Research Update: Acupuncture beats intravenous morphine for acute pain relief

Research Update: Acupuncture beats intravenous morphine for acute pain relief 

In 2016, the American Journal of Emergency Medicine published a study that looking at the efficacy of acupuncture in managing acute pain for patients in the emergency room when compared to intravenous morphine. The researchers looked at 300 patients who presented to the emergency room with acute onset moderate to severe pain. Half of them were treated with acupuncture and half were given intravenous morphine. To measure their pain reduction, they asked patients to report their pain score before and after the treatments, and considered a reduction of 50 percent or greater to be a significant reduction.



The study showed the patients who received acupuncture treatments for their pain saw pain reductions of 92 percent compared to 78 percent in the morphine group. The acupuncture also seemed to work more quickly than the morphine, lowering patients’ pain scores in an average of 16 minutes compared to 28 minutes for the morphine group. Additionally, 89 patients who received morphine experienced minor adverse side effects while only four of the patients who received acupuncture did. Overall, this study showed acupuncture worked better and more quickly than intravenous morphine for reducing people’s pain in a medical setting.



This study joins a growing body of literature suggesting acupuncture is very effective at reducing pain and/or changing how our bodies experience pain. The lack of adverse side effects associated with acupuncture treatments presents a strong argument for its use, especially as synthetic medications are associated with many negative side effects and people are often allergic to the medications.



Because acupuncture affects our brains, stimulating the release of natural pain-reducing hormones, it can be used for any number of afflictions that cause pain. Acupuncture stimulates the release of endorphins – neurotransmitters responsible for blocking the sensation of pain. The stimulation also releases other chemicals that either change how the body experiences pain or triggers the release of other chemicals that activate the body’s internal regulating system. It is thought that acupoints are more densely packed with nerves than other points on the body, so stimulating these points sends more signals along the nerve networks in our body to cause this release of chemicals.



This process has a normalizing effect on nerves and hormones. By bringing the body into better biochemical balance, acupuncture promotes physical and emotional well-being and supports the body’s natural healing abilities.



Acupuncture and TCM also address the root causes of pain rather than just masking the symptoms. We develop treatment plans that are unique to each patient because each patient comes in with a unique body, health history and root cause behind their pain. By addressing the root causes, we create more lasting healing and bring your body back to a place where it can function optimally, using its natural healing processes to help you stay well.


New York Sports Acupuncture
Dr. Bishara Wilson, DACM, L.Ac.
www.nysportsacu.com
888.375.5444



https://www.ajemjournal.com/article/S0735-6757(16)30422-3/abstract

Patient Help Sheet – Low Back Pain

Patient Help Sheet – Low Back Pain

Statistics show that almost eight out of ten people will experience low back pain at some point during their life. Seeking medical treatment for back pain is very common. Typically back pain is fleeting and can be easily resolved with rest, heat and an occasional anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen. However, once the damage is done, the recurrence of back pain can be as high as 50 percent. Part of this is because as we age, things like muscles and tendons become less flexible and pliable. It is also very well known that in the United States, people are too sedentary and this leads to excess weight gain that can create added pressure on the body, especially the low back.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a medical system that dates back nearly 3,000 years. But despite its age, TCM has a lot of validity to offer in the age of modern medicine. TCM provides many ways of combating low back pain. Here are just a few examples of how this ancient medical system can help.

Acupuncture for Low Back Pain: Studies have shown that acupuncture stimulates the body to produce natural steroids that reduce inflammation. Acupuncture also increases the production of endorphins, which are helpful in reducing pain. In this way, acupuncture can be very helpful in preventing costly surgeries or prescription pain medication addiction. If a person seeks out acupuncture treatments when the low back pain is acute, it can potentially help them avoid chronic pain, thus decreasing the need for pain medications or surgery.


Acupuncture Points for Low Back Pain:

• Large Intestine 4 – This point is located bilaterally on the back side of the hand, in the webbing between the pointer finger and the thumb. When the hand is made into a fist, the point can be located in the center of the mound of flesh that is created. This point is used for relieving pain anywhere in the body. Press until it feels numb.

• Gallbladder 34 – This point is found on both legs on the outer side of the lower leg. It can found in the depression that is below the bump of the bone below the outside of the knee. This point is known as the influential point of the tendons.

• Urinary Bladder 40 – This point is located on both legs on the crease behind the knee, right in the center, directly behind the knee cap. This point helps relieve pain along the spine. It is helpful for relieving muscle spasms and reducing pain associated with sciatic nerve involvement, which stems from the low back.

Chinese Herbs for Low Back Pain: Herbs and combinations of herbs, known as formulas are used frequently in TCM. They can be used topically in the form of balms or salves and they can also be taken internally. One specific herb that is found frequently in low back pain formulas is Xu Duan. This herb is used because it strengthens the sinews, promoted blood circulation and alleviates pain.

Most herbal formulas have specific herbs in them that help target the areas that are affected. For instance, Du Huo Ji Sheng Tang contains herbs that target the muscles and sinews of the low back area to alleviate pain and inflammation.


Nutrition for Low Back Pain: Proper nutrition is vital for everyone, but for those suffering from low back pain, it can be extra important to provide the body with the right nutrients. Fatty fish, like tuna and salmon, provide omega-3 fatty acids that can help reduce inflammation. Grapes and berries contain antioxidants and anti-inflammatory components that inhibit enzymes responsible for pain. Hemp seeds are another great food to consume if you are suffering from low back pain. Full of anti-inflammatory properties and healthy fats, hemp seeds can decrease pain and inflammation.


As you can see, Traditional Chineses Medicine is a great way to deal with low back pain. If you are experiencing this problem, give us a call to see what we can do for you.



New York Sports Acupuncture

Dr. Bishara Wilson, DACM, L.Ac.

www.NewYorkSportsAcupuncture.com

888.375.5444




https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/abc/backpain.php

https://www.prpaspinesurgery.com/articles/eating-the-right-foods-to-help-with-back-pain

https://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=27668

https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/acupressure-for-lower-back-pain

https://www.hippiebutter.com/back-pain-help-use-these-9-super-foods-for-relief/

https://www.modernreflexology.com/acupressure-points-to-relieve-hip-back-pain/

Research Update: Acupuncture and Sports Injuries

Research Update: Acupuncture and Sports Injuries

In a study conducted by researchers from the Physical Education Institute at Zhengzhou University, Traditional Chinese Medicine was investigated to see how it affected athletes suffering from motor impairment due to injury. Participants in the study suffered from a limited range of motion in a number of joints, including the neck, upper and lower limbs. The researchers administered acupuncture and herbs, alone or in combination, to their different groups. The participants reported an increased range of motion and decreased soreness after receiving treatment. Those who received herbs and acupuncture reported greater healing and relief, with a total effectiveness rate of 84.4 percent overall. This study shows the combination of acupuncture and herbs is highly effective for the treatment of physical mobility impairment caused by participating in sports.

Sports injuries occur frequently from participating in organized sports, competitions or even backyard games. These injuries can range from minor to severe and they can occur for a multitude of reasons.

Sports injuries are typically categorized as acute or chronic. An acute sports injury is usually one that involves a single blow or application of force, like being tackled. Chronic sports injuries occur when an area is overused or abused for long periods of time. This can happen with sports like tennis, weight lifting, running, etc. Sprains and strains around joints tend to be the most common types of sports-related injuries.

Most people who suffer from sports-related injuries implement the use of R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression, elevation) almost immediately after the injury occurs. And while all of these may be necessary for the beginning, using ice long-term is actually detrimental to the tissue because it impedes blood flow. This is where acupuncture can be very beneficial in treating sports injuries.

Many athletes, professional and amateur, are now utilizing acupuncture and some of the other modalities associated with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to help them heal more quickly. Acupuncture has a very successful history of treating sports-related injuries and many professional teams now have licensed acupuncturists on staff. Using acupuncture to treat injuries has been around for centuries. It began with martial arts and it is still one of the primary means of healing used.

Acupuncture can help reduce swelling, decrease pain, decrease inflammation and increase blood flow to the injured area. Recent studies, like the one above, show that acupuncture is very effective at treating sprains, strains, aches, pains, swollen muscles and even shin splints. And as an added bonus, regular acupuncture treatments can improve performance and give athletes a competitive edge.

New York Sports Acupuncture

Bishara Wilson, L.Ac., MSTOM, DACM(c)

www.NewYorkSportsAcupuncture.com

888.375.5444

Acupuncture for Rehabilitation from Sports Injury

Acupuncture for Rehabilitation from Sports Injury

Sports injuries are an incredibly common reason patients first seek out treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine. From a TCM perspective, there are numerous energetic imbalances that may have predisposed someone to a particular injury, or may now be affected by the injury. A trained practitioner will look at the location of the injury, the depth of the injury, and the pathology of the injury.

A sports injury anywhere on the body may have the following components:

Blood Stasis: Blood stasis is often caused by trauma to the local area, such as falling on the soccer field or getting hit with a hockey stick. Symptoms of blood stasis include sharp and stabbing pain that is worse with pressure, bruising and skin discoloration. When the stasis is severe it may affect sleep. Sports injuries such as bone breaks, contusions, fractures, tendon and ligament tears frequently have a blood stasis component.

Qi Stagnation: Qi stagnation can be caused by trauma but more frequently is caused by overuse, repetitive motion, poor posture or form while doing an exercise. Pain from a Qi stagnation injury tends to be dull, achy, throbbing and diffuse. Normally it is worse with pressure, but may be better with gentle movement. Common injuries that often involve Qi stagnation are tendonitis, muscle strains, chronically tight muscles and shin splints.

Heat: Both Qi stagnation and blood stagnation can generate heat, which is a TCM explanation for lots of kinds of inflammation. Any sports injury that presents as red, hot and swollen has a heat component to it.

Cold: Just as pathogenic heat can be a factor in sports injuries, so too can pathogenic cold. There is an idea in TCM that cold can “direct strike” an organ or energy system, leading to severe, acute, cramping pain. This often occurs after exposure to cold, such as running a race on a cold day, swimming in cold water or sitting in an ice bath after a workout. Cold can also be a factor in certain chronic areas of pain, particularly when bone is involved or when the injury is in a location that doesn’t get a lot of blood flow.

Blood deficiency: Any acute sports injury has a component of stagnation or stasis. However, there may be an underlying blood deficiency that allowed the tissues to be more susceptible to injury. The blood is said to nourish the tendons, so this is particularly true in tendon injuries such as tennis elbow or Achilles tendonitis. Blood deficiency may also be a result of a sports injury, such as a concussion, which means the body needs more resources to rebuild itself after the injury.


Luckily, TCM has numerous ways of treating sports injuries and helping in the rehabilitation process:

Acupuncture: Acupuncture can help to increase blood flow to an area, reduce pain, inflammation and help tissues heal.

Chinese Herbal Medicine: Herbal formulas can be applied topically in the form of liniments, plasters, poultices, creams, and ointments. Certain herbal formulas are also appropriate to be taken internally to help with pain or associated symptoms during the recovery phase. Depending on the herbal formula, it may target pain, tension, inflammation, swelling, or circulation. Herbal formulas can be tailored to fit any of the diagnoses mentioned above. Clinically, we often use topical applications of herbs for soft tissue injuries such as tendonitis, muscle strains, and sprains. Certain formulas are also appropriate for bone injuries such as fractures, breaks, and spurs.

Moxa: Burning moxa, or moxibustion, can be a very effective therapy for many sports injuries. Moxa is burned over certain points or locations to reduce pain, increase the range of motion, eliminate cold from the channels and reduce inflammation. Moxa is frequently used for injuries to the bone, injuries involving cold or any injury that heat seems to make feel better.

Gua Sha: Gua sha refers to a TCM technique of scraping along a channel or particular muscle fibers with a hard curved tool. Gua sha breaks up adhesions that have formed in the muscle tissue, increases blood flow to the area and helps eliminate toxins stuck in a particular location. Gua sha is excellent for treating Qi and blood stagnation injuries.

Cupping: Cupping is another technique from TCM that uses special sterilized cups to create suction over large muscle areas. This helps muscles to relax, pulls toxins out of the channels and helps to physically pull apart layers of fascia that get stuck together with the injury.

New York Sports Acupuncture

Bishara Wilson, L.Ac., MSTOM, DAOM (c)

www.nysportsacu.com

888.375.5444

Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia

Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia 

Fibromyalgia affects approximately two percent of the U.S. population or around five million people. Fibromyalgia is a syndrome with many different symptoms that can vary from patient to patient: the primary symptom all fibromyalgia patients share is widespread, diffuse pain that persists as well as sleep disturbances. The cause of fibromyalgia is unknown although many people with the condition have a history of either physical or emotional trauma.


Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (OM) can offer relief from fibromyalgia. A recent study done in Spain demonstrated a course of nine weekly treatments individualized acupuncture treatments gave patients a 41 percent decrease in pain, while also decreasing other fibromyalgia symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, and depression. And significantly, the results were maintained at the one-year follow up (Vas, 2016). This is one of the most promising and significant studies done to date: previous studies have not been as conclusive, possibly because treatment protocols were generic (not individualized as is standard practice in OM but is not often taken into consideration when Western medical research designs study protocols). Currently, only one in five fibromyalgia patients try acupuncture within two years of their diagnosis.

Seek out a licensed acupuncturist in your area to help you determine your fibromyalgia pattern and find the best acupressure/acupuncture points for you to stimulate at home to relieve your symptoms. Here are two to try now:

● Du 26 is located at the center point between the upper lip and nose. You can find it by sliding your finger from your nose to your lip, then feel for the most sensitive spot. Press lightly while breathing in and relaxing the parts of your body your breath focuses your attention upon.

● Sp21 is found by wrapping one arm around to the opposite side and feeling for a tender point on the side of the body about the level to your elbow between the seventh and eighth ribs. Press gently while breathing in and relaxing the parts of your body your breath focuses your attention upon. Sp21 is a point that influences microcirculation in the body and is used for widespread, diffuse, all over body pain.


Oriental Medicine (OM) Nutrition Tips

Stay away from sugar and all things that turn into sugar in the body such a dairy, simple carbohydrates and wheat. They are foods that in OM nutrition create dampness in the body. Dampness can cause pain, especially pain that gets worse with changes in weather, swollen joints, inflammation, bloating and edema.


Vitamin deficiencies: have you had your levels checked?

Even if your skin is very tender to the touch you may have a Vitamin D deficiency. To increase your Vitamin D levels eat more deep-sea fish or take a high quality fish oil and get some sun every day! Sun yourself two to three times per week for about five to ten minutes per day with as much skin exposed as possible (Holick, 2004). Other vitamins that play a role in pain include: calcium, potassium as well as proteins and healthy fats. Analyze your diet to figure out what’s missing. Then focus on food-based sources to use food as medicine to heal your body back to health.


Breathing Yoga Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Developing a breathing yoga practice with intentional relaxation can become an internal part of nurturing your well-being.

With your knees bent feet up on a wall or couch. Support your body with props, something under the legs and/or neck can help relieve pressure and make the pose more restorative. Plus, it helps if you turn your palms up to open the shoulders and relax the chest. Focus on deep breathing and unwinding your body. With each inhale your breath will guide your mind to a different part of your body, follow the sensations in your body. With each exhale, practice letting go of that part of your body. Imagine it melting, softening, unwinding, relaxing, surrendering, turning a color you associate with relaxing… find the right word or imagery that helps your body relax. The ‘right’ word or image may change from breath to breath, day to day.


New York Sports Acupuncture

Bishara Wilson, DACM(c), L.Ac.

www.nysportsacu.com

888.375.5444

Resources

Holick, M. F. (2004). Sunlight and vitamin D for bone health and prevention of autoimmune diseases, cancers, and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 80(6), 1678S-1688S. Vas, J., Santos-Rey, K., Navarro-Pablo, R., Modesto, M., Aguilar, I., Campos, M. Á., & Santamaría, O. (2016). Acupuncture for fibromyalgia in primary care: a randomised controlled trial. Acupuncture in Medicine, acupmed-2015.