Editor’s Note: “2 Your Health” is a new column in the PebbleCreek Post dedicated to health issues. Each month different doctors and or medical associations, from varying specialties, will be writing on issues of importance. Articles are based on experiences and independent research conducted by the doctors or medical associations. We encourage anyone considering changing medications and or altering medical therapy, as a result of information contained in these articles, to consult your doctor first. Robson Publishing, a division of Robson Communities, Inc. is not liable for information contained in these articles.
Are you ready to try acupuncture?
Daniel Smith
Have you ever had a friend or family member with a medical or mental health issue who has undergone every treatment, procedure and/or used every medication and has claimed, “Those doctors just don’t know what’s wrong with me?” Or, “They have tried everything and nothing seems to work.” Then one day, they report their ailment has vanished, or at least diminished to where it isn’t hampering their life at all. When you ask them what happened they reply, “Acupuncture.” Some are embarrassed that they would be caught engaging in such a voodoo practice. Others are ready to broadcast it from the rooftops that finally something worked for them and brought relief of body, mind and soul. Thousands of practitioners will tell you it’s the real deal and has offered relief and improvement where many Western Medicine practices haven’t seemed to fit the bill—and without the side effects of meds, etc. So, what is acupuncture and what can it do for you?
Acupuncture is a three-thousand-year-old practice originating in China and eventually progressing around the globe and reaching the West during the past 300 years. It involves the insertion of very fine solid needles into acupuncture points located on acupuncture meridians (channels of energy flow and movement) on the body in order to balance or clear blocked Qi (pronounced chee). Traditional Chinese Medicine philosophizes that the balance of energy between the two opposing states, Yin and Yang, can be delicate and when Qi is out of balance, pain and/or pathology will result.
Medical acupuncture attempts to reestablish the balance of Qi (energy). When balance is restored pain and pathology diminish or disappear altogether. Acupuncture has little if any side effects and minimal risk. It is an excellent choice for initial treatment or can be used in combination with other Western modalities. Some maladies can be treated in as quick as one session. Others require a series of treatments with gradual increases in rest periods over weeks to months. Occasional tune ups are also helpful for more chronic conditions. Very minimal, if any, pain is experienced by the patient and most, if not all, patients experience the calming, relaxing, pain diminishing and balancing effects for which acupuncture is famous.
Acupuncture methods encourage the body to promote healing and improve function by influencing three areas of healthcare: treatment of a large range of medical conditions, health promotion and wellbeing and prevention of illness. Acupuncture has been instrumental in treating many of our military injured with traumatic brain injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Acupuncture is an effective and well known treatment for acute and chronic pain conditions. It is a powerful option for people who are tired of taking a list of medications and dealing with their side effects
Better tomorrows are here for those suffering from COPD
David Ebner
Recently diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and shortly before his death on February 27, 2015 Leonard Nimoy tweeted, “Not soon enough.” He was referring to his decision to quit smoking. Nimoy had quit 30 years before but the damage was done. Nimoy told Pharrell Williams last year in an interview, “I flunked chemistry in high school.” Apparently young Nimoy hadn’t fully grasped the long-term effects of smoking. He spent his final year of life urging people to stop smoking now, before it’s too late. The internationally beloved actor was 82 years old. If going cold turkey or nicotine patches aren’t a solution, then you could begin vaping. You would get a smaller nicotine hit and you could gradually wean yourself off the cigarettes using a 510 thread battery, if it seems like a feasible idea for you.
COPD is the third-leading cause of death in the United States after heart disease and cancer with 12 million people diagnosed and another 12 million undiagnosed. Mr. Nimoy is not the only celebrity to have developed COPD. Such entertainment icons as Johnny Carson, Dean Martin and Leonard Bernstein suffered from COPD which played a role in each of their deaths.
Physicians prescribe bronchodilators to expand airways and allow more air into and out of the lungs. It’s common for COPD treatment plans to include supplemental oxygen to regulate diminishing blood-oxygen levels brought on by poor lung function. While these treatments help, they don’t cure COPD; they manage symptoms.
A stigma carried by smoking-related illnesses – that patients only have themselves to blame – has perhaps hampered research funding. But many started smoking as minors, lured by marketing targeted to children.
A clinic in the United States is creating hope for people with COPD by developing a treatment using stem cells from the patient’s body. The Lung Institute (lunginstitute.com) has performed over 1500 treatments since 2013, harvesting stem cells through a minimally-invasive procedure, isolating them and returning them to the patient. The result can slow further degeneration and bring normal life within reach. Their 70 percent success rate and increased quality of life for their patients speaks volumes.
Nimoy took precious time to issue a warning — that with degenerative lung disease it’s impossible to know when enough damage has been done that the lungs will continue to degenerate. However, new advancements are in practice and COPD may soon be on the decline. Regardless of the individual causes of lung disease, all deserve a chance to fight for better tomorrows. With innovative treatments like stem cell therapy that hope has now become a reality for thousands.
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