Modern research shows that acupuncture can affect most of the body’s systems: the nervous system, muscle tone, hormonal output, circulation, antibody production and allergic responses, as well as the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.

Moxibustion is a therapy that applies a heated material to points or certain locations of the body. The material used is mainly “moxa-wool” in the form of a cone or stick. A disease that can not treated by acupuncture may be treated by moxibustion instead.

Cupping is another therapeutic approach whereby the practitioner attaches a small jar to parts of the body in which a vacuum is created. Cupping is used in combination with acupuncture and moxibustion.

Each patient’s case will be assessed by Dr. Zhang and treatment is tailored to the individual. Typically, fine needles are inserted through the skin and left in 30 minutes, sometimes with manual or electrical stimulation. The number of needles varies and two or three treatment a week may be required to begin with, then at longer intervals as the condition responds. A typical course of treatment lasts 8 to10 sessions.

1. Palpation diagnosis is performed by feeling the pulse and pressing certain areas of the body. Feeling the pulse is a very important part of the diagnosis and requires a lot of experience to read the correct pulse. Each pulse is differentiated in term of depth, speed, strength shape and rhythm. Different condition of pulse indicates different syndrome. There are altogether 28 types of pulses in TCM.

2. Inspection is a method of diagnosis in which the doctor understands and predicts the pathological changes of internal organs by observing patients vitality, colour, appearance, functioning of the five sense organs and the tongue. Tongue diagnosis plays an important part of the diagnosis by inspection. It provides the primary information in making a diagnosis.

3. Listening and smelling are performed as a single diagnostic method. Listening to the patient’s speech, breathing and coughing and smelling of a secretion or excretion give important information about the patient’s condition. Different odours are identified in order to deduce the nature of the disease.

4. Asking about the patient’s condition in relation to their illness. This focuses on the chief complaint of the patient and the technique of the practitioner guiding the patient through relevant questioning to give an accurate description of their illness.

1. Osteoarthritis
2. Rheumatism arthritis
3. Rheumatoid arthritis

Musculo/skeletal conditions

1. Back pain
2. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
3. Neck pain
4. Frozen shoulder
5. Sciatica
6. Tennis Elbow
7. Knee pain
8. Repetitive strain injury
9. Sports Injuries

Digestive disorder

1. Abdominal pain
2. Irritable bowel syndrome
3. Diarrhoea
4. Constipation
5. Bloating
6. Vomiting
7. Nausea
8. Hiccup
9. Candidacies
10. Heartburn
11. Colitis
12. Epigastria

Mental / Emotional disorders

1. Nervous
2. Anxiety
3. Depression
4. Insomnia
5. Stress

Nerve system problem

1. Dizziness
2. Migraines and headaches
3. Facial paralysis
4. Trigeminal neuralgia

Menstrual problem

1. Irregular cycle
2. Painful periods
3. No periods
4. Heavy periods
5. Polycystic Ovaries (PCOs)
6. Endometriosis
7. Fibroids

1. Breast distensions
2. headache
3. Bloating
4. Tiredness
5. Digestive upset

Menopausal symptoms

1. Hot flushes
2. Night sweats
3. Depression
4. Mood change
5. Irregular Menstruation

pregnancy care

1. Morning sickness
2. pre-conception care
3. IVF Assistance

Respiratory disorders

1. Common cold
2. Sore throat
3. Coughs
4. Hay fever
5. Sinusitis

Infertility

1. Unexplained infertility
2. Endometriosis
3. Polycystic Ovaries
4. IVF assistance
5. High FSH
6. Male Infertility

Well-being

1. Preventive care
2. General Well-being
3. Facial acupuncture
4. stop smoking

Help examination for children
High blood pressure
Palpitation   ]]> http://acupuncture-marbella.com/archives/conditions-treated-with-acupuncture/46/feed http://acupuncture-marbella.com/archives/hay-fever/57 http://acupuncture-marbella.com/archives/hay-fever/57#comments Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:43:49 +0000 Dr Zhang http://acupuncture-marbella.com/archives/hay-fever/57 Hay fever or allergic rhinitis is a chronic inflammation of the nose, throat, and sinuses. It is induced by external irritants, usually pollens carried in the air. Spring hay fever is related to tree pollen, summer to grass pollen and autumn to weed pollen. Non seasonal allergies are usually due to household irritants such as animal hair, droppings of the house dust mite, mould, mildew, insect stings and bites. For many people with hay fever shows a real nightmare.

A lot of people seek help for itchy eyes and runny noses, the typical hay fever symptoms - sneezing, watery nasal discharge, itchy eyes and throat.      Most patient their symptoms have progressed from a runny nose to sticky yellow mucus with red, hot itchy, swollen eyes and even allergic asthma.

Traditional Chinese medicine thinks hay fever as the failure of the body’s defensive energy to protect the body from repeated invasions of Wind (a climate factor that can disrupt well-being).

Treatment would work on acupuncture points to eliminating Wind, followed by points to strengthen body’ defensive energy.

The effect of acupuncture can be immediate, and this is very encouraging as it shows just how powerful acupuncture can be. Consecutive acupuncture treatment prolongs the desirable effects or in other words, acupuncture has an accumulative effect. The treatment period is more intensive and I believe this gives good results. It is common to start treatment 3 x weekly, then 2 x weekly, then 1 x weekly, then stop. The most effective treatment is to combine Acupuncture with moxibustion. Six to eight treatments are necessary.

Some decide to stop smoking when a loved one develops a smoking-related illness such as emphysema, high blood pressure or lung cancer. The diseases associated with smoking are widely known. Many no longer want the expense and dependency of tobacco or they feel a social pressure not to smoke.

Ultimately, one has to want to stop smoking for themselves and not for anyone else: They also need to be self-motivated. Every person who chooses acupuncture to stop smoking has a strong desire to stop now, rather than putting it off indefinitely.

To stop smoking using acupuncture is simple, effective and free from toxins and side effects. It has been accepted by an increasing number of medical workers worldwide, and more and more smokers are turning to this method.

At present, the main needling method taken to stop smoking is ear acupuncture and body acupuncture. The acupuncture program to stop smoking with Dr. Zhang consists of four visits.

Up to the night before the first acupuncture treatment, you can smoke your last cigarette ever. From that point on, you will be a non-smoker.

At the first appointment, you fill out a questionnaire and receive a physical examination where we take your pulse and observe the condition of the tongue. The purpose of this interview and examination is to determine the Chinese medical diagnosis for you and the personalised treatment you will receive. Taking into account each person’s unique smoking habits and physical and emotional make-up, every patient’s acupuncture treatment is tailor-made and designed specifically for them. No two people are treated exactly the same. At this first session, you learn to identify your particular triggers for smoking and how to avoid them.

Since the first week of stopping is probably the most difficult, the acupuncture program can ease you through this time. The four acupuncture treatments in the program are spaced out over four weeks, focusing on any physical or emotional withdrawal symptoms that may arise, and also aid in relaxation.

If you are having difficulty quitting, the program can also be modified to fit your needs.

The effects of the program are:

• The first is to change the taste of cigarettes.
• The second is to take away the craving for tobacco.
• The third is to relax the mind and body
• The fourth is to reduce appetite, as giving up tobacco often results in an increase in appetite and weight gain.

Many people have reported that using acupuncture immediately changed the taste of cigarettes making them bitter and unpalatable.
of millions of cases studies throughout the world shows that the success rate to give up smoking using acupuncture is from 70% to 90%.

Age, the effects of which are often exacerbated by years of poor diet and stress, depletes the reproductive system of women’s bodies. They are ill prepared to accept the burden of conceiving and carrying a healthy child to term. Women often spend every penny they have and even borrow more for in vitro fertilization, IVF. They take drugs, and hyper stimulate the ovaries.

Women undergoing IVF treatment could have their chances of success boosted by acupuncture. I use Traditional Chinese Acupuncture to enhance both women’s and men’s fertility and to improve their health, offering alternative treatments depending on the patient’s symptoms.

The acupuncture points chosen can result in:
Better blood diffusion and “energy” in the uterus
Relaxing the uterus
“Stabilization” of the endocrine system
Relaxing the patient

The most immediate possible effect is that acupuncture served to “relax” the uterus around the time of the transfer. Several studies have shown that the uterus has contractions and that these contractions could cause expulsion of the transferred IVF embryos. The contraction is reduced by acupuncture which therefore makes it a useful tool for improving IVF pregnancy rates.

Acupuncture IVF Pregnancy Rates and Results German researchers said they have increased success rates by almost 50% in women having in vitro fertilisation (IVF) by Acupuncture.

A report published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found the pregnancy rate in the group receiving acupuncture group was 42.5%, compared to the group which did not receive the therapy, where the rate was 26.3%.

Symptoms of a common cold include nasal obstruction and drainage, sore throat, hoarseness, cough, fever and headache. Many people with a cold feel tired and achy.

Chinese medicine emphasizes that people get colds due to a weak immune system. They point out that everyone is exposed to cold viruses, but not everyone gets every cold. The difference seems to be in the ability of the immune system to fight infection. Prevention focuses on strengthening the immune system and reduces stress by acupuncture, and making sure the patient gets regular moderate exercise.

Acupuncture treatment is used to promote the body’s immune system and constrict the blood flow to the vessels in the nose. This can shrink the tissue, reduce congestion, and open inflamed nasal passages, making breathing easier.

In the study, experts selected patients with osteoarthritis and monitored their brains to see how they reacted to acupuncture. Patients were randomly subjected to blunt needles that pricked only the surface, dummy needles in which the tip was pushed back once it touched the skin, and real acupuncture needles.

They found that the real needles stimulated a part of the brain called the ‘insula’, an area involved in controlling the intensity of pain, more than the placebo did, improving pain relief by up to 15 per cent. This demonstrates that real acupuncture produces a clear physiological effect over and above a simple skin prick. Acupuncture has been practiced in Far Eastern countries for thousands of years and works on the principle of improving the overall health of a patient rather than concentrating on specific symptoms.

Traditional Chinese philosophy is based on the theory that health is dependent on the good balance of ‘qi’ (life energy) and blood, and that when ‘qi’ and blood are blocked, it can cause pain. It is understood that acupuncture can help to adjust qi and blood, and therefore relieve pain. Acupuncture use fine needles which are inserted into the body’s energy channels to restore the balance. The treatment is becoming increasingly popular.

Cherie Blair wore an acupuncture needle in her ear at the 2001 Labour Party conference. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is another fan. In the past five years research has found it can help relieve nausea, vomiting, back pain, toothache and migraine.

It has also been found to alleviate depression in pregnancy and reduce pain associated with arthritis of the knee by 40 per cent in eight weeks. Scientists point out that there will always be critics of this subject, but research like this substantiates claims by thousands of oriental doctors -that acupuncture works.