for the wounds to heal can be mind-numbing and infuriating. And when you finally think that you’re ready to get back in the ring, that you’re back in top health, your injury may flare up again keeping you from performing your best. This has caused athletes, athletic doctors and physical therapists to search for better ways to treat injuries incurred during sports and faster ways to heal.

Recent studies have lent credence to the belief among athletes that acupuncture can help you recover faster from athletic injury. Research included a test with three groups: a control group which received acupuncture, another group which received sham acupuncture and a third which received neither. The study tested the subject’s heart rate, oxygen consumption and blood lactic acid as indicators of the health of the athlete’s performance. The acupuncture group tested better in all three categories. Further tests are in the works to truly pin point the efficacy of acupuncture on athletic injury but preliminary results are promising as they substantiate a previously, widely-held belief of many athletes.

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This is will be a place that I will respond to common questions and concerns that I am hearing around the clinic. I will be expressing my opinion and only my opinion in your questions. I will also address hot topics that may be swirling around alternative medicine or acupuncture. Again, everything in here will be my opinion and maybe some thought provoking insights from a different angle. Other acupuncturists, or alternative medical practitioners may have other ideas, theories, or opinions that differ from mine. Whenever possible, I will include these in the discussion as well.

Thank you for all of your support to Health Synergy and the work that we do. I hope that if you are a patient or soon to become patient these answers give you some piece of mind, or allow you to find what you are looking for.

Jose