GUAN Medical Center

03/01/2022

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35217525/

Evidence on acupuncture therapies is underused in clinical practice and health policy

02/09/2021

Qi arrival is essential to achieving an effect during needling. This effect is powerful, like wind dispersing the clouds to turn the sky from cloudy to clear. These are the principles of healing.
-Spiritual Pivot

02/04/2021

share with you about Scalp Acupuncture!

Shen Zhu Jian Pi Tang is a commonly used formula for weak digestive system symptoms. This Chinese medicinal formula from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) is commonly used in traditional Korean herbal classics for digestive issues.

01/25/2021

want to stay young?

Facial treatments have increased in recent decades for both beauty and wellness. A recent trend among some acupuncturists and estheticians (facialists) has been the application of so-called "facial gua sha." However, instrument-assisted stroking of the face, neck or décolleté with jade stone or ot...

01/10/2021

Office Closer Notice

Dear Customers, due to the pandemic spreading, our office will close for a while according to the Stay at Home Order until the further notice.
Be safe, be healthy and doing well! We look forward to seeing you soon!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us by calling the office or email. We will do telemedicine service for you!

01/10/2021

Restless legs syndrome
By Haixia Jiang LAc

Restless legs syndrome(RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an irresistible urge to move the legs to stop uncomfortable or odd sensations in order to provide temporary relief. Because it usually interferes with sleep, it also is considered a sleep disorder.
From a TCM perspective, development of restless leg syndrome(RLS) has internal and external origins. The kidney system stores essence(jing) which further transforms into marrow for the bones and brain, kidney weakness leads to bone and brain dysfunctions. The liver system stores blood and rules tendons, liver weakness leads to poor muscle and tendon conditions. On the other hand, external pathogens such as wind, dampness or coldness tend to take advantage of extreme weather changes or temporary bodily weakness, and attack the body. When they enter the leg meridians and disturb the localized blood and qi activities, RLS symptoms can easily be triggered. Generally, TCM categorizes RLS as a blood impediment, and the treatment is mainly focused on resuming the normal blood and qi activities of the legs.

01/10/2021

Sciatica
By Haixia Jiang LAc

Sciatica, belonging to “Bi Syndrome” in traditional Chinese medicine, refers to pain that radiates along the path of the sciatic nerve, which branches from the lower back through the hips and buttocks and down each leg. The pain can vary from a mild ache to a sharp, burning sensation or excruciating pain. It can be worse when coughing or sneezing, and as well as persist sitting. Sometimes, the cold and damp weather also increase the frequency of this condition. It occurs when the sciatic nerve becomes pinched by a herniated disk or bone spur on the vertebrae, misalignment or inflammation of the vertebrae or sacroiliac joint, or muscle spasm in the low back or buttocks. Traditional Chinese medicine considers that the long term overuse or sprain and exogenous pathogenic factors invasion causing the damage and dysfunction of meridian, and qi and blood blockage are the main reason of the pain. The regular treatment for this condition is medication to reduce the pain, rehabilitation program including exercises to correct the posture, strengthen the muscles and improving the flexibility. In some cases, the steroid injections are recommended, but the effects usually wear off in a few months, and there is also the risk of serious side effects should be taken into consideration.
However, the acupuncture is extremely effective and without side effects in treating this condition and selection of points and technique will depend on what the cause is. The scalp needle and motor needling can address the muscle imbalances in the body and correct each muscle group to assist in releasing spasm, relieving compression of the nerves, and also re-establish functional and balanced communication with the nervous system and muscles. Based on the condition and cause of the pain, tailored prescription of needling is applied to regulate the qi and activate the blood, relax the tendon and collaterals, and dispel the cold and dampness in the body and meridian. It is believed that once the blockage is broken, the circulation of qi and blood is promoted smoothly, there is no pain. Meanwhile, the acupuncture treatment can build strength where there is weakness, move areas where have become stagnant from cold, damp or poor circulation, or warm areas where are cold and blocked. In addition, acupuncture can be applied with combination of other techniques to relieve the sciatica including Tuina, cupping and electric-stimulate. To sum up, TCM can often reduce pain or need of medications in a few treatments without side-effects. There are not specific ways to prevent the occurrence of sciatica, but tips in protecting the low back may help. Exercises regularly can keep the back strong. Pay attention to the core muscles which are essential for proper posture and alignment. Maintain proper posture when you sit, and use good body mechanics including keeping the back straight and bending only at the knees, holding the load close to the body, and avoiding lifting and twisting simultaneously. And keep warm in the cold and damp day.

01/10/2021

Parkinson’s disease
By Haixia Jiang LAc

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder involving degeneration of neurons in a region of the brain that controls movement, characterized by the symptoms of tremor, or shaking, especially in rest, rigidity slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait. Many of the symptoms are due to a loss of neurons that produce dopamine in the brain which acts as an important chemical messenger. The cause of Parkinson’s disease is unknown, but researches show that the genes and environment triggers may play a role in the occurance. And the risk factors include age, heredity, s*x, and exposure to toxins. It is often accompanied by additional problems which are treatable such as thinking difficulties, depression and emotional changes, swallowing problems, sleep disorders, bladder problems and constipation. Parkinson’s disease can’t be cured, but medications increasing or substitute for dopamine can help control the symptoms with walking, movement and tremor. However, there are always many side-effects with these medications including the increased risk of involuntary movements, diarrhea, risk of serious liver damage and liver failure, nausea or insomnia, and the risk of hallucinations. Besides the medication for treatment, exercise and life style changes are suggested in the treatment procedure. In some severe cases, surgery known as pallidotomy or DBS are applied.
In traditional Chinese medicine, Parkinson’s disease is belonged to “shaking syndrome”(chan zheng). The symptoms of trembling of the hands, shaking of the head and rigidity muscles are considered to be the result of yin deficiency of the kidney and liver leading to generation of “internal wind”. The Neijing says:” All kinds of wind and dizziness associated with the liver; all kinds of sudden stiffness are associated with wind”. And the complications are due to the accumulation of wind, fire, phlegm and stasis. The treatment with specific prescriptions and acupuncture is based on the syndrome differentiation with focus on nourishing the yin of kidney and liver, and sedating internal wind. There are reported that both acupuncture and herb therapies showed benefits in controlling tremor, improvements in mental and emotional functions, daily living activities and quality of life. Moreover, there is no side-effects at all, and traditional Chinese medicine therapy can reduce the side-effects and dosage of medication. In our clinic, we use neurological acupuncture to treat the Parkinson’s disease which emphasize the appliance of scalp needling combined with manipulation or electro-stimulation to stimulate the production of dopamine and adjust the function of dopamine and acetylcholine so as to improve the syndromes. And additional acupoints can nourish the blood and sedate the wind in order to reduce the tremor and shaking.
Some other alternative medicine also may help, such as massage which can reduce muscle tension and promote relaxation, and Tai chi may improve flexibility, balance and muscle strength. Yoga, meditation and music or art therapy may help to relax and improve the walking and speech.

01/10/2021

Healthcare on Stopping the Heat
By Haixia Jiang LAc

“Stopping the Heat” happens on August 23 each year when the sun reaches the celestial longitude of 150 degrees. In this season, At this point, the hot summer passes and heat stops. Although many of the places in China is still usually hot in the day and cold in the morning and in the evening. And the high temperature will be still last for a while, and the weather will become dry. In this season, people are likely to catch cold and have cough. So there are a couple of things people should notice.
Early to bed and early to rise
As “stopping the heat” means the alternation of weather from hot to cool, people are likely to feel fatigue and lazy, difficult to get up in the morning. It is called “autumn tiredness” in Chinese culture. To relieve the tiredness, enough sleep is essential. In order to have enough sleep, it’s better to go to bed before 10:00pm and increase one hour of sleep than in summer.
Hydrate the body and moisture the dryness
After the “stopping the heat”, the lower rainfall makes the weather dryer, and people will feel uncomfortable due to “autumn dryness” with symptoms of tight and dry skin, itching, dry hair, lips even chaps, and dry stool. Therefore, remember to hydrate the body with more water, soup or porridge. Another useful tip is to wash your nose with cool water after you get up in the morning. Keeping the respiratory tract moist will prevent upper respiratory infection. In daily diet, it is better to eat light dishes which can moistening lung, promoting fluid production, nourishing yin to relieve dryness, such as lily, tremella, Chinese yam, pears, lotus root, duck, persimmon, and sesame etc.. It is recommended to serve with Chinese herbs including the root of straight ladybell (adenophora stricta), radix ophiopogonis, radix polygonati officinalis, crystal sugar and honey in soup or porridge.
Choose the vegetable in season
Autumn is the season for variety of gourd vegetable, which are nutrient-rich and tasty. Here are several kinds and recipes for you to choose from. The first one is towel gourd for light fry, soup and juice. And then, you can choose white gourd for stew, light fry, and making preserved fruit with sugar. Pumpkin, which is more popular here, can be served in soup, porridge, pie, and pancake. The other one is squash with which we always make stuffing in dumpling, steamed bun and pancake. Likely, you can light fry too.

01/10/2021

Healthcare on Autumn Equinox
By Haixia Jiang LAc

The autumn equinox is the middle of the autumn, after which the weather will be cool down, and the climate is inclined to be dry. On that day, the length of day and night are equal, just as the spring equinox. So we have to arrange the living to reach the balance according to the balance in the nature.
It is a good season for outdoor sports, such as strolling, jogging, hiking, swimming, or Tai chi, aerobics etc. Remember that, it is advisable to combine the breath exercise with the sports, especially the deep breath, in order to increase the lung capacity and help the respiratory tract adapt to the cold air, so as to prevent the respiratory problems.
As the weather turning cool, people are more likely to have gastrointestinal disease. Therefore, it is very important to keep the stomach and lower back warm. The hot patch, warm foot soak and foot massage will really help. Moreover, remember to add clothes in time.
There are some recommendation for the healthy diet in fall equinox. In TCM, the autumn belongs to metal, corresponding to lung, and sour in flavor. It is more likely to have dryness including dry stool, dry mouth, and dry skin. Therefore, it suggests to in-take the food which can nourish yin and moisture dryness, such as lily, grape, pears, apples, sesame, honey, lotus root, walnuts, tremella, sticky rice, lettuce, and root vegetables. Try to avoid the spicy food and cold drink. Because of the sunlight declined, it is better to keep optimistic, avoiding depression and anxiety.

10/22/2020

Acupuncture Today
November, 2020, Vol. 21, Issue 11

Acupuncture: A Great Choice Prior to Surgery
By Editorial Staff

Medication, including opioids, is commonly prescribed following surgery; and many veterans deal with chronic pain with opioids, independent of surgery. Exciting new research suggests veteran surgical candidates who receive acupuncture prior to their procedure experience less postsurgical pain and are less likely to require opioids – a win-win for both veterans and the acupuncture profession.

Study findings presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and subsequently detailed in an ASA press release, detailed the encouraging results involving more than 100 veterans randomly assigned to one of two groups prior to surgery.

In the first group, patients scheduled to undergo hip replacement received either traditional acupuncture (21 patients) or served as controls (also 21 patients). In the second group, patients scheduled to undergo one of several surgeries (gallbladder removal, hernia repair, etc.) received battlefield acupuncture (28 patients) or served as controls (36 patients). The press release did not specify when vets received acupuncture (i.e., how long before surgery).

surgery - Copyright – Stock Photo / Register MarkIn group #1, acupuncture recipients required nearly three times less morphine in the first 24 hours after surgery compared to controls. They also reported higher satisfaction scores regarding pain management, less pain and less anxiety than controls.

In group #2, patients receiving battlefield acupuncture required half the opioids 24 hours post-surgery compared to controls; and also had significantly lower pain scores, higher satisfaction scores, and reported minimal nausea / vomiting post-procedure (only 3 percent vs. 38 percent of controls).

The press release includes a great quote from lead study author Brinda Krish, DO, an anesthesiology resident at Detroit Medical Center: "Clearly it is crucial to have multiple options for treating pain, and acupuncture is an excellent alternative. It is safe, cost effective and it works."

06/05/2020

By Haixia Jiang

Hi, everyone!
Herbal sachets with open formula epidemic prevention are available now. Announced by Professor Zhou Zhongying, master of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Nanjing University of TCM.
Welcome to order~~~~~~~~~Stay safe and healthy.