Lower back pain can be caused by various ailments. In younger adults (aged 30 to 40), it is commonly caused by back muscle strain or soft tissue strain, lumbar disc herniation, or maybe even degenerative disc disease. In adults over 60, osteoarthritis, spinal stenosis or compression fracture is often what causes the pain. Back pain can cause difficulty ranging from mild soreness or dull aches and stiffness in movement to severe difficulty in movement and muscle spasms which can make walking or even standing very difficult. The problem with lower back pain is that it is extremely difficult to treat. Patients are advised to rest as much as they can, do some exercises for the lower back, use ice packs or heat packs to reduce inflammation, and prescribed pain medication which can have side effects. Over the past few years, however, many people with chronic back pain have found effective relief with acupuncture.
What is acupuncture and how will it treat back pain?
It involves thin needles being inserted into certain points on the body which stimulate something in the body. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) explains it as stimulating the ‘qi’, the life force in the body, in order to balance it. Western scientific medicine explains it as stimulating or triggering neurotransmitters and even hormone levels and the immune system. There are 14 major channels of energy on the body, with over 300 different points where needles can be inserted. These points are usually located at strategic locations, such as where a nerve meets a muscle, muscle and bone joints, and mid-points of muscles.
Studies have shown that treating back pain with acupuncture has been found to be more effective in relieving back pain than treating without acupuncture. Effects of the treatment come from:
Stimulating the nervous system in our body, triggering the release of tension or chemicals which have an effect on our sensation of pain, like opioid peptides,
Expediting the transmission of electromagnetic signals which can stimulate endorphins or the immune system, and
Altering brain chemistry by affecting neurotransmitters and/or hormones.
Getting acupuncture
Acupuncture is done by hand by trained acupuncturists. A detailed treatment plan is made according to the patient’s medical and pain history and health goals. The acupuncturist will study the patient’s tongue and other vital organs (by touch) to see whether any imbalances are visible. The treatment is done using sterile, disposable needles that are very thin, so the treatment is usually painless. Some people may experience tingling sensations which are completely normal. If electrical stimulations are involved in the therapy then patients will feel slight prickly sensations.
Acupuncture of Columbus is an acupuncture centre run by Steve Drugan, L.Ac. (Licensed Acupuncturist) and his expert team. The clinic is located at 4499 Indianola Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43214, and provides treatment for chronic back pain as well as other conditions, such as arthritis, migraines, anxiety and depression, chemotherapy nausea, and scoliosis. For the past decade, Steve Drugan and his team have been successfully providing acupuncture treatment that manages not just the pain but also the underlying causes of the pain.
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.
Chronic pain can take a huge toll on a person, physically as well as mentally and emotionally. Some common conditions that cause chronic pain are migraines, back pain, sinus pain, arthritis, rheumatism, and other kinds of nerve damage. One way of managing such pain is by acupuncture. Acupuncture involves inserting needles at various depths on specific parts of the body in order to produce certain effects or stimulations. Recent studies on the practice have shown that it is effective in providing treatment for chronic pain and alleviating nausea caused by a range of health problems, notably osteoarthritis, migraines, back and neck pain, and shoulder pain. Moreover, people suffering from sickness and vomiting caused by chemotherapy have also found it to be a successful way to manage their discomfort. Acupuncture is gaining a lot of popularity in treating chronic muscle and joint pains, providing much needed relief where standard pain medication and physical therapy seem to not suffice.
How does acupuncture work?
In traditional Chinese medicine theory, inserting thin needles in specific points corrects imbalances in the body’s ‘qi’, which is the flow of energy in the body. As explained in Western scientific terms, the needles are placed such that they have an effect on neurotransmitters, the immune system and hormone levels, which then affect they body’s sensation of pain. Before any treatment, an acupuncturist will review a patient’s medical history and examine the body as well. Based on observations made, a treatment plan is devised and recommended. The duration and number of treatments will vary from person to person, depending on the illness and severity of pain. Treatment should be provided by a trained acupuncturist and certified practitioner. A referral list can be provided by the American Academy of Medical Acupuncture.
Benefits of acupuncture and where to get your treatment
Prescribed pain medication or other forms of pain relieving substances come with the danger of possibly causing addictions or leading to accidental deaths from overdose. Acupuncture offers a safer alternative – a drug-free treatment for chronic pain management. It also provides relief from stress and anxiety caused by the persistent pain. Many patients have reported feeling very relaxed after an acupuncture session. Additionally, acupuncture has also been seen to have positive effects on reducing symptoms of insomnia without any side effects, unlike with sleep medication.
There are strict methods to acupuncture, and so it needs to be performed only by trained experts. Acupuncture of Columbus is a private practice that has been operating since 2006. Steve Drugan, L.Ac. (Licensed Acupuncturist), runs the center, specializing in treating functional and hormonal disorders. With many years of experience under their belt, Steve and his team provide treatments that aim to identify and treat the underlying causes of illnesses and not just the management of symptomatic pain. The clinic, at 4499 Indianola Ave. in Columbus, Ohio, 43214, successfully treats patients suffering from a wide range of ailments, such as chemotherapy side-effects, post-injury pain, arthritis, scoliosis, anxiety, depression, IBS, migraines, menopause, fertility and pregnancy.
Acupuncture is a technique using by ancient or traditional Chinese medicine that uses special needles that are carefully inserted into certain pressure points on the human body that correspond to vital organs in the body such as the liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, etc. These needles are used to activate or stimulate the pressure points in the body through which certain energy is supposed to run along special channels or paths in the body known as meridians. This is the fundamental theory of how acupuncture works in TCM or traditional Chinese medicine.
What are hemorrhoids?
Hemorrhoids are a very painful condition that occurs near the anal region of the human body wherein the blood vessels become inflamed and swollen causing constipation or difficulty in passing bowels, bleeding, boils and fissures and other related conditions. Hemorrhoids are also known as piles and they can be internal or external. Internal piles although may be painless can cause rupture and bleeding. The external piles or hemorrhoids can be very painful and cause also lead to swelling, bleeding and rupture. Some treatments like rubber band ligation can be used to treat hemorrhoids where a rubber band is tied to the hemorrhoid located internally and this cuts off all blood supply to the hemorrhoid and after a few days of no blood supply it withers up and falls off on its own.
Modern medications, cauterization, and surgery can also be used to treat severe or advanced cases of hemorrhoids. However, Chinese medicine claims that acupuncture is a very safe, easy and effective way of treating internal and external hemorrhoids.
How can acupuncture be used in the treatment of hemorrhoids?
According to Chinese medicine, piles or hemorrhoids are caused due to the accumulation of heat and dampness in and around the anal region and lower body like the anus and intestines. If the body has been exposed to a hot and sticky temperature and humid conditions for long amounts of time without being kept dry it can lead to hemorrhoids. This heat, dampness, and humidity cause the blood vessels to swell up.
An acupuncture chart shows all the meridian lines in the body where energy travels along channels in the body and this includes the anal region too. However, what is most interesting is that the areas of treatment for hemorrhoids using acupuncture are not located near the anal region but far away from it.
One example of an acupuncture point in the body that is used to treat hemorrhoids is the top of the head and another point is the back of the calf of the leg. The reason that the top of the head is used as one of the acupuncture points for the treatment of hemorrhoids is because the point is able to absorb the bad energy from the lower anal region of the body and take it out of the body through the top of the head.
The Acupuncture of Columbus is a private center that specializes in the treatment of various ailments and medical conditions using the Chinese medicine of acupuncture. Steve Drugan is a board certified and licensed acupuncturist who runs the clinic located at 4499 Indianola Ave. Columbus, Oh, 43214. You will be sure to receive the best treatment and service at this very professional, nurturing and compassionate clinic.
Contact Us
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 . Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.
*Disclaimer: Results may vary and cannot be guaranteed. Before starting treatment, including acupuncture, for any skin condition, patients should see a dermatologist and/or a primary care physician.
Importance of maintaining hormonal balance in the body
Hormones in our body play a huge role in regularizing the functions and working of the various organs in our body such as the kidneys, the thyroid glands, the brain, etc. An imbalance of hormones in the body can cause a number of medical problems and conditions in the body such as hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and other severe complications. Hormones also regulate our metabolism, weight loss or gain, sleep cycles and reproduction abilities.
The two main glands in our body that are responsible for secreting hormones in our body are the adrenal glands and the pituitary glands. These two glands secrete vital hormones to the brain and other parts of the body through the blood that travels to the cells and accordingly helps the body parts to perform their respective functions. Testosterone and estrogen are the sex hormones that are equally important too.
Therefore it is clear that maintaining hormonal balance in the body is extremely important for the proper physical and mental functioning of the body and any kind of imbalance can affect the body negatively.
What is acupuncture? How does it work?
Acupuncture although isn’t a part of normal western medicine is practiced widely by the Chinese and is an integral part of Chinese medicine and is used to treat and cure a number of medical ailments. TCM or traditional Chinese medicine has for a number of decades propagated the uses and benefits of Chinese medicine. It involves using small thin needles that are slowly and carefully inserted into certain energy points in the body that correspond to various organs in the body. The energy from these different organs travels throughout the body along certain channels known as meridians. Acupuncture uses these needles to wake up and stimulate these vital points in the body to help restore balance in the body for a healthy body and mind.
Acupuncture for treating hormonal imbalance
TCM claims that acupuncture can be very effective in treating hormonal imbalances in the body and regaining proper hormone balance in the body. TCM states that the hormones in our body are what give us our jing or essence. The kidneys, liver and other vital organs in the body store a certain amount of hormones or essence for the body and this is used in small amounts over an entire lifetime to help cells work and keep organs functioning well. The root of yin is jing and jing consists of fluids and blood while yang consists of warmth and good energy. When these essences or hormones become depleted in our body we start to have symptoms of hormonal imbalances which can lead to other problems and complications such as impotence or infertility and thyroid problems. TCM uses acupuncture to focus on the specific points in the body connected to organs like the kidneys and liver to help restore hormones or essence in the body and maintain hormonal balance in the body.
Acupuncture of Columbus is a private and professional clinic located at 4499 Indianola Ave. Columbus, Oh. 43214, that specializes in the treatment of hormonal and functional disorders. Licensed Acupuncturist,Steve Drugan is a licensed acupuncturist who has been practicing for many years and he and his team of qualified professionals will be sure to provide you the best service in acupuncture treatment.
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.
2-person show features fiber work by Kate Gorman and Gwen Surratt; show runs through December 2016.
KATE GORMAN
I am a visual storyteller. I love stories; I love telling stories through pictures. I work in fabric because of the tactile and textural qualities inherent in cloth, and I do narratives because the story is a natural starting point for me. My background is in illustration and literature. After working for many years as an illustrator-for-hire working in watercolor and pen-and-ink, I fell in love with textiles and began making contemporary narrative art quilts.
The pieces here incorporate both my appliqué technique, layering commercially printed and hand-dyed fabrics, and my more recent method of working; drawing with thickened dyes and hand-stitching on linen. I love the immediacy of the appliqué work, but also the contemplative nature of the hand-drawn and stitched pieces.
When not in my studio, I work at the Goodwill Art Studio and Gallery, in Columbus, Ohio, creating art with adults with disabilities. I am also an Ohio Arts Council residency artist, traveling around the state sharing my love of narrative quilts with schoolchildren of all ages.
GWEN SURRATT
As a fiber artist I am drawn to color, shape, texture and line. I look to the natural world for color, to architecture for shape and structure, and the beauty of calligraphy for linear inspiration.
The works on display are a small part of my journey of exploration in fabric and thread. Hand stitching for me is like drawing or writing with needle and thread. My canvas is cotton, wool, silk, linen or paper. The sensual qualities of fabric, such as its texture and drape, feed my vision of what I want to create. Hand stitching, making marks with thread, grows into a grid-like design, with each little cell-like shape connecting to the next.
My work is meditative and at times feels like I am writing my own language with thread, stitching my own stories.