The Nurse Who Does Acupuncture to Help the Body Heal Itself

How I arrived here:

Throughout my 30 plus years as a nurse anesthetist, I often marveled at the fact that despite all of the medical and technological advances, there are so many people suffering with chronic pain and illness. How is it I wondered, that people are told things like “I am sorry but you will have to just live with your pain, insomnia, asthma, allergies, diabetes, anxiety”( fill in the blank)? I have been aware of, and have been open to the benefits of Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and herbs in particular. It is only in my mature years as a health care provider that I have finally received the education in this “alternative” medicine field. I believe that offering treatments such as acupuncture helps train the body to energize and heal itself. We know that acupuncture appears to have a regulatory effect on neurotransmitters and hormones. It offers a calming effect, can reduce inflammation, and often stimulates the body’s natural drive towards inner balance or homeostasis in a way that no Western treatment can.

East Meets West:

Whether giving anesthesia for  surgery or administering an acupuncture treatment for pain or illness, I have come to realize that the wave of the future is to have all options open for our healing. I will not likely forgo all my years of training as a nurse anesthetist to exclusively practice alternative medicine. Conversely, I could not go back to offering Western medicine treatments alone . All too often, allopathic medicine inadequately addresses  a patient’s complex issues that may have  led to their illness or problem. My goal is to evaluate what each person needs by carefully taking a medical history, performing a brief physical examination, and finally reviewing  lab work. I will recommend acupuncture, herbs or massage for some (those who need pain relief, anxiety, help with digestive issues etc), and I will recommend a visit to the doctor for those with, for example, severe kidney infections , chest pain, or extremely high blood pressure.

As a nurse I feel qualified to provide the true holistic care you deserve. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, and see for yourself if it improves your squash game!!

Further Thoughts on Digestive Detox…

If you are wondering why I haven’t posted in a month and why when I finally do- I am stuck on the same topic, you are asking very good questions that I hope I answer to you satisfaction! Actually, like thousands of other Jewish folks in the world I just finished undergoing a 25 hour fast for the holy day Yom Kippur. Fasting is one sure way to get the physicality of life out of the way just long enough to re-group, ponder, and introspect. The focus can truly be spiritual.

More on re-setting the digestive clock;

One can use this kind of opportunity as a springboard to reset the digestive clock- as I discussed I the previous post. Digestive health and specifially Detoxification  is a serious enough issue that I’d like to devote another post or two on the topic. Detoxification is the new health craze (second only to being “gluten free”), and as such it is rapidly becoming a money making venture on the part of those who probably don’t have your best digestive health in mind.

Experts and newbies all agree that cleansing the body of drugs, wastes, toxins and debris that we ingest and  breathe everyday is quite beneficial. Occassional colon or digestive detoxification may be a great way feel less weighed down, bloated and sluggish.  Cleansing can help one expel fecal matter and improve digestion and may rid the body of toxins.

Proceed with caution (and arm yourself with information)

Marketers of the multitude of cleansing products out there will have you believe that fecal matter collects on the inside lining of the intestines for months and even years. Ask any gastroenterologist who views colons daily with colonoscopy procedures if they ever see fecal matter that adheres to the intestinal wall. They see fecal matter stuck at times from constipation for sure- but no fecal matter can stick to the intestinal lining for any length of time.  This is simply not true!  Dr. Stephen Barnett of “Quackwatch” warns that  frequent colon cleanses can be too harsh on the body. He warns that cleansing  by irrigation methods may  cause bloating, cramps and diarrhea and even electrolyte imbalance. Increasing dietary fiber and/or using psyllium or flax seed is the best option for good bowel eliminations.

Tom Venuto of the “Burn the Fat Inner circle ” website tells his clients to watch for some  possible cleansing product scams out there. For instance, be wary of very expensive fiber suppliments. Avoid products that make unsupported weight loss claims and be especially careful of over-enthusiastic commissioned based sales people who are not even nutritional experts. And above all, remember, “natural” doesn’t always mean safe for everyone.

Re-setting my digestive clock

English: The gastrointestinal tract, also called the digestive tract, alimentary canal, or gut, is the system of organs within multicellular animals that takes in food, digests it to extract energy and nutrients, and expels the remaining waste. Svenska: Människans matspjälkningssystem. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I wanted to do something pro-active

I am in the middle of a 2 week  gentle detox/cleanse regimen and I so far I feel great! This is not as severely restrictive  as some practices out there. I wanted to reset my digestive clock without living on a liquid diet and having to do colonics- not that I am against such things.  In fact, I believe that most cleansing experts would highly recommend this type of week long cleanse/detox routine. Usually the more stringent methods require that one rest for days and not be overly active during the cleansing period. As I have need to continue my busy schedule at this time, I chose to cleanse in a way that wouldn’t take too much out of me physically while I  attempt to improve my eating and digestion.

Why try to assist the body’s natural detoxification and cleansing functions?

We know that the body has it’s own detoxification and cleansing functions. Toxins enter the body by way of pollutants in the lungs, water and food toxins through the digestive tract, and through the skin from polluted air or water, and sometimes  toxic substances enter via the skin. These external toxins along  internal toxins as waste products of metabolism are quickly  moved out by the liver and eliminated by the kidneys. We live in a stressed  world with pollutants in the air and water and additives and preservatives in our foods. We cannot always eat organically grown food  and live stress free which would do a lot to assist our body’s natural cleansing systems. Therefore, the cumulative effects of everyday environmental toxins and stressors can impede the body’s natural responses over time. Using a modified detox-cleanse by eating healthy foods, avoiding alcohol, drinking extra water and taking certain herbal supplements can help the body move to the best balanced state it can be in. A win -win situation!

How nutrition can help with the common cold

We are now being recommended that, at the first sign of a sneeze, we should start swallowing zinc lozenges and tablets, and even zinc syrup. This is because scientists have discovered that zinc really does ease the common cold. But instead of rushing out to buy more products manufactured by the pharmaceutical industry, let’s pause to think: is there a better way?

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Acupuncture: How It Works.

Chinese medicine states that the flow of energy in the body is called Qi.  (or Chi) A blockage of Qi in the energy pathways (called Meridians) will cause illness. Conversely, if one is ill in any way, either physically, emotionally, or psychologically, then this too will lead to blockage or stagnation of the flow of Qi (energy) in the body. Acupuncture uses sterile, microfine needles which are inserted into special points along the meridians. This clears  the blockages and stimulate the proper flow of Qi. The energy flow of the body is then re- balanced, thus reversing the pattern of illness and helping the body cure itself.

In a clinical setting, acupuncture practicioners see all types of conditions respond from allergies and asthma to anxiety, depression, infertility and pain among many others. So we know, and the Chinese have known for a few thousand years that acupuncture does indeed work. How acupuncture works is another matter.

Pain studies show that acupuncture releases endorphins, the body’s natural “morphine” which greatly lessen and even eliminate pain for many people. Endorphin release many also explain the extreme state of relaxation that occurs during and after an acupuncture session.

Needling of certain points sends potent messages to the brain, the central and peripheral nervous systems. Stimulation of large nerve fibers can send  messages  that actually blocks pain and reduces inflammation locally that causes pain.

Researchers have uses PET (brain) scans to study the effects of certain acupoints.  Key Stomach acupoints were found to show measureable changes in the areas of the brain related to gastric control and other digestive issues such as reflux, cramping, bloating and weak digestion.

PET studies find that acupuncture has been found to stimulate the body’s natural healing and hormonal regulating functions. Acupuncture can also stimulate a brain response which leads to the release of powerful neurotransmitters to help relieve pain, promote  hormonal  balance and elevation of mood.

Needle stimulation has also been found to enhance blood flow to the skin and muscles locally, bringing more oxygen to the tissues and promoting better healing. It is believed that acupuncture stimulates vasoactive substances that improve blood and oxygen flow to skin and muscles This may explain the great relief patients with fibromyalgia recieve with acupuncture treatments.

The above descriptions are only a small example of the ways in which acupuncture can alleviate many illness conditions and set the body on it’s path to healing.

References:

Peripheral Effects of Acupuncture on Skin and Muscle Blood Flow, Sandler, M., Lindber, L.B., the Euro Journal of Pain, 2004 April,

How Does Chinese Medicine work?, Clinic.acumedic.com 2013 July

How Does Acupuncture Work?, Chad Dupois, Yinyanghouse.com, 2013 June

Welcome to My Blog

Welcome to my blog about acupuncture and healing! I hope to have a lot of important information to share with you.

Yehudis Schamroth