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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 Lakewood and 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 and Lakewood, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

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

With over 25% of the American population suffering from some form of neuropathy, it’s safe to say that neuropathy is relatively common. But just because it is common does not mean you need to suffer through it. At SOHMA Integrative Health Center in Long Beach and Lakewood CA, we offer Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy to help you with your pains and struggles with neuropathy. Neuropathy is an umbrella term used to describe a range of health issues involving nerve damage. Although rarely fatal, neuropathy can lead to life-altering problems.

Today we’re going to talk about how neuropathy can affect you and how PRP therapy can help treat the symptoms of and may restore damaged nerves.

What Causes Neuropathy?

Peripheral neuropathy is a common condition that affects over 3 million Americans every year. There are many causes for peripheral neuropathy however, the most common cause is diabetes. Other causes may include:

• Injury
• Trauma
• Exposure to toxins
• Infections

Accidents can happen at any time and to anyone. Auto accidents, sport,s or even injuries caused by a slip and fall can have the potential to cause nerve damage. Don’t ignore the symptoms, as the longer you let the injury remain untreated, the longer it may take to recover. In some cases recovery is impossible. 

Being exposed to toxins like lead, mercury, arsenic, and some insecticides can also lead to peripheral neuropathy. Heavy drinkers and smokers also have an elevated risk of developing neuropathy.

Many different viruses like chicken pox, shingles, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) just to name a few can also cause nerve damage. 

Symptoms of Neuropathy

The symptoms of neuropathy are varied, much like what causes neuropathy. The most common symptom of them will be numbness and tingling in the hands and feet. The feelings of pins and needles as well as an uncomfortable burning sensation can sometimes accompany the numbness. Symptoms are most frequently experienced in the evenings but can begin to develop during the day. Though this can also be caused by sitting awkwardly for too long or having poor posture when you sleep. If the symptoms persist then we recommend talking to your primary care provider about getting a diagnosis for neuropathy. 

A less common symptom is pain, though when present it presents itself as unusually intense. Pain can be felt in the neck, face, arms, and legs. 

Neuropathy can affect the muscles as well. Many patients will lose strength in their arms or legs. Making their muscles feel weighed down or slow to respond. Older adults may lose balance and fall causing potentially dangerous injuries. 

Platelet Rich Plasma and Neuropathy

What is PRP?

PRP is a concentrate of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from the patient’s blood. Once separated, the PRP is then injected into the affected joints or tissue in order to help the body treat and recover from a number of conditions. When a blood vessel is damaged it will send a signal to attract platelets. Platelets cause growth healing functions and play a key role in the body’s natural healing process.

Our bodies have power, and natural healing ability and PRP therapy only aids our body’s healing process. PRP therapy comes from the patient (autologous), so there is no risk of disease transmission or rejection of the body’s immune system.

When injected into an area of the body being affected by neuropathy, the PRP triggers the body to begin repairing damaged tissue. These platelets promote regeneration and can minimize the amount of time needed to repair tendons, muscles, cartilage, ligaments, and nerve damage.

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 and Lakewood, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

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

As you get older many activities that would normally be simple and easy become difficult and  sometimes even dangerous. There isn’t much that we can do to stop the aging process but we can make ourselves feel younger and stronger. A great way to do this is by exercising and staying in shape. I’m not suggesting something unreasonable, quite the opposite.

My suggestion is to take up our free Tai Chi class.

Tai Chi is a traditional Chinese martial art that combines meditation and spiritual focus with low impact movements which allow 99% of the population to practice including many senior citizens. This is because the movements are very gentle and the martial art focuses on muscle control, flexibility, balance, stability, and meditation.

It has been well documented that practicing Tai Chi improves mobility and balance in older people. Regular practice can also help reduce pain from osteoarthritis and other joints as well as significantly reducing the risk of falling among older adults. In this article we will take a look at debilitating conditions that can be managed with as little as a couple of months of continuously practicing Tai Chi.

Arthritis and Various Pains

For seniors, it is difficult for your body to respond the way it used to and unfortunately physical problems begin to manifest through no fault of your own. Joints begin to lose their cartilage which causes several forms of arthritis, that if left unchecked, can lead to the loss of mobility in your hands and legs due to the pain it causes when trying to move.

Tai Chi has been known to be as effective as physical therapy in reducing pain in the knees caused by arthritis and joint pain, although ideally combining both would yield the best results. The reason Tai Chi is so effective is because the movements used help joints retain their range of motion so that they don’t become stiff. Many other forms of exercise may cause too much pain in people suffering from arthritis but due to the low impact, gentle and slow movements in Tai Chi it doesn’t cause unnecessary pain.

Balance and Lowering the Risk of Falling 

Falling is one the most common forms of injury for senior citizens. In many cases the lack of mobility is the problem, but not the sole reason. Your ability to shift focus and tend to different tasks becomes affected as you become older as well. This is the reason why you may lack the reaction time to prevent yourself from losing your balance.

Tai Chi helps to train you to be more aware of your surroundings. As well as noticing your breathing rhythm, your mental processes and your movements all at the same time.

Finally, there is evidence to show that exercising and remaining active improves bone density, so in the event that you do fall, you are less likely to suffer major injuries.

Cardiovascular Health and Recovery

As an exercise, Tai Chi may not seem like it is an intense form of aerobic exercise, but this martial art has been shown to improve your cardiovascular system and as an aid in recovering from strokes. 

With a focus on breathing and relaxing, Tai Chi helps with high blood pressure, which puts less stress on your heart while exercising and strengthening it.

Many stroke survivors show weakness in parts of their body as well as a loss of balance. This is where Tai Chi can retrain your body to regain strength and balance safely. While using a new found presence of mind to become fully aware and have a better sense of control.

Mental Health

For seniors, taking care of mental health is incredibly important. Practitioners of Tai Chi have found that it not only helps them sleep without the use of sleep aids that may leave you groggy and at risk of falling, but also reduces stress, anxiety, depression and self-esteem. all of which reduce the risk of accidents and help you become more independent.

If you feel like you want to make a change in your life for the better and regain some of what may have been lost to time, we invite you to join us at Heartwell Park in Long Beach CA, we practice by the duck pond, where we have completely free Tai Chi classes for beginners.

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 and Lakewood, CA we help individuals from the surrounding cities.

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