Allendale Acupuncture & Nutrition Clinic

acupuncture, nutrition, clinic, allendale

Tag: pregnancy

Can Acupuncture Help Carpal Tunnel Patients?

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A study appeared in “The Clinical Journal of Pain” in May, 2009, revealed the efficacy of using acupuncture and Chinese medicine. This study compared two groups of patients with mild to moderate symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. One group received eight sessions of acupuncture treatments over the course of eight weeks. The other group received daily doses of a drug called prednisolone, a steroid used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain.

Evaluations at the end of the second and fourth week revealed that both groups enjoyed a significant reduction in symptoms. However, the acupuncture group received an exceptional benefit that the steroid group did not. At the conclusion of the trial, the patients receiving acupuncture treatments showed a statistically significant drop in their nocturnal awakenings.

From an Oriental medicine perspective, CTS is seen as a disruption of the flow of Qi and Blood within the area and associated with Cold, Dampness or Wind penetrating the muscles and sinews of the wrist.  Acupuncture points, stretching exercises, herbal remedies and nutritional supplements are chosen to treat accordingly.

Acupuncture is extremely effective at treating carpal tunnel syndrome; eliminating the need for surgery or the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids. In fact, one of the most common reasons that people get acupuncture is for repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome. Not only reducing the swelling, inflammation and pain in the wrist, acupuncture addresses any headaches, neck pain, shoulder stiffness and sleeping problems that often accompany this condition.

Your treatment may also take into account any underlying conditions that contribute to the development of CTS including obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid problems, diabetes, hormonal changes of pregnancy and menopause.   

If you or someone you know suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome, please call our office at 201.760.8811 to find out more about how acupuncture, Chinese medicine and nutritional supplements can help.

What Causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

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Symptoms of Carpal Tunnel such as numbness, tingling, pain, burning, and weakness in the arms and hands often, but not always, result from inflammation due to frequent, repetitive physical movements.

There are a number of things that can cause or put you at risk for developing CTS. These include:

  • Genetic predisposition: Small bones or a small carpal canal increases the risk.
  • Hormonal changes: For women, hormonal fluctuations increase the chances of the syndrome; pregnancy and menopause can be particularly problematic.
  • Diseases: Conditions like arthritis, lupus, diabetes and obesity can lead to narrowing of the canal.
  • Repetitive motions: Excessively doing activities like typing, using hand tools, gardening, golfing, sewing and massaging can repeatedly strain the area, causing localized inflammation and trauma.

The onset of symptoms may start gradually and become worse over time, especially if the same motions are repeated on a near daily basis. Even though some repetitive motions such as typing on the computer or using the phone are not strenuous activities in and of themselves, if performed often enough, the cumulative effect builds up. If left untreated, carpal tunnel syndrome can lead to what is known as nocturnal awakenings, which refers to waking up in the middle of the night from pain and discomfort.

Research on Acupuncture’s Effectiveness on Anxiety and Depression

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There are numerous other research studies on the efficacy of acupuncture in dealing with emotional/mental disorders.

One study funded by the National Institutes for Health (NIH) found that among women suffering from depression, 70% of participants experienced at least a 50% reduction of symptoms. This research marked the first U.S. randomized, controlled, double-blind study of acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating depression. The NIH funded study concludes, “Acupuncture may alter brain chemistry by changing the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones in a good way.”

In another study conducted by Stanford University found that those who were given acupuncture treatments had significantly fewer depressive symptoms. The researchers conclude that “acupuncture holds promise for treatment of depression during pregnancy” and may help with the long term management of depression.

A study published by researchers from the University of York in the United Kingdom showed patients who suffer from depression may benefit more from acupuncture or counseling alongside their medications, compared with medications alone. In this randomized controlled trial of 755 patients with moderate to severe depression, after three months of treatment, patients who received acupuncture showed a significant reduction in average depression scores.

Infertility, Fertility and Acupuncture

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If you try to get pregnant, try acupuncture first. In 2014, we saw an amazing 90% success rate of pregnancy among our patients.

Most of these patients received medical fertility treatment along with acupuncture; some were treated only with acupuncture and nutrition programs.

Acupuncture and proper nutrition help the body to become balanced and healthy. Acupuncture can assist your body to be far more receptive to any medical fertility programs.

fertility and acupuncture

Numerous studies confirmed a dramatic increase of success rate when using acupuncture in combination with medical fertility treatments and on its own.

A well-known German study done in 2002 followed 160 women who underwent IVF, 80 of them received acupuncture as well and 34 of those women got pregnant: a success rate of 42.5%. Of the other 80 women, those who received IVF without any acupuncture treatments, only 21 women (26.3%) became pregnant.

Another study, American, of 114 women showed that 51% of the women who had acupuncture and IVF treatments became pregnant compared to 36% of women who had IVF alone. Further analysis of the data revealed a much lower rate of miscarriage for the women who had acupuncture as well as IVF.

fertility and acupuncture2

Primarily, acupuncture for infertility increases blood supply and flow to the reproductive organs, leading to increased egg follicles and elevated hormone levels around the ovaries. Increased blood flow causes thickening of the uterus lining which is essential in sustaining an implanted embryo, and reducing the chances of miscarriage.

In addition, acupuncture increases production of endorphins, the body’s natural “feel good” brain chemical that also plays a role in regulating the menstrual cycle, egg production and ovulation.

men's fertility

In male patients, acupuncture is found to be beneficial in increasing sperm counts and sperm motility.

Acupuncture for fertility patients takes into account imbalances in the whole body, not just reproductive organs. Depending on patients’ physiological and emotional markups, we focus on treating underlying imbalances in organs such as the liver, kidney, or spleen, along with the endocrine/reproductive organs.