Treatments for Specific Conditions

At AcuBalance Center of Houston, the treatment of anxiety is acupuncture/auriculotherapy supplemented with herbal medicine, nutrition advise, relaxation, and life changes. The treatment modality comes from information and experience derived from both Western and Chinese Medicines.

Western Medicine:
The word anxiety comes from the latin word anxious, meaning a condition of agitation and distress. Anxiety Symptoms such as insomnia, heart palpitations, disorientation, shortness of breath, trembling, sweating, choking, nausea or abdominal distress, numbness, dizziness, feeling of detachment, hot flashes or chills, fear of dying, fear of going out of control, etc, can sometimes be very confusing and scary to the person having these symptoms. Some people may confuse them with other physical conditions, such as heart disease, digestive disorders, or mental illness.

When several of the above list of symptoms happen at the same time, you may be diagnosed with what is considered a full-blown panic attack. Often times, you may also have developed symptoms of agoraphobia (fear of open spaces) in order to avoid the panic attacks, and you avoid going to certain places, or being in some social situations by yourself.

Depending on the symptoms, you may be suffering from different types of anxiety and your doctor may prescribe medications. The need for medication depends on the severity of the panic attacks, and the number of symptoms you are having. While medication may be needed in some severe cases, many cases of anxiety can be treated by other methods including cognitive therapy, learning muscle relaxation, meditation, breathing exercises, guided imagery, gradual exposure to the feared situation, constructive ways of thinking to substitute the fearful thinking, assertiveness training, nutrition and supplementation, avoiding certain substances such as caffeine, nicotine, stimulant drugs (amphetamines, cocaine, etc.), salt, food preservatives, hormones in meat, sugar, etc.

To diagnose a person with anxiety, we must make a distinction between fear and anxiety.

Fear is something real and concrete that is in the external reality such as an object or situation. For example, you fear an exam, you fear your spouse’s reaction to something you are going to do or say, you fear an illness, an earthquake, etc. Something is actually happening or can happen. There is a factor of rationality.

Anxiety on the other hand, is more abstract and irrational. You have difficulty identifying the cause of it. The focus of anxiety is more internal than external. It is a vague, distant or unrecognized danger. You may feel anxiety about “losing control of yourself”, or have the feeling that “something bad is about to happen”. It is a physiological, behavioral, and psychological reaction all at once. On a physiological level, you may feel rapid heartbeats, muscle tension, dry mouth, clammy hands, etc. On a behavioral level, you may want to avoid certain everyday situations that you have identified as the cause of your anxiety. At the psychological level you may feel inadequate, have low self esteem, or feel shy to express your feelings because you fear disapproval from others.

In contemporary society it is normal to feel a certain level of anxiety which is appropriate for many situations in our demanding and competitive world. Also, there are some medical conditions which can trigger anxiety attacks including hypoglycemia, hyperthyroidism, mitral valve prolapse, reaction to excess caffeine or withdrawal from substances such as alcohol, tranquilizers or sedatives, and other conditions.

Traditional Chinese Medicine:
According to Chinese medicine, Anxiety is a chronic state of fear and uneasiness which may derive from many emotions including fear, worry, excess joy, shock, guilt, shame or pensiveness . These emotions, eventually lead to Qi stagnation and heat which with time lead to blood and/or Yin deficiency which agitate the mind causing anxiety. Qi stagnation and Qi deficiency deriving from stress may lead to the formation of phlegm which may obstruct the mind and lead to more severe anxiety or panic attacks. The symptoms of anxiety are very similar to the Western view.

Giovanni Maciocia, one of the most prominent writers and professors of Chinese Medicine in the Western world, noticed that there is also a constitutional tendency for anxiety, and he observed that there is also a familial tendency for anxiety, since many times he treated several members in a family who suffered from the same illness. He also mentioned that an irregular diet is another factor which may cause anxiety. Irregular eating causes deficiency of Qi and Yin of the Stomach which in the long run also affects the Heart and leads to Heart-Yin Deficiency and anxiety. Another factor mentioned in his book is overwork. Overwork depletes the Kidney Yin eventually affecting the Heart Yin and causing chronic anxiety. In Chinese medicine, any kind of imbalance in the body such as too much or too little of Yin, Yang, Blood, Essence, or Qi will cause illness.

The treatment of anxiety in Chinese Medicine depends on the diagnosis made according to the acupuncture meridians involved, the assessment of the pulse and tongue, the signs and symptoms, and other assessment measures acupuncturists use to determine the diagnosis.

Emma McKenzie, MS Psy., L.Ac.
AcuBalance Center of Houston

Bibliography:
1. Bourne, Edmund J. The Anxiety & Phobia Workbook. New Harbinger Publications, Inc. 1990
2. Maciocia, Giovanni. The Practice of Chinese Medicine. Churchill Livingstone, Elsevier. 2008
3. Pharmacology, 5th ed. Harvey, Richard. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2012

Hi, here is another article that I found which follows my own line of work and  methods of treating problems with overweight. 

Acupuncture for weight loss is a very effective treatment. As most people go on a diet at some point in their life to lose weight, and ultimately fail to either lose or keep the weight off, I offer auricular acupuncture treatments an alternative method to lose weight that is both safe and produces results.

What Causes Obesity or Overweight?
1. Over Eating: Eating too much food is the number one contributor.
2. Lack of Physical Activity: Exercise, or at least some type of daily strenuous activity, is absolutely essential to ward off extra weight.
3. Unhealthy Foods: Most of us know what unhealthy foods are vs. healthy foods. The general rule is to east fresh foods and not prepackaged processed foods.
4. Lack of Sleep: Not getting sufficient sleep is a contributor.
5. Heredity: The genes you were born with and your family history are markers for whether you are predisposed to becoming overweight and possibly obese.
6. Medical Conditions: Some diseases can cause a person to become overweight. These include hypothyroidism, Cushing syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome.
7. Prescription Drugs: Some medicines such as Prednisone and antidepressants such as Elavil and Neurontin may cause weight gain.
8. Emotional Factors:  Depression, anger and stress can make people overeat.
9. Age: As people age, they tend to lose muscle, especially if they become less active. Muscle loss slows down our metabolism.
10. Pregnancy: While it is normal to gain weight during pregnancy, many women retain this even after the baby is born due to lack of activity and increased calorie intake.

Becoming overweight can be the consequence of various medical conditions. This includes hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, sleep apnea, and osteoarthritis.
There are two well known medications prescribed by doctors. One is Meridia, which curbs the appetite. The other is Xenical, which reduces the absorption of fat & calories as well as Vitamin A, K and D.
Both medications have unwanted side-effects. Merida can cause hypertension and irregular heartbeat. Xenical can cause diarrhoea and osteoporosis.
Another option recommended by some doctors is surgical procedures. Weight loss surgery is called bariatric surgery and includes gastric bypass to gastric banding. These surgeries are very costly and can be risky.
Nowadays more and more people are considering acupuncture for weight loss as the results are very promising when performed by a well trained and certified traditional Chinese medicine doctor.
When it comes to treating obesity with Chinese medicine, I will first rule out any severe medical conditions that could potentially hurt my patient if they do not obtain immediate medical help (e.g. uncontrollable high blood pressure, heart diseases, diabetes, severe lung diseases, hypothyroidism, etc.). Then I will confirm that the patient is ready to start my program which means they will need to strictly follow the instructions for treatment, diet and exercise.

Auricular Acupuncture
Auricular acupuncture to lose weight is the key. I chose the points of hunger and mouth which are the most efficient points for deceasing the appetite. Some other points are spleen, stomach, liver, small intestine, endocrine system and Sheng Meng (known as “Spirit gate”). These points can inhibit stomach activity, slow the absorption of nutrition from food in the stomach and small intestine, improve energy and decrease stress, anxiety and depression.  I will use ear seeds (herbal seeds or magnet seeds) in place of needles for those who fear needles. Generally speaking, they have the same effect. Patients should press the ear needles to ease their craving for food when they feel hungry.

Chinese Herbal Medicine for Weight Loss
Note: I will not use herbs to improve the bowel movement or loosen the bowel unless a patient suffers from constipation. And if I do use this type of herbs, this will only be used for a short term.
In my practice, I prefer to use liver cleansing herbs to curb feeling hungry (it always works for my patients) and improve sugar and fat metabolism. By strengthening spleen Qi, and regulating stomach Qi and intestine Qi, it will speed up the metabolism, remove water retention, eliminate the wastes from the body as well as enhance the energy. Weight loss starts from here and it is safe and efficient.

Diet 
You either must eat less food or you must eat foods that reduce your calorie intake. For example, if you consume 4000 calories per day, then you should either set a goal of reducing the amount of food you eat by half, or substitute healthy foods that will reduce your calorie intake by half.
There are many programs offering to assist people through diet. I will just give a few tips on diet that could be practical for you.
Healthy and Good Breakfast: You may eat as much healthy food as you like for breakfast (within reason). You can consume some carbohydrates at breakfast without gaining weight. This meal will supply your whole morning’s energy.
Moderate Meal for Lunch: This is necessary to maintain energy for the afternoon. This meal should contain the most nutrients and contain easily digestible food with very little carbs. If after having lunch you feel sleepy and tired, it indicates spleen Qi weakness. This can be corrected by Chinese medicine easily.
Minimum Dinner or No Dinner: This is a magic point to loss weight if we can discipline ourselves to do it. Most people find out it is difficult to follow this point. So I will propose a few alternative ways to minimise your dinner. If you typically get home from work very late, you should have some healthy snack around 6 pm. When you get home, you are allowed to have soup with some vegetable. You can have protein at dinner with vegetables, but no carbs. Follow this for 4 or 5 days a week and at weekend you are allowed to have a full dinner with some carbs. But the dinner has to be earlier than 6 pm.
No Junk Food or Sugar, and Little Salt: Keep your alcohol consumption low and if you must drink, drink red wine. One glass of red wine 3 times a week is acceptable if you do not have a fatty liver. If any liver problems, alcohol is strictly forbidden.

Exercise Will Help Burn More Calories
Aerobic exercise and weight lifting are the best forms of exercise for weight loss. These will reshape your body and make you look great. Exercise should be done on a continuous basis (i.e. at least 4 times per week). Outdoor hiking and biking are also great ways to drop weight.

By Feng Liang, L.Ac.

HELLO FRIENDS, DO YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT?

LET ACUPUNCTURE AND CHINESE MEDICINE SUPPORT AND ENCOURAGE YOU PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY THROUGH THE PROCESS OF LOSING WEIGHT!
HERE IS A GOOD ARTICLE FOR WHAT YOU MAY EXPECT. IF YOU ARE CONVINCED YOU NEED IT, CONTACT ME FOR AN APPOINTMENT.

Acupuncture is More Than “Being Stuck with a Bunch of Needles”
What comes to mind when you think about acupuncture. “Getting poked with lots of needles”? PAIN?

If so, then it may be a little confusing when I start talking about things like food, energy work, and exercise. When I say “acupuncture” I am referring to the whole treatment process that an acupuncturist (or more specifically, what I) would use if you came in to the clinic.

The word “acupuncture” so aptly encompasses everything to do with what we do as physicians of Chinese medicine, that no one says they are going to see their “Chinese medicine practitioner”. They say that they are going to see their “acupuncturist”.

This acupuncturist will use all the tools that she has in order to facilitate health and vitality within her patients. That means that some of my patients will go home wearing ear magnets and most will be put on a strict food plan. Not everyone gets stuck with needles.
And just what do I do? I utilize acupuncture and Chinese medicine to:
Trigger the body to self-heal
Improve digestion
Increase energy
Stop hunger
Stop cravings
Decrease Inflammation
Stop pain
Regulate hormones
Improve mood and help you to relax
So, even though not everyone “gets” needles, I call what I do “acupuncture” for weight loss….

POSTED BY D. S.