Acupuncture blog Columbus Ohio

Does acupuncture help balance hormones?

by urban-acupuncture | Sep 5, 2019 | Acupuncture Columbus

Acupuncture Close-Up Hormonal imbalances occur in both sexes, can occur at any age, and are always accompanied by unpleasant problems such as lack of energy, reduced libido, infertility, irregular menstrual cycles, mood swings, or even growth impairment in children. Acupuncture is an ancient technique of Chinese medicine that more and more people are turning to for relief from various illnesses and maladies. While its applications are many, acupuncture has proven especially effective in the safe and natural treatment of all types of hormonal imbalances.

Hormones

Hormones play a large role in a vast array of functions in your body, including metabolism, reproduction and sleep-wake cycles. According to western medical science, hormones are secreted by glands in your brain and body, such as the pituitary and adrenal glands. They travel via blood to various cells to perform their tasks. Although much emphasis is placed on sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone, thyroid and adrenal hormones are just as crucial to optimal health.

Chinese Theory

Acupuncture.com states that Chinese medicine considers hormones to be a part of an individual’s jing, or essence. You are born with a certain amount of life force, or essence, which is stored in your kidneys, and used throughout your lifetime to nourish cells, tissues and organs. Jing is the root of yin, which encompasses blood and fluids, and yang, which includes energy and warmth. According to the website, when essence depletes, you can experience symptoms similar to those of hormonal imbalances, such as menopause or impotence. Chinese medicine treatments focus on points that can restore essence; organs like the kidneys and the liver are also involved in hormone balance.

Acupuncture Regulates Hormones, Boosts Fertility

Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Researchers find acupuncture effective for normalizing hormone levels and improving the overall health of patients with polycystic ovarian syndrome. Scientific data demonstrates that acupuncture produces significant improvements in menstrual regularity, restores ovulation pattern regularity, increases pregnancy rates, regulates hormonal secretions, normalizes basal body temperature patterns, and increases embryo survival rates. Fertility enhancements provided by acupuncture apply to both natural conception and IVF (in vitro fertilization) patients.

Research published in the Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion entitled Advances In Clinical Research On Acupuncture Moxibustion Treatment For Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome cites several clinical studies. Let’s take a look at the finings. Chen et al. applied stimulation with acupuncture at sacral plexus acupoints and paraspinal acupoints. Acupuncture treatment sessions were regularly administered over the course of three menstruation cycles. Upon completion of all acupuncture therapy, follow-up examinations (including ultrasound imaging) demonstrated significant improvements in menstrual regularity, ovulation frequency, and cervical mucus consistency. In addition, the pregnancy rate of patients in the study increased significantly.

Finding the Right Acupuncturist

If you are struggling with hormonal issues, whether you are a young woman suffering with PMS, a mature woman dealing with menopause, or a man struggling with hypothyroidism, acupuncture can help restore your endocrine system to proper, balanced functioning. However, as with any treatment for a disease or disorder of the body, make sure to talk to your doctor first.

For more information about how acupuncture and other 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.

UAC New Artist Profile: Jonathan Juravich and Friends, 2019 Indianola location

by urban-acupuncture | Aug 6, 2019 | Art

Menagerie of the Mundane
Jonathan Juravich and Friends, 2019

Jonathan Juravich and Friends now on display at the UAC Indianola location.

Several years ago, I began working with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium by teaching summer art camps to teenagers. My work there is rooted in exposing these students to the importance of conservation. One of the activities we planned for the students was collaborating with four animals to create works of art. By meeting the animals face to face, the students see the animal as an individual and form a connection with them. After some time spent studying and experiencing one another, the student creates a painting based on the animal they have met. Our next step was based on a practice that zoos all over the world participate in, enrichment painting. By walking through paint and leaving marks on the canvas, the animal is engaging with different textures and temperatures. The students, who observe the efforts of their animal collaborators, then have the option to work back into their paintings afterward.

This year I considered my own role in sharing the importance of our conservation efforts. There is a need for us to act and support animals on the other side of the globe and right in our own backyard. I created these paintings that highlight mundane tasks that are a part of our human existence. Some of these activities we may enjoy, and others seem like futile efforts. And like us, these animals should have the opportunity to live long lives that are full of ordinary tasks. It is important that we have a sense of awareness about how our lives can have a global impact.

Jonathan Juravich is an art educator at Liberty Tree Elementary in the Olentangy Local Schools. He is the 2018 Ohio Teacher of the Year and was one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year. Juravich reaches out to the community through arts programming with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, the Ohio Art Education Association, the Columbus Arts Festival, and Otterbein University. He lives in Columbus with his wife, two kids, and Rocky the dog.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Acupuncture for Sciatica Pain Relief

by urban-acupuncture | Aug 5, 2019 | Acupuncture Columbus

Sciatica Nerve Pain Treatment with Acupuncture

photo by www.woodenearth.com

Acupuncture helps to stimulate the central nervous system. This, in turn, triggers the release of chemicals that either alter the experience of pain or produce other changes that promote a sense of well-being.

What Is Sciatica Nerve Pain?

Back pain comes in all shapes and sizes. It can flare up immediately after an injury or appear slowly and mysteriously over a period of months. It might be sudden and short-lived (acute) or long-lasting (chronic).

Sciatica nerve pain refers to back pain caused by a problem with the sciatic nerve. This is a large nerve that runs from the lower back down the back of each leg. When something injures or puts pressure on the sciatic nerve, it can cause pain in the lower back that spreads to the hip, buttocks, and leg. Up to 90% of people recover from sciatica without surgery.

What Triggers Sciatica Pain?

Sciatica is caused by irritation of the root(s) of the lower lumbar and lumbosacral spine. Additional common causes of sciatica include: Lumbar spinal stenosis (narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back) Degenerative disc disease (breakdown of discs, which act as cushions between the vertebrae)

Is Sciatica Nerve Pain Symptoms

Pain in the buttocks or leg that worsens with sitting
Burning, tingling, or searing pain down the leg
Weakness, numbness or difficulty moving the leg or foot
Constant pain on one side of the buttocks
Shooting, sharp pain making it difficult to stand

Can Acupuncture Help Treat Sciatica Pain?

Acupuncture and herbs relieve sciatica, a condition characterized by lower back pain radiating through the hips, buttocks, and legs.

By inserting small needles into specific sites on the body, the needles trigger a response from the nervous system. This response from the nervous system leads our brain to:

release a cascade of natural painkillers (endorphins and enkephalins),
increase blood flow to the painful area,
relax the muscles in the surrounding area.

Image by https://www.woodenearth.com/

Can Acupuncture for Fertility Help You Get Pregnant?

by urban-acupuncture | Aug 1, 2019 | Acupuncture Columbus

Acupuncture Can Help Get You Pregnant

Some people choose to seek traditional and complementary treatments, such as acupuncture, to help treat fertility issues.

Medical professionals define infertility as being unable to conceive after having unprotected sex for 1 year. Women who are unable to remain pregnant may also have infertility. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), infertility affects about 12 percent of women ages 15–44.

In 35 percent of couples with fertility issues, both a male and female factor may play a role. Doctors identify male factors alone in around 8 percent of infertility cases in couples actively trying to conceive.

Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine that some people use to manage a variety of conditions. An acupuncturist inserts very small, thin needles into specific points of a body to stimulate blood flow to that area.

When used as a treatment for infertility, proponents of acupuncture say it can help by:

boosting blood flow to reproductive organs
balancing hormones
relieving stress

Acupuncture can Help Increase Fertility and the Chance of Conception

Acupuncture can increase fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system, according to several studies and medical research.

Modern acupuncture consists of the gentle insertion and stimulation of thin, disposable sterile needles at strategic points near the surface of the body. Over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect with 14 major pathways, called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that these meridians conduct qi, or energy, between the surface of the body and internal organs. It is qi that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. When the flow of qi is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result. Acupuncture helps to keep the normal flow of this energy unblocked, thereby increasing a couple’s chances of conceiving.

Acupuncture infertility treatment can improve almost every cause of this obstacle. While 40 percent of infertility is caused by problems in the female, another 40 percent is caused by problems in the male, such as low sperm count or motility. The cause of female infertility stems from problems such as anovulation and endometriosis. The remaining 20 percent is caused by unknown factors.

One of the ways acupuncture infertility treatment increases fertility is by reducing stress, which is often a key factor in the fertility of both men and women. When people are under stress, the hormone cortisol is released in the brain. This alters the brain’s neurochemical balance, thus changing hormone levels and disrupting the pituitary balance that is key to the reproductive cycle.

If the thyroid is over- or under-functioning, acupuncture can help address the effects on fertility. Acupuncture can also “. . . be used to treat any type of fertility disorder including spasmed tubes. Spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture, though blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture,” according to the American Pregnancy Association.

Types of Massage Therapy We Offer at UAC Columbus Ohio

by urban-acupuncture | Jul 5, 2019 | Massage Therapy

Massage There are many types of massage therapy, from classics like Swedish and deep tissue to more exotic styles like shiatsu. Whether you’d like to branch out a bit or have a health condition or injury, choosing a style of massage can be confusing if you’re not quite sure what it involves. Here is a list of the most popular types of massage (including some that may be new to you).

There are several styles of massage. Some of the more common forms of massage are as follows:

There are many types of massage therapy, from classics like Swedish and deep tissue to more exotic styles like shiatsu. Whether you’d like to branch out a bit or have a health condition or injury, choosing a style of massage can be confusing if you’re not quite sure what it involves. Here is a list of the most popular types of massage (including some that may be new to you).

Swedish Massage Therapy

Swedish massage therapy is the modality that comes to mind when most people think about massage. As the best-known type of bodywork performed today, one of the primary goals of the Swedish massage technique is to relax the entire body. This is accomplished by rubbing the muscles with long gliding strokes in the direction of blood returning to the heart. But Swedish massage therapy goes beyond relaxation. Swedish massage is exceptionally beneficial for increasing the level of oxygen in the blood, decreasing muscle toxins, improving circulation and flexibility while easing tension.

Deep Tissue Massage

Deep tissue massage involves applying firm pressure and slow strokes to reach deeper layers of muscle and fascia (the connective tissue surrounding muscles) It’s used for chronic aches and pain and contracted areas such as a stiff neck and upper back, low back pain, leg muscle tightness, and sore shoulders.

Sports Massage

Sports massage can make a huge difference in the lives of those who work out frequently, train for marathons, or are active with their bodies on a daily basis. As professional athletes have understood for years, the benefits of regular sports massage include reducing fatigue, relieving muscle swelling and tension, and helping to prevent injury from muscle overextension and overuse. The result? Faster recovery, and better performance.

In addition, sports massage can also increase flexibility before a sporting event by warming up the major muscle groups. Post-event, sports massage aids in recovery by limbering the muscles and reducing the amount of lactic acid build-up. And let’s not forget the benefits to your focus and relaxation!

Neuromuscular Massage

Neuromuscular therapy is a form of soft tissue manipulation that aims to treat underlying causes of chronic pain involving the muscular and nervous systems. This medically-oriented form of massage addresses trigger points (tender muscles points), circulation, nerve compression, postural issues, and biomechanical problems that can be caused by repetitive movement injuries.

Acupressure

Acupressure is often called acupuncture without the needles. Instead of needles, acupressure involves the application of manual pressure (usually with the fingertips) to specific points on the body.

According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, the body has invisible lines of energy flow called meridians. There are thought to be at least 14 meridians connecting our organs with other parts of the body. Acupuncture and acupressure points lie on those meridians.

If the flow of energy (also called “chi” or “qi”) is blocked at any point on a meridian, it’s thought to cause various symptoms and health conditions anywhere along the meridian. That’s why a practitioner may apply pressure to an acupressure point on the foot to relieve a headache.

Percussion (Oscillating) Massage Therapy

Percussion massage is a breakthrough treatment for soft tissue pain and soreness through the use of a tool that provides rapid, short duration pulses deep into the soft tissues of the body. … Percussive massage also provides a gentle stretch to the muscles and connective tissues improving responsiveness and performance.

Cranial Sacral Therapy

Cranial sacral therapy (CST) is sometimes also referred to as craniosacral therapy. It’s a type of bodywork that relieves compression in the bones of the head, sacrum (a triangular bone in the lower back), and spinal column.

CST is noninvasive. It uses gentle pressure on the head, neck, and back to relieve the stress and pain caused by compression. It can, as a result, help to treat a number of conditions.

It’s thought that through the gentle manipulation of the bones in the skull, spine, and pelvis, the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the central nervous system can be normalized. This removes “blockages” from the normal flow, which enhances the body’s ability to heal.

« Older Entries

Next Entries »