6 Causes of Chronic Headaches and How to Treat Them

There’s nothing worse than living with chronic pain, and headaches can be one of the most challenging. When a severe headache strikes, it’s debilitating and can force you to do nothing but lie still in a darkened room until the worst of the effects pass.

Thankfully, most chronic headaches are not quite that painful, and they can be more of a “headache behind the eyes” or a mild, throbbing headache than the most severe headache you’ve ever had. Let’s take a closer look at what causes chronic headaches and explore methods of treatment for them.

Causes of Chronic Headaches

Before we get into what causes chronic headaches, we should define what they are. In headache terms, chronic means you experience headaches at least 15 days per month for at least three months. This is different from a migraine or other types of acute headache, which strike hard and then disappear. But chronic headaches are no less difficult to live with, whether you experience them as a headache behind the eyes, a throbbing headache or a pressure headache.

There can be many causes for this type of headache, but here are some of the more common triggers:

Muscular tension, often linked to posture, is one of the most common causes of tension headaches.
Stress is another big contributor to chronic headaches.
Eye strain can cause tension headaches, and if you routinely experience headache behind the eyes, you might need to have your eyes tested.
Dehydration, alcohol consumption and caffeine can all cause or worsen headaches behind the eyes.
Tiredness is another factor, and if you routinely experience pressure headaches when you’re tired, then you might simply need a little more sleep.
Environmental factors like heat, cold or wind.

The good news is that tension headaches or pressure headaches that typically cause chronic headaches are rarely a sign of something more serious. So while they do need to be treated to improve your quality of life, they are generally manageable with the right treatment methods.

Treatment for Chronic Headaches

Treatment for chronic headaches can be tricky because they are so frequent. While your doctor may advise you to take over-the-counter painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, you can’t take these types of medications every day. Overuse of these medications is bad for certain organs and may actually cause headaches.

If you do take painkillers, try to limit them to days when you genuinely need them, rather than taking them every day. Do not take them as a preventive measure.

Dealing with stress is a good way to treat chronic headaches, which can be linked to stress. Neck massages, physiotherapy, shoulder massages and acupuncture can all loosen tight muscles that are causing headaches.

Exercise and cognitive behavioral therapy that teaches you to actively alter your habits and lifestyle can also be effective treatments for chronic headaches, as they can help you make lifestyle changes that reduce or limit your pain.

Most people find that a combination of therapies, avoiding the things that trigger their headaches, and ongoing pain management treatments like physiotherapy and acupuncture are the best solution for their pressure headaches. So it may simply be that you need to find the right mix of therapies.

What Conditions Can I Treat with Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is an ancient eastern medical discipline in which it takes years for practitioners to be considered proficient acupuncturists. It has proved to be an effective treatment for a wide range of ailments, symptoms and medical conditions, and we have collected some of those conditions in this article. If you don’t see your condition or symptom discussed here, contact a trained acupuncturist with your questions. It may well be possible to provide relief using our needle insertion techniques.

Pain Conditions

Acupuncture is perhaps most well-known as a pain treatment, and rightly so. Acupuncture is a successful method of addressing chronic pain conditions, as well as pain related to diseases like cancer.

Neurological Conditions

Acupuncture has been used successfully to treat the causes and symptoms of a wide variety of conditions related to brain function, from migraine headaches to dizziness and tinnitus, to some forms of paralysis, stroke symptoms, and even types of neuralgia. People with many conditions involving the brain or the nervous system have found relief from their symptoms through acupuncture.

Tooth Problems

Many people don’t realize that acupuncture can help treat the effects of toothache, post-extraction pain, and gum diseases like gingivitis.

Cardiovascular Conditions

Acupuncture has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular conditions, including high and low blood pressure, angina and poor circulation.

Digestive Complaints

Whether you suffer from IBS, GERD, dyspepsia, ulcers, hiccups or any one of dozens of gastrointestinal complaints, acupuncture can help treat the cause as well as the symptoms.

Skin Conditions

Acupuncture has had a remarkably positive effect on a range of skin conditions, including eczema, dermatitis, shingles, scarring, hair loss and acne.

Sporting Injuries

Sports-related injuries, from tennis elbow to sprained ankles, can be helped by acupuncture. Whether the problem is muscular or skeletal, acupuncture has been proved to provide pain relief and improve recovery time.

Musculoskeletal Conditions

Acupuncture needles are a proven and popular treatment for a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions, including sciatica, lumbago and other back conditions, arthritis, gout, and neck pain, among many others.

Gynecological and Obstetric Issues

Conditions including PMS and other menstrual issues, fertility problems, PCOS, menopause, hormonal imbalances and many other conditions related to the reproductive system can benefit from treatment with acupuncture.

Psychological Conditions

In addition to physical conditions, acupuncture can be used to treat a wide range of psychological conditions, including depression, phobias and anxiety.

These are just a tiny sampling of the many conditions that acupuncture has been used to successfully treat over the more than 2,000 years it has been practiced in China and elsewhere. There are countless other conditions that can benefit from acupuncture as a treatment plan, and it’s always worth asking about to find out if it’s right for you.

There may be certain conditions for which acupuncture is not recommended, and it’s a good idea to check with both your doctor and a certified acupuncturist before seeking this type of treatment. Also remember that acupuncture is often a supplementary treatment and part of a broader treatment plan for a particular condition, disease or injury. To find out what types of acupuncture we offer, contact us to book an initial consultation.

What is Tendinitis and How Is It Caused?

Tendinitis, also known as tendonitis, is an acute inflammation of one or more tendons in the body. The condition is usually related to repetitive strain, and it’s a fairly common diagnosis. Here’s what you need to know about tendinitis causes, treatment and prognosis.

Symptoms of Tendinitis

Because tendons are present in the joints of the body, most of the symptoms of the condition are localized around the joint. If you notice a dull, aching pain in or near a joint, combined with tenderness and possibly mild swelling, you are likely experiencing tendinitis.

Causes

Tendinitis is most often caused by repeated strain and overuse. This is very common in sports, which is why so many types of tendinitis (tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, swimmer’s shoulder and jumper’s knee, for example) are sports-related terms. That does not mean that only athletes suffer this type of injury, however; many patients who get a tendinitis diagnosis work in a physically demanding job rather than playing sports. Additionally, while tendinitis can occur at any age, it is common to see tendinitis in older patients, too, as tendons tend to stiffen as we age.

Untreated Tendinitis

In most cases, when tendinitis is diagnosed and treated properly, patients will have a full recovery without any complications. However, if the pain is ignored or left untreated, it can lead to a condition known as tendinosis. This is a form of degeneration of the tendon at a cellular level, often without inflammation. It can also lead to tendon rupture, which is another – much more serious – condition.

Tendinitis Treatment

Upon receiving a diagnosis of tendinitis, you may have several options for treatment and to alleviate your joint pain, including:

Over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs, which help relieve symptoms while you heal.
Treating tendinitis with acupuncture, which can provide non drug-based pain relief while you heal.
Corticosteroids, which are sometimes injected into the joint, but usually only for acute cases. Long-term or chronic tendinitis is not usually treated with this type of drug, as it can cause further damage or weakness in the tendon.
Resting the affected joint. This is critical to preventing long-term complications. If you have tendinitis, you must avoid strain – particularly the type of strain that caused the injury in the first place.
Gentle, doctor-approved exercises for the joint, which can help preserve flexibility and mobility.

Preventing Recurrence of Tendinitis

Once you have treated a case of tendinitis, there are several measures you can take to avoid a recurrence.

Improving flexibility is one way to prevent the condition from striking again. Additionally, it’s a good idea to make proper stretching and warm-up a priority before sports activities, as well as varying your movements and stopping an activity immediately if you start to notice pain in a joint.

Depending on the cause of your tendinitis, ongoing treatments, such as acupuncture can help, and it doesn’t hurt to consider lower-impact sports or activities.

9 Common Lower Back Conditions and How to Treat Them

If you thought you were alone in suffering from lower-back pain, think again. The World Health Organization states that this type of pain is the leading cause of disability in young adults, and the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study placed lower-back pain in the top 10 global causes of absenteeism from work.

In other words, there are millions of people suffering from lower-back pain, just like you. It’s no surprise, therefore, that treatments like acupuncture for back pain are in higher demand now than ever. The question is, what is behind this epidemic, and what can be done to remedy the situation?

Causes of Back Pain

Let’s start with some of the more common conditions that can cause chronic lower-back pain:

Lumbar strain (acute, chronic), stretching injury to the ligaments, tendons, and/or muscles of the low back. The stretching incident results in microscopic tears of varying degrees in these tissues.
Nerve irritation: mechanical pressure (impingement) by bone or other tissues, or from disease, anywhere along their paths — from their roots at the spinal cord to the skin surface.
Lumbar radiculopathy is nerve irritation caused by damage to the discs between the vertebrae. Damage to the disc occurs because of degeneration (“wear and tear”) of the outer ring of the disc, traumatic injury, or both.
Bony encroachment: Any condition that results in movement or growth of the vertebrae of the lumbar spine can limit the space (encroachment) for the adjacent spinal cord and nerves.
Bone and joint conditions leading to lower back pain include those existing from birth (congenital), those resulting from wear and tear (degenerative) or injury, and those due to inflammation of the joints (arthritis).
Degenerative bone and joint conditions: As we age, the water and protein content of the body’s cartilage changes. This change results in weaker, thinner, and more fragile cartilage.
Injury to the muscles, bones and joints.
Arthritis of the lower back and sacroiliac joints.
Tumors of the kidneys or ovaries can also cause lower back pain.

Acupuncture for Back Pain and Other Treatments

When you have back pain or have been diagnosed with a spinal cord injury, you are likely looking for solutions to the problem. The course of treatment, which will be determined by the cause of the pain, may include one or more of the following:

Medications, including pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs, topical treatments and treatments for infections, whether primary or secondary.
Complementary or alternative treatments, such as acupuncture for back pain, which has been proven to provide relief for conditions like spinal stenosis.
Physiotherapy and massage for muscle strains and pains, if your back pain is related to overworked muscles rather than the spine itself.
Spinal surgery, including laser spine surgery, although this is often reserved for advanced and serious cases.
Treatments for underlying conditions, such as arthritis or osteoporosis, which cause bone spurs or degeneration of the spine.
Lifestyle changes, including an improved diet, moderate exercise and changes to work habits.

Acupuncture is performed by licensed acupuncturists who put the needles in your body. Among other therapies, acupuncture is considered to have minimum side effects. It can reduce pain and inflammation like steroids or ibuprofen do and have long-lasting results, without any side effects.

What Should You Expect from an Acupuncture Session?

Acupuncture sessions last for one hour. We will ask about your medical history, exam the source of your pain, check your pulse and look at your tongue to find out the cause of your lower back pain. Then we will determine the points on your body to insert the needles. Patients can usually feel the needle, but not necessarily feel pain from needles. After we put the needles in, you will relax for 15 to 30 mins while the needles do their work. You will typically need between 1 and 10 sessions, depending on the severity of your lower back pain. If your insurance covers acupuncture, you will be able to file your claim yourself.

Outlook

If you have been diagnosed with any of the conditions causing lower back pain or a medical condition like spinal stenosis, the good news is that you’re better off than many people who suffer from chronic lower back pain. You can work with your doctors and alternative medicine professionals to formulate a plan that tackles the root cause of the problem.

Don’t suffer in silence, and don’t wait to treat degenerative conditions. Lower back pain usually gets worse with age, not better.

Clock, Can We Stop Meeting Tonight?

Using Traditional Chinese Medicine for Insomnia

Lack of sleep causes physical and psychological problems, from headaches and muscle aches to fatigue and irritability. Most doctors even believe that chronic insomnia puts extra stress on the heart and brings on the symptoms of fibromyalgia. If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep at night, acupuncture may help relieve your insomnia and help you get the rest you need.

Insomnia as a Symptom

TCM practitioners see diseases and symptoms as roots and branches. The root of a disease is a dysfunction or imbalance in the major organ systems or the fundamental substances:

Jing
Blood
Yin
Yang
Qi
Spirit

In people suffering from insomnia, it is common for the heart, liver, and lungs to be out of balance. When these organs are out of balance, the spirit wanders, causing the imbalance to manifest as a disease. Although TCM is a very complex medical system it is rooted in Taoism, so there is a spiritual consciousness built into TCM theory. Insomnia is one of the most common symptoms of a wandering spirit.

Acupuncture for Insomnia

When treating insomnia, practitioners usually combine acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas for the fastest, most effective results. Because everyone experiences a different pattern of symptoms, TCM practitioners do not use the same acupuncture points or herbal formulas for every patient. For example, an elderly person who has trouble sleeping may be manifesting a heart/kidney imbalance, while a student burned out on studying might have a spleen/heart imbalance.

When I analyze a patient’s sleeping problem, I narrow down the possibilities by looking for symptoms characteristic of a particular pattern. People with the Liver Fire pattern get angry easily, and they usually have the following heat signs: dark yellow urine, redness of the face and dry bowel movements.

People with spleen/heart deficiencies tend to be forgetful, have poor concentration, and feel very fatigued. They spend a lot of time worrying about things. Someone with a kidney/heart imbalance might have ringing in the ears (tinnitus), heart palpitations, lower back weakness, lightheadedness, and easy flushing. During an evaluation, I also examine the tongue and check the patient’s pulse to determine which pattern is dominant.

Scientific Evidence Supporting Acupuncture for Insomnia

In 2004, researchers tested the effects of acupuncture on 18 patients who complained of anxiety and insomnia. After five weeks of acupuncture treatments, the participants had less anxiety and higher nighttime melatonin levels. They also experienced fewer sleep disruptions and slept longer each night. The results of this study appeared in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry & Clinical Neurosciences.

Another study found a link between acupuncture and sleep quality in adults with HIV. Study participants were HIV-positive adults between the ages of 29 and 50. All participants had sleep disturbances at least three times per week. After five weeks of acupuncture treatments, the participants experienced significant improvements in sleep quality. The study appeared in a 2001 issue of Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care.

Benefits of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a safe, effective way to treat insomnia and other symptoms. Many patients who receive acupuncture for migraines, depression, and back pain notice their sleeping improves, even if they never considered insomnia to be a problem. Many patients report experience improved sleep after they start acupuncture treatments.

Unlike medications, acupuncture is virtually free of side effects, works well for a variety of health problems, and is safe for most patients. Scientific research shows that acupuncture has a positive effect on the body’s nervous system, promotes natural sleeping patterns, and does not cause the grogginess associated with most sleeping pills. If you currently suffer from insomnia, it is worth trying acupuncture before you turn to medications.

Can Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine Boost Fertility?

For any woman currently exploring fertility treatments, it’s easy to get caught up in the complicated options offered in modern infertility treatments: hormone injections, ovarian stimulation, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF). You may think that scientific breakthroughs are leading the charge. And while this may be true, there’s a way to increase your odds of getting pregnant that’s been around for almost 2,500 years: acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

If you’ve been unable to conceive within a reasonable length of time, have you considered consulting a TCM practitioner?

Using acupuncture for fertility issues

Acupuncture involves thin, disposable sterile needles gently inserted and stimulated 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’s this qi that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. When the flow of qi is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, acupuncture helps unblock the normal flow of this energy and increase a woman’s chances of conceiving.

By placing the needles at key energy meridians linked to the reproductive organs, acupuncture increases and (most importantly) moves the flow of qi from areas where it may be overly abundant to areas that are deficient, thereby encouraging fertility.

Acupuncture can reduce stress

Research suggests that acupuncture is effective in reducing stress. Since stress has been shown to interfere with getting pregnant, it makes perfect sense that reducing your stress through acupuncture could theoretically improve your odds of conceiving.

Many women use acupuncture treatments to help them handle the stress they feel about the fertility process. And many fertility physicians recommend acupuncture for their patients to help lower their general stress levels, knowing that stress hormones can reduce the levels of important fertility hormones like progesterone. “I’ve referred patients to acupuncturists to do acupuncture in conjunction with a number of fertility treatments,” says Kathleen M. Brennan, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist with the UCLA Fertility and Reproductive Health Center in Los Angeles.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help fertility issues

“The TCM diagnosis system is independent of the conventional medicine diagnosis of infertility,” says Dr. Wunian Chen, one of our Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners here at Acupuncture Balanced Health.

“Conventional medicine tries to find a reason for a woman’s infertility—for example, PCOS. If it can find no reason, yours is an ‘unexplained infertility.’ But based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, most women with ‘unexplained infertility’ usually fall into one of the categories listed below.

While TCM has a long history of use in aiding fertility, no individual herb is considered perfect for promoting fertility. Rather, more than 150 different herbs, given in complex formulas including 15 or more ingredients, are used in the treatment of infertility for the purpose of correcting the functional or organic problem that caused infertility.

Recent success stories at Acupuncture Balanced Health

Dr. Chen has treated four cases of ‘unexplained infertility’ in the last year. During the course of their TCM treatment, all four women became pregnant.

Two of the women had undergone intrauterine insemination treatment (IUI) before, without success. While being treated with acupuncture, they were both successful in becoming pregnant.

The third woman who became pregnant was treating her infertility issues with acupuncture and adhering to a structured diet in her course of TCM. The fourth woman was treating her infertility issues using acupuncture, TCM herbal and a structured diet.

Acupuncture is just one form of holistic, alternative medicine that deserves another look–especially when you’ve tried conventional fertility treatment methods without success. If you’d like to explore your options further, call (919) 929-7990 today for more information or to make an appointment.

Need Relief from Allergies? Get It Without Drugs

Spring is well underway in North Carolina, and if you are suffering from seasonal or chronic allergies, you are in good company. With more than 25 million adults and more than 28 million children affected, seasonal allergies are the number 1 reason for visits to the doctor’s office. So, we wanted to share a best-kept secret for allergy relief …

Acupuncture Helps Allergies

You can greatly diminish and in many cases even alleviate allergy symptoms with acupuncture. If you struggle with seasonal or chronic allergies, you may get significant relief from targeted, consistent, and evidence-based acupuncture sessions designed to relieve allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion and allergic rhinitis.

Cumulative Effects

One of the amazing things about acupuncture is that the effects of treatment are cumulative, so if you have seasonal allergies you can go for weeks or months without needing acupuncture. Combined with an herbal formula that can be taken at home, our patients have a full-spectrum solution to seasonal allergies and many of them make it through allergy season with little to no symptoms.

Client Testimony

“I had suffered for years with seasonal allergies. In the first session, my sinuses opened and the muffled hearing in my left ear went away. After the 2^nd session, the persistent, nagging allergy cough was gone! We did 6 sessions in total and I began taking herbs for sinus support. For the first time in 20+ years, I made it through an entire year with no colds, coughs or allergies. And, when I do feel something coming on I will call and make an appointment first at Acupuncture Balanced Health.” J Setzer, Durham NC

Acupuncture: A Promising Treatment for Allergies

Spring is well underway in North Carolina…are you happy about it, or does the idea of oncoming seasonal allergies make you shudder with dread? If you suffer from seasonal or chronic allergies, you are in good company. Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is the most prevalent chronic allergic disease in the US. Studies suggest that up to 10% of adults and 40% of children in the US are affected by an allergic reaction to pollen, making allergic rhinitis one of the most common reasons for visits to primary care practitioners.

Acupuncture Helps Allergies

Here’s a best-kept secret … instead of relying on drugs, surgery or steroids, you can send allergy symptoms packing with acupuncture! Spring should be a time for fun and celebration, not sniffling, sneezing and watery eyes!

If you struggle with seasonal or chronic allergies, you may get significant relief from targeted, consistent, and evidence-based acupuncture sessions designed to relieve allergy symptoms such as nasal congestion and allergic rhinitis.

Recent randomized controlled trials have found that acupuncture used as an adjunct to routine care for allergic rhinitis has clinically relevant and persistent benefits and is cost effective. Such trials have found that acupuncture is effective in the symptomatic treatment of perennial (throughout the year) rhinitis. They have also found that active acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture in decreasing the symptom scores for persistent allergic rhinitis and increasing the symptom-free days.

No Silver Bullet

For the unfortunate millions who get allergic rhinitis and other seasonal and perennial allergies, there is no silver bullet that can treat each and every symptom. As a result of limited treatment options, many people resort to using an array of antihistamines, decongestants, and other treatments simultaneously, which can lead to a snowballing of undesirable side effects.

Acupuncture is another tool in an allergy sufferer’s toolbox. The treatment appears to be able to provide a large percentage of allergy sufferers with significant relief from uncomfortable symptoms. This has led the medical community to begin acknowledging that it is very promising for the treatment of seasonal and chronic allergy symptoms.

Acupuncture for Allergies Can Replace Medication

Even better, in some cases it appears that acupuncture treatment of allergies can replace—or reduce—the need for medication. This makes it a safe, viable option for patients looking for alternatives to traditional allergy treatment. And when acupuncture is used in conjunction with herbal formulas, the impact can profoundly improve the allergy sufferer’s quality of life.

At Acupuncture Balanced Health, we have first-hand experience with acupuncture treatment for seasonal allergies. Patients who receive treatment early in the allergy season do very well in our experience, and as spring turns to fall we generally recommend two to three acupuncture sessions. At the same time, we usually prescribe patients an herbal formula to help alleviate their symptoms.

Dietary Changes

Depending on our patient’s symptoms and health history, we also recommend supplements for patients to decrease allergy symptoms, support gut health and strengthen immunity. In some circumstances, we recommend slight dietary changes as well. Taken together, these treatments are often very effective in alleviating seasonal allergy symptoms.

In addition to providing ongoing allergy treatment and prevention, acupuncture sessions can result in immediate relief from existing allergy symptoms. We often see first-time allergy treatment patients leave our office feeling less stuffy, sniffly, and itchy.

Cumulative Effects

One of the amazing things about acupuncture is that the effects of treatment are cumulative, so a patient with seasonal allergies can go for several weeks without needing acupuncture. Combined with an herbal formula that can be taken at home, our patients have a full-spectrum solution to seasonal allergies and many of them make it through allergy season with little to no symptoms.

How Acupuncture for Stress Helps Patients Cope

Acupuncture has been used to treat depression and anxiety for years, so it makes sense that it would also work to help patients suffering from stress.

However, because “stress” is a much broader term than the either depression or anxiety and it’s sometimes hard to pinpoint triggers or causes, acupuncture for stress has not always been considered an effective method of reducing or relieving stress.

Recent studies and research show that not considering acupuncture as an effective treatment for stress might have been a mistake. In fact, there’s plenty of evidence to support the use of acupuncture to help with stress – especially in the case of those who are also suffering from anxiety or other mood conditions that might interact or trigger episodes of stress.

The Science Behind It

In a study published in the Journal of Endocrinology, researchers looked at the effects of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic stress. The study used electro-acupuncture (EA), a form of acupuncture where small electrical currents are sent through the needle into the body to help stimulate contact points. They found that EA is highly effective in reducing the release of stress hormones from the brain and into the nervous system.

The study—which was done in rats and not humans—found that certain acupuncture points directly affect the release of peptides and proteins, which in turn influence the production of hormones such as cortisol (the stress hormone). This could be significant because people with stress often have elevated levels of cortisol that can cause side effects like insomnia, irritability, mood swings, and more. By using acupuncture to affect the production of cortisol, practitioners can help patients lower their stress levels.

Similar results where obtained in other studies, such as the one published in the CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics journal. Here, researchers looked at the effects of acupuncture to treat anxiety and found it just as effective as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is one of the most common forms of treatment used to deal with anxiety and stress.

Other Benefits of Acupuncture on Stress Levels

Acupuncture can help not only to lower levels of stress, but it can also help patients deal with the physical effect of stress on the body. For example, a study published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine looked at the effects of stress on immune system impairment and whether acupuncture could help fight those effects.

Researchers found that women who used acupuncture for stress experienced fewer physical effects on the body. When a blood test was performed after acupuncture treatment, researchers also found that these women had stronger immune systems, while those in the control group (who didn’t use acupuncture) had a diminished or impaired immune system. The results remained the same for a month after each session of acupuncture.

One last thing to consider: acupuncture has been studied for a number of conditions and symptoms that might be connected to stress. For example, research has shown that one of the effects of acupuncture treatment is to stabilize the production and release of serotonin and dopamine, two hormones that regulate mood chemistry and can help ease the physical and mental effects of anxiety and stress.

Other studies have shown that acupuncture has a direct impact on the areas of the brain that control pain and stress. Because of this, acupuncture can be used to promote relaxation and to help ease feelings of worry or anxiety. When done regularly, this could help patients dealing with chronic stress.

How Acupuncture Treatment Benefits a Range of Conditions

The credibility of using acupuncture in Raleigh NC has grown substantially over the past few years. Even if you had never considered trying acupuncture before, you might be weighing your options now.

Acupuncture has a long tradition of being a very effective, non-invasive treatment for issues like nausea and vomiting, especially in the case of chemotherapy patients.

Types of Conditions

Although results vary and there aren’t always reliable studies to back up anecdotal evidence, acupuncture is also widely used to treat:

headaches
fibromyalgia
carpal tunnel syndrome
addiction
weight loss

and even as part of stroke rehabilitation.

According to MedicineNet, acupuncture works by encouraging the body to release opioids into the central nervous system. This in turn eases pain, increases a feeling of well-being, and might explain the relief of a number of symptoms after a single visit to a practitioner.

Reliable Studies and Why the Experts Are Standing Behind Them

One of the main reasons people seek acupuncture in Raleigh NC is back pain – and with good reason. Numerous studies back up the use of acupuncture treatment for this condition, and many show it to be more effective than a number of conventional approaches.

For example, in an article published in Acupuncture Today, researchers pointed out that acupuncture actually works better than injectable drugs to relieve lower back pain. Other studies have shown that acupuncture treatment is superior to physical therapy and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help relieve pain, tension and discomfort in the lower back area.

In addition, patients who receive acupuncture are more likely to experience long-term relief of pain and improvements in functional abilities as long as six months after the last session. These responses are not seen with the use of any other type of treatment.

How Else Acupuncture Can Help

Here’s an unexpected benefit of acupuncture: using it might actually improve the effectiveness of your prescription drugs. A study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that people who used acupuncture and a small dose of Prozac experienced similar results to those using a full dose of Prozac but no acupuncture to treat anxiety. In addition, the acupuncture treatment option was a lot more effective because it resulted in fewer side effects. On the other hand, those on a full dose of Prozac experienced more nausea, gained more weight, and reported a decrease in their sex drive.

Digestive Conditions

And while the use of acupuncture in Raleigh NC for nausea and vomiting has been practiced for years, it now appears that acupuncture can also help with digestive conditions. In fact, researchers found that acupuncture sessions can help pregnant women deal with indigestion and heartburn without the dangers or side effects associated with drugs. In a study conducted in Brazil, 75 % of the women using acupuncture reported improvements in their heartburn episodes, while only 44% of women using traditional drug treatment reported the same.

Weight Loss

Finally, acupuncture has been extensively used to help reduce appetite and improve weight loss results, but new studies show it might also help fight obesity. A systemic review of 31 studies showed that the use of acupuncture treatment in obese patients leads to better results than the use of medications or diet alone.

If you are curious about these findings and living in Raleigh NC, make the short drive over to Chapel Hill‘s Acupuncture Balanced Health to see one of our highly experienced practitioners. Give us a call to schedule your introductory consultation.