By Toni Eatros, MS, Dipl Ac, AP –
Are the summer rains are making your bones ache? If so, then acupuncture might be just what you need to get the relief you desire. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, there is a subset of osteoarthritis, known as “Fixed Bone Bi”. This particular type of osteoarthritis is characterized by soreness, numbness and heaviness in the joints.
This particular type of osteoarthritis is usually caused by invasion of the body by dampness. Dampness in the body makes it difficult for the “Qi” or the body’s energy to move through the body. Pain is always an indication that the “Qi” is getting stuck. This dampness occurs in the body due to environmental factors and diet. The humidity and daily summer rains of Naples, Florida provides the environmental conditions that can lead to “Fixed Bone Bi”. The key to diagnosing this type of osteoarthritis is that the joint pain is worse on cloudy and rainy days and when you eat chocolate, sweets and coffee.
The color of your tongue helps us determine how severe the osteoarthritis is. A purple tongue indicates milder pain, whereas a blue tongue indicates severe pain. If you have a thick, white, sticky tongue coating, this usually indicates that there is a dampness factor.
Osteoarthritis usually starts as an invasion of the body by wind cold or dampness. If this goes untreated, the osteoarthritis will then start to transform into a damp heat which is much more difficult to treat than dampness alone. As with any disease, it is always easier to reverse symptoms when treated in the early stages. The longer you wait to get treatment, the longer it takes to treat and the more modalities (nutrition, herbs, supplements, cupping, massage) that may be required to achieve wellness.
At Acupuncture and Natural Health Solutions in Naples, Florida we like to treat “Fixed Bone Bi” or osteoarthritis using the balance method of acupuncture. There are several advantages inherent in the Balance Method that differ from the more conventional style of acupuncture.
First, an effort is made to minimize the number of needles used. Generally, fewer than six needles are used in a typical acupuncture treatment. This is most often welcome to those who fear the “pin cushion” effect of current Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment styles.
Second, the area of pain or injury is almost never directly needled. Distal points (points away from the injured area) are usually selected. This relieves anxieties and concerns about further trauma being introduced to an already injured or sensitive area.
A third benefit of distal treatment is that it leaves the painful area needle-free; the area is then left open for massage or manipulation while the needles are in place. If, for example, you are being treated for knee pain, you might be asked to move your knee through its range of motion while distal points are being stimulated. The resulting effect is often quite powerful for removing blocked Qi, therefore, relieving pain.
Fourth, this method also lends itself to a greater degree of flexibility. Several treatment routes are available to me in order to help move beyond therapeutic plateaus that often arise during the course of a series of treatments.
Finally, and perhaps the most significant and attractive feature of this method, is that beneficial healing results occur very quickly. In most cases, these results occur almost simultaneously with the Qi sensation: a final feature most encouraging to you and me alike.
Included among the many types of pain treated successfully by the Balance Method are migraine headaches, fibromyalgia, sciatica, arthritis, musculoskeletal pain, back pain, neck pain, joint pain and phantom-limb pain. Pain-like sensations such as numbness, tingling, burning, aching, itching and cramping are also effectively treated effectively by balancing the affected meridian(s).
Internal conditions such as nausea, asthma, edema, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, palpitations, sore throat, cough, diarrhea, menorrhagia, PMS, menopause, prostatitis and impotence can also be treated.
The Balance Method heals the body by balancing the energy in your meridians. Meridian theory has only recently been translated into English by Dr Tan, and I am happy to announce that I have studied the theory and am now utilizing this acupuncture method with great success in my practice. Dr Tan is quoted to say, “Under the right conditions, the internal healing system naturally adjusts imbalances in the body with little interference from the outside.”
By utilizing the Balance Method we can achieve a high degree of clinical effectiveness in the treatment of all types of pain, including osteoarthritis pain. 2,500 years of medical history can’t be wrong. Call now to schedule an appointment, 239-260-4566 or go to our website, www.AcupunctureSolutionsOnline.com for more information or to schedule an appointment online.