Why We Need Acupuncture

What is 'Acupuncture'?

Acupuncture is a holistic health technique that stems from Traditional Chinese Medicine practices in which trained practitioners stimulate specific points on the body by inserting thin needles into the skin.

Acupuncture, from an Eastern perspective, is all about energy and its flow through your body. If that flow is blocked, the thinking goes, pain or illness results. By gently tapping as many as 20 thin needles into your body at strategic points, acupuncturists try to reestablish the flow. That's a compelling but not necessarily convincing explanation. So Western medicine is working to understand the mechanisms of acupuncture. "There are many details we still don't understand, but essentially, acupuncture seems to stimulate specific muscles and nerves, activating changes that reduce pain and symptoms and promote healing.

There are two types of acupuncture that use light electrical stimulations that flow through the needles, or no needles at all. For example, acupressure is often thought of as simply “acupuncture without the needles” and uses targeted massage-type techniques to stimulate energy in the body by pressing on certain points.

How It works?

An integral part of Chinese Medicine is the concept of Qi (pronounced Chee). Qi is often referred to as energy or life force, but in reality it is much more than this. Qi cannot be measured but without it we could not exist.

Acupuncture points, or “acupoints,” are specific locations on the body that are the focus of acupuncture treatments. TCM explains acupuncture as a technique for “balancing the flow of energy or life force,” and that energy can be reached by stimulating small specific channels on the body.

In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture is linked to the belief that disease is caused by disruptions to the flow of energy, or qi, in the body.

Acupuncture stimulates points on or under the skin called acupuncture points or acupressure points, releasing this qi. The qi then travels through channels called meridian. if this flow of qi is balanced that means we are fit and healthy.

How acupuncture works may be unclear, but the benefits stick out.

9 Benefits of Acupuncture Treatment

1.Drug-free treatment.
2.Effective in treating Addiction.
3.Reduce Headaches and Migraines.
4.Works Wonders for Women’s Health Issues.
5.Effective Preventative Medicine with Positive Effects.
6.Affordable Medical Therapy.
7.Boosting immune function.
8.Herbs do Benefit body in a good way.
9. One of the Best alternative for pain management

This article originally appeared on Acupuncture Specialist Atlanta & was written by Chen Zhang.

What Does Sleep Do For Us?

23 Incredible Benefits Of Getting More Sleep

We’re always on the lookout for ways to transform our lives, but sometimes we forget that — along with exercise — there’s another miracle drug within our control: sleep.

If you have a few days off over the holidays, one of the best things you can possibly do with your time is work on fixing your sleep habits.

Our sleep problems are so bad that the CDC refers to them as “a public health epidemic.”

While a tiny percentage of the population does just fine on little sleep, those people are incredibly rare. Almost half the population doesn’t get enough sleep: 40% of people sleep less than the recommended seven to nine hours a night (teens and children need even more).

Sleeping too much isn’t good for you either and comes with its own health risks, but only 5% of people sleep more than nine hours a night.

For at least 40% of the US population, getting more sleep would make our lives so much better.

Here’s how.

1. You’ll be happier.

Sleeping poorly ruins your day. You know that, but researchers have shown it too, especially in one notable study that followed 909 working women. A poor night’s rest affected their happiness as much as tight work deadlines, and it had an even bigger impact on mood than significant income differences in the group.

2. You’ll have better sex.

Not getting enough sleep lowers libido and can make people more likely to have sexual problems like erectile dysfunction. And sleep itself is restorative — it increases testosterone levels, which boosts sexual drive for both men and women.

3. You’ll be able to build muscle more easily.

There’s a reason that fitness magazines and forums always focus on the importance of sleep. If you don’t sleep, you can’t build muscle.

Your body uses most of the night (except when you are in REM sleep) to heal damage done to your cells and tissues when you are awake and more metabolically active. At the start of the night and during slow wave sleep, your body also releases growth hormone. Lack of sleep, on the other hand, is linked to muscle atrophy.

4. You’ll learn better.

This isn’t just about kids. Adults who get enough sleep do better on tests of short-term memory.

And when researchers had adults do a task once, get a good night’s sleep, and then try the task again, they showed improvement. But participants who stayed awake 30 hours after learning the same task had a much harder time improving their skills — even if they practiced and had a chance to catch some recovery shut eye later. Something about the initial sleep deprivation impaired their ability to learn.

Of course, letting kids get enough sleep is important too. In one case, starting schools an hour later (at 8:30 instead of 7:30) increased “standardized test scores by at least 2 percentile points in maths and 1 percentile point in reading.” The Minneapolis school district found that starting school an hour and a half later (7:15 to 8:40) improved attendance and led to fewer symptoms of depression among students.

5. You’ll be a better and safer driver.

Driving sleepy is like driving drunk. Both are a common cause of serious injuries and in tests, sleep-deprived drivers perform like alcohol-impaired drivers.

Drowsy driving is responsible for 100,000 crashes and 1,500 deaths every year, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Almost 20% of serious injuries in crashes happen when there’s a sleepy driver involved.

Getty Images / Anthony KwanWith enough sleep, you’ll have better energy and your body will crave food less. Sleep is also essential for building muscle.

6. It’s one of the best ways to stay fit.

Multiple studies show that people who sleep less are more likely to be obese. One study that followed 500 people for 13 years found that people who regularly slept less than seven hours a night were 7.5 times more likely to be overweight — even after controlling for physical activity, family history, and demographic factors.

Researchers think this is mostly due to hormonal changes caused by sleep deprivation — not getting enough sleep stimulates your appetite. Basically, one of the most effective diet hacks possible is just getting enough sleep.

7. People who don’t sleep enough are more likely to develop diabetes — even if they are skinny.

Type 2 diabetes is an awful disease that can lead to strokes, amputations, blindness, and organ damage. And this isn’t just about obesity, so if you are skinny but don’t get enough sleep this still applies.

Otherwise healthy adults lose their ability to control blood sugar without getting enough sleep, and the less sleep someone gets, the more likely they are to develop a problem. Compared to adults who sleep seven to eight hours a night, people who sleep six hours are 1.7 times as likely to develop diabetes, and people who sleep five hours are 2.5 times as likely to develop diabetes.

8. People who sleep enough have better moods and fewer problems with depression and anxiety.

People who sleep less tend to have more symptoms of depression, lower self esteem, and more anxiety — though that’s an association and it’s possible that those symptoms cause people to sleep less.

Still, a review of studies shows that sleep loss has an even stronger effect on mood than it does on cognitive ability or motor function, which is a strong indicator that sleeping more could help.

9. People who get more sleep have healthier skin.

Along with mood disorders, sleeping poorly is also associated with chronic skin conditions. Some research shows that poor sleep, depression, anxiety, and chronic skin problems all go together.

A study by the British Association of Dermatologists found that “good sleepers” recovered better after ultraviolet light exposure, and their skin also recovered more quickly after having tape stripped off of it. They also showed fewer signs of ageing.

REUTERS/Brendan McDermidPeople make riskier financial decisions if they are tired.

10. You’ll be less likely to make risky financial decisions.

When people are tired, the way they make financial decisions changes. Instead of trying to minimize loss, they start looking for risky big gains. That’s a good reason to make sure you sleep before making any big purchases — and it also raises some questions about the insane hours some Wall Street employees log.

11. You’ll spend less time and money at the doctor.

People who score high on a “sleepiness scale” use 11% more healthcare resources than their well-rested brethren. Sleep troubles caused by sleep apnea and insomnia cost the US billions of dollars in direct medical costs every year, and that’s even before taking into account the associated lost productivity.

12. Adolescents who sleep enough are less likely to abuse alcohol.

According to the Institute of Medicine, sleep problems are associated with alcohol abuse.

Adolescents who have sleeping problems are more likely to develop problems abusing alcohol — though it’s also true that people who abuse alcohol have trouble sleeping well.

Still, researchers believe that having a disrupted circadian rhythm causes changes in the reward system of the brain. This, in turn, makes those adolescents more likely to engage in risky behaviour and to develop alcohol use disorders.

13. It will be easier to speak well.

We know that people who drive tired are similar to those who drive drunk, but did you know that staying awake too long can cause slurred speech, repetitive word usage, and a slow, monotonous tone? So make sure to get some rest before your next presentation.

14. Getting enough sleep helps prevent migraines and other headaches.

If you find yourself cringing due to sudden head pain, look at your sleep schedule. Even though doctors aren’t sure exactly why this happens, multiple studies show that people who don’t sleep enough are more likely to suffer migraines. “Poor sleep quality is uniquely associated with episodic migraine,” write the authors of one recent study (emphasis ours).

Additionally, 36 to 58% of sleep apnea sufferers wake up with a throbbing head.

15. You’ll be more productive at work and more focused at home.

The more tired you are, the harder it to concentrate on something, and distraction can take a toll on both work and your personal life. Researchers say that “attention tasks appear to be particularly sensitive to sleep loss.” So if you want to focus — either on a job or a conversation — make sure to get some rest.

16. You’ll make fewer dangerous mistakes.

Though we don’t always recognise it, we make more mistakes when we don’t get enough sleep. For some of us that amounts to a typo here and there, which is annoying to our editors, but such carelessness can be more serious.

In 2003, the body that regulates medical residents’ hours decided to limit those hours to 80 hours a week with no shifts longer than 24 hours (there’s a reason why medical residents show up frequently in sleep deprivation studies). But a Harvard study afterwards found that if those hours were further reduced to 63 a week, residents slept more and made fewer serious medical errors. The more sleep-deprived group made 22% more serious errors.

Famous accidents like the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion and the Exxon Valdez oil spill have been attributed, at least in part, to mistakes made by people who didn’t get enough sleep. But it’s not just these major events: All sleep-deprived workers are much more likely to have a dangerous accident.

One study of 50,000 people in Sweden found that lack of sleep made people twice as likely to die in an accident.

17. You’ll see better if you get enough sleep.

We don’t function well without sleep. Our bodies get tired and our eyes get tired. The longer you stay awake, the more vision errors you make, ranging from tunnel vision to seeing double to even — eventually, at scary levels of sleep loss — hallucinations.

18. You’ll be less likely to catch a cold.

While going out in the cold doesn’t make you more likely to catch one, being exposed to one does. But if you haven’t slept before being exposed to a virus, your weakened immune system makes you much more likely to catch it. When researchers exposed a group of 153 people to the common cold, those who had been sleeping less than seven hours a night were almost three times more likely to catch the virus.

19. You’re less likely to develop certain kinds of cancer.

People who do shift work (night shifts) and have disrupted circadian cycles — and thus don’t sleep enough — are likely to encounter some serious health problems. One association that researchers have found is that these night workers are more likely to develop colon and breast cancer.

Bohbeh/ShutterstockIt will be easier to stay calm.

20. You’ll be less easily irritated or upset.

When you don’t sleep enough you’re more emotionally volatile and more easily irritated — a little thing can make you blow up or ruin your morning even more. According to a study published by an Israeli research team, sleep deprivation amplifies negative emotions caused by small things like interruptions. The researchers studied medical residents, who as we know are tragically familiar with not getting enough sleep.

21. People feel less pain after a good night of sleep.

Not getting enough sleep makes people more sensitive to pain — which can lead to a terrible cycle for chronic pain sufferers. Tests show that keeping people up all night makes it easier for them to feel pain. There’s even evidence that not getting enough sleep can interfere with the pain relief processes of certain drugs. By the same token, getting good sleep can function like low level pain medication.

22. You’ll have better reactions.

Researchers have tested college athletes and West Point cadets — pretty fit groups with pretty well-honed reactions in the first place. Overall strength isn’t necessarily affected by losing a night’s sleep, but after one sleep-deprived night people’s reactions aren’t as quick. The researchers theorize this is probably caused by a diminished ability to use information to make decisions.

23. People who sleep enough have fewer heart problems.

One large study found that sleeping five hours or less a night was associated with a 45% increased risk for heart attacks. Keeping people awake increases their blood pressure — even healthy young men who have one bad night of only 3.6 hours of sleep show significant temporary changes.

This article originally appeared on businessinsider.com.au and was written by Kevin Loria

Knowing Your Rhythms & Maintaining Balance

We tend to underestimate how much maintaining balance contributes to living life successfully and productively.

As a sports enthusiast, I appreciate how sports are a metaphor for, or a microcosm of, life so you will find me making many comparisons and analogies.

Take the example of an Olympic athlete.

To get optimum results he/she must train for the event in the most efficient and productive manner possible because the margin of error in a sporting event is miniscule.

You could win or lose in an Olympic event by a hair or one 1/100th of a second. Not a chance you would want to take.

When in training the athlete must have discipline and maintain a routine that includes the proper balance of sleep, good nutrition and exercise. He/she must also employ psychology to make sure that the necessary mindset or attitude is in place. Attitude and mindset are so important that they could make the difference between winning and losing.

If any one of these components is missing, or out of balance, the athlete will not perform well.

So it is with living life to the fullest. We don't have to adhere to the strict regimen an Olympic athlete would, but in order to function at our best, we definitely need to balance taking care of ourselves physically, mentally and spiritually. Focusing too much on any one facet catches up with us and leads to health problems in the neglected area.

For instance, if you were to exercise too much (hard to imagine) and not take time to rest and replenish, you would injure yourself. If you read, or do a disproportionate amount of mental work, your body would lack proper circulation and fitness level.
If you spend an emormous amount of time meditating, or relaxing, your brain waves slow down and you lack mental agility.

Whenever you overdo it in any aspect of your life, you lose perspective and balance.  As Aristotle said: "Moderation in all things."

How do we maintain balance in our lives?

• Know yourself and how much rest, food and exercise you need to function at your best. There are many good books and websites that give great advice on diet and exercise. Decide what works best for you and implement it into your routine.


• Keep your mind alert and in shape. As mentioned in the 10 Positive Habits To Develop , try to learn a new piece of information each day, even if it's in conversation with your spouse and children at the dinner table.


• Stay connected with family and friends. At the end of the day share with your spouse and children how the day went for each of you. We lead busy lives, but we should never be too busy to connect with and make at least one phone call to a parent, sibling or friend during the day.


• Do something spontaneous. Our lives can be too regimented at times so it's a good idea to do something out of the ordinary every now and then. During your lunch one day go for a pedicure or massage. Take a drive in the countryside one afternoon. On the weekend go to a concert (rock, opera or symphony). 


• Make time for yourself. Each evening take time to unwind. If that means leaving the dishes overnight, so be it. Take a nice bath, read from the book you started, or listen to some soothing music.

We can all learn from elite athletes who, by knowing how to balance their training routines, are able to function at optimum levels.

This article originally appeared on essentiallifeskills.net and was written by Z. Hereford.

Acupuncture During Pregnancy

Whether you're getting poked with a needle or pressed by a finger, these methods have been shown to relieve nausea and other pregnancy symptoms — and labor pain to boot.

WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE?

Acupuncture is a healing art that originated in China thousands of years ago. Traditional Chinese medicine views the body as two opposing forces, yin and yang. When an imbalance occurs between the two, it blocks what Chinese medicine refers to as qi (pronounced CHEE), or the flow of vital energy along internal pathways (known as meridians) in our bodies. During acupuncture, a practitioner inserts hair-thin needles through the skin at points along the meridians to correct imbalances and restore health.

So does it work? Researchers have found that acupuncture points correspond to deep-seated nerves, so that when the needles or twirled or electrically stimulated (known as electropuncture), the nerves are activated. This, in turn, triggers the release of several brain chemicals, including endorphins, which block pain signals and help to relieve a number of pregnancy symptoms.

BENEFITS OF ACUPUNCTURE DURING PREGNANCY

Many people credit acupuncture for easing a wide range of pregnancy symptoms including heartburn, swelling in the legs, constipation, carpal tunnel syndrome, sciatica and more.

Here are some of the pregnancy symptoms acupuncture can relieve that science has studied:

• Morning sickness. Some studies have shown that traditional acupuncture that targets the wrist can reduce the nausea and vomiting associated with morning sickness.
• Lower back and pelvic pain. Research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology reports acupuncture could reduce pain in the lower back along with pelvic pain. Pregnant women in their late second and third trimesters received acupuncture on points on the ear; sham acupuncture (so-called “fake” acupuncture, done at nonspecific points); or no treatment at all. At the one-week follow-up, about 80 percent of women in the acupuncture group had a clinically significant reduction in pain, compared to 56 percent in the sham acupuncture group and only 36 percent for the group who received no treatment.
• Depression. Depression during pregnancy is common, affecting nearly one in four women — but a targeted type of acupuncture may help. For a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, during eight weeks clinically-depressed pregnant women who weren’t previously taking antidepressants received general acupuncture, acupuncture specific for depression, or massage. The severity of depression symptoms decreased most among women who received acupuncture for depression. And 63 percent of the women who received the depression-specific acupuncture responded to the treatment, compared to 44 percent in the general acupuncture and massage groups.
• Headaches. Research has shown that acupuncture can reduce pregnancy-induced headaches; women who received it also used less medication.
• Sleep Problems. Getting to sleep and staying asleep is trickier than ever during pregnancy — but some research has shown that women who receive acupuncture sleep better during pregnancy, too.

MOXIBUSTION DURING PREGNANCY

Moxibustion works on the same basic principles as acupuncture, but instead of actually puncturing your skin with a needle, long sticks of the mugwort herb are burned near certain acupuncture points along your body. Both the heat from the burning and properties of the herb itself are thought to provide physical benefits. Some studies have shown that daily sessions of moxibustion (either alone or combined with acupuncture) can increase fetal activity and therefore help turn a baby from a breech position to the more delivery-friendly heads-down position. However, some others studies have found moxibustion to be no more effective than doing nothing.

ACUPRESSURE DURING PREGNANCY

The points treated in acupressure are usually the same areas used in acupuncture — but instead of using needles, pressure is applied through a firm massage. Fingers (especially thumbs), hands, elbows, knees and feet are used as tools to rub, knead, drum on and vibrate against skin on certain parts of the body. Shiatsu, the most well-known style of acupressure, is fairly vigorous, with the therapist applying firm pressure to each trigger point for three to five seconds. Studies have shown that acupressure can help ease lower back pain, labor pain, nausea and headaches, as well as help naturally induce labor and reduce stress and anxiety during labor.

A word of warning: Since the practitioner has to press and massage very deeply to reach the acupuncture points during acupressure, it’s often times more painful than acupuncture, and it can cause discomfort or leave bruising.

POSSIBLE RISKS OF ACUPUNCTURE AND ACUPRESSURE DURING PREGNANCY

When done properly by a trained professional, acupuncture during pregnancy is considered safe and has few risks. Most risks are associated with acupuncture in general, such as soreness, redness or infection at the insertion sites, and injury from needles placed too deeply.

The biggest concern during preganncy is where the acupuncture is performed: There are several acupuncture and acupressure points (like those in the ankle) that are said to induce contractions — which is why they should be avoided until term (at which point, impatient moms might want to give them a try at the hands of a professional).

ACUPUNCTURE TIPS FOR PREGNANT WOMEN

Interested in acupuncture to relieve pregnancy symptoms? A few rules of the road:

• Check with your doc. If you’re considering acupuncture, talk about it with your practitioner first. Though these therapies are generally considered safe, it’s best to discuss any health conditions, medications or other issues to determine if acupuncture is right for you.
• Choose an acupuncturist wisely. Look for one who’s licensed by his or state and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM). Make sure your therapist has extensive experience dealing with pregnant women. If you need help finding an acupuncturist, try asking your local doula association for recommendations or using the NCCAOM practitioner search page.
• Consider costs. Before you begin the treatment, ask the acupuncturist about the number of treatments you may need and how much each costs. Check with your insurer, too — some cover the cost of acupuncture while some don’t — to determine if you’ll have to pay out of pocket.
• Watch for signs of trouble. Unless you’re specifically hoping to induce labor at term, you shouldn't feel any unusual contractions during or after a session. If you do, or you notice any other concerning symptoms, contact your healthcare provider immediately.

This article originally appeared on whattoexpect.com