Month: October 2019

Categories
Acupuncture

The Mental Health implications of Climate Change

Mental health is a lesser-known impact of Climate Change

There’s an awful lot of talk about climate change and the impact that this will likely have on our physical health, ranging from malnutrition and respiratory diseases to cardiovascular issues and insect-transmitted diseases.

But what about the impact that climate change is having even now on our mental health? Phrases such as ‘eco-anxiety’ are being heard more and more and, according to Imperial College London, the damage that is being done to our mental health is now becoming more apparent.

Dr Emma Lawrance, Institute of Global Health Innovated mental health innovations fellow, called this a new topical issue, saying that “most people don’t know the evidence behind mental health and our climate”, before adding that studies have been done revealing that more people report mental health concerns when temperatures rise above 30 degrees C.

Temperature increases can also push suicide rates up, she went on to say – but this is still an emerging problem and as such, there aren’t many statistics on the topic as yet… so more research, more innovation and more awareness is necessary, Dr Lawrance continued.

Acupuncture & Mental Health

If you have been feeling anxious about climate change, you might want to consider going for Acupuncture.

As the British Acupuncture Council explains, it’s thought that acupuncture works by stimulating the nervous system to release neurochemical messenger molecules. This then leads to biochemical changes that have an impact on the body’s homeostatic mechanisms, which promote physical and emotional wellbeing.

Research has also found that acupuncture treatments can have specific benefits where anxiety disorders and symptoms are concerned.

It does this by acting on parts of the brain that reduce sensitivity to stress and pain, as well as regulating levels of hormones and neurotransmitters to help alter the mood chemistry in your brain in order to tackle negative affective states.

Acupuncture itself is a traditional form of Chinese medicine that has been used for thousands of years to promote and maintain good health. In the last ten years, it has started to be used more prominently in mainstream healthcare in the UK.

Interestingly, different people will have different acupuncture points that the acupuncturist will identify in order to find the exact nature of the disharmony in question, so as to choose the best treatment. Other techniques may also be suggested, such as electro-acupuncture, massage, cupping or moxibustion.

This form of traditional Chinese medicine can be used to treat all sorts of issues, not just anxiety. It can help with anything from sinusitis and irritable bowel syndrome to back pain, food allergies, kidney stones, morning sickness and lots, lots more.

Have a read of one of our more recent blog posts about how it could help with migraines, if this is something you suffer from on a regular basis.

Categories
Acupuncture

Acupuncture ‘could help with frequent migraines’

Good news.

As anyone who suffers from migraines will know, they’re debilitating. When you have to deal with them regularly, this can become a real challenge. The good news is Acupuncture can help.

One GP recently wrote for the Irish News about how acupuncture could be an alternative for people who suffer from frequent migraines and want to avoid taking medication as a preventative measure.

Dr Martin Scurr explained that those who have regular migraines are people who suffer from four or more a month. To cope with these, most will need to take a prophylactic treatment.

“The danger is medication dependency, and falling into the vicious circle of the medication itself causing a withdrawal headache as the drug wears off,” he said.

But there is hope. Dr Scurr highlighted a meta-analysis that recently appeared in the Journal of Neurology. This revealed that acupuncture could be a more effective treatment for regular migraines than medication.

He added that acupuncture is believed to reduce pain by “releasing endorphins or affecting nerve pathways”. Dr Scurr suggested that people who have migraines should therefore consider acupuncture, at the very least alongside any medication they’re taking.

Further research.

There has also been research released recently that indicates there could be a link between back pain and persistent headaches. The team from the University of Warwick who conducted the research suggested both conditions should therefore be considered when choosing treatment.

If you’ve not gotten anywhere with getting effective treatment or medication for your migraines, or if you’re keen to try acupuncture or tui na massage, get in touch with us today to find out whether either treatment could help with your migraines, headaches or back pain.

Categories
Acupuncture

Acupuncture for hearing loss?

There’s more to Acupuncture than you might think

Acupuncture has so many uses, from relieving back pain to helping to de-stress, but one benefit you might not have considered is how it can repair hearing loss.

As acupuncture is the traditional Chinese medicine of using needles to encourage the body to heal itself, it is thought stimulating the nervous system in this way could send signals to the brain to improve tinnitus and deafness.

There are several studies that date back to the 1940s that assert acupuncture has helped relieve the symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL), and even cure tinnitus and deafness.

In February 2015, researchers published their opinions in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine regarding the “efficacy and safety” of the alternative treatment when it comes to treating SSHL. They looked at 12 studies and determined acupuncture, when combined with medication, can have a positive effect on patients suffering from hearing loss.

There’s more to learn about the effects of Acupuncture on hearing

Healthy Hearing stated that as the sample study was small, there was a lack of efficient data to successfully conclude the link. As a result, the authors of the report suggested further study is required to determine there is a sufficient connection.

A spokesperson from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine said: “The effects of acupuncture on the brain and body and how best to measure them are only beginning to be understood.”

Despite this restriction, acupuncture could be an effective tool to relieve stress and anxiety. As tension can make tinnitus worse, being in a more relaxed state could help improve its symptoms.

Categories
Back Pain

Link between persistent Back Pain and Headaches identified

Your body is linked together in interesting ways

As anyone who suffers from persistent back pain or persistent headaches will tell you, they can be debilitating. Now, new research has found that the two are often linked.

Researchers at the University of Warwick revealed that people with persistent back pain or persistent headaches are twice as likely to suffer from both conditions, compared to people who don’t suffer from either headaches or back pain. They conducted a systematic review of 14 studies that included a total of 460,195 patients.

They also found that there is a stronger association between the two conditions among people who suffer from migraines.

As a result of the findings, the team has suggested that a joined up approach should be taken to the treatment of both conditions, and they are recommending that further research is carried out to uncover the most effective treatment option that can help alleviate both conditions.

This could provide relief for thousands of people. Persistent low back pain is defined as pain that is experienced day after day. It affects around one in five people.

People diagnosed with chronic headache disorders will experience headaches most days for at least three months. This affects approximately one in 30 people. According to the researchers, around one in 100 people in the UK have both, equating to over half a million people.

Professor Martin Underwood, from Warwick Medical School, said that the research indicates the way in which these conditions are approached may need to change because their research suggests there could be a common factor causing both kinds of pain in some people.

“It suggests the possibility of an underpinning biological relationship, at least in some people with headache and back pain, that could also be a target for treatment,” he explained.

The story continues…

Without more research, however, there is currently no answer to what that link might be. Professor Underwood suggested it might be related to how people react to the pain, or it could be associated with how the brain interprets pain signals in some individuals.

He also noted that there are treatments for chronic headaches, whereas persistent back pain is often treated using exercise and manual therapy, as well as cognitive behavioural therapy and psychological support in some cases.

“The researchers suggest that those types of behavioural support systems may also help people living with chronic headaches,” he added.

Chinese Medicine techniques can help.

If you suffer from chronic headaches, persistent back pain or both, and have tried a number of traditional options without much effect, you could explore Tui Na massage.

This is a technique used in Chinese medicine, often in conjunction with acupuncture, that’s used to treat pain, structural misalignment, sports injuries and orthopaedic problems, among other issues.

It is also used to treat things like numbness, dizziness, stress, anxiety, muscle spasms and many other issues. It doesn’t treat the symptoms, but instead focuses on the causes of those symptoms.

Anyone who suffers from back pain and also smokes may want to try to kick the habit after research published earlier this year revealed that smoking makes people more likely to develop chronic back pain.

There are many things you can do to look after your overall health. If you visit a Chinese medicine practitioner they will provide advice about various lifestyle changes you can make to improve your condition, as well as giving you appropriate treatments, like Tui Na massage. Get in touch today, we’ll get you feeling better.