Tag Archive for: Acupuncture

Benefits of Electro-Acupuncture

ElectroAcupunctureElectro-acupuncture is the application of an electrical current to acupuncture needles to stimulate healing within the body.

Electro-acupuncture is similar to traditional acupuncture in that the same points are stimulated during a treatment. As with traditional acupuncture, needles are inserted on specific points along the body, and the needles are  then attached to a modality that generates a continuous electric pulse using small clips.

The electro-acupuncture device delivers about 10-80 milli-amps depending upon the selected setting.  Patients may experience a tingling sensation while being treated with electro-acupuncture, which is due to the current. The average treatment  length with electro-acupuncture is 10-20 minutes.

The benefits of using electrical stimulation are:

  1. Electro-acupuncture helps reduce total treatment time by providing continuous stimulus.
  2. It is easy to control the frequency of the modality, and it can be customized to produce a stronger current as needed.

According to the principles of traditional Chinese medicine, illness is caused when qi does not flow properly through the body. Acupuncturists determine whether qi is weak, stagnant or out of balance, which indicates the points to be stimulated.

Electroacupuncture is considered to be especially useful for conditions in which there is an accumulation of qi, such as in chronic pain syndromes, or in cases where the qi is difficult to stimulate. Using a gentle electrical current in conjunction with acupuncture needles is an alternative way to stimulate the point and enhance the qi.

Victoria Spaurel is a registered acupuncturist having graduated from the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Victoria BC in 2005. Her passion for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophy and diagnostic theory is deeply rooted in long-developed holistic beliefs in true health and wellness.

As a well-known acupuncturist; Victoria teaches at the Pacific Rim College of Acupuncture in Victoria BC and is a 20 year veteran to complimentary health care.  In that time she has developed a keen ability to identify and effectively treat patterns of disharmony with regard to the health of her patients. She is well loved by patients in her family practice and respected by her colleagues.

For more information on electro-acupuncture please contact our office at 250-382-0018.

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How to Get the Most From Your Next Treatment

How to Get the Most From Your Next TreatmentHaving a successful treatment starts before you see your practitioner. On your next visit to your health care practitioner try incorporating these tips.

  • Getting adequate rest the night before your treatment is an important part of the healing process.
  • Arrive on time to your sessions.  If you arrive in a frenzied state, it will take you longer to relax.
  • Remember that your practitioner may have another appointment directly after your own and your treatment time will be cut short if you arrive late.
  • Wear clothing that will be comfortable during a treatment session.
  • Before the treatment begins, always give an accurate health update, and bring any relevant letters, imaging and/or scan results.
  • During a treatment, report any discomfort that you are feeling right away and don’t be afraid to discuss any concerns.
  • Remember to breathe normally throughout your treatment session.  If you are anxious about the treatment, your breathing will be shallow and limited.  Talking with your practitioner about your anxiety will help you relax.
  • Stay hydrated, remember to drink water before and after your treatment.
  • Don’t get up too quickly from the treatment table.  Getting off the table too fast, can make you feel dizzy or light headed.
  • Part of any treatment includes the moments after the the treatment is over.  Make sure you take enough time in the room to integrate and assimilate the results of your session.
  • Try to stay active after a treatment.  In most cases, movement after a session will help the treatment hold for a longer period of time.
  • Be honest with your practitioner;  if a treatment is not working let them know.  A good health care practitioner will choose another approach or modality to treat your condition.

Part of any good health care solution is being part of a team, and Diversified Health has numerous disciplines, treatment options, modalities and practitioners to help you get feeling better faster!

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Study Finds, Acupuncture Is Safe in Children

Treatment by acupunctureNew York Times – Guest Article By Anahad O’Connor

According to a large new study in the journal Pediatrics, the short answer is yes — in the hands of a trained practitioner. The study, the first large-scale systematic review on the safety of pediatric acupuncture, found that about one in 10 children had experienced mild side effects, like bruising and pain and numbness at the puncture site. More serious side effects, like infections and nerve impairment, were rare.

Large studies in the past have generally focused on acupuncture in adults and found similar complication rates, with serious side effects occurring in about five of every million treatment sessions.

Acupuncture is one of the most common alternative medicines in the United States, practiced by about three million people — mostly adults — every year. But it is also used with growing frequency in children to relieve pain, migraines and other complaints. About 150,000 children in the United States underwent acupuncture in 2007, according to government estimates. Whether acupuncture poses any particular hazards to children, however, has not been entirely clear.

In the latest study, researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada focused specifically on children, combing through data from 37 international studies. The authors cast a wide net, pooling data from high-quality randomized trials conducted over the past few decades as well as single case reports of injuries.

Over all, out of 1,422 children and teenagers who were included in the analysis, 168 experienced “mild” side effects. More serious problems were rare and tended to be limited to clinics that did not adhere to strict safety standards, including 12 cases of “deformity” from damage to a muscle in the thumb, all reported from the same clinic in China between 1983 and 1989. In another case, a 15-year-old boy in the United States had to be treated with “an extended course” of antibiotics when he developed a fever after undergoing acupuncture and chiropractic treatment for back pain.

“I would say the circumstances in which the serious harms happened do not reflect the modern-day standard of training and credentialing,” said Dr. Sunita Vohra, a professor of medicine at the University of Alberta and an author of the study. “That kind of practice is not what would be expected in most places.” Most American states and Canadian provinces now regulate acupuncture to ensure certain standards of safety and certification, though the regulations vary by state.

The research, financed in part by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, did not try to answer whether acupuncture is actually effective in children. While some studies have shown that acupuncture can ease chronic neck and back pain and migraine symptoms in adults, “the amount of research done in kids is pretty minimal,” said Michael Waterhouse, the head of acupuncture at the University of California, Los Angeles, pediatric pain program. He added that the results he sees in children who are treated with acupuncture at U.C.L.A. “are as good as the results we get in adults,” though more research is needed.

“There have been some small studies on migraine showing it’s helpful in reducing their frequency and increasing endorphin levels, but that has not been repeated,” he added.

One study from Harvard Medical School in 2000 looked at the effects of acupuncture on a group of about 50 children, most of them teenagers seeking relief from migraines or endometriosis, a condition that can cause painful menstruation. “Most families found acupuncture pleasant and helpful, even for pain that had been very resistant to standard treatment,” the authors wrote. “Although some began with anxiety about the needles and misgivings about the treatment, many developed more positive attitudes over the course of treatment.”

The researchers nonetheless said they believed more research was needed before the results could be generalized to other young patients. “Most of the patients in this study were adolescents; younger children’s experiences might be quite different,” they wrote. “Future studies will need to examine children’s and families’ experience with acupuncture for the entire spectrum of illnesses for which it is used.”

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Living Without Chronic Pain

Living Without Chronic PainYour quality of life can be a constant struggle if you are dealing with chronic pain which can lasts for weeks, months, even years. Combining lifestyle changes with treatment will help manage your pain, and in many cases eliminate the pain all together.

Lifestyle Tips:

Deep breathing and meditation are techniques that help your body relax, which eases pain.

Listening to soothing music can lift your mood, reduce stress and make living with chronic pain more bearable.

Exercise will increase your endorphins, and these “brain chemicals” will help to improve your mood while also blocking pain signals. Exercise has another pain reducing effect — it strengthens muscles, helping prevent re-injury and further pain.

Pain makes sleep difficult, however, alcohol or prolong use of sleep aids can make sleep problems worse.  Try a warm bath or shower before bed.

Find a friend, family member or support group that understands what you’re going through; you’ll feel less alone.

Keep a journal of your daily “pain score” use a pain scale from 1 to 10. This will help you track your pain and will be very useful when consulting a practitioner.

Treatment Options:

Massage is a therapeutic method that involves muscle manipulation and pressure to promote deep tissue and muscle relaxation, improved blood flow, and the release of stress and tension.  Massage for chronic pain works by releasing trigger points, restoring normal movement and removing harmful toxins from the body.

Acupuncture is a therapeutic method that involves the whole body. Pain is a feeling triggered in the nervous system, and alerts us to injuries and illnesses that need attention.  Acupuncture can help reduce your pain and will release body toxins, stress and tension.

eToims is aimed at alleviating pain and dysfunction caused by muscle and nerve injury. It involves the use of an electric current to produce a twitch in the muscle that is strong enough to stimulate the deep fibers of a muscle.

The electric current produced by the eToims Technique penetrates deep enough at the trigger point to produce a strong contraction in the muscle. Basically “jump starting” the muscles to release, relax, and allow blood to follow to the muscles and nerve so that they can “breathe”.

Chronic pain is a vicious cycle that creates painful trigger points, and shortened muscles that lead to more pain.  Please speak with one of our health care practitioners to discuss what type of therapies will work for you.

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Are your holiday decorations making you sick!

Are your holiday decorations making you sick! During the winter months most of us spend more time indoors, which exposes us to allergens and irritants like dust mites, pet dander, and household cleaners; and for individuals who suffer from allergies, this can make their lives miserable.

For most of us, the holiday decorations are up for several weeks during December collecting dust and mold spores and then are placed back in their boxes , only to collect more dust the next year.

To keep the allergens to a minimum, take the artificial greenery, including the tree, outside and give it a good shake (or vacuum) before packing it away.  Be sure to remove the dust from all other holiday decorations, with a quick wipe with a damp cloth.

Besides dust mites, mold spores can cause additional problems for allergy suffers, because mold spores can grow anywhere that has moisture and oxygen.

Here are some suggestions to keep mold and dust allergies in check during the winter months.

~Turn on exhaust fans when taking a shower to reduce humidity. When using a humidifier or dehumidifier make sure that you maintain an indoor humidity level of 30 – 40 percent.

~Use a HEPA vacuum to reduce pet allergens and remove dust mites.

~Change the furnace filters regularly, this will help prevent the recirculation of indoor pollutants such as dust mites.

~Wash sheets, including the pillow cases and pajamas in hot water to kill dust mites.

~Wash your hands after playing with pets, and avoid having your pets sleep on the bed.

~Check for signs of mold and identify areas that smell musty or may be at risk for mold growth, such as shower curtain or window frames.

If the allergy symptoms continue, talk to your health care practitioner about treatment options.

During the winter months, make a commitment to vacuum and dust at least twice a week, change the bed linen once a week, change your pillowcase twice a week, use eco-friendly cleaners and brush your pets 3 to 4 times a week. This commitment will keep the allergens in your home to a minimum, and ensure that your home is a happy and healthy place this holiday season.

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Building the Evidence Base for Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Building the Evidence Base for Complementary & Alternative Medicine

As an acupuncturist, everyday I hear the same questions over and over again; and guess what? I’d like to be able to answer them.

The truth is, to date, we don’t have a definitive answer to explain how acupuncture works in terms of modern science, but we’re working on it!  Below is an article written by Josephine P. Briggs, M.D. from the National Centre for Complimentary and Alternative Medicine.

“As I’ve had the opportunity to meet with many of our stakeholders over the past 6 months, I have learned a lot. I’ve gained a greater appreciation of the complexities of studying CAM, the challenges to conducting rigorous research, and the need for setting clear priorities for the years ahead.

I’m proud of the work the Center has done in its first 10 years. Establishing a viable research enterprise in this field is a daunting task. We have attracted outstanding investigators from the leading academic institutions, established collaborative partnerships with CAM practitioners, and created training programs to expand the capacity for research in the years ahead. These are all fundamental steps to ensuring that the science of discovery on CAM will grow and mature.

These are important steps. But the public is often impatient, and we frequently hear “But what are the answers? What works, and what doesn’t?” News stories on CAM are numerous, but individual stories and even single research reports do not constitute an evidence base. Evidence-based medicine relies instead on careful, systematic reviews of the entire body of scientific literature using methods of information technology and statistics. One index of progress for NCCAM is an assessment of where we stand in the development of the evidence-base for CAM.

Acupuncture provides a telling example. American interest in acupuncture was piqued in the early 1970s with President Nixon’s visit to China. The press corps included New York Times correspondent James Reston, who, following emergency appendectomy surgery in Beijing, reported that acupuncture treatment had relieved his post-surgical pain and discomfort—a report that made headlines far beyond the New York Times. But Reston’s experience was met with skepticism and did not lead to changes in patterns of post-op pain management.

But things are changing. NCCAM has been steadily building a portfolio of basic and clinical research to understand acupuncture’s mechanisms of action. Basic studies have probed local effects of traditional acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and also laser acupuncture, as well as exploited brain imaging techniques to show, for example, that acupuncture affects structures of the limbic system involved in the affective/suffering components of pain. Neurochemical studies are revealing the effects of acupuncture on neurotransmitters such as noradrenaline and endogenous opioid peptides that are associated with descending endogenous pain-modulating systems. Other neurochemical studies are exploring whether acupuncture increases nonenzymatic nitric oxide generation and the role that may play in acupuncture effects, such as inducing noradrenaline release.

Clinical research is also keeping pace. A systematic review of randomized controlled clinical trials of acupuncture for postoperative pain, published in the August 2008 issue of the British Journal of Anaesthesia, demonstrated that acupuncture had clear value, that it decreased pain intensity and lowered opioid side effects. Recently, the American Pain Society and the American College of Physicians published new clinical treatment guidelines for persistent back pain that now include acupuncture as a treatment option.

The promise that Mr. Reston saw in this traditional practice is becoming a part of the portfolio of tools that providers can use to care for patients. Our job at NCCAM is to apply rigorous science in the pursuit of such areas of promise, and steadily build an evidence base.”

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Autumn & Acupuncture | acupuncture victoria bc

Autumn & Acupuncture | acupuncture victoria bcIn Autumn, we observe nature withdrawing inward.  We see leaves wither on the branch as the trees gather energy inward and down to the deep center and roots to protect and guard vitality, like a precious secret, throughout the winter months.

As winter draws near, we notice a similar process in our own bodies. Our skin become pale and dry. Our energy draws inward to protect vital organs from the dampness and cold. We develop the urge to be quiet, sleep and stay indoors more than in the warmer months.

Our modern, urban lifestyle often prevents most of us from the luxury of indulging our natural instincts to hibernate when winter arrives. Exposing ourselves to the elements and over-spending energy during cold months can compromise the immune system, leaving us vulnerable to viruses that cause influenza and the common cold.

For those of us who are unable to spend the winter in Mexico, here are some tips on how to protect your immune system:

Never leave the house with wet hair

Dampness allows cold to penetrate more deeply. It’s especially important to prevent the neck and head from becoming exposed to harsh elements. This is usually the first area to be effected by colds and flu. Most infectious illness in winter begin with a stiff neck and headache.

Avoid eating too many cold foods

In winter, our bodies are using energy to warm our internal organs. Help your body in this regard by eating healthy cooked cereals, soups and stews. Fresh fruit and vegetables are important too, but are to be consumed in much smaller quantity than in summer months. Root vegetables, brown rice and carefully chosen protein sources can be a staple.

Try not to eat too much spicy foods

Even though spicy food is great for warming our bodies, it’s too ‘hot’ in nature to be useful in winter. Spicy foods are used in hot climates to promote sweating in order to cool the body and are delicious, however, spicy foods are an inappropriate choice for use during cold weather.

Wear a scarf and cover your legs

Even those of us who don’t feel the need to cover our necks and legs in winter need to avoid exposing bare skin. A light scarf, thin gloves and tights can be enough to guard against the elements.

Try acupuncture to boost your immune system

There is scientific and clinical evidence to support claims that acupuncture is an effective treatment for migraines and headaches.; as well as getting rid of lingering symptoms of colds and flus that are prevalent this time of year.  Acupuncture works by regulating circulation to the internal organs which in turn allows the immune system to work as nature intended to heal the body.

Written by: Victoria Spaurel, R.Ac., Registered Acupuncturist

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Acupuncture Provides True Pain Relief in Study

acupuncture victoria bcA new study of acupuncture — the most rigorous and detailed analysis of the treatment to date — found that it can ease migraines and arthritis and other forms of chronic pain.

The findings provide strong scientific support for an age-old therapy used by an estimated three million Americans each year. Though acupuncture has been studied for decades, the body of medical research on it has been mixed and mired to some extent by small and poor-quality studies. Financed by the National Institutes of Health and carried out over about half a decade, the new research was a detailed analysis of earlier research that involved data on nearly 18,000 patients.

The researchers, who published their results in Archives of Internal Medicine, found that acupuncture outperformed sham treatments and standard care when used by people suffering from osteoarthritis, migraines and chronic back, neck and shoulder pain.

“This has been a controversial subject for a long time,” said Dr. Andrew J. Vickers, attending research methodologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York and the lead author of the study. “But when you try to answer the question the right way, as we did, you get very clear answers.

“We think there’s firm evidence supporting acupuncture for the treatment of chronic pain.”

Acupuncture, which involves inserting needles at various places on the body to stimulate so-called acupoints, is among the most widely practiced forms of alternative medicine in the country and is offered by many hospitals. Most commonly the treatment is sought by adults looking for relief from chronic pain, though it is also used with growing frequency in children. According to government estimates, about 150,000 children in the United States underwent acupuncture in 2007.

But for all its popularity, questions about its efficacy have long been commonplace. Are those who swear by it experiencing true relief or the psychological balm of the placebo effect?

Dr. Vickers and a team of scientists from around the world — England, Germany, Sweden and elsewhere — sought an answer by pooling years of data. Rather than averaging the results or conclusions from years of previous studies, a common but less rigorous form of meta-analysis, Dr. Vickers and his colleagues first selected 29 randomized studies of acupuncture that they determined to be of high quality. Then they contacted the authors to obtain their raw data, which they scrutinized and pooled for further analysis. This helped them correct for statistical and methodological problems with the previous studies, allowing them to reach more precise and reliable conclusions about whether acupuncture actually works.

All told, the painstaking process took the team about six years. “Replicating pretty much every single number reported in dozens of papers is no quick or easy task,” Dr. Vickers said.

The meta-analysis included studies that compared acupuncture with usual care, like over-the-counter pain relievers and other standard medicines. It also included studies that used sham acupuncture treatments, in which needles were inserted only superficially, for example, or in which patients in control groups were treated with needles that covertly retracted into handles.

Ultimately, Dr. Vickers and his colleagues found that at the end of treatment, about half of the patients treated with true acupuncture reported improvements, compared with about 30 percent of patients who did not undergo it.

“There were 30 or 40 people from all over the world involved in this research, and as a whole the sense was that this was a clinically important effect size,” Dr. Vickers said. That is especially the case, he added, given that acupuncture “is relatively noninvasive and relatively safe.”

Dr. Vickers said the results of the study suggest that people undergoing the treatment are getting more than just a psychological boost. “They’re not just getting some placebo effect,” he said. “It’s not some sort of strange healing ritual.”

The NewYork Times | Health & Science                                                                                                                                                              By Anahad O’Connor

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Seasonal Allergies and Acupuncture | acupuncture victoria bc

allergiesSeasonal Allergies and Acupuncture | acupuncture victoria bc   –  written by Victoria Spaurel R.Ac.

Acupuncture is an effective option for allergy symptom control. Although it does not, in my experience, stop symptoms from returning the following year, it does reduce the body’s reactivity, leaving you less dependent on medications, and able to enjoy your spring and summer more.

My treatments allow patients who normally live on anti-histamines all season long the ability to go off them if acupuncture is administered regularly during the season when they are affected. Typically treatments begin with the onset of symptoms and are repeated once per week for 3 weeks, then once every two weeks for the remainder of the season.

Once symptoms are under control patients report improved energy and less reactivity to pollens. In part it is because they no longer require energy sapping anti-histamines to function, but also because their immune system is no longer using up so much energy to react.

An additional benefit to acupuncture for hay fever is that it helps prevent all the secondary infections allergy sufferers are prone to – such as colds, conjunctivitis, or chronic sinusitis.

With the allergy season getting started, consider acupuncture. It is a safe, natural and drug-free method of effectively addressing seasonal allergy symptoms.

– Victoria Spaurel is a registered Acupuncturist having graduated from the Canadian College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Victoria BC in 2005.  At Diversified Health, Victoria has had tremendous success assisting patients to reach their health goals. She uses a narrative approach to patient interviews, which helps build trust and enriches her understanding of the concerns at hand. Treatments are always designed and paced to suit her patients.

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Combine a Massage Session & Acupuncture Session & Save 25%

Lauren Wills our Registered Massage Therapist and Victoria Spaurel our registered Acupuncturist are combining their services, and are offering any one who books both a 60 minute massage and a 60 minute acupuncture session between May 15th and May 19th, 25% off both services.

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Acupuncture

Acupuncture

Victoria has had tremendous success assisting patients to reach their health goals. She uses a narrative approach to patient interviews, which helps build trust and enriches her understanding of the concerns at hand. Treatments are always designed and paced to suit her patients. Victoria enjoys working closely with people of all ages and walks of life to create a realistic treatment plan for each individual.  An Initial visit is $85.00 + HST, a subsequent visit is $75.00 + HST

 

 

massage

Massage

Lauren is a determined young lady, who is more than willing to put the time, effort, and energy into her treatments. She has always believed in and promoted a healthy lifestyle. Lauren believes that everyone should be graced with a balanced mind and body. She believes in living a healthy lifestyle and that balancing your mind, body and soul is important and easily over looked in our fast pace modern lifestyles.  A one hour massage is $90.00 includes HST.

To book your appointments, please call us at 250-382-0018!

 

 

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