by urban-acupuncture | Mar 1, 2021 | Acupuncture, Massage Therapy
Managing Chronic Pain
If you are living with chronic pain, you know just how debilitating it can be.
Chronic pain can—and often does—take a serious toll on physical and mental health, lifestyle, and overall wellbeing. Chronic pain can lead to depression, anxiety, and disrupted sleep patterns. It can undermine the ability to work and threaten financial security. And it can interfere with an active social life and even disrupt relationships with family and friends.
Yet chronic pain is often extraordinarily difficult to manage. In fact, chronic pain management continues to be one of the most challenging aspects of medicine today.
Standard treatment for chronic pain today usually revolves around medications. Unfortunately, relying solely on medications can be problematic. Over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, etc) and NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ex.: Advil or Motrin) may not be strong enough to be effective in some cases, and can carry risk of potential health concerns with extended use.
And while pharmaceutical opioids such as OxyContin may have seemed like a “miracle drug” for chronic pain in the early 1990s, it is now quite clear that the use of opioids carries significant and serious health risks including the risk of long-term addiction and lethal overdose.
The good news is that alternative pain management therapies are available today.
Acupuncture and massage therapy can both play a highly effective role in pain management, either as stand-alone treatments or, more commonly, as part of a comprehensive pain management program incorporating multiple types of treatment.
Do Acupuncture and Massage Therapy Really Work for Chronic Pain?
An increasing body of scientific literature now indicates that both acupuncture and massage really can help relieve chronic pain for some people.
Both treatment options have been particularly effective in the treatment of lower back pain, headaches and migraines, nerve pain (especially relating to shingles), fibromyalgia, joint pain due to arthritis, and menstrual cramps.
In addition to helping relieve pain and discomfort, both acupuncture and massage have been shown to be highly effective in improving sleep, reducing feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress, and promoting relaxation. These secondary effects may not have an impact on pain reduction in and of themselves. However, they do help promote mental health and well-being, which can play a critical role in improving your overall quality of life.
How to incorporate massage therapy or acupuncture into a pain management program is unique for each patient. For some, regular massage may seem to work “miracles”; for others, acupuncture may provide effective relief. For some, a combination of both may be most effective.
And of course, these treatment options may not work for every patient, or may work only in conjunction with other, more traditional treatments.
Are Acupuncture and Massage Safe for Patients with Chronic Pain?
Massage and acupuncture may not be appropriate for all patients.
For most people, however, both acupuncture and massage may be safely incorporated into a medical and wellness plan. And most medical experts note that unless otherwise prohibited for a specific reason, both massage and acupuncture are worth trying.
Always speak to your physician and pain management specialist about whether massage or acupuncture, or both, might be appropriate for your comprehensive pain management program.
When exploring massage or acupuncture as a pain management option, be sure to choose your practitioner with care. Both your acupuncturist and your massage therapist should be fully licensed and experienced in specific pain management techniques. It’s ok to schedule consultations with multiple therapists to find the one that you feel the most comfortable with.
And it’s important that you are comfortable discussing your health and wellness concerns openly and honestly, before and during each appointment. The more you communicate about your unique situation, goals, and concerns, the most your therapist(s) will be able to effectively tailor your treatments to meet your needs.
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 or click here. Taking new patients in and around greater Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Feb 15, 2021 | Acupuncture, Massage Therapy
Diabetes Management Treatments
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious health condition that affects more than 30 million Americans today. It is, unfortunately, a complex, chronic disease that (currently) cannot be cured. And if left untreated, it can lead to serious, even life-threatening, complications.
Diabetes is the result of a malfunction in the body’s ability to produce or effectively use insulin, a hormone that enables the cells to absorb glucose (sugar) from the food we eat. Without insulin, glucose is unable to enter the cells, causing it to build up in the blood stream, a condition known as high blood sugar.
Treating diabetes requires regulating insulin levels to maintain the correct level of glucose in the blood. Without enough insulin, high blood sugar levels in the blood mean that the cells aren’t receiving any energy; this is known as hyperglycemia. With too much insulin, the amount of sugar in the blood can be too low; this is known as hypoglycemia. Both conditions can be life-threatening.
Frequent monitoring of blood sugar levels in order to maintain the correct balance is the first step in managing diabetes. For some patients, maintaining a low-sugar diet, losing weight, and following a healthy lifestyle can help maintain stable blood sugar levels. For other patients, however, a regime of daily insulin injections is absolutely critical to avoid potentially life-threatening complications.
Even with proper treatment, managing the day-to-day symptoms of diabetes can be challenging. While alternative therapies such as massage and acupuncture cannot replace daily insulin injections and a low-sugar diet, they can be highly effective in helping to cope with some of side effects.
3 Ways Massage Therapy Helps Manage Diabetes Symptoms
Massage can help lower glucose levels.
Massage has been shown to have some positive impact on high blood sugar levels. By helping to promote relaxation and decrease stress, massage can help decrease high levels of glucose, thereby helping to maintain the correct glucose balance needed for good health. By helping to keep glucose levels appropriately low, massage can help avoid the negative side effects of hyperglycemia, such as eye damage, kidney failure, and nerve damage (Neuropathy).
Massage can improve blood flow to the legs.
Massage has shown to be highly effective in helping to maintain proper blood flow to the lower extremities. This is especially important for diabetics prone to Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), a very common, and very serious, side effect of diabetes. PAD is the result of decreased blood flow to the feet due to the narrowing and constricting of blood vessels. Blood flow can even become blocked due to fatty deposits. By improving blood flow between the torso and the legs, massage therapy can help reduce the negative consequences of PAD.
Massage can improve flexibility and range of motion in the legs.
Over time, high blood sugar can cause the connective tissue between the muscle and bone to become thick and stiff, limiting mobility. Regular massage can increase mobility and improve flexibility by relaxing and stretching the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. This has the cumulative impact of helping diabetics stay active and maintain a healthy lifestyle, which is a key part of treatment for many patients.
3 Ways Acupuncture Helps Manage Diabetes Symptoms
Acupuncture can address diabetic nerve pain (Neuropathy).
Damage to the nerves (Neuropathy) leading to chronic pain is an all-too-common side effect of diabetes. Acupuncture has been shown to help alleviate diabetic nerve pain; deep stimulation of the nerves along the wrist and the ankle has shown to be particularly effective. Acupuncture can also reduce pain by promoting relaxation and stimulating the production of endorphins.
Acupuncture can help with weight loss and metabolism.
For patients with Type 2, or insulin-dependent diabetes, weight loss can be an excellent way to help the body regulate its own production and use of insulin. Along with a healthy diet and moderate exercise, acupuncture can help promote weight loss. Acupuncture restores the body’s natural balance, which can enable the body to naturally regulate metabolic function and assist weight loss.
Acupuncture can assist in the regulation of blood sugar levels.
Like massage therapy, acupuncture can help decrease the level of glucose in the blood by promoting relaxation and combatting stress. It is believed that by regulating levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, acupuncture helps reduce stress, which in turn can reduce high blood sugar.
Generally speaking, both acupuncture and massage are believed to be safe options for people coping with diabetes. However, both massage and acupuncture do carry some risks, so it’s important to check in with your primary care provider to make sure these treatment options are safe and appropriate for you.
And as always, following your doctor’s instructions in terms of blood sugar monitoring, insulin injections, and diet and lifestyle should always be your first treatment priority.
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 | Feb 1, 2021 | Acupuncture, Massage Therapy
What is Arthritis?
Arthritis is a general term for a variety of diseases relating to the health of the joints.
While the underlying causes of arthritis are often very different, depending on the specific disease, the symptoms are often quite similar. The most common symptoms of arthritis are joint pain, swelling and inflammation, stiffness, and decreased range of motion.
Most forms of arthritis are degenerative. Symptoms may alternate between mild and severe at any given time. But in general, they will continue to get worse. In many cases, arthritis leads to permanent joint damage.
Severe arthritis can be extremely debilitating. It is, in fact, the leading cause of disability in the United States today.
There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. The two most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. While the symptoms may be similar, the causes of these two common diseases are very different.
- Osteoarthritis involves the gradual decay of the cartilage that cushions the ends of the bone. As the cartilage becomes damaged, the bones begin to grind against each other with every movement of the joint. The joint lining can become inflamed. Osteoarthritis can lead to deterioration of the connective tissues holding the bones and muscles together, and can even lead to changes in the bone itself.
- Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. The body’s own immune system begins to attack the synovial membrane, a tough membrane encapsulating the parts of the joint. As a result, the synovial membrane becomes inflamed and swollen. Eventually, the disease begins to cause damage to the cartilage and bone at the joint.
While there is no cure for either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis, acupuncture and massage therapy can play an important role in both pain management and managing symptoms such as swelling and inflammation. They can also help maintain mobility and range of motion.
How Does Massage Therapy Help Arthritis?
When incorporated into a comprehensive treatment plan for arthritis, the goal of massage therapy is to reduce pain and inflammation, as well as increase blood flow, to affected joints.
Moreover, by reducing inflammation and swelling and releasing muscles near affected joints, massage can help maintain range of motion and improve mobility.
And massage therapy contributes to pain reduction and overall health by improving sleep patterns and boosting energy levels.
How Does Acupuncture Help Arthritis?
Like massage therapy, acupuncture also helps manage the symptoms of arthritis by reducing pain and targeting areas of inflammation.
Acupuncture involves the use of very small, sterile needles placed in specific points along the body’s lines of energy called meridians.
By restoring the proper flow of energy (known in traditional Chinese medicine as “qi”) and fluids around the body, acupuncture can help fight swelling and inflammation at affected joints. Acupuncture can also be highly effective in reducing sensations of pain and discomfort related to different types of arthritis.
Can Massage Therapy and Acupuncture Be Combined to Treat Arthritis?
Both massage therapy and acupuncture are powerful stand-alone techniques. When performed by a licensed and experienced therapist, they can both play an important role in managing the symptoms of arthritis.
When combined into a single treatment, they actually augment the anti-inflammatory and pain reducing impact of each. They also have been shown to have a cumulative impact; in other words, they work better when performed regularly, as part of a holistic and comprehensive treatment plan.
If you are suffering from the symptoms of arthritis, acupuncture and massage therapy may be able to help provide relief. Be sure to your primary care physician and other medical specialists about whether acupuncture and massage might play a role in your arthritis treatment.
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 | Dec 14, 2020 | Acupuncture, Massage
Virtual Acupressure Treatment
Balance is at the heart of your health and wellness. If your vital life energy, or qi, flows naturally and freely along your body’s meridians, your body is in balance and better able to resist illness and heal itself. When your qi becomes blocked, and doesn’t flow freely through the meridians, your body is out of balance, more susceptible to illness, and less capable of self-healing from disease and injury.
The goal of acupuncture and acupressure is to restore the flow of qi through the meridians and bring the body back into balance by stimulating specific points along the meridians. Acupressure utilizes very fine, sterile needles to stimulate those points. However, they can also be stimulated by pressure. This technique is called acupressure.
If you feel out of balance and in need of relaxation, but are either unable to visit our office or feel uncomfortable receiving in-office treatments during this time, self-applied acupressure can help!
Urban Acupuncture Center is now offering Telehealth for Acupressure. Using our safe and easy online portal, doxy.me, you can speak directly with a licensed acupuncturist who will guide you through a comfortable and effective acupressure self-massage routine designed to address your specific and unique health concerns.
Does Acupressure Self-Massage Really Work?
Yes, self-massage at specific acupressure points along the body’s meridians really does work to relax the muscles and bring the body back into balance!
During your telehealth consultation, our specialists will identify the correct acupressure points to massage and teach you the basic principles of acupuncture. Some tips to remember include:
- Be sure you are comfortable and relaxed before beginning self-massage. Closing your eyes and breathing slowly and deeply can help the effectiveness of the massage.
- Identify the specific acupressure point or points to massage, then use firm, deep pressure to stimulate that point.
- Stimulate that point for several minutes at a time by firmly moving your finger in a rotating or up-and-down movement across the acupressure point.
Your acupuncturist may also teach you specific breathing techniques and calming exercises to augment the effectiveness of the self-massage.
Acupressure is safe and can be repeated as often as you want throughout the day, as long as it is comfortable and does not cause pain. If you would benefit from acupressure in a hard-to-reach spot, a family member or close friend can perform the massage on you as well.
What to Expect from your Telehealth Consultation
Taking advantage of our Telehealth for Acupressure service is simple and easy.
The first step is to make an appointment for your consultation with one of our licensed specialists.
To utilize our telehealth platform—doxy.me—you will need a tablet, phone, computer, or other electronic device with an internet connection, camera, and microphone.
To check in before your appointment, simply follow these easy steps:
- Start your device and test out the microphone and camera and microphone to be sure they are working correctly.
- Enter the Urban Acupuncture Center doxy.me web address into your internet browser.
- When asked “Would you like to share camera and microphone with doxy.me?”, click “Allow”.
- Type your name where required and click “Check In”.
- Once your telehealth visit starts, you will be able to see and hear your practitioner quite normally.
During your telehealth acupressure consultation, your acupuncturist will ask questions about your overall health and specific concerns. After working with you to develop a customized acupressure plan, your acupuncturist will demonstrate and guide you through the proper acupressure techniques.
You should feel comfortable and safe discussing your health and concerns with your acupuncturists. And you should feel free to ask questions yourself! Acupressure self-massage will only work if you fully understand the techniques to use, so if you are unsure, ask! The more questions you ask, the more you will be able to ensure that you achieve your acupressure goals.
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 | Oct 12, 2020 | Acupuncture, Massage Therapy
Acupuncture and Massage Treatments
If there was one word that could describe today’s world, many of us would chose “stressful.” And stress takes both a physical and emotional toll on our fragile bodies. Luckily, treatment options such as massage and acupuncture can help address chronic and acute aches and pains caused by stress, illness, and injury.
By realigning the body’s chi (qi) (vital life force) into proper balance, acupuncture promotes our natural ability to address and heal—at a systemic level—issues stemming from stress, chronic conditions, and even acute injury.
Massage therapy targets the muscles, tissues, and fascia of the musculoskeletal system to alleviate pain, discomfort, soreness, and inflexibility, as well as reduce stress and improve sleep.
Both are powerful stand-alone techniques when performed by a licensed and experienced therapist. However, massage and acupuncture are also complementary; when performed together, they can actually augment the results of each type of treatment.
Here are five reasons why you should consider a combination treatment with both acupuncture and massage:
Improves circulation and blood flow
As our blood flows through every part of our body, it brings life-giving oxygen and nutrients to our cells, while carrying away harmful waste and toxins. Improving circulation and blood flow both in general and in specific areas of the body with both massage and acupuncture simultaneously can promote the body’s natural self-healing processes.
Boosts the immune system
One of acupuncture’s most important benefits is its ability to help boost the immune system, which enables the body to fight off germs such as viruses and bacteria. Massage reduces stress, promotes relaxation, and improves sleep, so the body can focus on fighting off disease and illness. Together, these two treatments can amplify the immune-boosting effects of each one.
Helps manage acute and chronic pain
Both acupuncture and massage can be used to target areas of pain and discomfort, whether stemming from an acute injury or from a chronic condition. Improving blood flow to injured areas and boosting the body’s natural immune system, as noted above, are of great benefit when it comes to reducing pain. Acupuncture and massage can also help break up painful scar tissue and promote muscle relaxation for powerful relief.
Reduces stress
Relaxation and stress reduction are perhaps the most well-known benefits of both massage and acupuncture. Using both massage and acupuncture together to address the physical symptoms of stress can help you sleep better, reduce the occurrence of stress headaches, give you more energy, and overall help you feel better.
Promotes overall well-being
Most importantly, massage and acupuncture together can promote a lasting sense of overall well-being.
By enhancing circulation and proper energy flow, helping the body’s self-healing mechanisms, and minimizing feelings of stress and tension, a combined massage and acupuncture treatment will leave you feeling calmer and more centered. Helping you release negative energy enables more room for the positive energy you need to enjoy life to its fullest.
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 | Oct 1, 2020 | Acupuncture
IVF Preparation
For everyone who has dreamed of becoming a parent, getting pregnant always seemed like it would be the easy part of parenting. Unfortunately, infertility is far more common than most people realize. According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), nearly 12% of women will struggle with fertility issues at some point in their lives.
Modern medicine can help some couples achieve a successful pregnancy. In vitro fertilization (IVF), for example, involves fertilizing a woman’s eggs outside of the body and then placing the fertilized eggs back into the uterus. Pregnancy occurs when one or more of the eggs successfully embeds itself into the uterine wall to begin its natural growth. IVF is an invasive process that can take several months to complete a single cycle. Multiple cycles may be required, putting significant stress on both the body and the mind.
For some women, incorporating acupuncture into the IVF cycle can potentially improve the chances for achieving a successful pregnancy. When performed by a licensed and experienced acupuncture therapist, acupuncture can help prepare your body to promote ovulation and successful implantation. And acupuncture can help improve your overall health and wellbeing as well by reducing stress and correcting natural imbalances. If you are considering IVF, speak to your fertility specialist about whether acupuncture could help increase your chances of a successful fertility treatment.
How Can Acupuncture Help Your IVF Treatment?
Acupuncture can help improve the chances of a successful IVF treatment in two ways.
First, acupuncture has been shown to improve circulation. When incorporated into an IVF cycle, it can increase blood flow specifically to the reproductive organs. Proper blood flow to the ovaries can promote ovulation of healthy eggs. Improved blood flow to the uterus can help prepare the uterine lining which is critical for successful implantation of fertilized eggs. Moreover, by promoting healthy circulation, acupuncture can help ensure the proper flow of nutrition, anti-oxidants, and hormones throughout the reproductive cycle.
Second, acupuncture promotes overall wellness which can also play a role in successful IVF cycles. By addressing and correcting imbalances throughout the body, acupuncture can improve digestive function and reduce inflammation. And by promoting relaxation and restoring balance, acupuncture helps to reduce stress and improve sleep, enabling both your body and your mind to cope better with the physical and emotional stress that comes along with infertility and IVF.
When to Schedule Acupuncture during an IVF Cycle
Before starting acupuncture, taking any medication including herbal remedies, or starting any medical procedure, it is critical that you speak with your fertility specialist to ensure that supplemental treatments promote, and do not adversely impact, your IVF treatment.
There are several steps during your IVF cycle at which it may be appropriate to incorporate acupuncture.
- Three to six months in advance: Acupuncture treatments before your IVF treatment can help promote healthy blood flow to the ovaries and eggs. It also promotes general health to improve your natural balance and build up reserves to prepare the body for the IVF treatment.
- Priming Phase: Weekly acupuncture may be appropriate during the month before your IVF treatment. As you begin the medications necessary to suppress the ovaries in preparation for stimulation, acupuncture will continue to promote healthy blood flow to the ovaries.
- Stimulation Phase: Weekly or even twice weekly acupuncture can promote healthy egg growth as ovulation is stimulated. Because this phase can vary in length, it is important to monitor and alter the acupuncture treatments as necessary.
- Retrieval: Most acupuncture therapists will recommend a treatment 1 to 2 days before the eggs are retrieved. Acupuncture at this point in the cycle can help the eggs grow to full maturity to ensure that they are at the correct stage and size for retrieval.
- After Retrieval: One acupuncture treatment between retrieval and embryo transfer can help relax the uterus and increase circulation to the uterine lining, as well as help relieve discomfort from cramping or other side effects of retrieval.
- After Embryo Transfer: One or two acupuncture treatments immediately after the transfer of the fertilized egg, or embryo, into the uterus can improve the chances for a successful pregnancy. One treatment can be performed that same day or on the following day, with another treatment scheduled three or four days later. Weekly acupuncture throughout the first trimester can help support and promote a continued healthy pregnancy.
Coping with infertility is difficult, and IVF can put added stress on both the body and the mind. Talk to your fertility specialist and acupuncture therapist today to see if incorporating acupuncture into your IVF treatment cycle could help promote the chances that your IVF treatment will result in a successful, healthy pregnancy.
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.
