Solutions for Arthritis Pain

In this article, I'd like to focus on osteoarthritis (OA) also known as 'wear and tear' arthritis.  OA tends to come on slowly.  People have pain, swelling or tenderness in a joint.  There is stiffness after inactivity especially in the morning. Pain is also worse with increased use.  There may be a crunching feeling or a sound of bone rubbing on bone. By age 55, 40% of us will have arthritis. The arthritic changes are permanent but you don't have to live with the pain!

Activity
Keep moving!  Doctors used to recommend rest as a treatment for arthritis. They couldn't have been more wrong and have changed their recommendations. Assuming you are healthy enough to exercise,  you'll want to look for low impact forms of aerobic exercise.  My patients enjoy walking, swimming and biking. Strength training (with light weights, elastic bands or your own body weight) is helpful to build muscle and protect the joints.  You should also do some stretching to keep the joints flexible.  Consider taking yoga classes or tai chi from a knowledgeable instructor.

Weight Loss
Extra body weight can put a lot of additional stress on the body's joints.  It is not only a common cause of OA but losing even a little weight can be very helpful in reducing pain.  My patients have had a lot of success with a plant based/ whole food diet.  Here are a couple great videos to get you started: Dr. McDougall's Diet for Maximum Weight Loss and How to Lose Weight Without Losing Your Mind. 

Diet and Food Sensitivites
What you put in your mouth didn't cause your arthritis but it can have a major effect the amount of inflammation in your body.  It is possible to have a sensitivity to almost any food.  The most common culprits are dairy, eggs, fish/ shellfish, nuts, sugars/alcohol, separated fats, and gluten.  If strictly avoiding these foods for a couple weeks doesn't give you the results you want, I'd recommend consulting with a health care provider that has some experience guiding people through a more personalized avoidance plan.


Nutritional Supplements
Some people may have to take prescription or over the counter medications as part of their arthritis treatment plan.  If it is not essential, I'd recommend avoiding these.  Many cause damage to the liver, kidneys, digestive system, are addictive, or raise your risk of heart attack and stroke.  Nutritional supplements are generally much safer. Before trying supplements, I'd recommend you consult with a qualified herbalist especially if you are taking medications. A full list of herbs to try is beyond the scope of this article but, some common supplements to ask about would include: MSM, Glucosamine with Chondroitin, and Turmeric.

I frequently recommend a supplement called InflamaSYN to help with the inflammation and pain.  It contains 10 anti-inflammatory herbs and is in a convenient 2 pills/ day dosing.  In addition, I can recommend Chinese Herbal Medicines that are chosen very specifically for patients.  Chinese herbal formulas are chosen based on: other health issues, quality of pain, what makes it better/worse, and location of pain.  My patients tell me that Chinese Herbs often work even when other supplements have failed.

Topicals
Next time you're achy and thinking about taking an over the counter medication, try a topical instead. There are a lot of options out there.  If you see a qualified acupuncturist or chiropractor, they should be able to help you pick the best to try.   Notable products: Tiger Balm, Zeel (Traumeel), and BioFreeze.

Acupuncture
In my opinion, Acupuncture is the ultimate tool in treating arthritis especially when it hasn't responded to other treatments.  It is powerful, safe, and tailored to each patient.  I'd suggest trying about four sessions to see how you respond and keep it up as long as things continue to improve. The large majority of my patients experience relief and most have long term or even permanent changes in their pain level.

Call our office or visit us online to schedule an appointment or for a free consultation.

Acupuncture of West Michigan
www.acupunctureofwestmichigan.com
616-855-7718

How Does The Acupuncturist use Chinese Medicine?

At some point during treatment, it is common for patients to ask, "Do you use acupuncture for yourself?"  The answer is a resounding yes!

Acupuncture is extremely effective for pain.  I'm lucky to be free of chronic pain.  But, I use acupuncture any time something comes up.  My knee was injured a few years back and I did my own acupuncture.  The swelling responded right away and I was back on my feet in no time.  I've also used it for some recurrent wrist problems from over use and low back pain after working in the yard.  We never know which injury will cause long term problems.  I treat my own problems early to keep them from becoming chronic.

We all deal with stress and anxiety from time to time. Acupuncture is well documented to take care of this kind of anxiety.  Even when people come in for other conditions, stress relief is a great side-benefit to treatment.  When I get stressed; I feel tense, sleep is terrible, and I get some digestive symptoms.  An acupuncture treatment usually does the trick and I feel better almost immediately.  I use acupuncture to take care of my stress before it gets severe enough to cause other problems.

Most people are surprised that acupuncture and Chinese herbs work great for infections including cold and flu.  It is important to get acupuncture right away for this to work.  I use it to boost my immune system and get over things more quickly. I combine acupuncture with Chinese herbs to get even better results.

One of the reasons I practice acupuncture is because of the, often, long term results.  But, we often recommend a wellness plan to prevent other conditions.  People should get treated every 6-12 weeks as part of an overall wellness plan.   When I'm on top of this for myself; I get sick less, have less stress, sleep better, have more energy, and I recover faster from injuries. I do my best to get treated regularly to stay well.

You don't have to have a major problem to get acupuncture.  Consider using it as part of your overall healthy lifestyle.  

Stephen Durell, MTOM, Dipl. Ac.

Acupuncture of West Michigan

www.acupunctureofwestmichigan.com

616-855-7718

Three Ways to Beat Migraines

Out of all the conditions that I commonly treat with acupuncture, migraines are the most disruptive to my patients' lives.  Often, they start with some kind of visual disturbance like halos or sensitivity to light.  The pain is severe, throbbing and usually one sided.  Too often, the only thing that helps is to get into a dark room wait it out.

You don't have to live them!

Medications and other drugs can be a major cause. Even the medications that treat migraines can cause another headache to come on afterward. Stop all nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol.  Ask your doctor if you can stop taking your prescriptions for a few weeks to see if the headaches improve.  Food sensitivities are another likely culprit.  The most common are fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, nuts, alcohol, and chocolate.  Consider avoiding these completely for a couple weeks.  If the headaches don't get better a more strict food elimination diet might be worthwhile.  You'll want to have the guidance of medical provider that has experience with this.

Stress is a huge trigger.  We all have it but if it is causing health problems like headaches, it's time to get it under control.  The best thing to do is make changes in your life that make you happier.  Exercise is a great stress relief.  You should be averaging 20 minutes every day.  Yoga and meditation are some of my favorite stress relievers.  Take time for yourself every day to relax without too many interruptions.  Here is a great link to some online relaxation exercises.

If the migraines continue to be a problem try acupuncture.  We'll come up with a treatment plan to help you with your headaches and improve your overall health.  Most of my patients come in about once a week and start to see improvements within their first few sessions.  The best part is that after a full course of treatment, the results are usually long term or even permanent.

If you want to find out more about acupuncture.  Call the office today to schedule a free consultation. 

Acupuncture of West Michigan
www.wmacupuncture.com
616.855.7718

Acupuncture for Addiction

As an acupuncture student in California, I treated a lot of patients that were admitted to Daniel Freeman Hospital for addiction. At the time I was struck by the clear fact that addiction can hit anyone.  I would see a patient that looked like he hit rock bottom.  Then, in the next room over, I would administer acupuncture to a high powered businessman.

Now, at my acupuncture practice here in Grand Rapids, most of the treatments I do for addiction are mostly for nicotine but also alcohol and prescription drug addictions.  Interestingly, the main points I use are the same for any chemical addiction.  It really doesn’t matter if the treatment is for nicotine or heroine.

As I understand it, addiction acupuncture started quite accidentally.  A doctor in Hong Kong was testing ear acupuncture for something else all together.  His test subjects, many addicted to morphine, were spontaneously commenting that their cravings were reduced. Here in the United States, The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) was eventually formed.  Most acupuncturists use their five point ear protocol as the basis for most addiction treatments.  Dade County Florida and others have used acupuncture as an important part of their addiction treatment for successful Drug Court programs.

The five points in the ear (auricular acupuncture) correspond to:

General Emotional Balance (Shen Men)

Sympathetic Nervous System Balance

Lungs

Liver

Kidney

In addition to their obvious physical responsibilities, Chinese Medicine assigns emotions to each of the organ systems.  The Lungs are related to grief and letting go of things (emotionally).  The Liver shows irritability and anger when out of balance.  When balanced it controls vision (physical and psychological) and determination.  A Kidney disharmony can show as fear, but, when healthy, it is responsible for Will Power. 

As an Acupuncturist (as opposed to a Detox Specialist) I will also use traditional acupuncture to treat each individual’s imbalance, and their specific withdrawal symptoms (appetite, fever/chills, headache, fatigue, malaise, etc)

Biochemically, we know that acupuncture stimulates the body to release endorphin (a natural painkiller).  The endorphin breaks into smaller chemicals called enkephlin that binds in the brain where the drug/ substance attaches.  Because these binding sites are full, cravings are reduced.  Acupuncture is an excellent aid to addiction treatment plans.

Stephen Durell, Dipl. Ac.

www.AcupunctureOfWestMichigan.com

Bend, Don't Break With Stress

 

Lately, I've been dealing with a ton of stress!  We've all been there, right?  Work.  Relationships.  Even driving stresses people.  Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs are my first choices.  Believe it or not, acupuncture is incredibly relaxing.  Many people say they feel sleepy and dreamy or lose sense of time while they rest.   For me the euphoric feelings after acupuncture last the rest of the day and my sense of ease in life lasts days or even longer.  You've got to try it!

There is a lot that we can do on our own too. Exercise is an amazing stress reducer.  It has even been compared with antidepressant medication in its results.  If you're physically able, try exercising an average of 20 minutes a day.  For me, the more intense the workout the better.  It really gets the qi and blood in the body moving and gets rid of any pent up energy I've been holding onto.  You might find that a brisk walk gives you all the same benefits.  

Americans rarely take the time for relaxation or meditation.  Be good to yourself and do it daily.  Start with about 5 minutes and work your way up to 20-30 minutes a day in one or two sittings.  Sit with good posture or lay down.  Put your hands just bellow your belly button.  Breath in and out into your lower abdomen with slow even breaths.  Pay attention to how your breath feels inside your body and as it passes through your nose.  I find it helpful to count each breath.  When my mind wanders (as it will!), I simply start back at 1 and start counting again. Here is a link to some audio files for guided meditation.

Diet is so important.  Avoid high protein foods like meats, dairy and egg.  I follow the McDougall diet and recommend it to many of my patients.  Any Organ/Meridian imbalance can be related with emotions.  Stress most often is related to a Liver Meridian imbalance.  Foods can be used like herbs to help balance the body.  Common foods that aid the liver are: onions, garlic, asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and celery.

I know that sleeping is critical to getting my stress under control.  Somehow that doesn't  matter when I wake at 2am mentally ruminating. . .  It helps to meditate for a few minutes before bed.  Focus on anything else especially your breath work.  Caffeine can be enough to cause anxiety and it keeps us awake.  Don't consume caffeine after 12pm or better yet, eliminate it completely.  Alcohol is a depressant and aggravates that aspect of stress.  A glass of wine may help with stress initially but beyond moderation it can have a terrible effect on your overall moods.  It will make you fall asleep but the sleep can become restless.  

Ekhart Tolle likes the Mantra 'This too will pass.'  I love this!  As big as my situation feels.  It is only temporary.  No need to go over the past over and over.  No need to go over all the potential scenarios that could become the future.  We only have now.  It is the only thing that is real.

A man is born gentle and weak.
At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap.
At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death.
The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.
Thus an army without flexibility never wins a battle.
A tree that is unbending is easily broken.
The hard and strong will fall.
The soft and weak will overcome.(Tao Te Ching, LXXVI) 

Stephen Durell, Dipl. Ac.

www.AcupunctureOfWestMichigan.com

616.855.7718