Relieve Your Seasonal Allergies with AcupunctureBy: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM |
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- Acupuncture Solutions3900 Pebblecreek Ct #101
Plano, TX 75023972-612-4900 - 6501 Wesley St #A-1
Greenville, TX 75402903-213-3679
It’s That Time of Year Again
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Acupuncture 101: How do Needles Work?
Ever wonder why inserting a tiny needle between your thumb and index finger can help your headache? Or putting needles in your ear can help your indigestion?
Many people wonder how acupuncture works. Scientists and doctors are especially prone to skepticism about acupuncture. To people trained in western medicine, it doesn’t make sense. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) does not follow their familiar logic.
Yet there is growing body of evidence that TCM, and acupuncture specifically, is an effective treatment for many injuries and diseases–often with few side effects. For these reasons more and more hospitals, clinics and doctors worldwide are recommending it for their patients.
Research and clinical trials will continue but for the people who have found relief from their symptoms and conditions using these ancient techniques, such research is unnecessary. They know acupuncture works.
But why?
Western Perspective
There are several theories to explain acupuncture. The most widely accepted is that the stimulation of acupuncture points with needles sends electrical signals to the brain to release endorphins, the chemicals that make us feel good. Another theory states that acupuncture needles stimulate blood flow and tissue repair at the needle sites. Still another states that needles send nerve signals to the brain that regulate the perception of pain and reboot the autonomic nervous system to a “rest and relax” state. Some scientists now believe that acupuncture uses several of these mechanisms at once.
While each theory explains some of the clinical trial results, none of them explain the wide range of conditions that benefit from acupuncture.
Eastern Perspective
There is no western analogy to Traditional Chinese Medicine concepts.
TCM believes Qi, or life energy, flows through the body. The Qi flows in channels called meridians and the meridians connect the organs together. To remain healthy you need the free flow of Qi through the meridians, much like rivers flow in their riverbeds.
Sometimes the flow of Qi becomes imbalanced. Like a river, it can be blocked, excessive or 
deficient. To rebalance the Qi, you stimulate acupuncture points to free the flow of Qi and return it to a more balanced state. One way to stimulate the points is with acupuncture needles.
Since the meridians connect the organs of the body, sometimes you can stimulate an acupuncture point that seems completely unrelated to the organ you want to balance. If you unblock a river at one point the flow of the entire river, upstream and downstream, returns to normal. Acupuncture works much the same way.
References: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704841304575137872667749264.html
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Summer Time Fun and Safety
Sun Safety Tips
It’s summertime. It’s time to get outdoors and enjoy the sun.
Follow these sun safety tips to protect your skin and avoid a nasty burn.
- Cover up. Wear clothes and a hat to protect your skin.
- Find shade. Instead of spending all day under the hot, beaming sun, spend part of the day in the shade. If no shade is available, bring an umbrella or tent.
- Avoid the noon sun. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation peaks at noon, when the sun is highest in the sky. Time your fun in the sun for early morning or late afternoon when the sun is less intense.
- Wear sunglasses. Protect your eyes from UV radiation.
- Choose sunscreen wisely. Not all sunscreens are made the same. Use the tips below to pick the best sunscreen.
- Put on sunscreen before getting dressed. If you apply sunscreen around clothes, you may miss a spot.
- Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin—including your part or bald patch. Any skin can burn in the sun.
- Allow 20 minutes between applying sunscreen and going outside. This allows the sunscreen to penetrate the upper epidermis of the skin.
- Buy new sunscreen every year so the ingredients stay fresh and potent.
- Protect children, especially babies, from the sun. Their skin is extremely vulnerable.
Sun Protection Do’s and Don’ts
Do:
- Do use products with zinc, titanium dioxide, avobenzone or Mexoryl SX. These ingredients give good sun protection without penetrating the skin and entering the bloodstream.
- Do use sunscreen creams or lotions.
- Do use broad spectrum protection.
- Do use sunscreens labeled “water resistant for beach, pool and exercise.”
- Do use SPF 30+.
- Do reapply often.
Don’t:
- Don’t use products with vitamin A (retinyl palmitate). Vitamin A is good to eat but studies show it is harmful on your skin.
- Don’t use products with oxybenzone, a synthetic estrogen that can enter the bloodstream through the skin.
- Don’t use sunscreens with added insect repellent. Apply insect repellent separately. Put it on before your sunscreen.
- Don’t use sprays or powders. Sprays and powders release sunscreen particles that may not be safe to breathe.
- Don’t use SPF above 50+. High SPF numbers are misleading. They may tempt you to stay in the sun longer, exposing you to types of skin damage other than sunburn.
Eating to Reduce Pain? – YES!
Your diet plays a crucial role in helping you avoid or control arthritis.
The first objective of a healthy diet is to help you lose weight if you are overweight. Being overweight can cause additional stress to your joints.
Another way a balanced, varied diet can help ease the pain of arthritis is by providing vitamins and minerals that keep your joints healthy and avoiding “damp” foods such as dairy products and greasy or spicy foods.
Here are some other healthy and delicious choices to include in your diet.
• Ginger – Ginger has been found to be a natural 
anti-inflammatory. Make tea by combining one-half teaspoon of grated ginger root with eight ounces of boiling water. Cover and steep for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain and add honey to taste.
• Fresh pineapple – Bromelain, an enzyme 
in pineapple, reduces inflammation. Be sure the pineapple is fresh, not canned or frozen.
• Cherries – Recent research has shown that tart cherries are an excellent source of nutrients that may help to reduce joint pain and inflammation related to arthritis.
• Fish – Cold-water fish such as salmon and mackerel contain omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep joints healthy as well as reduce pain and swelling. If you don’t care for fish, consider supplementing your diet with fish oil capsules.
• Turmeric – Another natural anti-inflammatory. 
You can sprinkle turmeric on scrambled eggs, add it to soups, or mix it into sauces or salad dressings.
How you go from engineering to acupuncture!
The question that I probably get asked the most is how I got into acupuncture. I thought this would be a good place to start for my first blog entry.
The adventure started back in 1992. My first child, Taylor, was born for all practical purposes allergic to this world. Taylor consistently vomited breast milk and within a couple of months was on formula. The conversion to formula turned out to be a troublesome trial and error experience. Based on my wife’s and my upbringing we first approached Taylor’s pediatrician. He did not believe allergies were the cause because of his age, but he could not provide any alternatives. At age 9 months, Taylor had his first glass of milk. After the initial sip, he immediately vomited, and his face became covered with hives. The doctor told us to avoid milk products, but he was too young for allergy testing. I personally went through my childhood getting allergy skin test and shots and knew what he was going to experience. Taylor’s reactions got more frequent and more severe. When he was two, we convinced the doctor to do a series of RAST tests. He was allergic to everything. The doctor’s answer was to eliminate additional foods and do more testing. At this point, we felt we could count the number of foods that did not get him sick on both hands. We continued the avoidance routine by cooking everything from scratch. We would not let anyone give him any food.
At this time in my son’s life, a typical day consisted of eating only foods that we prepared, taking 3-4 Nebulizer treatments and taking several medications to control his asthma. My wife and I did not have a hopeful picture of his future.
When Taylor was four, the Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Treatment (NAET) was introduced to us. Both my wife and I have petroleum engineering degrees and found this technique unbelievable, but we were at the point where we would try almost anything. We started the treatments and immediately saw a positive impact. Our friends also began to see the difference in our son’s appearance and attitude. After the initial phase of treatments, we tried giving Taylor a danish. We were ready for a reaction, but nothing happened. Before the treatment, he would have gotten sick. My wife and I then knew the treatments were the answer to his allergies. We continued the treatments on a daily basis for about 3 months, then bi-weekly for about a year.
I also started the treatments for my allergies. My results were not as dramatic as Taylor’s, but I found them successful. I had significantly less seasonally allergy symptoms and noticed that I was not as congested after eating certain foods.
After 15 years as a petroleum engineer, I had the opportunity to change careers. I decided to learn acupuncture and became a full time student. In 2002, I received my Masters Degree in Oriental Medicine from the Dallas College of Oriental Medicine and opened my practice. I have found that my engineering background has led me to use several computer-based programs to aid me in treating my patients. Even though I studied Traditional Chinese Medicine, I am not a traditional practitioner. I use a combination of several energy balancing techniques (Zyto, NanoSRT Stress Reduction Therapy, Advanced Allergy Therapeutics (AAT), Nambudripad’s Allergy Elimination Treatment (NAET), AcuGraph) and nutritional supplementation. By applying the combination of these different techniques, I am able to address a wide variety of conditions from acute to chronic pain, symptoms due to allergies, symptoms due to hormonal imbalances, headaches, and many other disorders.
As a matter of an update, Taylor will be 21 in a few weeks. You would never know how rough his first few years were. He continues to be athletic and plays on several sports teams. I have to admit that he still has an occasional reaction that requires some maintenance treatments, but I will take a 98% improvement while rarely taking any prescribed medications any day.
If you would like to watch the news report that was done about our story please click:
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