Conditions Treated
Back Pain
Back Pain
Back Pain is a very common ailment, especially among the elderly. It can be caused by damaged disks, alignment problems, soft tissue problems or muscle problems. In my practice I always ask the question of why is there back pain what is the root cause. I get a variety of answers such as I have a herniated disk. I then ask again why did you get a herniated disk. I follow this thinking until I get to some sort of root cause. The damaged disk itself is not the cause. Something had to cause the damage or set the stage for the damage to occur. It is important to identify the root cause because without knowing the root cause and resolving it you leave yourself open to causing more damage. The root cause of most back injury is usually something that can be corrected. For example one root cause is simple lack of exercise. Patients come in with damaged disks because they live a lifestyle.
In Asian Medicine we have a variety of causes for back pain.
Qi stagnation
Qi is pronounced “Chee” . This energy that circulates throughout your body. In this medicine. Qi stagnation can be caused by cold or damp or from mechanical means such as a muscle spasm or pinched nerve.
We treat this condition with acupuncture, herbs, exercise and lifestyle changes. Acupuncture and herbs can be used both to relieve the immediate pain and the long term root cause. Exercise such as stretching and strengthening along with lifestyle changes are more often targeted at the root cause of the pain.
This sounds much like our neurological system. If push came to shove, we could say that Qi stagnation is the pinched nerve syndrome. But this is not entirely accurate because acupuncture is very adept at treating this frequent cause of back pain without having any effect on the mechanics of the situation. We simply insert needles near the location of the pain and at a few other strategic locations to stimulate the movement of Qi in the desired area and the pain goes away. We don’t do any manipulation of the spine, perform surgery to remove a herniated disc, or perform any other invasive procedure and, yet, the pain is relieved. This begs the question – Is the nerve impingement theory the correct explanation for back pain?
Blood Stagnation
There are two main causes of blood stagnation; one is trauma. This could a sport’s injury an automobile accident. The treatment principle is the same as the Qi stagnation. We just get the blood moving and the pain goes away. We may also choose to use some herbs to dispel the blood stasis.
The other cause of blood stagnation is when long term Qi stagnation turns into blood stagnation. The Qi is said to move the blood. Should the Qi remain stagnant for long enough, then the local body fluids that are supposed to be flowing begin to stagnate as well. We might also see some emotional component in this particular pathology. If it goes on for long enough it becomes more tight, compacted. In this case, the body begins to manifest that stagnation in the form of lumps, tumors, sharp pains or other blood circulation problems.
Damp Heat
This pathology can cause radiating pain that actually circles the lower back down into the groin area. This kind of symptom may suggest some problems that might include an infection or inflammation of an internal organ. Herbal formulas are often used to treat this condition.
Kidney Pathology
Kidney pathologies run the gambit from stones, to a deficiency of Yin or Yang in the body. Yin deficiency tends to include lower backache that is a long-term problem, six months minimum with no history of trauma. It just started hurting one day and never went away. Other symptoms of Yin deficiency include hot flashes, night sweats, tinnitus, irritability, restlessness and the feeling that your hands and feet are too hot. Acupuncture treatments would be consistent with stimulating the kidney functions and herbal medicines such as Liu Wei Di Huang Wan would be employed to treat the root cause of the pain.
A deficiency of Kidney Yang could also give rise to lower back pain. Other symptoms of Kidney Yang deficiency would be early morning diarrhea, cold hands and feet, lack of energy, pale face, hearing loss, feeling cold all the time, frequent urination, low libido.
In either case, this medicine seeks to strengthen these organs to take away the lower back pain. This might take a little longer to achieve than the Qi or Blood stagnation problems
for further information contact David Martin at Lotus Blossom Clinic
Acupuncture in Denver at 940 Speer Blvd
Acupunctue in Lakewood
Acupuncture in Louisville
See the locations page on this website for details.
Hot Flashes and Kidney Yin
Hot Flashes
Hot flashes in Traditional Asian medicine are attributed to a “deficiency of Kidney Yin”. With that said I now need to spend the rest of this article explaining what I mean by that. As you know western medicine has a descriptive language (primarily Latin). Traditional Asian medicine also has a language used to describe conditions and concepts (primarily Chinese).
In this medicine the Kidney does not just describe an organ, it describes the organ system & attributes and functions of that organ system. The Kidney is the foundation of the yin fluid of the whole body which is cooling and nourishes and moistens the organs. Kidney yang energy is the hot energy, which promotes the functions and activities of the organs. In ancient texts it is referred to as the “House of Water and Fire”. In a young woman the Yang or energy is used for reproduction. When that reproductive period of life has passed the Kidney yang energy is not needed for reproduction. It is redirected to promote mental activity. If the Kidney yin is deficient this hot energy can manifest itself in hot flashes and other heat symptoms.
There are several standard formulas for treating this condition that come in a ready-made form.. These formulas are different because hot flashes are different in different women. It is because this condition is different with different patients that formulas are often tailored to a specific individual. It is not recommended that you go and buy one of the ready-made formulas and take it because that formula may not be right for you. You could cause yourself additional discomfort and not relieve your hot flashes.
The goal with the herbal formula is to get the body back into balance. Getting into balance often can take some time so a patient can expect to be on an herbal formula for several months. The patient can help herself get back into balance by eating an appropriate diet and by getting enough rest. It is also valuable to read and engage the mind to tap into this energy source that is now available.
For more information contact David Martin AP. at Lotus blossom clinic
Acupuncture in Denver
Acupuncture in Lakewood
Acupuncture in Louisville
See the Locations page for more details.
Prescription for Laughter
Laughter is often prescribed in Asian Medicine.
I often prescribe laughter to my patients for a wide variety of symptoms. The reason for this is that this is a holistic medicine, so when someone comes in complaining of a problem, we often see the problem causing the complaint as a branch of the real problem and not necessarily the root. For example when a patient comes into the office with chronic neck pain, we treat the neck pain and at the same time; ask questions to help determine if the neck pain is the root of the problem, or a result of some other problem. If the pain is a result of a neck injury or trauma then it might be the root however, much of the time the pain is a result of what we call stagnation of Qi. This can be caused by anxiety, stress, shame, unhealthy living or other factors. We treat both the root and the branch of the problem with acupuncture, herbs, massage, cupping and moxibustion, but we also prescribe laughter because it is one way to get the Qi of the whole body moving again. This ancient medicine recognized long ago what researchers are again discovering.
Laughter is a powerful way to get your Qi or energy moving again in the body.
Laughter works quickly
Laugher can help your patients get better and get better more quickly.
Laughter is now being incorporated at Cancer Treatment Centers to help their patients improve.
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Laughter is strong medicine for mind and body
“Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.”
Laughter is a powerful antidote to stress, pain, and conflict. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hopes, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert.
With so much power to heal and renew, the ability to laugh easily and frequently is a tremendous resource for surmounting problems, enhancing your relationships, and supporting both physical and emotional health.
Laughter is good for your health
- Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
- Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
- Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
- Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
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Laughter and humor help you stay emotionally healthy
Laughter makes you feel good. And the good feeling that you get when you laugh remains with you even after the laughter subsides. Humor helps you keep a positive, optimistic outlook through difficult situations, disappointments, and loss.
More than just a respite from sadness and pain, laughter gives you the courage and strength to find new sources of meaning and hope. Even in the most difficult of times, a laugh–or even simply a smile–can go a long way toward making you feel better. And laughter really is contagious—just hearing laughter primes your brain and readies you to smile and join in on the fun.
The link between laughter and mental health
- Laughter dissolves distressing emotions. You can’t feel anxious, angry, or sad when you’re laughing.
- Laughter helps you relax and recharge. It reduces stress and increases energy, enabling you to stay focused and accomplish more.
- Humor shifts perspective, allowing you to see situations in a more realistic, less threatening light. A humorous perspective creates psychological distance, which can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed.
The social benefits of humor and laughter
Humor and playful communication strengthen our relationships by triggering positive feelings and fostering emotional connection. When we laugh with one another, a positive bond is created. This bond acts as a strong buffer against stress, disagreements, and disappointment.
Laughing with others is more powerful than laughing alone
Shared laughter is one of the most effective tools for keeping relationships fresh and exciting. All emotional sharing builds strong and lasting relationship bonds, but sharing laughter and play adds joy, vitality, and resilience. And humor is a powerful and effective way to heal resentments, disagreements, and hurts. Laughter unites people during difficult times.
Using humor and laughter in relationships allows you to:
- Be more spontaneous. Humor gets you out of your head and away from your troubles.
- Let go of defensiveness. Laughter helps you forget judgments, criticisms, and doubts.
- Release inhibitions. Your fear of holding back and holding on are set aside.
- Express your true feelings. Deeply felt emotions are allowed to rise to the surface.
Laughter and Relationships
Mutual laughter and play are an essential component of strong, healthy relationships. By making a conscious effort to incorporate more humor and play into your daily interactions, you can improve the quality of your love relationships— as well as your connections with co-workers, family members, and friends.
Read: Playful Communication in Relationships: The Power of Laughter, Humor, and Play
Bringing more humor and laughter into your life
Anyone can join the laughter movement. All it takes is a willingness to risk some loss of control. The timid may start with a few shy giggles. The courageous may jump in with deep belly laughter. A sense of humor is not required. There’s more than enough stress to go around and absurdity abounds in our daily lives. All we have to do is believe, let go, clap our hands and laughter will live again. So will we. Laughter is feeling deeply which allows us to live fully.
Source: We Need to Laugh More, Enda Junkins, LMFT.
Laughter is your birthright, a natural part of life that is innate and inborn. Infants begin smiling during the first weeks of life and laugh out loud within months of being born. Even if you did not grow up in a household where laughter was a common sound, you can learn to laugh at any stage of life.
Begin by setting aside special times to seek out humor and laughter, as you might with working out, and build from there. Eventually, you’ll want to incorporate humor and laughter into the fabric of your life, finding it naturally in everything you do.
Here are some ways to start:
- Smile. Smiling is the beginning of laughter. Like laughter, it’s contagious. Pioneers in “laugh therapy,” find it’s possible to laugh without even experiencing a funny event. The same holds for smiling. When you look at someone or see something even mildly pleasing, practice smiling.
- Count your blessings. Literally make a list. The simple act of considering the good things in your life will distance you from negative thoughts that are a barrier to humor and laughter. When in a state of sadness, we have further to travel to get to humor and laughter.
- When you hear laughter, move toward it. Sometimes humor and laughter are private, a shared joke among a small group, but usually not. More often, people are very happy to share something funny because it gives them an opportunity to laugh again and feed off the humor you find in it. When you hear laughter, seek it out and ask, “What’s funny?”
- Spend time with fun, playful people. These are people who laugh easily–both at themselves and at life’s absurdities–and who routinely find the humor in everyday events. Their playful point of view and laughter are contagious.
- Bring humor into conversations. Ask people, “What’s the funniest thing that happened to you today? This week? In your life?”
Creating opportunities to laugh
- Watch a funny movie or TV show.
- Go to a comedy club.
- Read the funny pages.
- Seek out funny people.
- Share a good joke or a funny story.
- Check out your bookstore’s humor section.
- Host game night with friends.
- Play with a pet.
- Go to a “laughter yoga” class.
- Goof around with children.
- Do something silly.
- Make time for fun activities (e.g. bowling, miniature golfing, karaoke).
Developing your sense of humor: Take yourself less seriously
One essential characteristic that helps us laugh is not taking ourselves too seriously. We’ve all known the classic tight-jawed sourpuss who takes everything with deathly seriousness and never laughs at anything. No fun there!
Some events are clearly sad and not occasions for laughter. But most events in life don’t carry an overwhelming sense of either sadness or delight. They fall into the gray zone of ordinary life–giving you the choice to laugh or not.
Ways to help yourself see the lighter side of life:
- Laugh at yourself. Share your embarrassing moments. The best way to take ourselves less seriously is talk about times when we took ourselves too seriously.
- Attempt to laugh at situations rather than bemoan them. Look for the humor in a bad situation, the irony and absurdity of life. This will help improve your mood and the mood of those around you.
- Surround yourself with reminders to lighten up. Keep a toy on your desk or in your car. Put up a funny poster in your office. Choose a computer screensaver that makes you laugh. Frame photos of you and your family or friends having fun.
- Keep things in perspective. Many things in life are beyond our control—particularly the behavior of other people. While you might think taking the weight of the world on your shoulders is admirable, in the long run it’s unrealistic, unproductive, unhealthy, and even egotistical.
- Deal with your stress. Stress is a major impediment to humor and laughter.
- Pay attention to children and emulate them. They are the experts on playing, taking life lightly, and laughing.
Checklist for lightening up
When you find yourself taken over by what seems to be a horrible problem, ask these questions:
- Is it really worth getting upset over?
- Is it worth upsetting others?
- Is it that important?
- Is it that bad?
- Is the situation irreparable?
- Is it really your problem?
Using humor and play to overcome challenges and enhance your life
The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable–it also helps you solve problems, connect with others, and be more creative. People who incorporate humor and play into their daily lives find that it renews them and all of their relationships.
Life brings challenges that can either get the best of you or become playthings for your imagination. When you “become the problem” and take yourself too seriously, it can be hard to think outside the box and find new solutions. But when you play with the problem, you can often transform it into an opportunity for creative learning.
Playing with problems seems to come naturally to children. When they are confused or afraid, they make their problems into a game, giving them a sense of control and an opportunity to experiment with new solutions. Interacting with others in playful ways helps you retain this creative ability.
Here are two examples of people who took everyday problems and turned them around through laughter and play:
Roy, a semi-retired businessman, was excited to finally have time to devote to golf–his favorite sport. But the more he played, the less he enjoyed himself. Although his game had improved dramatically, he got angry with himself over every mistake. Roy wisely realized that his golfing buddies affected his attitude, so he stopped playing with people who took the game too seriously. When he played with friends who focused more on having fun than on their scores, he was less critical of himself. Now golfing was as enjoyable as Roy hoped it would be. He scored better without working harder. And the brighter outlook he was getting from his companions and the game spread to other parts of his life, including his work.
Jane worked at home in her apartment complex designing greeting cards, a job she used to love but now felt routine. Two little girls who loved to draw and paint lived next door. Eventually, Jane invited the girls in to play with all the art supplies she had. At first, she just watched, but in time she joined in. Laughing, coloring, and playing pretend with the little girls transformed Jane’s life. Not only did playing with them end her loneliness and mild boredom, it sparked her imagination and helped her artwork flourish. Best of all, it rekindled the playfulness and spark in Jane’s relationship with her husband.
As laughter, humor, and play become an integrated part of your life, your creativity will flourish and new discoveries for playing with friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and loved ones will occur to you daily. Humor takes you to a higher place where you can view the world from a more relaxed, positive, creative, joyful, and balanced perspective.
Related articles
More Helpguide articles:
- Stress Management: How to Reduce, Prevent, and Cope with Stress
- How to Stop Worrying: Self-Help Strategies for Anxiety Relief
- Playing Together for Fun: Creative Play and Lifelong Games
Related links for humor, laughter, and health
General information about health and humor
How Humor Makes You Friendlier, Sexier – Seeing the bright side of life may strengthen the psyche, ease pain, and tighten social bonds. (Scientific American Mind)
Articles on Health and Humor – Psychologist and humor-training specialist Paul McGhee offers a series of articles on humor, laughter, and health. (Laughter Remedy)
How Laughter Works – Explains the physiology of laughter, as well as its physical and emotional benefits. (How Stuff Works)
What is Humor? – Discusses the relationship between humor and health and suggests ways to improve your sense of humor. (Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor)
Laughter as medicine
Laughter is the “Best Medicine” for Your Heart – Describes a study that found that laughter helps prevent heart disease. (University of Maryland Medical Center)
Give Your Body a Boost — With Laughter – Learn all about the physical health benefits of humor and laughter. (WebMD)
Laughter Therapy – Guide to the healing power of laughter, including the research supporting laughter therapy. (Cancer Treatment Centers of America)
The social benefits of laughter
The Benefits of Laughter – Article on the social benefits of laughter and the important role it plays in the relationships between people. (Psychology Today)
The Science of Laughter – Psychologist and laughter researcher Robert Provine, Ph.D., explains the power of laughter, humor, and play as social tools. (Psychology Today)
Bringing more laughter and humor into your life
Humor in the Workplace – Series of articles on using humor in the workplace to reduce job stress, improve morale, boost productivity and creativity, and improve communication. (Laughter Remedy)
Melinda Smith, M.A., Gina Kemp, M.A., and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. contributed to this article.
http://www.cancercenter.com/complementary-alternative-medicine/laughter-therapy.cfm
http://www.helpguide.org/life/humo
For more information Contact David Martin in one of his three locations Denver, Lakewood, or Louisville
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia- by David Martin
Fibromyalgia is just a label for a condition that western medicine cannot explain.
If you have pain that is hard to describe such as pain only above the waist or pain that is only below the waist. Pain that is multiple areas at the same time. Pain that moves from place to place or seems to be everywhere at once. Pain on only one side like left side pain or right side pain. Pain that has no set description such as aching, deep shooting, radiating, tender, or pins and needles; these area signs of fibromyalgia. Other common symptoms are exhaustion or overwhelming fatigue, insomnia or sleeping disorder, and very stiff muscles upon awakening in the morning. Besides these principal symptoms, fibromyalgia patients often complain of depression, anxiety, headaches, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Whew! what a list. From time to time all of us experience some of these symptoms and we don’t have fibromyalgia. If you have enough of these symptoms and they are serious enough to severely impact your live, then you might have figromyalgia.
Often times people with this condition are told that there is nothing wrong with them, that it is all in their head. In the philosophy of Asian medicine having pain is always an indication that something is wrong. If it is all in you head then that is a sign that something is wrong.
I advise people with this set of symptoms to investigate alternative medicine. Asian medicine has an excellent track record of helping what western medicine calls fibromyalgia
In traditional Chinese medicine theory the condition known as fibromyalgia can be due to more than one cause. One common cause is Spleen/Heart deficiency another is Liver Qi Stagnation with the liver over acting on the spleen. This sort of description probably sounds very foreign to you but it is just a way to say that your body is out of balance and needs some help to get back into balance.
Life situations such as stress and anxiety can cause the body to get out of balance so the spleen does not properly nourish the heart muscle tissue . This can cause insomnia and deficiency of the muscles that start to ache throughout the body. Acupuncture can assist the body in regaining the proper balance. Herbs can also be used to help the body get in balance and stay in balance.
One of the major responsibilities of the Liver is to ensure the smooth flow of Chi, blood, and emotions. Since anger is the emotion associated with the Liver, extreme or unexpressed anger can really compromise its functioning. Most people are familiar with the way the emotions of anger and fear can interfere with digestion. When we are emotionally upset, we feel that our stomachs or our intestines are “tied up in knots.” Chinese medicine says that the Liver is “invading” the Spleen or Stomach.
I do not mean for this to be a lesson in Asian medicine but if you have this condition, to let you know that there is hope and you may find your answers with your acupuncturist.
Again acupuncture and herbs can help your body get back into a healthy balance. So if you have a diagnosis of fibromyalgia or you just have unexplained pain consult your acupuncturist. Or see out our offices in Denver, Lakewood, and Louisville.
David Martin.
Acupuncture in Cancer Treatment
In the west our tendency is to fight cancer using radiation, surgery, chemotherapy all of which can cause a certain amount of trauma to the patient.
The traditional Asian medicine approach comes at it from the opposite direction. We work with the body to change the internal environment so that the misbehaving “Cancer cells” start to behave correctly. We have herbs that are effective. We have had excellent results with prostate cancer .
However the process can be slow. Cancer is a fast moving disease and can require a fast medicine and while western medicine can be traumatic it is also fast. I always refer patients that I suspect might have cancer to Western medical practitioners.
The role of acupuncture when combined with western medicine – hastening recovery from the side effects of the various therapies.
- Anesthesia, in post-operative pain control, reduce pain medication
- Shortening the resolution of hematoma and tissue swelling
- Sense of well being and accelerates patients’ recovery.
- Nausea and vomiting which commonly occurs reduction in the nausea also can reduce the medications that are given to patients for nausea reduction
- Reduce severe constipation.
- Decrease the malaise associated with any chronic disease, especially cancer.
- Reduce the recovery time from neuropathy associated with Western treatment.
The best way to use traditional Asian medicine is as preventative treatment. If you have a family history of cancer or have recovered from a cancer TCM is an excellent choice to stop your body from creating the cancer. Acupuncture Physicians have training in much more than just using needles. This is a holistic medicine so at an acupuncture physician’s office you will get information and treatment that includes acupuncture/acupressure, herbs, diet, and exercise.
If you have further questions contact BestAcupunctureInDenver.com we have offices in Denver, Lakewood and Louisville.