Health Care

ฺBy:Dave Text

In the United States, obesity is rapidly growing as a major disease. It is beyond surprise that more than half of the population in the country is overweight and the rate is still increasing. Obesity or overweight has many reasons to grow but on the other hand there are only a few methods to bring the weight under control. Moreover, the success of such methods differs from person to person and most of the time comes under the scanner.

This means, successful long term weight loss is incredibly difficult for most people to achieve. And along with the weight loss methods and treatments, most of us have tried diets that may trigger some weight loss but at the end tend to gain back the weight they lost plus some additional pounds. This seems as an unending story for some, but those who have tried acupuncture as a method to control weight have something different to say.

Acupuncture, is one of the ancient healing techniques still in use. And those who have tried weight loss with the aid of this age old method can definitely vouch for its success. With the success stories of many, more and more people are turning to acupuncture weight loss treatments.

Acupuncture, as a healing technique, is a practice that is more than 5,000 years old, and is appreciably older than Western medicinal therapies and practices.

Most of us are aware of the techniques involved in this technique and while considering weight loss with this method, it involves inserting hair-thin needles into particular spots on the skin that are believed to help the body function properly. In general, the method of Acupuncture helps to stimulate the body and to discharge endorphins, which are nothing but body's own pain-relieving chemicals which makes us feel good.

This can be considered one of the ways in which Acupuncture helps us in weight loss releasing endorphins and in turn control appetite. The weight loss treatment begins with the proper history of the patient which the acupuncture specialist will note down by asking a variety of questions. Most of the times the specialist also performs an examination of the patient.

The intention is to recognize the main grounds of the person's excess weight as the weight gain is sometimes simply behavioral, or sometimes there is a physiological reason as well.

After the questioning and examinations, the root causes of the problem are identified, and the acupuncture specialist can continue with proper treatment of the same. To start with the specialist can insert needles into different areas of the body in order to help improve the body's functioning in a way that will promote weight loss.

In most of the weight loss cases, the acupuncture specialist uses a multi-targeted approach. One of this is the method to attempt to lower the body's weight by increasing the output of the pituitary gland. Another method is to decrease the carving for foods. Or the specialist can also attempt to encourage a decrease in natural appetite. In this way, some needle placements are even considered to lower insulin levels or lipid levels in the blood.

About the Author:
Learn how the ancient Chinese secret of acupuncture weightloss can benefit you at Acupuncture-weightloss.com.

by: Jonathan Higgins

Are you severely or mildly depressed and wondering about acupuncture and depression? According to research and case studies, acupuncture is effective in treating depression. But, did you know that there is a way to treat the depression without the needles? More on that later.

It appears that the most effective treatment for depression is medication. After all it works. I've used medication for both depression and anxiety and have had phenomenal success in both cases. However, I prefer to use natural remedies whenever possible because medications do have side effects and also introduce toxic elements into the body.

So what about acupuncture and depression? The good news is there is some scientific research that supports the effectiveness of acupuncture in decreasing the severity of depression in patients. Remember that medical research doesn't really 'prove' anything, it just supports claims. It is really hard to conclusively prove claims.

Anyway, this study was conducted by the National Institute of Health in 1998. I will not bore you with the design of the study. You can look up the study and read that for yourself. I'll just share the results it found on acupuncture and depression. In this controlled experiment, all the participants that received acupuncture for depression collectively experienced a 43% reduction in their depression symptoms, which was 21% greater than the dummy control group. This suggests that the acupuncture did something for the depression symptoms.

Theory on acupuncture and depression is this. Acupuncture states that there are energy pathways in the body called meridians. Various illnesses occur when these meridians become blocked. The acupuncturist attempts to unblock the clogged up meridians by inserting needles into certain points along these meridians. When the energy is allowed to flow again, the symptoms of the illness subside. And so it is with acupuncture and depression.

If you don't like needles but are interested in the possibilities of acupuncture and depression, there is a form of acupressure that has been found to be equally successful. No needles here. It merely involves correctly tapping certain points on special meridians with your finger tips. The best thing about this approach is you can do it yourself. You don't need to pay a professional to do it for you. Although, that option does exist.

In any event, there is a lot of promise for acupuncture and depression. With the help of a qualified psychologist you can get your symptoms under control.

About the Author:

Rich has put together several informative tips on acupuncture and health in the form of an email newsletter. Sign up at acupuncturetips@aweber.com. Be sure to visit Acupuncture Points.

by: Peter Wellington

How adept is the human frame at coping with pain? Pain is a natural function of the body and though we may not like pain the normal process of our physiology is to let us know that something is not quite right.

Just visit any ward of chronically sick patients and you will soon attune to the moans and cries of the human condition. These poor people are quite simply in communication with their own systems. Chronic pain of the muscles or skeleton is the highest form of priority communication, warning us of dangers - seen and unseen.

Yet much of modern medicine is unable to help us with the bodies communication system - the nervous system - as it delivers vital messages to our psyche: and that is what pain is.

There is another way however, an ancient and mysterious way, a way that is often veiled and hidden; and that is the way of alternative therapies. Many of these ancient forms of pain relief have stood the test of time and some such as acupuncture have also stood against the intrigue of modern, scientific examination.

Acupuncture for pain relief has been around for many thousands of years and it is an extremely efficient and effective way of dealing with aches and pains. It has proved to be especially effective when dealing with pain in the back. A great deal of this type of pains due to muscle contraction and acupuncture shows itself as able to deal with this kind of pain.

How does Acupuncture and Pain Relief Work Anyway?

In simplistic terms acupuncture deals with the flow of natural energies around the body. In olden times this energy force was referred to as "chi" or "Gi." They discovered that natural human energy would flow through the body along pathways, which they referred to as meridians. Now when this natural energy flow is interrupted pain is relieved, reduced or simply stopped altogether. A healing of the body often precedes the interruption of the meridians. Of course we find that much of modern medicine is dismissive of the claims of alternative therapies such as acupuncture for pain relief. However, don't let that opinion put you off in the least.

When you apply acupuncture for pain relief you are in essence righting the flow of painful energies that are pulsing through your body.

There are many benefits to acupuncture and pain relief is just one of them. It is also highly effective when used in conjunction with other forms of pain relief treatments. Acupuncture for pain relief is also safe and relatively non-invasive as the needles used for acupuncture are only designed to sit in the skin and sometimes reaching the layer of body fat, occasionally the muscles are also reached. The needles used are always fresh, hygienic and sterile when dealing with acupuncture and pain relief. In addition the needles are disposable and FDA approved when applied by a reputable acupuncturist. These needles are so fine that they can be compared to human hair in thickness.

Often you will find that upwards of 20 needles may be used for acupuncture and pain relief and mostly several treatment sessions will be required. Once the needles are inserted they may be left there for up to thirty minutes, sometimes being twisted by the hands of the skilled acupuncture expert.

The amazing thing about acupuncture and pain is that the acupuncture needles themselves cause no painful sensations. This is quite surprising for many patients ho are expecting a degree of pain due to the insertion of the needles into the skin. On the contrary, and quite often, patients will feel a deep sense of relaxation during the procedure and some will even fall of into a quite relaxing sleep.

During acupuncture for pain relief the natural pain relieving, electromagnetic signals being relayed by the bodies system are speeded up and the pathways improved.

Acupuncture for pain relief has also been successfully used for fibromyalgia, chronic headaches and pain in the neck as a result of whiplash; painful conditions of the hip and knee caused by arthritis are also good candidates for acupuncture and pain relief. For many people with chronic abdominal pain and asthma, acupuncture has been their salvation and finally but not in the least is pain caused by shingles, for which sufferers will also find relief from niggling pains.

About the Author:

Peter Wellington writes for www.acupunctureaid.com, a website providing a comprehensive archive of free information and guides on the ancient art of Chinese Acupuncture.

by Jerry Ryan, Ph.D.

Applied Kinesiology is a system that evaluates structural, chemical, and mental aspects of health using manual muscle testing with other standard methods of diagnosis. Dr. George Goodheart, D. C. discovered the importance of weak muscles and their clinical implications in 1964. He has researched, lectured and written about Applied Kinesiology since then.

Treatments may involve specific joint manipulation, various myofascial therapies, meridian/acupuncture skills, clinical nutrition, dietary management, evaluating environmental irritants, counselling, and various reflex procedures. Applied Kinesiology skills are developed and approved by the International College of Applied Kinesiology Board of Standards. These skills are refined from many disciplines including Chiropractic, Osteopathy, Dentistry, Acupuncture, Biochemistry, Psychology, Homeopathy, and Naturopathy. These health care professionals share knowledge through the publications and conferences of the International College of Applied Kinesiology. Applied Kinesiology can be divided into two distinct parts. The first part is to assist in diagnosis. Muscle testing is used to help diagnose what is functioning abnormally. This can be a problem with the nervous system, the vascular supply to a muscle or organ, a nutritional excess or deficiency, an imbalance in the acupuncture meridian system or a variety of other problems. Testing individual muscles and determining what affects the relative strength of the muscle is combined with the basic mechanics and physiological functioning of the body to more accurately diagnose what is going wrong.

The second part of Applied Kinesiology involves the treatment phase. Doctors adapt different treatment methods to the problems that have been diagnosed. From nutrition management to methods of controlling the vascular and nervous system, a wide range of therapies may be used to balance the patient's malfunction.

An examination using Applied Kinesiology begins with a detailed questioning of the patient to uncover clues as to what may be going on. Generally, problems can be related to chemical imbalances, structural imbalances, mental stress, or any combination of the above. After this general examination, procedures are used to assess the health of the patient. For example, changes in blood pressure from lying to sitting to standing can indicate imbalances in the body. This is followed with specific examination procedures used by the practitioner. After these tests are performed, an evaluation of the strength of the muscles is performed. There are many causes of muscular weakness and different procedures may be used to uncover the cause. At the end of all of these different but important parts, the information is correlated to establish a treatment program.

Applied Kinesiology is performed by health care professionals. First, they have their basic education is whatever medical field they practice. For example, they might be a medical doctor, osteopath, chiropractor or a dentist. Then they study Applied Kinesiology in a post-graduate setting. The muscle testing procedures are used to further investigate a patient's problem and depend upon a basic understanding of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and pathology. Muscle testing used alone without a proper education in the health sciences is no better than a psychic reading. The basic course takes over 100 hours of classroom study and many more hours of study at home. Continuing classes are taken to reach the next step where a complete understanding is shown by a written and oral test. To achieve this level, over 300 hours of classroom study are required along with the writing of at least two research papers.

Applied Kinesiology does not replace standard examinations. It is used as a further tool to help define what is going wrong or what imbalances are present. For example, in some conditions like hypoglycemia there will be specific muscle weakness patterns found. On the other hand, these same weaknesses could be there because of a nerve problem. Only an adequate history of the person, coupled with standard examination procedures allow a proper treatment of the person. The use of Applied Kinesiology procedures speeds the examination process and helps to rule out other possible causes of the person's health problems.

I hope that you found this information useful. If you have any questions about anything in this article, please feel free to contact me at my website - www.JerryRyanPhD.com.

About the Author

Jerry Ryan, Ph.D. is a Natural Health Coach who teaches individuals and group classes on the scientifically documented benefits of natural health techniques. He is also an internationally published author and has been a guest speaker at such places as NIKE World Headquarters. For more information, his website is http://www.JerryRyanPhD.com