Psycho-Emotional and Neurological Disorders
Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine have been used for centuries to treat all kinds of issues, from chronic disease to acute pain. One of the most common reasons people seek Acupuncture and Chinese Medical care is for Stress.
Every single day in our clinic, we see patients who are suffering from stress disorders, psychoemotional imbalance and hormonal disregulation. They may complain of some or all of the following:
- ADD/ADHD
- Adrenal Fatigue
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Panic Disorder
- PTSD
- Stress or “Burnout”
- Heart Palpitations
- Cardiac Arrhythmia
Relieving Headaches with Traditional Chinese Medicine
Both western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine recognize two categories of headaches:
primary and secondary
Primary: A primary headache is a clinical condition, not a symptom of another disorder. Primary headaches include: tension headaches, migraines and cluster headaches.
Secondary: Secondary headaches are caused by other medical conditions such as: sinus disease, allergies, dental disorders, head injury or brain tumors.
Acupuncture is used to effectively treat primary headaches; namely tension and migraine, which are the most common.
Types of Headaches
There are a variety of different types of headaches, both Primary and Secondary. These include the following:
Tension Headaches: Tension headaches, which occasionally affect most people, are the most common type of headache. They are recurrent headaches, and can last anywhere from minutes to days. These headaches are experienced as a dull pressure, mild or moderate in severity.
Migraines: Migraine headaches are usually one-sided, pulsating or throbbing, and moderate or severe in intensity. They can be worsened with activity and may be associated with nausea and/or vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light or noise. Some patients also experience auras, a neurological symptom that develops gradually over 5-20 minutes. The patient may see brief flashes or waves of light, or changes in their vision. Other common features of auras include vertigo, imbalance, confusion and numbness.
Chronic Headache: Headaches occurring every day or almost every day are referred to as chronic daily headaches or rebound headaches. Sometimes they resemble tension headaches, and at other times, migraines. The overuse of pain medications can result in aggravating headache patterns.
Dangerous Headaches: Some headaches may be signs of a serious medical condition. These include headaches after trauma, headaches in the elderly, or headaches with any of the following symptoms:
- Vomiting without nausea
- Severe dizziness
- Fever
- Extreme neck pain
- Sudden onset
- Hypertension
The following are some important lifestyle changes to reduce the incidence of headaches:
- Sleep adequately (7-8 hours per day)
- Avoid physical or mental fatigue
- Avoid alcohol (especially red wine)
- Avoid caffeine
- Eliminate foods that trigger migraines: dairy, chocolate, spices, wheat and corn
- Avoid any triggers that cause your headaches
Mental health disorders are medical conditions that disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others, and daily functioning which result in a diminished capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life.
Serious mental illnesses include:
- major depression
- schizophrenia
- bipolar disorder
- obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
- panic disorder, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- borderline personality disorder
From an Oriental medicine perspective mental health disorders can cause a disruption in the flow of vital energy, or Qi, through the body. These energetic imbalances can throw off the immune system or cause symptoms of pain, sleep disturbances, abnormal digestion, headaches, menstrual irregularities, and, over time, more serious illnesses can develop. Acupuncture treatments can correct these imbalances and directly affect the way your body manages your mental health.
Acupuncture and Oriental medicine have the ability to detect energetic changes that occur in the body and relieve symptoms by restoring equilibrium. The physical and emotional symptoms that you are experiencing will help create a clear picture on which your practitioners can create a treatment plan specifically formulated for you.
The basic foundation for Oriental medicine is that there is a life energy flowing through the body which is termed Qi (pronounced chee).
This energy flows through the body on channels known as meridians that connect all of our major organs. According to Chinese medical theory, illness arises when the cyclical flow of Qi in the meridians becomes unbalanced. Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points located near or on the surface of the skin which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in order to achieve the desired effect.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a long history of treating shen, or mood disorders, dating back to the Han dynasty in China (206 BC–220 AD). At that time, Dr. Zhang Zhong jing, an eminent Chinese physician and the father of modern, Chinese herbal medicine, wrote a formula called Rambling Powder to promote a free and easy, rambling spirit for those who feel tense, uptight, angry and irritable. This formula remains one of the most widely used and popular herbal formulas today.
Chinese medicine offers a different approach to treating shen disorders. Shen is the Chinese word referring to the concept of the mind-spirit. With Chinese medicine, we use a combination of acupuncture and herbal therapy to effectively treat mood disorders. Acupuncture induces a deep, relaxed state, quite helpful for those who are tense and stressed.
