Source : Daily Mail Ditch the paracetamol and try ACUPUNCTURE: Scientists prove it can rewire the brain and make the body better able to cope with pain.
Acupuncture can be used to relieve pain in sufferers of repetitive strain injuries, new research suggests. Currently patients with carpal tunnel syndrome - common in office workers - undergo physiotherapy or surgery to assist them. It is caused by a nerve in the wrist being squeezed and subsequently alters an area of the brain related to touch, scientists claim. But the new study found the ancient Chinese practice rewires the brain and helps to combat the aching and tingling sensations. Participants were given brain scans after receiving electro-acupuncture - similar to the traditional method but instead uses electricity to generate impulses - on their affected hand. They were also assessed by Massachusetts General Hospital researchers after having the same treatment on their ankle opposite their injured hand. Others received 'sham' acupuncture - where placebo needles were placed near their affected region. While he also noted that the treatment method helps to increase blood flow to the affected areas, known to fight discomfort. However, the sham treatment method could work through the placebo effect, he added. Dr Napadow said: 'Acupuncture is a medical therapy that originated in China several thousand years ago. 'But despite its long history, the intervention itself - particularly when coupled with electrical stimulation - has significant similarities to many conventional therapies. 'A large body of clinical research exploring acupuncture for chronic pain disorders has demonstrated that it may be marginally better than a placebo procedure in reducing pain ratings.' This comes after a report in January claimed that acupuncture could help men with premature ejaculation. Scientists from the University of Sheffield found that Chinese herbal medicine and a Korean topical cream both had significant desirable effects. While a study last month also discovered that acupuncture could stop babies suffering from colic from crying so much. The Swedish researchers noted that the practice could help to reduce the distress of babies with the condition. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-4274898/Ditch-paracetamol-try-ACUPUNCTURE.html#ixzz4aYGd3Cgf The hay fever season is just around the corner so, if hay fever is something that has troubled you over the years, maybe give acupuncture a try. Source: The Yorksire Post Tom Laverick suffered years of misery from hay fever until he tried acupuncture. Catherine Scott reports.
For Tom Laverick summer had become a season he dreaded from being a child. Debilitating hay fever caused him problemsin lcuding nosebleeds, throughout his childhood and into adulthood. “I’ve suffered severely with hay fever since I was a young child,” explains Tom. “I kept being told I would grow out of it as I got older but I didn’t and, if anything, it probably worsened. “ He tried all conventional remedies from tablets, nasal sprays and eye drops. “I even tried home remedies such as eating local honey, and nothing worked.” Tom then started working at the in ICT at the Northern College of Acupuncture in York. “Both my parents have had acupuncture over the last couple of years and had success with it so, having exhausted all of the previous treatments, I decided to try it for myself last summer when the symptoms flared up.” Tom started by having one treatment per week for three weeks to combat the symptoms he was suffering from at the time. He then had three monthly treatments to keep the symptoms at bay for the rest of the summer. “I’d been told acupuncture didn’t hurt but still felt sceptical at the thought of all the needles. I honestly didn’t feel any pain though and actually found it to be a very relaxing experience. “The success of the treatment was incredible. After just a couple of treatments, I was hardly suffering at all and it was first time I’d gone through an entire summer without having any nose bleeds, something I regularly suffered with at the height of the summer months. “It really did feel like the first time I’d actually been able to enjoy summer rather than dreading it and wanting to hide inside. If anyone suffers from hay fever, I really couldn’t recommend acupuncture highly enough.” NCA Principal, Richard Blackwell said: “I’m delighted to hear of the impressive improvement in Tom’s hay fever symptoms. “Many hay fever sufferers benefit from acupuncture, although Tom responded exceptionally well after a small number of treatments. Tom’s experience is backed up by a recent review of the research evidence published by Australian researchers which concluded that allergic rhinitis, which includes hay fever, is one of eight conditions for which there is strong evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness.” The Acupuncture Evidence Project, a large scale review of the evidence base, completed in Australia in 2017, has found acupuncture to be effective for 177 conditions. Most notably mentioned are: chemotherapy induced side effects, seasonal allergies, chronic low back pain, migraine prevention, chronic headaches, knee osteoarthritis and post-operative nausea and pain. It is thought that acupuncture may have evolved from the practise of bloodletting which was common to nearly all primitive cultures, China being no exception. Medial texts from the Han Dynasty (200 BC) show detailed pictures of the vascular system, and the Nei Jing, a classical text on Chinese Medicine, indicates the transition from bleeding an area to needling a specific point. Western medical acupuncture is the use of acupuncture following a medical diagnosis. It involves stimulating sensory nerves under the skin and in the muscles of the body. This results in the body producing natural substances, such as pain-relieving endorphins. It’s likely that these naturally released substances are responsible for the beneficial effects experienced with acupuncture. A course of acupuncture usually creates longer lasting pain relief than when a single treatment is used. Traditional acupuncture is based on the belief that an energy, or “life force”, flows through the body in channels called meridians. This life force is known as Qi (pronounced “chee”). Practitioners who adhere to traditional beliefs about acupuncture believe that when Qi doesn’t flow freely through the body, this can cause illness. They also believe acupuncture can restore the flow of Qi, and so restore health. While it’s common knowledge that acupuncture is useful for pain, many people are unaware that it is also beneficial for mental-emotional conditions such as stress, anxiety and depression. Acupuncture Awareness Week takes place from from March 6 – 12. Supported by the British Acupuncture Council; AAW aims to better inform people about traditional acupuncture, as well as raise awareness of its benefits. The Northern College of Acupuncture in York, is the only institution of its kind in the North of England. Its founder, Dr Hugh MacPherson, is the UK’s first ‘Professor of Acupuncture Research’ at the University of York. For more information visit https://chinese-medicine.co.uk |
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