Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture & Herb Clinic | Honolulu, Hawaii
Aloha! We will be at the 6th Annual Hawaii Cannabis Expo being held on February 4th and 5th! Tickets are on sale now at https://www.808hawaiicannabisexpo.com/ for only $10 each! Seniors can come in free!
Our booth is #314, near the Yoga and Chi Gong Meditation Demo Floor!
Join us at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center
777 Ward Ave, Honolulu, HI, United States, Hawaii
For more information, visit the main website here! https://hawaiicannabisexpo.com/
Mahalo!
Aloha! Come see us at our beautiful new clinic at Century Square next door in Unit #2608. Validated parking is still available at Century Square.
Note our new address below:
Acupuncture Arts Hawaii
1188 Bishop St. #2608
Honolulu, HI 96813
We’re also having a Super Moving Special. For the months of November and December, any returning patients will receive a single acupuncture treatment with fire-cupping for only $45 ($20 off the normal $65!)
The current package deals and memberships are also available:
Home treatments are still available for $150-200 an hour, costs may vary depending on distance.
Don’t wait! Call 808-781-4920 or click this link here to book an appointment now! Mahalo!
By: Vanessa Vogel Batt, L.Ac., MSTOM
After sustaining an injury, the healing process goes through two stages. The first is called the acute stage and is characterized by redness, swelling, inflammation and pain. The second is the chronic stage in which a patient may experience pain only when overusing the injured body part. Noticeable signs of inflammation may be nonexistent or minimal. In general, acute stages last from a few days to about three weeks, at which point any residual problems and pain are considered to have reached the chronic stage.
Physical trauma resulting from accidents, post-operative conditions, labor, disease or other causes requires different treatment for each stage of convalescence. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine provides comprehensive treatment from the very beginning of an injury all the way until recovery. To help rehabilitate a patient and provide pain relief after an injury, a practitioner may have to resolve a condition known as blood stasis.
Blood stasis, according to the theory of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, occurs when the flow of blood slows down and blood begins to congeal. The pain associated with this condition is fixed, sharp and with clear boundaries. This means the pain does not change locations and can be located precisely by the patient. A good example of blood stasis is a bruise on the leg. Judging by the color changes on the skin, unpleasant sensations and perhaps some puffiness, it is evident the leg endured a physical trauma. All evidence points to an eruption of blood vessels resulting in a small, visible pool of blood.
For a patient contending with the aftermath of a broken ankle, getting back on one’s feet again may take a variety of therapies to assist in reversing the effects of blood stasis. In order to provide pain relief and help in regaining full mobility and range of motion in the foot, a combination of acupuncture, tui na and moxibustion may be utilized. Tui na is a Chinese form of medical massage and moxibustion, or moxa for short, is a heat therapy.
All three of these therapies can encourage the body to dispel blood stasis by decreasing inflammation and increasing blood circulation. Acupuncture points may be selected near the ankle to induce an immune response at the specific site of injury. Additionally, moxa may be employed to further stimulate this healing process through its curative heat and smoke.
Moxa is made from a dried form of the herb mugwort. A common form resembles a cigar. It is lit at one end and left to burn slowly. The moxa stick is placed near the skin and as the thick smoke and heat permeates into the body, it triggers an immune response. The warmth facilitates the easy, fluid movement of blood. After this portion of the treatment, tui na may be just the right adjunct therapy.
By applying tui na to the area surrounding the injury, blood circulation is further increased. Stiff muscles, along with underused tendons and sinews have a chance to revitalize. Although the massage may feel pleasant, its main purpose is to warm and stimulate blood flow. Not only can massage be applied near the wounded ankle but sometimes it is necessary to use tui na on the opposite leg. To compensate for the injured side, the healthy leg can become overused and require treatment as well, especially during the chronic stage.
https://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/Oriental+Medicine+for+Injury+Rehabilitation+and+Pain+Relief
About the Author: Vanessa Vogel Batt, L.Ac., MSTOM, studied at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, and practiced acupuncture and Oriental medicine in New York for several years. Vanessa enjoys traveling the world, and has published articles on acupuncture and Oriental medicine and related health topics for websites and publications in both the U.S. and abroad.
“There have been many advances in the early detection and treatment of cancer. While the standard medical care for cancer is effective, the treatments are aggressive and cause numerous unwanted side effects as well as a lowered immune system. Acupuncture has received much attention as an adjunctive therapy in cancer treatments for its use in pain relief, reducing side effects, accelerating recovery and improving quality of life.
What Acupuncture is used for during Cancer Treatment
Acupuncture provides a total approach to health care for people with cancer. It can be used to address many of the concerns that come up during and after chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy and surgery.
According to the National Cancer Institute, acupuncture may cause physical responses in nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and parts of the brain. These responses can cause the body to release proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions. It is proposed that, by these actions, acupuncture affects blood pressure and body temperature, boosts immune system activity, and causes the body’s natural painkillers, such as endorphins, to be released.
Areas that acupuncture has shown the most promise include:
The strongest evidence of the effect of acupuncture has come from clinical trials on the use of acupuncture to relieve nausea and vomiting. Several types of clinical trials using different acupuncture methods showed acupuncture reduced nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, surgery, and morning sickness. It appears to be more effective in preventing vomiting than in reducing nausea.
Other symptoms caused by cancer treatment
Clinical trials are studying the effects of acupuncture on cancer and symptoms caused by cancer treatment, including weight loss, cough, chest pain, fever, anxiety, depression, night sweats, hot flashes, dry mouth, speech problems, and fluid in the arms or legs. Studies have shown that, for many patients, treatment with acupuncture either relieves symptoms or keeps them from getting worse.
Boosting the Immune System
Human studies on the effect of acupuncture on the immune system of cancer patients showed that it improved immune system response, including increasing the number of white blood cells.
Pain Management
In clinical studies, acupuncture reduced the amount of pain in some cancer patients. In one study, most of the patients treated with acupuncture were able to stop taking drugs for pain relief or to take smaller doses.
Acupuncture is also very useful for support if you are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or hormonal therapy. Because chemotherapy and radiation therapy weaken the body’s immune system, a strict clean needle method must be used when acupuncture treatment is given to cancer patients.”
By: Vanessa Vogel Batt, L.Ac., MSTOM
A 2017 study confirmed that women can self-apply acupressure to mitigate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Acupressure is an Oriental Medicine therapy that uses manual manipulation to specific areas of the body.
Researchers set out to discover if applying acupressure to the acupuncture points LIV3 and LI4 could influence depression, anxiety and physical symptoms associated with PMS. This particular combination of acupuncture points is widely used for a variety of gynecological issues. Additionally, the study participants were also evaluated for their overall quality of life.
LIV is an abbreviation of liver and large intestine. In this case, they both refer to the name of their respective channel. A channel is a line of healing energy, although invisible, constantly circulates in the bodies of all living beings. It is on these channels that acupuncture points reside, which practitioners of Oriental Medicine and acupuncture activate through the insertion of acupuncture needles.
The trial consisted of 97 participants who were divided into a control group and 2 experiment groups. The control group used placebo acupressure in place of real treatment. The experiment groups received treatment pertinent to their medical condition. One of the experiment groups utilized LIV3, while the other one used LI4.
The first round of acupressure was administered by a professional. The sessions were 20 minutes each and occurred every day for the 14 days before menstruation. During the next two menstrual cycles, the patients self-administered the same treatment they had during their first cycle. The study participants learned how and where to apply pressure on their bodies. Thus they continued the same routine of 20 minutes a day for 14 days, 2 weeks before their menses started.
With each cycle the women were asked to evaluate their emotional and physical symptoms, as well as state the general quality of their lives. At the end of the third cycle, researchers learned that women suffering from moderate to more severe symptoms of PMS, in both experiment groups, saw a statistically important reduction in them, when compared against the control group participants.
The quality of life for both of the experiment group patients also significantly improved as opposed to their counterparts in the placebo group. Researchers concluded that acupressure on either LIV3 or LI4 is effective for the treatment of physical and emotional issues related to PMS.
The study entitled, “The effect of applying pressure to LIV3 and LI4 on the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome: A randomized clinical trial,” appeared in the medical journal Complementary Therapeutic Medicine in April of 2017.
Source: Bazarganipour, Fatemeh, et al. “The Effect of Applying Pressure to the LIV3 and LI4 on the Symptoms of Premenstrual Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” Complementary Therapies in Medicine, vol. 31, 2017, pp. 65–70., doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2017.02.003.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) can be a scary and confusing diagnosis. Congestive heart failure has a number of causes including heart attacks, infections, cardiac arrhythmias, high blood pressure and even genetics. Once you are diagnosed with congestive heart failure it is important to alter your lifestyle to limit the impact that the disease has on your health. You may be stuck with congestive heart failure, but it doesn’t have to define your life.
Let’s start at the beginning. What is Congestive Heart Failure?
The heart is a pump. Its job is to pump old non oxygenated blood from the body to the lungs so it can be oxygenated and then be pumped out so that each and every cell can be supplied. Congestive heart failure is the inability of the left side of the heart to pump an adequate amount of blood due to different factors. Because of this condition, the heart is weak and unable to pump all of its blood forward and some of it backs up to the lungs. This results in the lungs becoming congested with blood and fluid. Thus the name, “congestive” heart failure. This congestion makes the patient, feel short of breath. The more you exert yourself, the more oxygen the body requires and the less able the heart is to supply it. This is mainly the reason people may have a poor tolerance for activity if the CHF is not well controlled.
Heart failure, if left untreated, can cause damage to other important organs. Each and every tissue in your body requires a supply of oxygen and nutrients to do well. Your kidneys, your liver, your abdominal organs, and even your lungs must be supplied constantly with an adequate supply of oxygenated blood. If your heart is unable to deliver that oxygen rich blood those vital organs will begin to fail over time.
Additional Resources:
Some of the signs and symptoms of heart failure may be easy to miss or to blame on other simpler issues. They include:
Resources to help you recognize the signs and symptoms of heart disease:
Most treatment options for congestive heart failure involve the use of various medications. A physician will work closely with you to find the perfect combination of medications that will help your heart work better and help with the demands of the body. Managing CHF requires a delicate balance between taking the work load off the heart and supplying enough oxygen and nutrients to the organs of the body. There are a couple of things you can do to make that job just a bit easier for your heart. We will discuss those a little later in the article.
There are invasive treatments for advanced congestive heart failure including heart transplantation and even the implantation of a pump that helps the heart push the blood along, but they are beyond the scope of this article. Let’s concentrate on some of the more common treatment options.
You may be prescribed a combination of the following medications to help with your heart failure.
For more information regarding medications used to treat congestive heart failure:
Since you will be taking multiple medications at multiple times during the day it is essential that you develop a system that works for you. Perhaps purchasing a pill box that you can fill once a week and use each day may help. It is imperative that you be 100% compliant with your medication regimen. Each medication is designed to not only to work with your body, but to also work with each other to maximize your heart’s ability to pump blood. It can be dangerous to take your medications at the wrong times or in wrong dosages.
There are some relatively straight forward recommendations that may help keep your congestive heart failure at bay. The first we have already dealt with: 100% compliance with medication.
Additional resources to help with healthy life style changes in patient with congestive heart failure:
Retrieved from https://www.acls.net/guide-to-congestive-heart-failure.htm
Their findings, published online March 16 in the journal Stem Cells, provide the most comprehensive picture yet of how electroacupuncture stimulates the brain to facilitate the release of stem cells and adds new insight relating to the cells’ healing properties.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that uses a small electrical current to augment the ancient Chinese medical practice of inserting fine needles into the skin at pre-determined points throughout the body.
For the study, a team of more than 40 scientists at institutions in the United States and South Korea was led by four senior authors including IU School of Medicine’s Maria B. Grant, MD, Marilyn Glick Professor of Ophthalmology and co-corresponding author; Mervin C. Yoder, MD, IU Distinguished Professor, Richard and Pauline Klingler Professor of Pediatrics, associate dean for entrepreneurial research at IU School of Medicine, director of the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and co-corresponding author; and Fletcher A. White, PhD, Vergil K. Stoelting Chair of Anesthesia, professor of anesthesia, pharmacology and toxicology.
“This work is a classic example of the power of team science, where investigators in different institutions with specific expertise worked together to unravel the complexity of how electroacupuncture works to help the body respond to stressors,” said Dr. Yoder.
The researchers performed a series of lab tests involving humans, horses and rodents that follow the effects of electroacupuncture from the stimulus of the needle all the way to the brain, resulting in the release of reparative mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) into the bloodstream.
Depending on the species, electroacupuncture led to activation of the hypothalamus—a part of the brain that controls the nervous system and involuntary bodily functions such as heart rate and digestion—within nine to 22 minutes. The stem cells were mobilized within two hours.
“The acupuncture stimulus we’re giving these animals has a rapid effect on neuroanatomical pathways that connect the stimulus point in the arm to responsive neurons in the spinal cord and into a region in the brain called the hypothalamus. In turn, the hypothalamus directs outgoing signals to stem cell niches resulting in their release,” said Dr. White, who is a neuroscientist at the Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis.
The researchers found electroacupuncture treatments resulted in higher thresholds for injury-induced pain, as well as considerable increases in the presence of a type of collagen that promotes tendon repair and anti-inflammatory cells known to be predictors of faster healing time.
Dr. White said these findings could lead to new strategies for tissue repair and pain management related to injuries.
“We could potentially capture the MSCs from an individual’s blood following electroacupuncture and save the cells for future re-introduction in the patient post-surgery or to treat chronic pain due to an injury,” he said.
The horses used in the study had been injured during training for international dressage competitions, and the six people who took part were healthy volunteers, who still showed activation of their hypothalamus through brain imaging.
More information: Tatiana E. Salazar et al, Electroacupuncture Promotes CNS-Dependent Release of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, STEM CELLS (2017). DOI: 10.1002/stem.2613
Provided by: Indiana University
Acupuncture Arts Hawaii is a Honolulu acupuncture, herb, and Chinese medicine clinic. Areas of expertise include Chinese and Japanese style acupuncture, fire cupping, tui-na, electro-stimulation, moxibustion, guasha, Qi Gong, and energy healing. The techniques are used to help treat addiction, arthritis, diabetes, infertility, allergies, depression, immune diseases, spinal problems, and more.Marc Capener, L.Ac. is a Hawaii State-Licensed acupuncturist and has an academic background in Ethno-Botany and Oriental Medicine, and has experience helping patients with PTSD, addiction, and insomnia. Original Link to Article Posted Below:
https://www.expertise.com/hi/honolulu/acupuncture#provider11