by urban-acupuncture | Aug 7, 2020 | Acupuncture
What is Asthma?
Asthma is a chronic form of lung disease that causes the airways inside the lungs to be inflamed or swollen, making it difficult to move air in and out of the lungs and
constricting breathing.
For asthma suffers, normal breathing that most of us take for granted can prove challenging. And at times, breathing in specific triggers in the environment can cause the airways to swell or inflame even more than normal. Breathing is further constricted by a build-up of mucus within the airways. In some cases, these triggers can even cause the muscles around the airways to constrict. These flare-ups, or asthma attacks, can be very serious and potentially life-threatening.
Common asthma triggers include airborne allergens such as pollen, pet dander (particles of skin and dried saliva), mold spores, or even cockroach waste, as well as occupational-related airborne triggers such as dust, certain gases, and chemical fumes. For individual suffering from exercise induced asthma, the airways become constricted as the individuals tries to take in greater quantities of air. Exercise induced asthma is often worse when triggered by cold or dry air.
Symptoms of asthma include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Shortness of breath
- Pain or tightness in the chest
- Wheezing when attempting to exhale
- Coughing or wheezing that gets worse during the flu or a cold
- Difficulty sleeping caused by breathing problems like coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath
Can Acupuncture Improve Lung Function for Asthma Sufferers?
Asthma is a chronic condition that cannot be cured, but asthma symptoms can be controlled. The conventional treatment for asthma, depending on severity, is a combination of daily medication and the use of an inhaler to combat flare-ups or asthma attacks.
For some asthma sufferers, acupuncture has also proven to be an effective complement to these conventional treatments.
The key to acupuncture’s success in minimizing inflammation and thus controlling some asthma symptoms lies in its ability to spark the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms. Rooted in long-standing techniques based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture stimulates specific points along the body’s energy lines, or meridians, to unblock the natural flow of the body’s vital life-energy, or chi.
By enabling the proper flow of chi, acupuncture can help bring the body back into natural alignment and restore homeostasis. Regular acupuncture treatments can help control asthma symptoms by reducing the inflammation of the airways, as well as improving blood flow and boosting the body’s natural immune system.
Acupuncture is not recommended as a stand-alone treatment for asthma, and will not replace fast-acting inhalers for sudden flare-ups or asthma attacks. Yet for some asthma suffers, acupuncture can work alongside conventional medications to improve asthma symptoms and even, for some patients, reduce the frequency of asthma flare-ups.
During your acupuncture treatment, a licensed acupuncturist will gently place very small, sterile needles at specific points along your body’s meridians. Each acupuncture treatment is customized to your unique needs, depending on the triggers and severity of your asthma. And while the main goal of acupuncture for asthma suffers is to reduce and help control asthma specific symptoms, most patients find it can also help improve overall wellness through enhanced relaxation and improved sleep patterns.
If you suffer from asthma and are wondering if acupuncture might help control your asthma symptoms, we encourage you to speak with your doctor about incorporating acupuncture into your treatment plan.
Contact Urban Acupuncture Center in Columbus, OH For More Information
For more information about how acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative healing treatments can help you, please contact the Urban Acupuncture Center Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist’s team at Indianola Ave, Clintonville (614) 725-2488 | Main St, Westerville (614) 426-4406 or click here. Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Aug 6, 2020 | Acupuncture
Acupressure and positional techniques to help manage labor pain and encourage a smooth delivery.
About this Event
Join licensed acupuncturist Autumn Snavely, LSW, L.Ac, as she demonstrates effective acupressure and positional techniques to help manage labor pain as well as encourage a smooth delivery. This class is great for partners or support people to gain an active role in the labor and delivery process. Due to COVID-19, many hospitals are not permitting the presence of doulas, who would typically help with managing pain and providing emotional support. Now more than ever, these techniques will be crucial to families as they navigate this new birth world.
Virtual Webinar: This event will be hosted online via Zoom. Event registrants will receive a webinar link via email within 24 hours of the event.
by urban-acupuncture | Jul 17, 2020 | Acupuncture Columbus
Treat your Neck Pain with a Good Massage
A sore, stiff, or achy neck is an all-too-common part of life, especially as we age. Whether your neck pain is a chronic or recurrent problem that you’ve been coping with throughout your life, whether it’s the result of a traumatic event such as a car accident, or whether you simply “slept on it wrong”, it can be tough to make it through the day when you can’t easily move your neck without discomfort. And whatever the cause, neck pain can lead to a significant increase in stress and anxiety, which can, in turn, further aggravate your discomfort.
Unfortunately, identifying the ultimate cause of neck pain can be extremely difficult, complicating efforts to treat the pain effectively. Even if you know the event that led to the neck pain—such as whiplash from a car accident—knowing how the musculature and ligature of the neck was affected so as to cause discomfort can be a mystery, and one that medical science has been slow to solve. Given the complexity of the spinal column, simply blaming misalignment of the vertebrae, for instance, is likely to be a dramatic oversimplification.
There is good news, however, for those who are suffering from neck pain. First, the body has the incredible ability to self-heal even fairly significant malfunctions in this critical area. In many cases, the uncomfortable crick, stiffness, or soreness will, eventually, work itself out. Second, therapeutic massage can help dramatically reduce discomfort and pain in the neck and upper spine, even when the ultimate cause of the pain is not known. And as a bonus, massage can also address underlying mental anxiety that may be amplifying the discomfort.
Benefits of Massage as a Treatment for Neck Pain
Gentle massage can play a critical role in reducing and potentially even eliminating soreness, stiffness, and discomfort in the neck. In most cases, your licensed massage therapist will utilize light touching techniques around the cervical spine—the seven stacked vertebrae that make up the “neck”—as well as the musculature surrounding the spine. However, given the amazing complexity of the spine, and its interconnectedness to the rest of the body, gentle massage in other areas—such as the shoulders, cranium, and even lower back—may also help reduce discomfort in the neck.
A secondary—but no less important—benefit of massage in the treatment of neck pain is general relaxation and stress reduction. As noted above, pain and discomfort in the neck, regardless of the original cause, can lead to an increase in anxiety and stress. And “holding” stress and anxiety by tightening the muscles around the neck, shoulders, and scapula (shoulder blades) can aggravate the discomfort even further. Thus, eliminating stress- and anxiety-related tension around the neck can significantly reduce neck pain, even without necessarily addressing the root physical cause.
In the treatment of neck pain, a one-time massage or series of massages can be an effective part of your pain management plan. However, massage can be most effective when incorporated into a whole-body wellness plan focused on ensuring that your body is balanced, centered, and tension-free. Regularly-scheduled massage can play a vital role in maintaining both your emotional and physical health, which in turn can significantly improve your ability to manage—and potentially even prevent—neck pain.
Neck pain may be an inevitable part of life as we get older, but that doesn’t mean simply putting up with it. Gentle massage, especially when incorporated into an ongoing wellness routine, can play a vital role in reducing neck pain and even addressing the underlying sources of pain and discomfort. So don’t let neck pain slow you down: schedule your therapeutic massage today!
Contact Urban Acupuncture Center in Columbus, OH For More Information
For more information about how acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative healing treatments can help you, please contact the Urban Acupuncture Center Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist’s team at Indianola Ave, Clintonville (614) 725-2488 | Main St, Westerville (614) 426-4406 or click here. Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Jul 1, 2020 | Acupuncture
Panic Attack Treatment
If you have ever experienced a panic attack, you know just how scary, overwhelming, and even debilitating it can be.
Put simply, a panic attack is a sudden, short, and unexpected burst of extreme fear accompanied by physical symptoms such as shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, nausea, elevated heart rate or chest pains, dizziness, and muscle tension (to name just a few). In fact, a panic attack can be—and often is—confused with a heart attack or other medical crisis.
Panic attack are usually associated with extreme stress, a trauma or memory of trauma, extreme fear or discomfort, or a specific trigger like a frightening place or event. But whatever the immediate cause, panic attacks are sudden, unpredictable, and both physically and emotionally overwhelming.
And they are surprisingly common. It is estimated that nearly one-third of Americans today will experience at least one panic attack at some point in their lives. For individuals living with trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recurrent panic attacks can be truly debilitating.
Acupuncture as a Treatment Option for Recurrent Panic Attacks
Whether you’ve had a single episode of panic or find yourself suffering from recurrent, debilitating panic attacks, acupuncture may be able to help reduce your anxiety and even prevent future attacks.
The root of ancient Chinese medicine stems from the belief that our mental health, as well as our physical health, is dependent on balance in our chi (qi), loosely translated as vital life energy. If the body and the mind are in balance, the chi can flow freely through our body’s meridians (energy channels). However, if that balance is disrupted, the chi becomes blocked or congested.
Acupuncture works by restoring the proper flow of chi along the body’s meridians, restoring the fundamental balance between the mind and the body. Restoring this balance can decrease the frequency, duration, and even the intensity of panic attacks. Even one treatment can help some patients find a greater sense of centeredness, control, well-being, and self-confidence.
Restoring the proper flow of chi and bringing the mind and body back into a health balance can also help treat some underlying conditions—such as stress and insomnia—that often contribute to recurrent panic attacks.
Is Acupuncture Scary or Painful?
If you suffer from anxiety or panic attacks, just the idea of acupuncture can be pretty intensive and even scary.
In fact, acupuncture is not painful and most patients find the treatment relaxing and soothing.
Your acupuncturist will place very small, sterile needles along so-called acupuncture points, or specific points along the body’s meridians. Different acupuncture points treat different physical or mental ailments. Anxiety and panic, for instance, usually involves acupuncture points along the breastbone, the eyebrows, and the insides of the wrists.
Acupuncture is generally considered to be a risk-free treatment option for many patients, when performed by an accredited, licensed acupuncturist. However, as with any medical treatment, it is important to discuss incorporating acupuncture into your treatment plan with your medical practitioner.
Contact Urban Acupuncture Center in Columbus, OH For More Information
For more information about how acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative healing treatments can help you, please contact the Urban Acupuncture Center Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist’s team at Indianola Ave, Clintonville (614) 725-2488 | Main St, Westerville (614) 426-4406 or click here. Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Jun 13, 2020 | Massage Therapy
Hand and Foot Massage Reflexology
Take a minute or two and think about how much we rely on our hands and feet each minute of each day. When you really stop to consider it, even the simplest, everyday activity often involves either our hands, our feet, or even both simultaneously! So it should come as no big surprise that tension in our hands and/or our feet can take a huge toll on our health and it should come as no big surprise that relieving that tension can have a huge positive impact on our overall well-being!
Reflexology is a specific massage technique based on the ancient premise that our entire body is fully interconnected, and that addressing pressure points in one area of the body impacts other organs and/or bodily systems. Reflexology, or put more simply hand and foot massage, is premised on the idea that applying restorative pressure to the hands and/or the feet can create a positive effect in specific other areas of the body. In other words, not only does hand and foot massage feel great, it can make you healthier as well.
Here are six specific benefits associated with hand and foot massage!
Reduces stress and anxiety.
Just the right amount of pressure on exactly the right spots on the hands and feet is literally relaxing. In other words, stimulating the body to release physical tension throughout the body by massaging the hands and feet helps the mind relax, unwind, and release tension as well. Whether as a stand-alone treatment or when incorporated into other massage techniques, a hand and foot massage is a great way to relieve stress and reduce anxiety!
Lifts depression and improves mood.
The power of human touch is amazing when it comes to fighting depression. Reflexologists—licensed massage therapists with specialized training in hand and foot massage—understand exactly what points on the hands and/or the feet are best for fighting depression, improving overall mood, and enhancing a sense of personal well-being.
Pain relief.
If you are experiencing pain in your hands or your feet, then the benefit of a relevant hand or foot massage is pretty straight-forward; for example, if you spend all day, every day on your feet (especially if you cannot wear supportive footwear), a daily foot massage, even just for a few minutes, will go a long way towards reducing resulting discomfort. However, a well-performed reflexology massage, hitting specific pressure points in the hands and feet, has been shown to relieve pain and discomfort in other areas of the body as well!
Improved blood flow.
One of the primary benefits of massage in general is improved blood flow, and this is especially true of the hands and feet. Located at “the extremity” of the body, it can be difficult for blood to easily reach the furthest points in the hands and feet, resulting in a lack of sufficient oxygen to the nerve endings. In the worst cases, this can lead to extra sensitivity, tingling, and even numbness. A restorative massage of the hands and/or the feet can help restore proper blood flow for better oxygenation.
Better sleep habits.
Some experts argue that a good night’s sleep is the ultimate foundation for health and wellness. Unfortunately, given our busy lives and jam-packed schedules, getting to bed on time and letting the mind settle in order to fall asleep quickly can be challenging. The overall relaxation and well-being that comes from a hand and foot massage can significantly improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep, in order to ensure that you get the rest you need to make it through your busy day.
Healthy feet and hands.
Perhaps the most obvious, yet the most overlooked, benefit of a hand and/or foot massage is the impact such a massage has on the health of your hands and feet. Whether we spend all day typing at a keyboard or standing on our feet, we rely on our hands and our feet all day, every day! So giving your hands and feet a little TLC with a gentle, stimulating massage performed by a licensed massage therapist can be just what they need to stay healthy so you can stay healthy!
Contact Urban Acupuncture Center in Columbus, OH For More Information
For more information about how acupuncture, massage therapy and other alternative healing treatments can help you, please contact the Urban Acupuncture Center Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist’s team at Indianola Ave, Clintonville (614) 725-2488 | Main St, Westerville (614) 426-4406 or click here. Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.
