Acupuncture & Natural Medicine Clinic 1355 S. Hemlock P.O. Box 1292 Cannon Beach, Oregon 503-436-2255 Nancy Burton, L.Ac.

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Acupuncture

How does acupuncture Work?

There are electrical channels in the body, acupuncture channels, that start or end in the fingers and toes and go up or down the arms or legs and interconnect on the chest or head or back. When there is blockage in the energy of the body, (what the Chinese call Qi, pronounced Chi) there is pain.  If there is too much or not enough energy running through the channels there are health problems.  When the Qi, or vital energy, of the body is flowing as it should, the body can heal itself. Each Acupuncture Channel is related to a different organ or system which, in turn, is related to a different emotion:

Lung - grief                              Heart - over joy or anxiety                              Liver - stress, anger, or irritability                              Spleen - over thinking, worrying                              Kidney - Fear                              Gallbladder - Indecision

While resolving physical problems, patients usually find they feel emotionally better as well.

Acupuncture is one technique of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC). The goal of TMC is to achieve balance in the body. It is base on the Taoist philosophy of Yin and Yang.

Yin and Yang are opposites of each other. To achieve balance, the body should not be too cold, which is Yin, or hot, which is Yang, too damp - Yin, or too dry - Yang, not enough energy running through the channels - Yin, or too much energy - Yang. When there is balance in the body, there is emotional and physical health.

How old is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is over 5,000 years old. Over 2,500 years ago, The Yellow Emperor, the first emperor to consolidate China, ordered all medical knowledge (thousands of years worth) to be recorded. the result was extensive texts of TCM including Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Tue Na (the Chinese Medicinal Massage) and Qi Gong (techniques for moving energy in the body, within oneself or by a practitioner). This information was then sent by envoys to surrounding countries, many of whom developed their own techniques based on TCM. These texts are still the bases for TCM today. TCM is truly time tested!

Does Acupuncture hurt?

Most people, even those that are needle-phobic, find Acupuncture extremely relaxing and enjoyable. The needles are very thin and flexible, the size of a stiff hair, so are not usually felt. An occasional initial sensation might be a brief feeling of pressure, or electricity at the point and time of insertion. An Acupuncture Treatment takes abount 20 minutes. Most patients fall asleep during that time or experience a pleasant, floating sensation of comfort and well being as they listen to relaxing music.

What does it Treat?

Pain was the first thing the AMA (American Medical Association) acknowledged that Acupuncture excelled at treating. Acupuncture and Natural Medicine treat pain by addressing its root cause. In most cases of chronic neck, back, limb or joint pain the vertebrae (bones) in the neck and back are out of alignment causing inflammation or spasm of the soft tissues that sometimes radiate into the arms and legs. When the neck is out of alignment the vertebrae, or inflammation of  tissues, can press on the spinal cord causing pressure or pain in the upper neck and back of head that sometimes radiate over the top of the head, often a contributing factor in migraine headaches. If there is pressure on the blood vessels, it can cause numbness down the arms and into hands due to lack of blood flow. If there is pressure on the nerves, it can cause sharp pains, or tingling into the arms, wrists or hands, often resulting in a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.   When the lower back is out of alignment, the hips are usually rotated, so that one is forward and higher than the other hip. Along with lower back pain, this can effect the nerves that go down the backs or the sides, or wrap around to the front of the legs, causing sharp pain or tingling, resulting in sciatica. Numbness is usually the blood vessels being constricted due to misalignment and/or inflammation. Gentle Tui Na (Chinese medicinal massage) techniques can relax the muscles, enabling the vertebrae to shift back into place. Acupuncture and then more Tui Na can relax the muscles, ligaments and tendons, by increasing blood and energy flow, subduing spasms and inflammation and relieving pain. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas address causes of pain, including inflammation, blood stasis and Qi stagnation, which cause stiffness in the morning and after not moving, and sharp pains. There are formulas and Acupuncture that nourish and relax the muscles, ligaments and tendons to alleviate knotting and tightness or cramping. Other contibuting factors may include pain made better or worse by hot or cold, or edema (water retention under the skin).         What keeps people in alignment? A good diet, and exercise including regular stretching. Yoga classes can give people daily stretches for preventing reoccurring pain, as well as relaxation and stress management. For more individualized help, a Structural Yogi session with a qualified practitioner can help isolate and strengthen the speciific weak muslces that are causing reoccurring structural misalignment.         Traditional Chinese and Natural medicine can give people the tools they need to more quckly and effectively resolve acute and chronic pain.

Stress, Depression and Anxiety

Traditional chinese Medicine (TCM) recognizes Stress, Depression and Anxiety as physical manifestations of the energetic function of organs out of balance. Stress, that wound up feeling, like a spring ready to be sprung, often accompanied with irritability, anger, and sometimes a tight feeling around the chest, is too much energy rising up or stuck in the liver channel.  One organ out of balance can often effect others. The energetic function of the heart has to do with Anxiety. The function of the spleen has to do with over-thinking and over-worrying. Over-studying, or the student syndrome, also falls under this category. Insomnia can be another manifestation of the liver, heart or spleen being out of balance. Stress, which contines for a prolonged period can result in depression. the excess of energy in the liver channetl, like an engine continually over worked, can finally wear down or et stuck. Acupuncture and chinese herbal formulas facilitate the free fow of energy, halting the downward sprial of depression, stress and anxiety. One of the first effects of Acupuncture most patients experience is a deep state of relaxation and well being, which contines after the treatment. Traditional chinese herbal formulas are then taken to help rebalance the body. The prescribed pills are initially taken regularly then just as needed. Other aspects taken into consideration when treating stress, Depression and Anxiety are diet, toxins built up in the body, endocrine function, including thyroid health, hormones, adrenal fatigue, and candida, the over growth of negative bacteria in the small intestines which creates an environment for yeast (a major symptom of candida is sweet, carbohydrate or alcohol cravings). As each person is a biochemical individual, each treatment can be different. One of the main problems with Stress, Depression and Anxiety is the feeling of helplessness. TCM and Natural Medicine provide the tools to give people back control of their health and their lives.