Acupuncture for tennis Elbow

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It’s clear now that cortisone is no quick fix for the inflammation in the joint in regard to tennis elbow. In fact, cortisone can be counterproductive. “For decades, tennis elbow was thought to be caused by inflammation in the tissues around the joint. Newer science, however, including biopsies of the sore tissues, shows little inflammation, except in the very early stages of the injury. Instead, it is thought to involve degeneration of the tissues: If the joint is used repeatedly and strenuously, the body cannot repair any resulting minor damage before more damage occurs, and the tendons that hold the elbow together begin to fray and buckle. The pain can be debilitating and last for months.”

Here’s an excellent piece from the NY Times blog: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/for-tennis-elbow-no-such-thing-as-a-quick-fix/?module=WatchingPortal&region=c-column-middle-span-region&pgType=Homepage&action=click&mediaId=thumb_square&state=standard&contentPlacement=10&version=internal&contentCollection=well.blogs.nytimes.com&contentId=http%3A%2F%2Fwell.blogs.nytimes.com%2F2016%2F08%2F25%2Ffor-tennis-elbow-no-such-thing-as-a-quick-fix%2F&eventName=Watching-article-click

Can I really treat my vision?

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Most people who know anything about acupuncture associate its effects mainly with pain management. But of course, the utilization of acupuncture is much more expansive. For many years it has also been used in a lesser known, but very important area, ocular (eye) health. Recently, I spent time intensively studying with an expert in that specialty, Mats Sexton, L.Ac. Mats, who has spent the last 13 years specializing in eyes, very generously shared what once was a patented treatment approach with me and a small group of other practitioners. And none of the points are put locally in or around the eyes! Only on the hands and feet.

go to http://pindoctor.com/

I came away feeling energized and very hopeful with the new tools that I learned. And I can’t wait to include this approach in the treatments I am already doing with customized herbal formulas and nutrition.

Ideally, the patient would come in for 5 days, every day for at least 2 hours. This comprises at least 10 treatments twice a day. There would be eye testing before beginning the acupuncture.  It would flow something like this: first treatment 30 minutes, followed by an hour break, and then another 30 min treatment. After this initial 10 treatments in 5 days, the eye sight is again tested and depending on severity and chronicity, another round of treatments (for an additional 5 days) or a simple maintenance plan would be advised. This could be every week or every other week for the next 3-6 months.

In the possibility that little to no vision is enhanced, complicating factors such as lifestyle, disease or other reasons would be looked at.

Acupuncture Improves Hot Flashes in Women with Breast Cancer

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The investigators concluded: “Acupuncture in association with enhanced self-care is an effective integrative intervention for managing hot flashes and improving quality of life in women with breast cancer.”

http://www.ascopost.com/News/38479?utm_medium=Email&utm_source=ExactTarget&utm_campaign=&utm_term=5314645

Is your house making you sick?

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I caution people with chemical sensitivies and especially mold reactions to also avoid all house plants given that the soil in which plants grow is an excellent medium for mold and dust.  40% of the biomass in soils is fungal. And 70% of soils, approximately, the microbes, are also fungal.

http://www.trulia.com/blog/house-making-sick/?ecampaign=cnews&eurl=www.trulia.com%2Fblog%2Fhouse-making-sick%2F#fb-comments-link

 

Easy Way to Stop Knee Arthritis from Progressing

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Content provided by the Faculty of Harvard Medical School

There’s a lot you can do, but Harvard researchers now say skipping your daily soda may also help.

There is a lot of good science to suggest we can do something positive when we become weak in the knees. Steps to prevent knee osteoarthritis include reducing the weight load on your knee by maintaining an ideal weight; avoiding activities that will overstress your knees, such as running; and beefing up the muscles that support your knee. Working on the quadriceps in the front of the thigh and the hamstrings in the back of the thigh can help absorb some of the stress on your knee.

Now a new Harvard study presented recently at the annual American College of Rheumatology meeting finds that drinking soda may be associated with knee problems in men. “Based on our analyses, consumption of more than five nondiet soft drinks per week is related to significant osteoarthritis progression in men,” says study author Dr. Bing Lu, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School.

Soft drinks, soft knees

Knee osteoarthritis is the deterioration of knee cartilage, a smooth tissue that acts as cushioning behind your kneecap and between your thighbone and shin bone. When osteoarthritis occurs, the cartilage wears away and the bones begin to grind against each other, which makes walking, stair climbing, and simply flexing the knees painful.

One common contributor to knee osteoarthritis is the weight burden of obesity, but scientists found the association between soda and knee damage held true only in non-obese men. While researchers couldn’t explain why sugary soda was associated with making osteoarthritis worse, they do have some theories. One is that soft drinks contain phosphoric acid, which has been shown to interfere with calcium absorption and to contribute to imbalances that lead to additional loss of calcium. The other theory is that soda may take the place of healthier food and drink choices. “Soft drink consumption may be associated with decreased intakes of protein…fruit, and a variety of vitamins and nutrients,” says Dr. Lu.

What you can do

If you already have knee osteoarthritis, reduce your soda intake to less than five drinks per week. Dietitians recommend cutting out soda altogether to help prevent diabetes and obesity.