SOHMA Integrative Medicine

We offer the best of Eastern & Western medicine without using drugs or surgery

Acupuncture & Eastern Medicine

What Does Acupuncture Do For Your Health

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An ancient Chinese medicine, Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to help manage pain and treat several physical, mental, and emotional health issues. The practice involves the insertion of incredibly thin needles into the skin and soft tissue. These needles have a  similar thickness to human hair, which is inserted into acupoints. Acupoints are strategic locations in the body that, when triggered, may stimulate the body to release natural chemicals to help with symptoms.

While the thought of inserting needles may seem unnerving to some, many patients find the experience pleasant. While others find it relaxing and don’t even feel the needles.

Today, we’ll explore the benefits of acupuncture and what it can do for your overall health.

Aid in Pain Management 

Managing pain is one of the most common uses for acupuncture. Nearly everyone can relate to having to deal with pain. Many causes of chronic pain can be caused by ignoring early symptoms. Though when we think of pain, we usually think of injuries or accidents as a significant cause of pain. Yet pain can manifest in a wide variety of forms, including:

  • Muscle Pain
  • Back Pain
  • Headaches
  • Joint Pain
  • Muscle Tension
  • Dental Pain
  • Neck Pain

Pharmaceuticals and other drugs are occasionally prescribed to help mask the symptoms of pain without resolving the main issue. You can avoid the use of addictive drugs with acupuncture.

When the correct acupoints are triggered, the body may release a natural pain-relieving chemical known as endorphins. These endorphins help to mitigate some of the pain your body is dealing with. Additionally, triggering the correct acupoints can help relieve muscle tension or stiffness. This can not only help further manage pain symptoms, but it can also be helpful when recovering. Often, stiffness and muscle tension make it difficult to do proper recovery exercises. Acupuncture can assist as a complementary therapy to chiropractic care or physical therapy.

Improved Sleep Experience

Sleeping is when the body’s muscles and tissue repair and rejuvenate. Sleep is also when your mind can take a break. When your sleep is constantly being disturbed, it can significantly affect your mental health. The inability to have a healthy sleep cycle with good quality rest can significantly affect your mind and body in several ways, including:

  • Improved Immune System
  • Weight Management
  • Lowers Risk of Heart Disease
  • Lowers Risk of Diabetes
  • Reduces Stress
  • Improves Mood
  • Improved Mental Clarity

A contributing factor to poor sleep is pain. As previously stated, acupuncture can help manage this. However, acupuncture can aid in mitigating other factors that affect one’s sleep. Acupuncture can be a relaxing experience, and it’s not uncommon for some patients to take a small nap. By promoting relaxation, acupuncture may contribute to better sleep quality.

Stress and anxiety can also influence the ability and quality of sleep. Acupuncture is said to have calming effects on the nervous system. This may help to reduce both stress and anxiety levels in some. This can significantly help you fall asleep sooner and have fewer interruptions when you sleep. 

Improved Immune Function

Your immune system is your front line in fighting off pathogens and other viral, fungal, or bacterial infections. Our bodies are incredible at keeping us healthy and safe naturally. Traditional Chinese medicine says that acupuncture may be a factor in holistic well-being by promoting the balance of energy in the body. 

It’s been stated that acupuncture may have anti-inflammatory properties, along with the benefits previously stated in this article. When your mind, body, and spirit are balanced, your body doesn’t need to fight to feel good. This allows your immune system to be prepared for any future ailment you may suffer.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Eastern vs Western Medicine: How Do They Help Each Other?

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Eastern medicine, also called Traditional Chinese medicine, is an alternative medical practice that uses traditional medicine as a holistic approach to wellness. This includes using modalities and therapies such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, and cupping therapy. Western medicine is what is considered modern medicine. This focuses on medication to treat symptoms and other treatments based on modern medical practices and pharmaceuticals. 

Often, both forms of treatment seem to be at odds with each other; however, this isn’t the case. It’s a misconception that Eastern and Western medicine cannot work together, and today, we’ll go over how they can work together to help people get out of pain and into balance.

Contrasting Approaches

While both practices approach treatment differently, they aim for similar goals: your health and wellness.

Western medicine tends to focus on managing symptoms with pharmaceuticals. A systemic approach attempts to separate your body’s systems to determine the cause of the symptoms and the treatment. This is typically done with prescribed drugs to help treat diseases and other conditions. Western medicine tends to make treatment plans based on a patient’s symptoms.

Eastern medicine has a holistic approach to your wellness. It attempts to find the root of the issue rather than just the symptoms. It attempts to restore balance within the body through alternative therapies such as the aforementioned herbal remedies or acupuncture. Eastern medicine often focuses on preventing diseases and keeping your body balanced.

Can Eastern and Western medicine work together?

They work well together. Various studies point to the benefits of combining Eastern and Western medicine practices. PubMed Central says acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine, is more effective when used with conventional medical treatments to treat lower back pain.

Synergies Between Eastern and Western Medicine

While the approach may be different, the goal remains the same. The goal is to relieve a person of their pain and ailment ultimately. Eastern and Western medicine can synergies complement a patient’s care despite the methodology. 

Western medicine’s strength to manage acute symptoms works well, while Eastern medicine finds the root cause of the issue. They are promoting overall health, together creating a comprehensive wellness approach.

Combining both forms of medicine emphasizes a unique and personalized care to the patient which recognizes the immediate relief of modern pharmaceuticals while discovering the root cause of the problem to promote long-term wellness. An example is using antibiotics and herbal remedies to enhance treatment outcomes for certain infections, such as bacterial infections. 

Is Combining Eastern and Western Treatments Right for You?

While combining both forms of medicine for minor or less significant issues is common, it’s best practice to speak to your healthcare providers to ensure that you are doing it safely. Many medications can have adverse reactions to herbal supplements, such as ginkgo biloba and aspirin, which can increase the risk of bleeding, as well as many modalities that may not be recommended for people with certain conditions, such as blood-related disorders and cupping therapy.

With proper supervision, the two forms of medicine can be combined in many ways. After all, the main goal of both medicine styles is to heal you and ensure you can return to enjoying your life.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can contact us and ask about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA, we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step to better health.

Types and Styles of Acupuncture

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Acupuncture comes is an ancient healing therapy that has a wide variety of types

What is acupuncture? How many types and styles of acupuncture are there? 

There are many different types and styles of acupuncture from different regions in Asia. 

Today we’re going to talk about two specific types, traditional Chinese acupuncture and cupping therapy. We’ll go over why they are significant, their benefits as well as why they are considered complementary.

What is Acupuncture? 

Firstly, what is acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a system of integrative medicine originating from ancient China, and is now widely practiced in the US. The patient’s skin or muscles are pricked with needles used to alleviate pain and treat a variety of physical, mental, and emotional conditions. The needles are as thin as a human hair, sterile, and single use. This makes it rare for patients to feel any pain when being treated with acupuncture. The disposable nature of acupuncture needles makes infection nearly impossible.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture is the most widely practiced acupuncture style in the west and what we specialize at SOHMA integrative medicine in Long Beach CA. Traditional Chinese acupuncture has gained worldwide acceptance and is recognized as an effective treatment for many conditions including:

  • Muscle pain
  • Tendonitis
  • Arthritis
  • Dental pain
  • Injuries
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Sprains
  • Headaches and Migraines

And many other conditions involving recovery, mental health, and overall wellness.

What is Cupping?

Now, what is cupping?

Much like traditional Chinese acupuncture, cupping therapy originates from ancient Asia.  Although popular in its country of origin, cupping therapy has gained popularity in the west after many athletes and celebrities were seen with round marks on their backs during publicized events.

Cupping is a form of acupuncture though without using needles. It uses a similar method of targeting specific areas to help alleviate the patient from pain or other conditions. Cupping therapy uses cups heated with fire or connected to a pump to create negative pressure on the skin. The skin, muscle, fascia, and other soft tissues are then pulled into the cup. It pulls tension up which can sedate the nervous system, and encourage blood flow. With the increased blood flow toxins can be flushed and blockages cleared. Cupping can be used to relieve pain and aid in the healing of the following conditions:

  • Muscle Pain
  • Back, Neck, and Shoulder Pain
  • Relaxes Stiff Muscles
  • Fatigue
  • Anxiety
  • Migraines and Headaches

Cupping therapy has been thought to penetrate up to 4 inches deep for amazing deep tissue recovery. Making cupping therapy one of the best forms of deep tissue therapies out there.  It can be used in the hands, wrists, legs, and ankles allowing for specific healing in almost any body part.

How Acupuncture and Cupping Therapy Compliment Each Other

There is a famous Chinese saying that states “Acupuncture and cupping more than half of the ills cured”. Meaning that nearly half of all ailments could be treated with acupuncture and cupping in ancient China.

The reason cupping therapy and acupuncture work well together is because they help heal similar conditions in different ways. Our professionals at SOHMA will work closely with our patients to determine what kind of treatment they should take part in. or if a combination of treatments is recommended in order to best serve their health goals. 

By combining cupping and acupuncture you get the best of both worlds. The suction and negative pressure caused by cupping can be released using acupuncture. Cupping can be done first to relax abnormally tight muscles which can make it easier to insert acupuncture needles. Normally cupping and acupuncture is done one before the other, however, depending on the case they may be done at the same time. Together, they increase blood flow to the affected area, thus increasing the body’s natural healing.

 Ultimately the choice is yours, and you should choose what works best for your body and mind.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

Does Acupuncture Actually Do Anything?

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Acupuncture is an ancient treatment that’s been used for centuries.

What is acupuncture? What is it used for? How does it work? And does it really do anything?

First, let’s answer what acupuncture is. Acupuncture is a traditional Chinese method used to alleviate some health conditions and reduce pain among other ailments. The practice of acupuncture involves the practitioner inserting extremely thin needles, imagine the thickness of a human hair, into various parts of the body. These one-time-use sterile needles are inserted into strategic points called acupuncture points or “acupoints”. When triggered, the acupoints prompt the body to release natural chemicals to alleviate symptoms and fight illnesses.

Join us as we answer other questions about this ancient form of natural healing.

What is Acupuncture Used For?

Acupuncture is used to help treat many different symptoms and conditions, and every patient’s treatment will differ from person to person. Acupuncture has been shown to treat conditions ranging from allergies to chronic pain. 

Other symptoms and conditions acupuncture treats include: 

  • Tendonitis
  • Arthritis
  • Lower/Upper Back Pain
  • Neck Pain
  • Headaches and Migraines
  • Dental Pain
  • Injuries 
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Sprains

We know how painful these conditions can be. To treat any conditions with acupuncture a proper diagnosis needs to be made. After all, the only way to begin healing is by taking care of the root cause.

How does Acupuncture Work?

When your acupuncture points are activated by the needles, it is said to balance the energies in your body, which would be traditionally referred to as qi (chi). This causes your body to release natural chemicals into your muscles, spinal cord, brain, and other body parts. 

This re-balancing of chemicals promotes mental and physical health by stimulating the body’s natural healing capabilities. Acupuncture has been shown to successfully make a positive difference in a patient’s conditions that many insurance providers now cover acupuncture therapy potentially saving hundreds of dollars or more without the need for invasive procedures like surgery.

Does Acupuncture Really Do Anything?

Acupuncture is a results-based therapy that has shown to make a difference in the lives of many patients who follow through with it. Time and time again the short and long-term benefits of acupuncture have been seen in patients, athletes, and celebrities. Helping to reduce pain can lead to proper sleep and rest. Uninterrupted sleep means you can rest pain-free which is necessary for the body to naturally heal itself. Though not everyone reacts the same way to acupuncture therapy.

In some cases, patients will see a noticeable change in a single session, while the majority of patients will take 2-4 days afterward to feel the therapeutic benefits. It’s rare for a single session of acupuncture to be enough to treat the majority of patients. Usually, major results will begin to be felt after about 3 treatment sessions while more severe cases may take as many as 6 treatment sessions. The normal treatment for the majority of patients is a single treatment session per week. Though 2 times per week may be recommended for patients with a great deal of pain.

Is Acupuncture Therapy for You?

Almost everyone can take part in acupuncture therapy. In modern days acupuncture treatment has become an exceptionally safe and reliable treatment. It has become standard practice to dispose of all needles after treatment, reducing the risk of infection to near zero. Currently, there is no indication that acupuncture can cause any issues during pregnancy, though it is generally recommended to avoid acupuncture during the first trimester, and you should consult your primary care provider to ensure it is safe for you to have acupuncture treatment done.

You should avoid acupuncture therapy if you suffer from bleeding disorders or are taking blood thinners or have a pacemaker. Blood thinners and bleeding disorders pose a higher risk of bleeding from the needles. Some acupuncture therapy involves small electrical pulses applied to the needles which can cause complications with a pacemaker.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

3 Acupuncture Myths That Still Exist Today

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Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese Medicine that is being used in modern times to help people recover, relax and heal. However, people who still have misconceptions about Acupuncture. Because of this there are many myths about Acupuncture that have some people second guessing themselves when it comes to recovering and healing with a natural treatment like Acupuncture. Today we are going to debunk three of the myths that still exist around Acupuncture therapy. 

What does Acupuncture help with?

Acupuncture has been used to help treat many ailments. And it has been shown to help people recover all over the world. This form of alternative medicine has helped people recover and treat a variety of ailment and pains including:

  • Dental pain
  • Headaches / Migraines
  • Labor Pain
  • Lower Back Pain
  • Neck Pain
  • Osteoarthritis
  • Nausea
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Insomnia

Myth #1 Acupuncture is Painful

On first thought, the use of needles in Acupuncture does seem like it may be painful. In some people it can send shivers up your spine. The truth is, many people find Acupuncture treatment relaxing, and occasionally patients even fall asleep during a session. The Needles are extremely thin, usually as thin as a human hair. Nothing like  a medical needle or sewing needle. Most patients agree that the most they feel is a small pinch, followed by deep relaxation.

The goal of any Acupuncture practitioner is to make treatment as comfortable as possible. Patients get in a comfortable position, and when the needles are inserted most patients do not even notice when treatment has begun.

Myth #2 Acupuncture has Many Side Effects

A common misconception about Acupuncture is that due to the numerous needles being used, it can cause many side effects or scarring. But Acupuncture has only a few short term side effects. Most risks involving Acupuncture are low and typically include soreness, minor bleeding or bruising where needles were inserted. Some people assume that the needles used in Acupuncture can cause permanent scarring. The tips of the needles are so fine that they do not leave any marks behind when removed.

 The reason for why risks are so low is based on having a certified acupuncture practitioner. And the needles used are always single use and disposable medical grade needles. They come pre packaged in sterile packaging and are immediately discarded after use.

Myth #3 If You do not see Immediate Results, You will not Benefit from Acupuncture

This last myth stems from people assuming that Acupuncture only provides relief while the needles are in place. Acupuncture was originally designed to relieve tension within the body and provide peace and wellbeing. Those feelings of wellness do not disappear the moment the needles are removed from the body.

Many of the disorders that can be treated with Acupuncture may take multiple treatment sessions. For most patients they may begin to see results after 2 or 3 sessions, while others may take longer. Depending on the intensity and type of pain being suffered, a specific treatment plan will be recommended determining the length and frequency of treatment.

There are many more myths out there about Acupuncture. So it is important to learn about what Acupuncture can be helpful with. Hopefully we helped clarify some of these myths and help you make the decision of letting us help you in your path to natural recovery.

Take the Next Step In Improving Your Health by Contacting SOHMA Integrative Medicine

Our goal is to help you improve your health. You can reach out to us and ask us about the Myers Cocktail, IV Therapy, Chiropractic care, or how our other health service lines can help you with your journey to improved health. 

Located in Long Beach, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

We look forward to helping you take the next step in your journey to better health.

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