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Study Shows Acupuncture Provides Relief From Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms

Study Shows Acupuncture Provides Relief From Allergic Rhinitis Symptoms How well does acupuncture address the symptoms of allergic rhinitis? The study titled "Acupuncture for the treatment of allergic rhinitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis," published in the January 2015 edition of the American Journal of Rhinology and Allergy, answers this question. Researchers took an in-depth look at numerous scientific studies from all over the world that focused on patients with nasal problems due to allergies. To maintain the integrity of the meta-analysis, only randomized controlled trials were utilized. The focus of the investigation centered on the potency and safety of using acupuncture to address symptoms affecting the nose. The large-scale analysis included several studies with nearly 2,400 test subjects. To properly assess the efficacy of acupuncture, researchers looked at rhinitis quality of life questionnaires and 36-item short form surveys (SF-36). These are medical tools used to evaluate a patient's symptoms. To help discern the power of acupuncture, researchers scrutinized evaluation charts regarding the severity and symptoms of each patient. Additionally, levels of serum…

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Acupuncture for Sinusitis Relief

Acupuncture for Sinusitis Relief Sinusitis occurs mainly in young and middle-aged adults, although children are also at risk. When the condition does present itself, it can be due to one of four main causes: an infection, allergic rhinitis, formation of nasal polyps, or a deviated septum. While sinusitis simply refers to inflammation of the nasal passages, the symptoms and treatments can prove more complex. An acute case of sinusitis (recently occurring) becomes chronic when medical treatments fail to cure the problem after eight weeks. The symptoms of sinusitis vary depending on whether the condition is acute or chronic. Many of the symptoms for either case are the same, though there are slight variations. With chronic sinusitis, in particular, symptoms last for eight weeks or more and may include facial pain and pressure, nasal congestion, nasal discharge, trouble breathing through the nose, congestion, cough, fever, fatigue, bad breath, headache, ear pain, sore throat, or nausea. If a case of severe sinusitis develops, symptoms such as confusion, double-vision, stiff neck, swollen forehead, and shortness of…

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Staying Healthy during Cold and Flu Season

Staying Healthy during Cold and Flu Season While you can get a cold or the flu at any time of the year, the peak season in the United States begins in November and runs through February. Give your immune system a much needed boost so that when it comes into contact with airborne virus particles it has a line of defense. When it comes to staying healthy during cold and flu season, acupuncture and Oriental medicine have a lot to offer. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help prevent colds and flu by fortifying the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body's energy pathways. As stated by Huangdi Neijing, "To treat disease that has already developed is comparable to the behavior of those persons who begin to dig a well after they have become thirsty, and of those who begin to cast weapons after they have already engaged in battle. Would these actions not be too late?" In Oriental medicine, disease prevention begins by focusing on the…

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3 Easy Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Relief

3 Easy Exercises for Carpal Tunnel Relief Here are some easy exercises to help relieve pain and other symptoms Posture Adjustment If you are on a computer all day, or if you are engaged in any other repetitive daily activity, consider setting an alarm for every 20 minutes.  This will help remind you to change your posture, perform some stretches, or just take a break.  Keep your head up and your shoulders relaxed, but not slouched.  Maintaining good posture, whether sitting or standing, can help keep symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome at bay.  Prayer Stretch  Put the palms of your hand together, press lightly and hold the pose for 30 seconds.  Take a break for 10 seconds, then repeat up to four times.  In a variation of this pose, you can hold your hands out in front of you as though you were pushing them up against a wall.  Hold for 30 seconds, then shake your hands out. Repeat up to four times. To stretch in the other direction, make your hands into…

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Reduce Your Repetitive Stress Injury Risk

Reduce Your Repetitive Stress Injury Risk Managing repetitive stress injuries often requires some lifestyle changes. It can take time to find a strategy that works best for you. Here are a few minor changes you can implement to minimize stress on your hands and wrists: Alternate Tasks -- avoid doing the same task for more than a couple of hours at a time and alternate between tasks that use different muscle groups where possible. Take a Break -- fatigue is a sign that you need to take a break. Take small breaks to gently stretch and bend your hands and wrists and readjust your position. Reduce Pressure -- many people use more force than needed to perform tasks involving their hands, which can increase pressure and cause irritation. Be mindful of the speed and amount of pressure used to perform tasks. Ease up, slow down and grip using your palm or whole hand to distribute the load. If using tools such as riveters or jackhammers for extended periods, take frequent breaks or operate…

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Study Finds Acupuncture Effective in Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Study Finds Acupuncture Effective in Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Acupuncture is as effective as the corticosteroid, prednisone, for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a 2009 study published in The Clinical Journal of Pain. The randomized, controlled study investigated the efficacy of acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as measured by both nerve conduction studies and symptom assessment surveys. Patients with mild to moderate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome were split into two groups. One group received eight sessions of acupuncture treatments over the course of eight weeks. The other group received daily doses of a drug called prednisolone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. Evaluations at the end of the second and fourth week revealed that both groups enjoyed a significant reduction in symptoms. However, the acupuncture group received an exceptional benefit that the steroid group did not. At the conclusion of the trial, the patients receiving acupuncture treatments showed a statistically significant drop in their nocturnal awakenings. The researchers…

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Acupuncture: A Viable Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Acupuncture: A Viable Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Repetitive stress injuries (RSI) are the most common job-related injuries and are responsible for the highest number of days lost. One of the most well-known types of repetitive stress injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) accounts for over two million visits to physicians' offices and approximately 465,000 carpal tunnel release operations each year, making it the most frequent surgery of the hand and wrist. Symptoms of repetitive stress injuries include tightness, stiffness, pain, tingling, numbness, coldness and loss of strength in the arm. Carpal tunnel syndrome is a repetitive stress injury that refers specifically to the inflammation of a specific ligament that puts pressure on the median nerve. Acupuncture is extremely effective for treating repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome, and often eliminates the need for surgery or the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. In fact, one of the most common reasons that people get acupuncture is for repetitive stress injuries. What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? The carpal tunnel is suitably named as it…

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Challenge Your Brain

Challenge Your Brain Keep your mind active and challenged. Brain function decreases with age. Studies show that cognitive exercise can improve blood flow to the brain. Spend at least 15 minutes each day on a mental exercise such as a crossword puzzle, journaling or learning a new language in order to slow memory loss. However you choose to exercise your brain, acupuncture can help. Numerous studies suggest that acupuncture can help improve memory, mental clarity, concentration and cognitive function. One recently published study showed how acupuncture can be used to help patients with vascular dementia. Cerebral functional imaging before and after acupuncture treatments showed a significant increase in the cerebral glucose metabolism of the brain, which is associated with improved cognitive function. Other studies have looked at how acupuncture affects the performance of students taking an exam or those with Alzheimer's disease and memory impairment induced by diabetes and cerebral ischemia. All results, thus far, have been positive.

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Challenge Your Brain – Acupuncture Increases Brain Function for Patients with MCI

Challenge Your Brain Acupuncture Increases Brain Function for Patients with MCI   There has been a push in recent years to study mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which causes issues with memory, cognition and learning. MCI occurs prior to the onset of Alzheimer's disease and symptoms go beyond normal, age-related changes. There are no pharmacological drugs available to treat MCI in the long-run, so researchers set out to discover if acupuncture could provide substantial medical benefits. The results of their efforts appear in the study "Modulatory effects of acupuncture on brain networks in mild cognitive impairment patients" published in the February 2017 issue of Neural Regeneration Research. Half of the study participants received real acupuncture treatments specifically designed to improve cognitive functions in the brain. The other half of the patients received sham acupuncture which did not specifically treat MCI or increase cognitive function. All of the study participants had five acupuncture sessions per week for one month. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers tracked the lines of communications between different areas of the brain…

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Exercises to Improve Concentration

Exercises to Improve Concentration Trouble focusing on your work or losing steam mid-way? Oriental medicine has innovative approaches to restoring concentration, based on an interpretation of Qi, the energy which powers the body and the mind. According to Oriental Medicine, Qi stems from four main components of diet, exercise, rest and mental activity, each of which tend to vary in terms of quality, quantity, frequency, and duration. Looking at these components, you may realize you need to make adjustments to your diet, fitness, and relaxation strategies in order to make them more sustainable and conducive to improved brain function and overall health. If you are bloated or tired after meals or struggling to fall asleep after turning off the computer, you already know what actions you need to take to nourish your Qi and mind! Meditation and Tai Chi can also help calm and focus the mind. Try integrating these exercises, to nourish and improve your concentration. Eye Exercise for Concentration Prolonged focus on a fixed location can cause eyestrain as well as…

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