by urban-acupuncture | Feb 14, 2016 | Acupuncture
Infertility Treatment
Acupuncture has been used for a long time as a treatment for infertility. Experts in the field suggest that the role of acupuncture to treat this problem is not just limited to helping a woman become pregnant, but to sustain the pregnancy and have a healthy baby. As a primary requisite, reducing stress can increase the chances of fertility.
Acupuncture improves the blood circulation in the reproductive organs and balances the endocrine system. This creates a good foundation for fertility. Leading board certified acupuncturist Steve M. Drugan provides treatments for infertility and various other health conditions to patients in Columbus, OH and surrounding locations.
Benefits of Improved Blood Flow
Acupuncture offers a number of benefits, including improvement in the blood flow. This is particularly helpful in the treatment of infertility. An increase in blood circulation to the uterus and ovaries creates a better chance for an egg to receive nourishment and be carried to term. Under-functioning and over-functioning thyroid conditions also affect fertility, which can be addressed with acupuncture.
While acupuncture may not help to address tubal adhesions, which can result from endometriosis, it can increase the blood flow to the endometrium, which enables the building of a thick, rich lining. Combined with the enhanced follicular and ovarian function, it can help to increase the chances of fertility. Acupuncturist Steve Drugan receives patients from Columbus, OH and nearby communities for infertility treatment.
What to Perform the Treatment?
Just as in case of physical therapy, more acupuncture is usually better than less. In case of infertility treatment, the expert provider will usually treat the woman for three to four months before progressing to insemination, IVF or donor-egg transfer. This pace of treatment appears to have a better therapeutic effect. Some researchers suggest that acupuncture treatments should be received pre and post embryo transfer.
Clinical observations performed at leading reproductive wellness centers indicate that acupuncture combined with traditional medicine can provide highly effective fertility solutions. Miscarriages typically occur in the first three months of pregnancy. Therefore, acupuncture treatments will often last through week 12 to help prevent miscarriage.
Typical Candidates
Almost any type of fertility disorder, including spasmed tubes, can be treated with acupuncture. Acupuncture will usually de-spasmed the spasmed tubes. However, blocked tubes may not respond to the treatment. The treatment can be performed in conjunction with herbal remedies to address elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), unexplained or idiopathic infertility, repeated pregnancy loss, luteal phase defect, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.
Risks
Some patients may be concerned whether any risks are involved in using acupuncture to treat infertility. Extensive patient feedback and research indicates that the risks in using acupuncture for infertility treatment are minimal. If the provider applies acupuncture on incorrect points during pregnancy, it can increase the risk of miscarriage.
Therefore, it is important to choose an experienced acupuncturist when a patient decides to include acupuncture in their infertility treatment regimen. Otherwise acupuncture is generally considered very safe irrespective of the patient’s medical history.
For more information about how acupuncture and other treatments can help you, please contact Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Steve Drugan,B.S., L.Ac., at 614.218.6287 or click here. Taking new patients in and around Columbus, Ohio.
Photo by D. Roseborough
by urban-acupuncture | Feb 4, 2016 | Acupuncture
Pain Management
Acupuncture is a widely used technique in pain management. The practitioner will stimulate specific points in the body, usually with the insertion of thin needles through the skin. Steve Drugan, a highly experienced and board certified acupuncturist, provides proven and effective solutions for pain management to patients in Columbus, OH and surrounding communities.
Effectiveness
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) website talks about the effectiveness of acupuncture in pain management. It says that results from several studies indicate that acupuncture may help ease certain types of pain, particularly the ones that are chronic. These could include pain in the lower back, pain in the neck, and osteoarthritis related knee pain. It may also help to bring down the frequency of headaches and prevent migraines.
Therefore, people suffering chronic pain conditions may consider acupuncture as an option in pain management, according to NIH. Researchers are slowly beginning to understand how acupuncture may impact the brain and body, and how such an impact can be measured. In terms of safety and side effects, scientific research shows that relatively few complications arising from the use of acupuncture have been reported.
However, it is important that the acupuncture treatment for pain management should be administered correctly. If not, it may lead to severe adverse effects, including punctured or collapsed organs, infections, and injuries to the central nervous system. Acupuncturist Drugan receives patients from Columbus, OH and nearby areas who need pain management solutions.
Anti-inflammatory and Analgesic Effects
Acupuncture has both anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, which combine to create a potent pain management solution. Studies show that when acupuncture is used to treat a swollen arthritic knee joint, it is likely to result in reduced swelling and improved range of motion, apart from pain relief. These studies present objective of reduction in inflammation with acupuncture.
In Berman et al.’s landmark study conducted in 2004, which included 570 subjects, the patients received 25 acupuncture treatments over six months, starting with two treatments per week. The primary outcomes of the trial were measured for pain as well as function. Results showed a 40 percent decrease in the pain score from the baseline, and an almost 40 percent improvement in function was also recorded. No adverse effects of the treatment were attributed.
Osteoarthritis of the hip is one of the conditions that have shown to respond well to acupuncture in many cases. The treatment is also used to manage neuropathic pain of various etiologies. Generalized burning pain that follows a spinal cord injury can be treated effective with a specific acupuncture protocol. It involves insertion of three needles into the scalp along the midline at points close to the vertex and on the occiput, and another one between the brows.
This acupuncture protocol may be useful to treat neuropathic pain such as post-nerve injury pain, post-herpetic neuralgia, perineal burning pain, and burning mouth syndrome. Acupuncturist Drugan receives patients from in and around Columbus, OH for pain management and other conditions.
Pain Management in Serious Diseases
In one of the trials, acupuncture has shown to deliver major relief from severe neuropathic pain caused by spinal cancer in a UK hospice patient. Adequate data is not available about the benefits of acupuncture in managing neuropathic pain arising out of diabetes. However, neuropathic associated with drugs for HIV is known to respond significantly to acupuncture.
For more information about how acupuncture and other treatments can help you, please contact Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Steve Drugan,B.S., L.Ac., at 614.218.6287 or click here. Taking new patients in and around Columbus, Ohio.
Contact Us 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 | Jan 29, 2016 | Acupuncture
Headache and Migraine Treatment
Many researchers agree that acupuncture offers a better solution in preventing and treating headaches and migraines as compared to standard medical care. People suffering from recurring headaches and migraine can hope to find lasting relief and improve their quality of life with acupuncture treatments. Board certified acupuncturist Steve Drugan provides solutions for headaches and migraines to patients in and around Columbus, OH.
Relief from Headache
In acupuncture treatment, the provider will insert fine needles into pre-determined points on the body, followed by gentle stimulation of the needles. This stimulation can be performed manually or electrically. The treatment is designed to cause small blood vessels in the affected area of the head to dilate. This promotes blood circulation in the tissue, providing a relief from headaches.
When the treatment is received over a period of time, patients suffering from frequent headaches will tend to find lasting relief. For a normal headache, the acupuncture treatment process and the principle behind it will be similar to that of other pain management techniques involving acupuncture.
However, the traditional approach is not suitable for the treatment of migraines because the migraine pain may be related to blood vessel dilation in the head. Therefore, an increase in blood flow in these vessels may lead to a worsening of the problem. Acupuncturist Drugan receives patients from Columbus, OH and nearby areas for the treatment of headaches and migraines.
Relief from Migraines
Migraine treatment through acupuncture requires a unique approach. The acupuncturist will avoid points in the head, neck, and upper body areas for inserting the needles. Only the points in the lower body will be used in order to eliminate the risk of blood vessel dilation in the head. The patient is placed in a recumbent position rather than a prone position during this treatment. This position ensures that the dilation of blood vessels is minimized during the procedure.
Preventing Migraine Recurrence
Emotional stress is known to trigger migraines, and it usually affects individuals with an imbalanced autonomic nervous system. In this condition, the para-sympathetic or relaxed state is inhibited, while the sympathetic or stressed state is activated. Acupuncture techniques are aimed at activating the para-sympathetic nervous system in order to reduce muscle tension and prevent migraines. Target points on the lower legs and forearms are generally chosen to perform this procedure.
Many migraine patients also complain of heightened muscular tension in the upper back and neck. Therefore, the treatment provider may include minimizing this tension as an integral part of the migraine prevention plan. The acupuncturist will identify and treat the most reactive of the key diagnostic points to instantly improve the blood flow in tense and sore muscles.
Acupuncture needles may be stimulated with a low frequency electrical current of 1 Hz. This will help to further improve blood circulation in the affected muscle and tissue. The provider may also recommend certain lifestyle changes such as getting sufficient sleep, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, and avoiding or minimizing activities that cause physical or mental exhaustion.
Contact Us 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 | Jan 22, 2016 | Acupuncture
Acupuncture Treatment
Acupuncture is one of the oldest and most popular systems of medicine to treat a wide range of health conditions. The acupuncture treatment system originated in China several thousand years ago.
It has withstood the rigors of time and scientific evolution, and has been accepted worldwide over the centuries. Steve Drugan is a board certified acupuncturist providing this unique treatment system to patients in Columbus, OH and surrounding locations.
Headaches and Migraines
In comparison to western medicine, acupuncture has been found to provide significant benefits in preventing and treating headaches. It is particularly effective in improving the quality of life of patients suffering from frequent headaches and migraines. The procedure involves the insertion of fine needles into the targeted points on the body, followed by gentle stimulation of the needles.
This enables improvement of blood flow in the affected area to provide relief from headache. In case of migraines, the needle points are placed in different locations, especially in the lower body. This allows the acupuncturist to avoid dilating the blood vessels and provide relief from migraines in a safe and effective manner.
Pain Management
Various research studies and overwhelming patient feedback has established the effectiveness of acupuncture in providing relief from different types of pain. Chronic pains and aches such as neck pain, lower back pain, and osteoarthritis related knee pain can be treated with acupuncture.
The procedure is designed to stimulate blood circulation in the affected areas, which allows the strained muscles, nerves, and tissue to relax. Many patients who have not found relief from other treatment systems report sustainable pain relief with acupuncture.
Infertility
Acupuncture is known to increase fertility by providing relief from mental and physical stress, enhancing blood circulation to the reproductive organs and promoting balance in the endocrine system. The goal of this treatment system is not just to help a woman attain pregnancy, but to help her stay pregnant and deliver a healthy baby.
When blood flow to the uterus and ovaries is improved, it supports the chances of the egg receiving adequate nourishment and being carried to term. Acupuncturist Steve Drugan receives patients from Columbus, OH and nearby areas.
Autoimmune Disorders
Any kind of imbalance in the body can lead to autoimmune disorders. This internal imbalance can disrupt the flow of vital energy through the body. Acupuncture can help to restore the body’s balance and treat the root of the disorder, while specifically addressing symptoms that are unique to a patient.
Acupuncture can cause physical response in certain areas of the brain, nerve cells, and the pituitary gland. This influences blood pressure, body temperature, and the immune system.
Regulating Digestive Function
Acupuncture is an effective solution to improve the body’s digestive function. It helps the digestive energy to go in the right direction, which is from the mouth downward through the complete system to the anus.
Nausea, gastric reflux, or constipation can cause a hindrance to this directional movement. Acupuncture can redirect the energy in its natural direction to restore a healthy digestive system.
Contact Us 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 | Mar 22, 2015 | Acupuncture
A famous acupuncturist said: When you are young, you can cheat your body; when you are old, your body cheats you. We’ve all heard truisms along this vein which reflect the wisdom of a life lived. But, self-care can be a means to living longer and living better, because what’s the point of living long if you can’t be living well at the same time?
My Mom, like Ben Franklin, I believe, encouraged moderation in all things. And, I think that this is a useful way to look at the big picture. Your life, and, therefore, your body and mind, and even your Qi is an accumulated collective of everything that you have experienced and been exposed to. Your lifestyle habits – diet, exercise, sleep, stress relief, hobbies, medications, relationships, expression of emotions, the ability to create, your connection to the natural world – all have profound and direct effects on your experience as a human being in this material world as well as a spiritual entity in this universe.
Focus on your daily routine, the things you eat every day, the type of exercise you do, how engaged you are in your life and your job and in this very moment as a way to change and influence the course of your trajectory. You have the control unless you choose to give it away.
This is what the ’Acupuncture Lifestyle’ encompasses. Acupuncture needles adjust the functional energy of the human body to make it work as efficiently as it was designed. What this means is that you have the ability to aid it by nourishing your Qi or hinder it by wasting your Qi or using it all up without replenishing it. You can only cheat your body for so long before it begins to cheat you. Here’s to practicing what we all try to preach to others.
For more information about how acupuncture and other treatments can help you, please contact Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Steve Drugan,B.S., L.Ac., at 614.218.6287 or click here. Taking new patients in and around Columbus, Ohio.
by urban-acupuncture | Mar 10, 2015 | Acupuncture, Light Therapy
As we settle into these shorter, colder days, and longer, darker nights, some of us may be experiencing more fatigue, decreased appetite, food cravings, insomnia, and other depression-symptoms. Some of these symptoms may be transient. Some of them may be related to the hectic holiday season. But for some people, these symptoms are settling in for a while – until more sunlight returns to this hemisphere. If you belong to the latter category, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
It is believed that people who develop SAD are more sensitive to the decreased amount of daylight exposure during the winter months (although people can have SAD throughout the year, especially those who work long hours indoors without much light exposure). The brain tries to adjust to the changes, and as a result creates a biochemical imbalance that brings about changes in hormone productions. For instance, the production of melatonin, a hormone that relates to sleep cycles, increases during darker days. Hence, people affected by SAD tend to want to sleep more, and feel more tired than usual during the winter months.
Light Therapy
Light therapy is the most commonly prescribed treatment for SAD. It is also highly recommended that people with SAD spend as much time as possible outdoors, and to stay active. Good food and nutrition can help keep the body in balance and healthy. In more severe cases, psychotherapy and medications may be prescribed. But in some cases, the side effects of pharmaceuticals can be more harmful than beneficial.
To help alleviate SAD symptoms, Chinese medical modalities can be effective without any negative side effects. Chinese medicine views everything in terms of Yin and Yang. Yin is dark, cold, and passive while Yang is bright, warm, and energetic. It makes sense, therefore, that people with greater Yin tendencies may suffer more from SAD than people with Yang tendencies.
Acupuncture and Moxibustion Can Increase Yang Energy
Acupuncture and moxibustion therapies can increase the yang energy within the body, and return the body to its optimal state. Acupuncture itself is known to be effective in treating the symptoms general anxiety and depression disorders because it helps release hormones that combat depression, namely, serotonin, noradrenaline and norepinephrine. These are ‘happy’ hormones that will help reduce SAD symptoms, naturally.
For more information about how acupuncture and other treatments can help you, please contact Board Certified Licensed Acupuncturist, Steve Drugan,B.S., L.Ac., at 614.218.6287 or click here. Taking new patients in and around Columbus, Ohio.
