Acupuncture for headache relief? You bet!

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Chronic headaches and headache disorders are one of the most common disorders of the nervous system, and acupuncture can help! And unlike taking a medication for your headache, acupuncture seeks to relieve pain naturally, get to the root of the problem and help to fix it once and for all.

What is a headache disorder?

woman with headacheHeadache disorders include migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches and medication overuse headaches. About 30% of the population in the United States suffers from chronic headaches. Headaches are painful, and they can be debilitating, robbing the sufferer of quality of life, and the ability to concentrate, work and enjoy their families.

There are many causes of chronic and recurrent headaches. There may be food triggers, emotional triggers or environmental triggers. They may result from under or overeating, overworking, changes in weather or barometric pressure, lack of sleep, or hormonal changes. Headaches can occur after accidents, a blow to the head, or even after an illness.

How does acupuncture help headaches?

All of these factors can lead to a disruption in the way the body regulates itself. At the heart of acupuncture and Chinese medicine is the concept of proper balance of the body’s energies, and the smooth flow of life-force (qi). When there is pain in the head, it is an indication that there is either too much or too little energy in the head, and that the flow is somehow disrupted.

A good acupuncturist is trained to differentiate the many causes of headache and correct the imbalance. We ask many questions to determine the exact location of the pain and the possible causes so that we know how to treat it. Unlike taking medication, an acupuncturist will seek to identify each person’s unique makeup and headache situation to offer the most complete way to deal with recurrent pain.

What to expect from your acupuncture treatments

headache treated happy womanIn addition to receiving acupuncture, you may receive dietary and lifestyle advice. Herbs may be prescribed. You may be asked to rest more, you may be asked to exercise differently.

How long you should receive acupuncture for your headaches can vary. If you have been a long-term sufferer, it could take many months of regular treatment to achieve lasting results. Many patients are motivated to keep coming when they see an improvement in the frequency, intensity and duration of pain, which can occur quite quickly. Each situation is unique, and your experienced acupuncturist can give a best guess estimate once they understand your particular headache profile.

Why wait?

The beauty of using acupuncture and Chinese medicine is that you are investing in your overall health for the long term. Don’t wait to schedule your consultation today!

Improve IUI and IVF outcomes with Acupuncture for infertility

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In a previous article, I discussed five general ways acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help couples struggling with fertility issues.

This article continues the discussion and dives into how acupuncture can help couples who are using assisted reproductive techniques (ART) like intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) to achieve pregnancy.

Studies show that acupuncture can improve live birth rates when combined with assisted reproductive techniques (ART). There are strategic ways to use acupuncture when trying to conceive. Some couples choose to do acupuncture strictly before and after an IVF transfer. While this can be helpful new research shows that using a whole system acupuncture approach has better outcomes than using acupuncture strictly around the timing of the embryo transfer.

How does acupuncture improve IVF outcomes?

One of the main ways is acupuncture can improve blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. When performed around the timing of embryo transfer, this can help improve implantation.

That is fantastic, as long as the IVF cycle resulted in a number of follicles and egg quality is good. But what if your cycle didn’t yield good numbers or good quality eggs?  That is where a more whole system approach really shines.

Whole system acupuncture is the way traditional Chinese medicine is meant to be practiced. It considers the patient’s signs and symptoms, lifestyle, habits, emotions, constitution and Chinese medicine pattern of disharmony and seeks to regulate, balance and improve the patient’s overall health, and more specifically their reproductive health. This is just as important in an IUI or IVF cycle as it is for couples trying to conceive naturally. When the parents are healthy, and their reproductive systems are optimized, the chances of achieving a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby are significantly increased.

Why is it more beneficial to receive acupuncture care well before embryo transfer?

Simply put, taking care of your health through acupuncture and Chinese medicine has a positive impact on the quality of the egg and sperm and the body’s ability to support a healthy pregnancy.

A woman’s cycle is a changing process of hormonal fluctuations that, when working properly, results in the release of an egg at ovulation and has the capacity for a healthy implantation and growth of a fertilized embryo. Most women do not know that the egg that is being released in any given cycle began its development three cycles previously!!  That means, that whatever a woman was doing in the approximately 3 months prior to ovulation, has the potential to affect the health of that egg!

Similarly, it takes 50-60 days for sperm to develop in human males. Since men are 50 percent of the embryo equation, the health of their sperm is also important, and is affected by lifestyle, constitution and genetics.

Making positive changes, balancing hormones, promoting blood flow, managing anxiety and stress through acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, can correct irregular cycles, improve ovulation, improve sperm parameters, and improve egg quality.

While IUI and IVF cycles can manage issues related to ovulation and irregular cycles, and mitigate poor sperm quality, they do nothing to improve egg and sperm quality.

When you embark on fertility treatment with an experienced fertility acupuncturist practicing a whole system style, you will receive a full assessment of issues that are affecting your fertility and will be guided through how to address those issues, as well as receiving safe and comfortable acupuncture care to optimize your results.

We address diet, exercise, sleep, supplements and may recommend Chinese Herbal medicine to enhance our outcomes. Issues such as age and other diagnoses that affect fertility can be addressed. We can also help manage side effects from medications.

Because egg and sperm development begin long before your current cycle, in many cases it is wise to allow at least three menstrual cycles of treatment (or 60 days for men) before embarking on IUI or IVF.

That being said, it is never too late to start!

Five ways acupuncture can improve fertility

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Approximately one in eight couples are affected by infertility in the United States. The reasons can vary and include irregular menstrual cycles and not ovulating at all. Conditions such as poly cystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis may affect the ability to ovulate and/or the quality of the environment in the uterus to support a healthy pregnancy.

When a woman is not ovulating, or not ovulating regularly, there are fewer chances for her to get pregnant. Blocked fallopian tubes, fibroids, and other structural issues – that may have no symptoms at all – can also affect fertility. And that is just for the women!

Men may also have issues that contribute to the couple’s infertility. Low sperm count, abnormal sperm shape or decreased ability of the sperm to get where they need to go (low motility) all affects fertility.

For couples where one or both partners are in their late 30s or older, age can lead to an increase of chromosomal abnormalities in both the egg and sperm. This can be a cause of the inability to get pregnant, or miscarriage occurring when pregnancy has been achieved.

Women and couples who lack a male partner may also have difficulty conceiving, even with a proven sperm donor. Often these women are unaware that there is any issue before embarking on the journey to build a family. Sometimes the issue is one of statistics. As a women ages, the likelihood of the couple getting pregnant in any given cycle decreases. For couples who lack a ready access to sperm, these statistics can be quite frustrating.

Some couples are given the diagnosis of “unexplained infertility.”  This can be confusing news to receive. However, in Chinese Medicine, an explanation can often be found, and specific effective treatment given.

How can acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine enhance fertility?

For many of the conditions listed above, including irregular cycles, PCOS, endometriosis, and poor sperm quality and unexplained infertility, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can often be helpful to improve fertility and pregnancy outcomes, whether a couple chooses to try to conceive naturally or with assisted reproductive techniques like IUI or IVF. In other instances, such as blocked fallopian tubes and large fibroids, some western medical intervention will be necessary.

How can acupuncture be helpful when it comes to fertility?

  • Acupuncture can help regulate hormones and the menstrual cycle improving the chances to conceive. Acupuncture causes the body to release a cascade of biochemicals that signal the body to come back into homeostasis. When blood and energy flow is blocked, the whole endocrine and hormonal system can become out of balance. Your acupuncturist is trained to evaluate what is causing the flow of blood and energy to be blocked and stagnated and to choose the right points to correct this imbalance, improving menstrual cycles and the chances to conceive.
  • Acupuncture can improve blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, optimizing the menstrual cycle and the nourishment that the follicles and eggs receive from the body. This can improve egg quality, ovulation, and endometrial lining.
  • Acupuncture can improve the thickness of the uterine lining. By improving blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, an optimal endometrial lining thickness can be achieved which allows for a strong and healthy embryo implantation.
  • Acupuncture reduces STRESS. Stress causes any number of problems for the body and mind. It tightens the muscles, can cause digestive distress like constipation or irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, irritability and loss of sleep. Stress can impact fertility by reducing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which can cause painful periods, inefficient ovulation, and increased strife between partners. Because acupuncture is so good at creating movement and flow in the body, patients often feel more at ease, notice easier menstrual cycles, and often notice a more “normal” menstrual cycle pattern. All of which can improve fertility.
  • Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can improve sperm parameters. Men’s bodies are also affected by stress and environmental factors which can lead to imbalances and sub-optimal fertility. Acupuncture has been shown to improve sperm parameters by improving blood flow to a man’s reproductive organs, reducing stress, and balancing the endocrine system.

The next article in this series will discuss using Acupuncture with IVF to improve pregnancy outcomes.

Video: Great Day Connecticut visits Quan Yin Healing Arts

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What if you could manage pain without taking medication? Caitlin Francis from WFSB’s Great Day Connecticut visited Quan Yin Healing Arts Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine in West Hartford to learn more about acupuncture and how it helped one woman active, despite a devastating diagnosis.

Benefits of Acupuncture video

Acupuncture can help cancer patients, survivors and care givers

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Cancer patients and their care givers face many challenges, both physical and emotional, in their journey through diagnosis, treatment and post treatment care.  In this article I will talk about how adding acupuncture to your treatment plan and self-care techniques can benefit you.

Anxiety, insomnia, depression

A cancer diagnosis and the treatment itself can be a cause of a great deal of mental and emotional suffering. There often arises fear, anxiety, and depression as a result of the uncertainties and losses that you may face.  There are many mind/body techniques that can help manage these feelings, including yoga, meditation, prayer, and exercise. Acupuncture is excellent for alleviating the symptoms caused by stress.  Acupuncture treatments create a sense of wellbeing and ease. Some of my patients have used the feelings they get in acupuncture as a road map to the peace they attain in their personal meditations which they find very helpful in dealing with anxiety.

Pain

Physical pain often accompanies cancer, caused either by the cancer itself, or the methods of treatment, such as surgery or anti-cancer medications.  Western medicine treatment often involves the use of powerful pain medications to manage the cancer patient’s symptoms, and these are often appropriate.

Research studies have shown that acupuncture causes the body to release its own opioid substances like endorphins –that suppress the sensation of pain, which may explain one of the reasons acupuncture works. That same research shows that while acupuncture alone may not better than drug treatment, the combination of medication with acupuncture treatment provides significantly better relief from pain by increasing the time that a patient is pain free, shortening the time period to relief, promoting longer pain free duration, and improving quality of life.

Nausea from chemo therapy

Not all chemotherapy drugs cause nausea, and there are many effective medical treatments to help manage nausea these days.   However, if you continue to have issues, acupuncture treatments are very effective in alleviating chemotherapy induced nausea.

Hot flashes and night sweats

The treatments for some cancers can have the side effect of hot flashes and night sweats.  Acupuncture has been shown to improve the body’s ability to regulate temperature and alleviate these symptoms.

Alleviating side effects of cancer prevention drugs

Some cancer survivors are on cancer prevention drugs for a period of time after treatment to decrease the chance of recurrence, for example, Tomaxafin or Aromatase Inhibitors.  Some of these medications have side effects that include arthritis like pain or hot flashes. Acupuncture is very effective in alleviating these symptoms, allowing survivors to continue taking their medications.

Care for the care giver

It has become well known that care givers experience their own suffering during the diagnosis and treatment of a loved one.  They can become overwhelmed, exhausted and anxious in addition to any health ailments they may already be facing. Because acupuncture is so effective in alleviating the feelings associated with stress and for pain relief, care givers can also benefit from regular acupuncture treatment.

Karen Borla, Licensed acupuncturist, has been practicing acupuncture since 1998 and has many years of experience treating cancer patients and cancer survivors.  Her office in West Hartford, Connecticut provides a peaceful and welcoming environment.  She can be reached at (860) 523-9424.