Alternative Primary CareTreat Sciatica with Acupuncture
Sciatica Treatment with Acupuncture
The sciatic nerve can literally be a huge pain in the butt. It is the largest nerve in the body, and formed by a braided bundle of smaller nerves that originate in the lumbar spine, travel down the buttocks, and move through the leg. Technically, sciatica is not a disease, but a group of symptoms that affect the region of the sciatic nerve. Radiating pain is one of the more common and intense symptoms associated with sciatica. There can also be numbness and tingling starting in the lower back radiating down the leg.
What Causes Sciatica?
Sciatica occurs when something pushes on, and irritates the sciatic nerve. This can be a muscle spasm, the spinal discs, and sometimes even the spine itself. Most often this pain is due to muscle spasms or a slipped disc, but it can also be a sign of serious illness and it is important to go to you doctor for a diagnosis.
Spinal Disc herniation, often referred to as a slipped disc, is when a small portion of the spinal disc bulges out of the spinal column. This disc then pushes on the sciatic nerve causing pain. In some severe cases, spinal stenosis, or a narrowing of the spinal canal, can push on the nerve and cause pain. Another serious cause of sciatica is spinal tumors, which require immediate medical attention.
Muscle spasms are also a common cause of sciatica. Most often it is the piriformis muscle, but it can be other muscles in the lower back and pelvic region.
What is piriformis syndrome?
The sciatic nerve runs under or, in some people, through the piriformis muscle. This muscle is located in the pelvis. It is connected to the bottom of the spine and the top of the femur, or thighbones. If the piriformis muscle starts to spasm or becomes tight, it can put pressure on the sciatic nerve and cause the pain as well as the radiating symptoms. This persistent spasm of the piriformis muscle is called piriformis syndrome. It can be caused by an injury or sedentary lifestyles in people who don’t stretch or exercise. Particularly if you sit all day at a desk or computer, this can be a problem.
How Does Chinese medicine view sciatica?
Chinese medicine states that the body is interconnected; no one part can be separated from another. The diagnosis and treatment is based upon identifying specific imbalances in the muscles and the body as a whole. Correcting the imbalance does not just treat the symptoms or mask the condition, but rather corrects the root of the problem by encouraging self-healing of the body. The most common imbalance in acute sciatica is qi and blood stagnation in the back channels. But it is also important to treat the underlying imbalance, which may be causing the qi and blood to stagnate.
Qi and blood stagnation in the channels often affects the soft tissue of the lumbar, hips, and pelvis. This is what causes the muscle spasm and tension that triggers the intense shooting pain of acute sciatica.
Some common underlying imbalances are kidney qi vacuity, spleen qi vacuity with dampness, and liver qi stagnation. By treating the underlying imbalance, you can prevent the sciatica from returning.
Kidney Qi Vacuity: If your back feels very weak and it does not get better with a lot of rest, the underlying imbalance may be kidney qi vacuity. Other symptoms include weakness of the knees, extreme fatigue, ringing in the ears, dizziness, and a weak pulse.
Spleen Qi Vacuity with Dampness: For those with spleen qi vacuity with dampness, you will also have fatigue and weakness, but the back feels better with rest. Your body may feel very heavy and you may have poor digestion.
Liver Qi stagnation: Liver qi stagnation causes your muscles to be very tight and in spasm when you become angry or frustrated. Also, you may suffer from frequent headaches and, in women, painful menses.
How Does Chinese medicine Treat Sciatica?
It is best to approach sciatica using combination style treatment. An effective therapy many include acupuncture, Tui Na (Chinese medical massage,) cupping, electric stimulation, and stretching. The back, hip, and pelvis are interconnected and the treatment should incorporate all of them. Overall, the treatment should relax and stretch the tendons and fascia while strengthening the muscles. This will help release the spastic muscles and strengthen them, allowing the back to naturally heal. It can even encourage an out of place disc to go back into place, depending on severity.
Acupuncture will help spastic muscles to relax. In effect, this is working to help the body heal itself. Chinese massage, or tui na, works to foster the acupuncture by releasing any extra tension in the fascia and connective tissue around the muscles. The technique called rolling is very important to deeply relax the muscles and improve circulation at the same time.
After the pain is gone, it is important for you to keep up you own back. Stretching is essential. Stretching will help keep the muscles healthy and relaxed. And it is the best way for you to maintain your own back. Also, doing tai chi, the Chinese exercise and meditation, is very effective to strengthen the lower back and relax it.
FREE Assessment:
True sciatica symptoms can be effectively be treated with Acupuncture. Visit Bibbey for a FREE pain assessment and discuss your treatment options. There is no charge for an assessment. For your complimentary consultation visit: https://alternative-primary-care.com/complimentary-consultation/
What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine & Which Health Conditions Does It Work For?
For thousands of years, long before mass migration and instant-messaging, every culture and society worldwide developed and relied on its own traditions, local flora and fauna to sustain and benefit the health of its community. Many of those healing traditions remain in use today around the world. Sometimes it appears as sage advice: don’t walk barefoot on a cold floor; and other times it’s a family’s herbal tea recipe for sore throat: marshmallow root, sage and echinacea.
Chief among today’s most well-known forms of early healing is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), which focusses on use of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage (tuina), exercise (qigong), and dietary (food) therapy to prevent illness and maintain health.
Although, TCM originated in China about 2500 years ago and the earliest known documents written on Chinese Medicine date back to 150 BC, it should not be considered primitive or irrelevant to modern healthcare. Chinese Medicine is a complete healing system that reflects the insights and knowledge of a time when healthcare addressed the whole person — mind, body and spirit — emphasizing preventive practices and overall wellness, much like modern holistic therapies do today.
Like other medical disciplines, TCM encompasses a broad range of practices, specialties, and diagnostic and treatment approaches.
Herbology for example is an integral part of TCM, in much the same way that pharmacology is an essential component of modern western medicine — perhaps the most notable difference being that many of the classic herbals were developed over a thousand years ago and have been safely and effectively prescribed for centuries.
One of the challenges to embracing traditional medicine for modern societies is resisting the wholesale appeal to novelty – “newer is better.” I think everyone might agree that in many instances that expression holds-up, but not in all things – and especially not when the risks outweigh the benefits.
In TCM, the analysis of a patient’s health complaint begins with an investigation and understanding of what changes in anatomy, physiology and pathology might be involved. What’s wrong and why? Chinese medicine considers the body to be a self-regulating system. I’m confident that most of us have experienced and recognize the miracle of healing and transformation the body undergoes when recovering from an illness or trauma.
Whether it is the body’s thermal regulation used to induce fever during an infection or bone formation to repair a fracture, our bodies are hardwired with wonderous strategies for maintenance and repair. So too, in Chinese Medicine the role of herbs, acupuncture, massage, exercise, and food are chosen to support and promote the body’s own self-healing ability.
Which health issues and conditions can be treated with Traditional Chinese medicine?
In Florida, Licensed Acupuncturists provide care to address many of the same maladies for which patients seek treatment from a medical doctor or specialist. This includes care for headaches to hammertoes, and most things in between. But the vast majority of patients receiving routine care from Acupuncturists are being treated for pain related complaints. Rarely is there just one best treatment for any health complaint – so, patients should be well-informed about their alternatives.
Fortunately, most often less-is-more, and so too that can be said for patient-care with otherwise healthy people. But when it’s not, and more care or expertise is needed, a well-trained licensed Acupuncturist understands and respects his/her role in the healthcare delivery model; and they will provide patients with an appropriate referral to a medical doctor for any condition needing emergency or other expert care. Lots of licensed specialty healthcare providers live and work in Citrus County. Most will welcome a phone call or visit to learn more about their practice. Get to know them and learn more about your healthcare alternatives.
What’s the Alternative?
For a lot people simple activities that were once easy to perform or enjoyable are just too painful. Folks are left to wonder if they will ever be able to enjoy these activities again. Whether that means tennis and golf prevented by painful elbows and knees, or knitting and crochet prevented by painful hands and wrists; nobody wants to have their activity level reduced due to pain. Even everyday tasks like getting the mail or picking up groceries can be a painful experience due to back, spine and hip pain.
Non-surgical and over-the-counter (OTC) oral options for treating pain are best taken and mostly intended for short term use. What happens though when your pain is not a short term problem? NSAID’s, and acetaminophen, as well as, prescribed opioid drugs are commonly recommended or advertised as options taken daily to reduce pain. Unfortunately, these are also associated with risks, like stomach bleeding, kidney and liver damage, addiction and overdose when ingested longer than intended o when not taken as directed on the packaging.
This is why it is so important to read labels and understand how medications are to best used. Just as important, is understanding what type of pain you are experiencing and why. This is because not all pain is created equally, and determining why you have pain is the first step toward knowing how best to address it. Is the pain related to a trauma or fall? Is it a sudden complaint or has the pain been coming on gradually? Is it due to progressive weakness in the body or is it due to a lack of flexibility? Is it better or worse with movement, or heat or ice? Is there swelling or bruising? Has an ex-ray or MRI been taken and reviewed to rule-out a fracture, tear, or disease? All of these particulars will inform how best to address or resolve your painful condition.
Whether your experiencing pain due to a strain or fall, pain that comes and goes, or it’s something you experience daily, you will likely benefit from one of the following treatment alternatives.
Massage
Massage therapy relaxes muscles and stimulates the production of certain chemicals in the brain that reduce how people experience pain. Most licensed massage therapists are familiar with treating painful conditions. If you are new to massage and considering seeing a therapist, then ask family and friends or a trusted professional healthcare professional to recommend an experienced massage therapist. Ask if your therapist has any additional training in Swedish, deep tissue, trigger point, myofascial relief, or cranio-sacral therapy massage for chronic pain sufferers. Regular massage therapy can do wonders to reduce pain, improve function and help keep you on the road to optimal health.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture has long been recognized as an effective and long-lasting treatment for chronic pain, particularly low-back pain, neck pain, knee pain, and headaches. The NIH advises that patients to seek services from a licensed acupuncturist or a conventional medical practitioner with training in acupuncture. Additionally, acupuncture is covered under VA Care, BC/BS State and Federal Employee Plans, many self-insured plans, and Workers’ Compensation.
Yoga
Yoga combines the healing powers of meditation, stretching and strength-building; and it is well suited for those with chronic pain. There are many styles of yoga so it is important that you talk with any prospective instructor to determine what is best for you. There are many ways to enjoy yoga, from slow and gentle to fast-paced athletic yoga. It is easy to to get started and Chair Yoga is an excellent option for those with limited flexibility or for anyone who has difficulty getting-up from the floor. A knowledgeable certified instructor should be able to help identify your best starting point to enjoy yoga.
Anti-inflammatory Diets
Inflammation can often be a hidden source of chronic pain. Planning meals that limit or eliminate processed foods, meat, dairy, cheese, added sugars, and alcohol is an excellent way to reduce pain. Replace these foods and beverages with colorful vegetables, healthy fats, whole grains and purified water. These are the basics of any healthy diet. Adjusting your diet can provide dramatic results that reduce and control chronic pain. It should be considered your first line of defense in preventing and reducing chronic pain due to inflammation.
These four alternatives are well understood to be effective in reducing and preventing certain forms of chronic pain, but because everyone is a little different some of these options will be more or less effective. Identifying what works best for you will help you establish a personal pain prevention and reduction strategy. Of course, for some chronic pain sufferers, alternative therapies alone may not be sufficient, and conventional pain treatment must be included to provide effective pain relief. As with all healthcare decisions, individuals with chronic pain should consult with their doctor to discuss a pain management plan that’s safe, healthy, and effective for them.
By David Bibbey, L.Ac, (Dipl. Ac – NCCAOM)
Spice Things Up
In this short video we hear Keith Scott MD talk about the many benefits of eating herbs and spices on a daily basis. There is a comparison of the cancer rates between Western diets and herb and spice laden Eastern culture. Studies point to the fact that Westerners consume far less herbs and spices than Easterners whom have a lower risk of the three most deadly cancers; breast, prostate and lung. We can reduce our risks by upping the intake of: turmeric, black pepper, ginger, garlic, rosemary, mustard and chillies.
For more information on how to incorporate these herbs and spices into your daily meals contact: David here: Contact Us or call 352-464-1645
Disease Prevention Trumps Early Detection Everytime
Dr. McDougal, MD has been is a fixture and thorn in the side of his medical colleagues for decades. He is a vocal dissenter of what he says “passes” for evidenced-based medicine and conventional medical treatment options for common diseases. I’ve been working to educate my patients about the role of a high-fiber plant-based diet that supports good health and prevents disease: for years. Are people still going to get sick or experience chronic health conditions? Sure, but for the vast majority of people by adopting changes in their diet has profound and lasting effects on their health. Give Dr. McD 25 minutes of your time to explain what the science REALLY shows about cancer screening and the over-valued benefits of early detection and why the “Gold Standard” of care can be more dangerous than the disease it seeks to prevent.
As always, I am available to discuss your best options to maintain optimal healthy living. Call or text for an appointment today
Best in Health,
David Bibbey, L.Ac, (Dipl. Ac – NCCAOM)
352-464-1645
RoundUp is a probable cancer causer!!
Over 30 years ago, Monsanto Lab tests concluded Glyphosate (Round-Up) exposure was linked to mice developing Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Renal Tube (Kidney) Cancer. Watch the above video for a little background information and details about how the EPA and Round-Up maker Monsanto have misled the public about the herbicide’s dangers to public health.
Pesticide Alternatives Abound – try this, instead….
Pickle ’em with vinegar:
OK, so it’s not exactly pickling, but by applying this common household item, white vinegar, to weed leaves, they’ll die off and make room in your yard for more desirable plants. The white vinegar sold in grocery stores is about 5% acetic acid, which is usually strong enough for most weeds, although a more industrial strength version (up to 20% acetic acid, which can be harmful to skin, eyes, or lungs) is available in many garden supply stores. The vinegar can be applied by spraying full strength onto the leaves of the weeds, being careful to minimize any overspray on garden plants and nearby soil. Repeated applications may be necessary, and the addition of a little liquid dish detergent may improve the effectiveness of this homemade herbicide.
Season them like chips:
Another common homemade herbicide recipe calls for combining table salt or rock salt with white vinegar (1 cup salt to 1 gallon vinegar), and then spraying this mixture on the foliage of weed plants. Adding liquid soap is said to help the efficacy of this weedkiller, as is the addition of certain oils, such as citrus or clove oil.
Source: https://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/homemade-herbicide-kill-weeds-without-killing-earth.html
Chronic Spasms – By Louise Norcross, LMT
If you’re like most people, when you use the word “spasm,” you refer to an abrupt, violent contraction of a muscle in your leg, neck or back. The contraction grabs you in an excruciating strangle hold restricting any further movement. That type is an acute spasm. There is another type called chronic spasm. This type of spasm develops over time due to many factors, such as poor, posture, overuse, underuse and just plain abuse to name only a few. The spasm is of low-grade at first, but then continues to tighten until they wrench your muscles into knotted masses increasing pressure within the muscle.
This then results in compression of vessels-arteries, veins, and lymph channels, that course through the muscle and its fascia. The vessels may partially or even completely collapse. It is at this point the muscle is initially damaged.
Muscle cells must have a regular supply of fresh blood delivered to them. This fresh blood is supplied by arteries containing oxygen, water, vitamins, minerals, proteins, fats, sugars and hormones. When arteries are compressed, enough fresh blood may not reach the muscle, deeming it nutritionally deficient and thus in greater need of nutrition.
Muscles must also be drained of “old” blood and tissue fluid. Veins drain the blood, and lymph channels drain the tissue fluids. The old blood and tissue fluids contain wastes from the muscle’s cells. When the muscle is spastic and its inner pressure increases, the veins and lymph channels, like the arteries are compressed. If the pressure is great enough, they may almost completely collapse. The wastes then back up and stagnate the muscle. If this continues, the wastes poison the muscle.
The inadequate blood supply and wastes damage your muscle’s interior by inflammation. By-products of the inflammation irritate nerve endings, making the muscle painful when you press into it firmly. But unless you press into the muscle, you may not know it’s damaged.
Obviously, then, it is very important to relieve your spasms before they damage muscular tissue.
One of the benefits of receiving therapeutic massage and bodywork is to help to alleviate chronic and acute muscle spasm. Pressure applied into a tight muscle will “milk” it, pushing out stagnant fluid and allowing fresh blood to profuse in that area. This, is why, you may feel light-headed, dizzy, some nausea or a mild headache after a deep tissue massage. The extra-cellular waste accumulated in muscle tissue has been “milked” and sent into the bloodstream. The importance of drinking plenty of water is to help flush this out of your system.
If your interested in therapeutic massage or have questions please call Louise Norcross, LMT at 352-476-5865.
(New client discounts still available)
To learn more about Louise visit: alternative-primary-care.com/louise-norcross-lmt/
Article soure: Spasm by Dr. John C. Lowe
There is hope that the planet will be saved by kids born in the new century.
Let me introduce you to one of those young people – 4th grader Zachary Maxwell of NYC. he has a thought provoking story to tell about over-promising, under-delivering, the sizzle and the steak. It’s a story about his everyday experience and encounter with school lunch, but it is also an example of what happens when the performance standards for people in trusted positions are not held to the highest standards of honesty and reliability. Everyone knows when they are being snowed, even 4th graders.
For a preview of this video click the video image below. For the full length video visit: https://vimeo.com/43793321
352-464-1645
Say Bye-Bye to premature aging, dark circles, puffiness & much more with Anti-Aging Eye Repair Créme!!
Luxuriously rich Anti-Aging Eye Repair Créme™ helps skin rejuvenate at a cellular level! Key natural ingredients help to aid hormone activity to combat free radicals, boost collagen, strengthen and increase skin’s resiliency! Natural antioxidants such as Vitamin K help to diminish signs of premature aging and is unscented (natural fragrances from botanicals removed) for even the most sensitive skin. Benefits include detoxifying, cell regenerative, firming, anti-inflammatory, hydrating, dark circles, puffiness.
Key Features:
- Diminishes signs of fine line etching.
- Detoxifies lymphatic congestion.
- Aids in combating dark circles & puffiness.
- Multipurpose use, great as a lip treatments & fine lines around mouth.
- Excellent for the most sensitive skin.
- Hydrating compounds that protect collagen and elastin.
- Great when cocktailed or layered with Elasticity Booster.
Lets shine some light on a few extremely effective ingredients:
Sunflower Oil – Organic
Rich in antioxidants & anti-inflammatory properties helping to eliminate premature aging combating free radicals and toxins. Also helps create a protective layer shielding environmental toxins. Linoleic acid working with Omega-6 help cell regeneration & to create radiant, glowing skin.
Wild Yam – Organic
Medical Grade & used in micro amounts in it’s natural form, progesterone aids in providing missing hormonal activity to help create moist, hydrated, healthy, youthful skin. Also suggested to enhance DNA synthesis in skin while restoring skin cells. Other benefits include reducing dark spots, hyper-pigmentation, sun damage.
Red Clover Blossom – Organic
Detoxifies lymphatic congestion aiding in reducing dark circles & puffiness. Slows the aging process of skin due to it’s estrogen-like effects. Also ensures appropriate skin thickness & healthy keratinization & vascularity of skin.
Plantain – Organic
Vitamin K when paired with other anti-aging actives helps fade dark circles like nothing else can. Dark circles often caused by weakened capillaries, vitamin K strengthens & increases circulation and reduces fluid retention for a rejuvenated, bright look.
Borage Oil – Organic
High levels of GLA make this ingredient incredibly hydrating & perfect for sensitive skin. Other benefits for anti-aging such as cell regenerative, firming, soothing, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and revitalizing.
Want to get your own Anti-Aging Eye Repair Créme?
Click here to contact me via our online form, or give us a call.