Traditional Chinese Medicine can provide an alternative treatment for seasonal allergies and sinus problems. Most medical practitioners will recommend using decongestants, non-steroidal nasal sprays, allergy shots, antihistamines, or nasal corticosteroids to combat these sinus problems. While these options have been successful for many patients afflicted with burning throats, itchy eyes, inflamed eyes, and stuffy nose, there are many individuals that do not respond well to these treatment plans, or who would like to go a more natural route.

What is Traditional Chinese Medicine? What is Acupuncture?

Bronchitis is a lung disease that is aggravated by industrial pollutants, dust, and smoke. If left untreated, bronchitis can result in the irreparable destruction of lung tissue. Asthma is a respiratory sensitivity to common irritants such as cigarette smoke, pollen, mold, and dust. Asthma is often associated with bronchitis, because a person with asthma has a higher likelihood of developing bronchitis. Asthmatic episodes are marked by the muscular walls of the breathing tubes in the lungs to contract in a sudden, sometimes violent, loss of oxygen, rendering a person unable to catch his or her breath.

In the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) view, qi (the vital energy proposed to regulate a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical health) circulates throughout the body on pathways called meridians. Qi can be heavily influenced by emotional, environmental, and elemental forces, and disruptions in the flow of qi are thought to be responsible for disease. TCM views bronchitis as a disruptive invasion of wind, either hot or cold, into the body system. Conversely, Western medicine sees the same symptoms as a standard respiratory infection. Each patient has a unique condition, and acupuncture sessions take into account the individual details of the patient, both physical and emotional. Acupuncture treatments are designed to stimulate specific points on the body by inserting thin metal needles into the skin. The needles work to remove blockages in the flow of qi, allowing the body to return to a state of balance.

Sciatica can be excruciatingly painful. The word ‘sciatica’ is sometimes used to describe any pain in the lower back, but the term specifically refers to pain along the sciatic nerve, the longest nerve in the body. The sciatic nerve starts from the lower back (the lumbar spine) and runs down the buttocks and the backs of the legs. Sciatica is not a disorder in itself. Sciatic pain is a symptom of a problem related to the sciatic nerve, and can be caused by a herniated disk that presses on the roots of the nerve. Injuries are a common cause for sciatic pain. Massage for sciatica can relieve the pain and prevent further discomfort.

The more the scientific community learns about premenstrual syndrome (PMS), the more a hormonal imbalance is thought to be the primary culprit. TCM and acupuncture have been used for centuries to regulate the body, promote healing, and regain a proper balance of energy, blood, and biochemicals. Practitioners have identified a course of TCM that can be used to find permanent relief from PMS and bloating.

Several million women report painful periods, cramps, and PMS that can disrupt life for 7-10 days each month. The most common symptoms include bloating, headache, acne, and irritability or severe mood swings. Proper diet, exercise, medicinal herbs, and acupuncture can all be used to better regulate these hormonal fluctuations.

Hypertension, more commonly known as high blood pressure, affects one in three adults in America, the majority of who are aged 65 years or over. Hypertension is defined by the consistent measurement of a systolic blood pressure exceeding 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure exceeding 90 mmHg. The systolic blood pressure refers to the pressure in the arteries during a heart beat and the diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the arteries in between heart beats.

It is normal for individuals to experience high blood pressure during exertion. However, if a person’s blood pressure is consistently high, they are at an increased risk of stroke and heart disease, two leading causes of mortality in America. Hypertension often goes unnoticed, as no apparent outward symptoms are associated with the disease. The condition is commonly diagnosed in the physician’s office when a physician measures a patient’s blood pressure with a sphygmomanometer during a routine medical examination.

Massage for cancer therapies aid patients in improving their emotional well-being and lessens some of the symptoms associated with cancer, reducing the side effects of invasive cancer treatments. Consisting of kneading, pressing, tapping or stroking the body’s soft tissues, massage therapy aids in relaxing patients both mentally and physically.

There are many types of massage, including Swedish message, which is an all body massage, Shiatsu, which is a hands-on therapy originating from Japan, aromatherapy massage, which uses essential oils, and reflexology in which pressure is applied to points on the feet and hands in order to improve the health of various parts of the body. Aromatherapy massage is one of the gentler forms available. Thought to work on the nerve endings‚ aromatherapy is believed to facilitate the release of endorphins, which often act as natural pain relievers. Swedish massage, on the other hand, is a more vigorous form of therapy. Aiming to improve blood circulation and enhance the workings of the lymphatic system, Swedish massage relaxes the muscles and eases the tightly knotted tissues that lead to pain and stiffness.

Massage for the elderly has various physical and mental benefits, which results in the improvement of health and general well-being. The techniques used for senior citizens differ greatly from those used with younger individuals so massage therapists strive to understand those differences in order to better treat their patients.

The National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork has been at the forefront of the promotion of massage for the elderly for many years. The board promotes massage as a treatment for the management and prevention of age-related diseases and views it as a good alternative to less natural pharmaceutical treatments. With regular massage, the quality of life is greatly increased, allowing the older patients to feel younger, healthier, and balanced.

Acupuncture for children is becoming an increasingly common treatment for headaches, stomachaches, back pain, depression, and many other frequent health concerns.

Acupuncture is an alternative therapy that involves puncturing the skin with very fine needles in specific areas of the body. The therapy is based on the theory that a specific form of energy flows throughout the body and travels in channels known as meridians. This energy is referred to as qi. When qi is unable to flow freely throughout the body, many forms of illness are thought to occur as a direct result. Acupuncture is believed to restore the flow of qi and once those energy flows have been restored, it is believed that good health will return.

There are many components of TCM, but the one that generates the most interest is acupuncture and essentially acupuncture for smoking.

Traditional Chinese Medicine or TCM, an age-old practice of the Chinese that has been in existence for over 2,500 years, based on the belief that as we live in a universe where everything is interconnected, we cannot separate the physiological and emotional. Whatever affects one part of the body will automatically affect the other.