Articles I have written

• Study finds acupuncture for depression is an effective treatment

  The interpretation of the results for clinical practice says 33% of acupuncture for depression patients, 29% of counseling patients and 18% of usual care patients achieved a successful treatment showing improvement in their depression. The number of treatments needed is also a useful way to interpret results. The study found that the number of treatments was 7 for acupuncture and 10 for counseling. A further illustration of the impact on patient experience can be provided in terms of ‘depression-free days’, The mean number of depression-free days over 3 months was 34 for the acupuncture for depression group, 27 for the counseling group and 23 for the usual care group.

  The trial did not determine whether acupuncture or counseling performed better or worse for the more mild forms of depression. The trial also did not determine whether or not patients not receiving antidepressant medication do better or whether fewer sessions would be sufficient for mild to moderate depression or more sessions would improve outcomes for those with severe depression.

  Patients commonly reported that their acupuncturists appeared to have a more physical perspective on treatment, with a focus on directly relieving the symptoms of depression as well as concurrent physical symptoms. This was particularly welcomed by patients who appreciated having their physical symptoms treated alongside their depression.

  Participants in the pain group had greater reductions in depression symptoms with acupuncture from baseline to 12 months than those who received counseling or usual care. Participants in the pain group receiving acupuncture found that their pain reduced markedly in the first 3–6 months compared with those in the other two groups. That patients reported reduced pain following acupuncture is not surprising given that 32% of patients had chronic musculoskeletal pain and acupuncturists within the trial were encouraged to work how they normally would, incorporating treatment for pain alongside treatment for the symptoms of depression. Moreover, there is a growing body of evidence supporting the efficacy of acupuncture for chronic pain.

  In this report they present what is to our knowledge the first study to rigorously evaluate the clinical and economic impacts of acupuncture for depression and counseling for patients who are representative of those who continue to experience depression in primary care. Our evidence on acupuncture compared with usual care and counseling compared with usual care shows that both treatments are associated with a statistically significant reduction in symptoms of depression in the short to medium term, with no reported serious adverse events related to treatment. Acupuncture is cost-effective compared with counseling or usual care alone, although the ranking of counseling and acupuncture depends on the relative costs of delivering these interventions

   

   

  source: https://www.journalslibrary.nihr.ac.uk/pgfar/pgfar05030#/s6

   

• What helps back pain?

  The back is incredible. It supplies a solid support structure, enables us to carry incredibly heavy loads and also allows for rotation, extension and flexion. In order for our back to perform all of these tasks, there are multiple layers and patterns of muscle fibers that support the spine and each vertebra. In between each vertebra are discs, which have an outer shell and a squishy inside. The intervertebral discs allow the body a wide of array of movements and also absorb shock.  We commonly treat patients with acupuncture who are told they have a “slipped disc,” “bulging disc,” or a “herniated disc.” Is this back pain being accurately diagnosed?

  The complexity of the layers of muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back can make it incredibly difficult to diagnose the exact cause of back pain. MRIs and CT scans can see into the body but even these do not give us a clear picture of the muscles. What we can clearly see is the intervertebral discs. In many people, the scans will show a disc that is compressed, squished
  and spilling out of the side or pushed out of place. Interlaced with these discs are many nerves. The compression of the disc can press on the nerves. This leads to the diagnosis of the various disc issues mentioned above. In these instances, is the disc the actual issue? It is certainly possible that a problem with the intervertebral discs could be the source of the pain. However, due to the complexity of the structure of the back, all too often the discs are getting the blame when, in fact, something else is pulling them all together.

  When a patient comes in to get acupuncture for upper back pain, mid back pain or lower back pain, we palpate all of the musculature above and below the area. In past articles, there has been mention of vectors of muscle pulling, creating pathways of pain. When this happens in the back, it ends up putting pressure on the vertebrae often in an asymmetrical manner, closing the gap between the vertebrae forcing the disc to move, bulge or bubble out on one side. In this example the disc is affected and this affected disc could be irritating the nerve or pushing the nerve out of its normal pathway causing sciatic nerve pain, but is the disc to blame? No, the disc in this example is not the issue; it is just a byproduct of the muscles squishing the vertebrae together. Treating the disc will only temporarily “solve” the problem, not give permanent relief from pain.

  What muscles are involved with back pain?

  When we are palpating patients with back pain, we often find that we need to work with the deep layers of the back muscles. Directly next to the spine is the spinalis muscle. In those with disc issues, there is most likely one or several areas of tightness along this muscle. Slightly lateral to the spinalis is the longissimus. For those with pain in the low back and in the shoulders and neck, this muscle seems to always have multiple places with knots and tightness. In the area were longissimus connects to the spine, the piriformis and psoas muscles can also be affected. We will also need to palpate and evaluate the piriformis and psoas. These are only a few of the muscles we will need to evaluate during your treatment for back pain. Chinese medicine is the medicine of connecting the various functions and structures of the human body into one cohesive functional unit. This includes the bones, tendons, ligaments and musculature. These connections are what makes Chinese Medicine shine, treating the individual muscles does not help nearly as much as treating the whole cohesive functional unit.

  How to relieve back pain

  When treating back pain, we need to address the muscles that are pulling and shortened as well as the muscles that are lengthened and stretched. Many treatments start off with increasing blood flow using tuina massage and bodywork, acupuncture followed by some subtle movement work to further increase blood flow, ending with some stretching when appropriate. We will look at the hips, quads and hamstrings which pull from below the area of pain and then we will look above the area of pain in order to release some of the pulling from above. In addition to needling above and below, we will address the painful area directly so that we can reduce as much constriction and increase as much blood flow as possible to the painful area.

  The ultimate goal is to return the flow of fresh blood as soon as possible. In order to maximize the body’s innate healing capabilities, it is of paramount importance to focus not only on the flow of blood to the site(s) but also the areas of entry and exit of the blood flow.

  It is imperative to get to the root cause of your back pain and disc issues. With a misdiagnosis, you may spend years unsuccessfully trying to rid yourself of pain, while enduring unnecessary and costly procedures. Acupuncture provides a true solution by untangling the web of muscle knots, allowing more space in the vertebrae and actually relieving the disc compression. We have successfully treated back pain in many patients who sought other treatments just to eventually find themselves back at square one.

   

  At Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center you will get more than a typical acupuncture treatment. Our style of acupuncture enhances the effects of needling by combining it with tuina massage, stretching and orthopedic movements to give you quicker and more effective results.

  Our goal since 2010 has been to provide Raleigh, NC and its surrounding areas with the highest quality healthcare and compassionate patient-focused services. In addition to completion of a 4 year graduate program, we maintain a strong commitment to continuing education and ongoing research which ensures that we have the resources to provide you with exceptional, results-oriented acupuncture treatments.

  If you keep doing exactly what you’ve been doing is your issue going to stay the same or worsen? Do something different and schedule your first appointment to determine if you are a good candidate for treatment. We pride ourselves on personalized treatments to get you results quickly so you can get back to enjoying life and doing the things you love.

  Call (919) 260-4104 now, and I will be happy to answer any of your questions and get you booked for an appointment.

• What to do for neck pain

  Did you know that it takes at least 26 different muscles to support the human head? Many of these muscles are tiny stabilizers. Within these muscle are a myriad of nerve pathways. It is no surprise that in such a small space where everything is so tightly packed, all it takes is one thing to malfunction just a little and we have a pain in the neck.

  There has been a great increase recently in the number of people dealing with neck pain. Part of the reason why is because as we tilt our head forward to look at our phones, we add anywhere between 10 to 60 extra pounds of weight pulling on all of the muscles of the neck and shoulders, depending on how far we tilt our head . If we look straight down, we might pull the muscles of the neck evenly but we are always slightly turning our head and creating a vector of stress that pulls some muscles tight, while compressing other muscles. The more we do this, the more aggravated some muscles become and nearby nerves become caught in the mess. This can often result in nerve pain: pins and needles, burning, weakness or numbness. Migraines and headaches can also be the result of nerve pain in the neck. Over time, the balance of the neck muscles can change and muscles that usually support your neck become weak and other muscles work harder to compensate.

  A 2013 study* out of Australia showed that in patients with neck pain less than six weeks old, 33% of patients healed within 3 months, but 65% of patients still had neck pain after 1 year. Do you want to learn how to stop neck pain or are you going to wait three months and hope you are in that 33%?

  What can you do to relieve neck pain?

  Whenever a patient complains of neck pain, we immediately want to look at the strength of the shoulders. We suggest having someone observe how you are doing lateral arm raises to see if there is asymmetry between the left and right sides. Do one set of 10 reps for each side. Next do one set for each side of 10 standing lateral arm rotations. Is one side easier to do than the other? Regularly perform these exercises and try to correct the imbalance if there is one as you want to be relatively strong on both sides.

  What is important about being equally strong on both sides? Some of the neck muscles connect into the shoulder area which means the shoulders work to support the neck. The neck itself is made up of many stabilizer muscles and they get support from the shoulders. If the shoulder muscles are weak or weak on one side then that will force the neck muscles to work more and could create a pattern of pain.

  Our posture holds the biggest key to relieving neck pain. One of the most valuable lessons I learned is from studying Tai Chi and it is best illustrated from this quote:

  “The head is held up as if a string is attached to the sky, like a marionette,…the coccyx is held down as if there is a weight on it….the spine is stretched between the two.” –Professor Cheng Man Ching

  We have had patients who were able to relieve a significant amount of their neck pain simply by changing their posture.

  What else can you do to relieve neck pain?

  Here are a few easy exercises that may help.
  Static Back exercise: Lay on the floor with your arms out to a 45 degree angle with hands palms up. Support your legs on a block or on the couch so they are bent at a 90 degree angle. The goal of this exercise is to let the shoulders and upper back relax into a more balanced position. Sit in this position for 5-10 minutes to allow yourself to fully relax.

  Static Back Reverse Press. Begin in the same position as the previous exercise. Lift your hands off the floor and keep elbows bent and touching the ground. Face your palms toward your feet. Next press your elbows into the ground and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, hold for a second and release.

  How to stop neck pain if the exercises are not enough: Often, people turn turn to massage first. This often helps for a period of time, but the muscle tightness tends to bounce right back and you continue to require massage. With acupuncture, you achieve lasting and effective results that do not require continual maintenance. There are few methods that can compare to the correct application of acupuncture combined with tuina massage and orthopedic movement. At our clinic, we will look at not only the painful area but also the vector of tightness that is causing the issue. When you look at the injury this way you not only relieve the pain, but also work to flush the area with fresh blood so the injury can fully heal and prevent the injury from reappearing in a short time as it does with other therapies.

   

  At Acupuncture Pain and Stress Center you will get more than a typical acupuncture treatment. Our style of acupuncture enhances the effects of needling by combining it with tuina massage, stretching and orthopedic movements to give you quicker and more effective results.

  Our goal since 2010 has been to provide Raleigh, NC and its surrounding areas with the highest quality healthcare and compassionate patient-focused services. In addition to completion of a 4 year graduate program, we maintain a strong commitment to continuing education and ongoing research which ensures that we have the resources to provide you with exceptional, results-oriented acupuncture treatments.

  If you keep doing exactly what you’ve been doing is your issue going to stay the same or worsen? Do something different and schedule your first appointment to determine if you are a good candidate for treatment. We pride ourselves on personalized treatments to get you results quickly so you can get back to enjoying life and doing the things you love.

  Call (919) 260-4104 now, and I will be happy to answer any of your questions and get you booked for an appointment.

Read More Articles