SOHMA Integrative Medicine

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

SOHMA Interactive Medicine Pain

How Does Cupping Help with Recovery?

by

Cupping therapy, glass vacuum cup in hand and woman at spa, therapist with deep tissue massage and wellness. Closeup, treatment at luxury resort with cosmetic, body care and health with acupuncture

Cupping, one of the oldest forms of medicine, has been used for thousands of years in many Asian countries. Cupping uses negative pressure to pull the soft tissue like the skin, fascia, and muscle into a cup that has had the air pumped out of it with a pump or heated to create said negative pressure. When the soft tissue is pulled up into the cup, there may be an increase in blood circulation in the area. This can promote healing as fresh oxygenated blood moves to the treated area. In recent years the popularity of Cupping therapy has increased after many athletes and celebrities have been seen with round marks going down their backs. These marks may look like bruises but are more similar to hickies and can inform you about how well you’re progressing in your therapy.

How does cupping work? And why is it used in recovery? Today we’ll go through how Cupping therapy helps with recovery.

Improved Blood Circulation

Many people underestimate the importance of good blood circulation when recovering from injury. Fresh nutrients and oxygen is needed for healing. Therefore, improving your blood circulation may enhance your body’s ability to heal and recover. When the soft tissue gets pulled into the cup, it naturally increases blood circulation to the treated area. The additional blood circulation can help flush stagnated toxins in the blood while providing the area with fresh oxygenated blood. The increased blood flow has the added benefit of reducing the swelling of the muscles, which can help with pain management and increase mobility. This can help bring the right oxygen balance to the body to support recovery and wellness.

Purge Toxins

Naturally, we have a system within our bodies to deal with removing toxins; however, living in modern cities, we can occasionally overwork that system. A poor diet and stress can be a big reason for the buildup of toxins within the body. Living in a large city where we’re constantly being exposed to smoke from vehicles and cigarettes and heavy metals and chemicals can make it difficult for the body to find balance.

Unable to find this balance, you may notice a sluggish lack of energy. This can be what is called oxidative stress. This happens when there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and antioxidants. It can lead to pain, swelling, and in extreme cases, diabetes or cancer.

Cupping can help eliminate some of the toxins built up by promoting increased blood circulation. This lets healthy, oxygenated blood flush out the stagnant blood in the treated area.

Improved Mental Health

You may wonder how your skin, fascia, and muscle being pulled into a cup can help with your mental health. Cupping therapy helps indirectly by activating your parasympathetic nervous system as the cups glide over your body during a cupping massage. The parasympathetic nervous system is responsible for lowering your heart rate. When the parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it produces a tranquil and soothing feeling in your body and mind—loosening tension in your muscles which may reduce stress and anxiety without needing medication.

Many patients have stated that they have had better sleep quality after cupping therapy. Less tension and toxins in the body can allow longer, more consistent sleep. The correlation between the lack of sleep and people suffering from some mental health disorders such as anxiety has been well documented. It’s not uncommon for people suffering from anxiety to have difficulty going to sleep and staying asleep. Without the healing effects of a good night’s sleep, it’s difficult for some people to improve their mental health.

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 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.

What are the Disadvantages of Cupping?

by

Cupping therapy

Many athletes and celebrities have been seen with round marks down their backs. Cupping is an ancient form of therapy used for thousands of years. 

Benefits from Cupping therapy include pain reduction, reduced inflammation, relaxation, reduced anxiety, and overall well-being. Join me today as we dive into Cupping therapy and what, if any, disadvantages it has.

What is Cupping Therapy

Cupping therapy is a traditional medicine in which a cup is placed on the skin, and the air is pumped out. This will result in the soft tissue getting pulled into the cup, stretching the skin, fascia, and muscle tissues. This can promote blood circulation and aid in recovery. When the soft tissue is pulled and stretched into the cup, the body may respond with increased blood circulation in the treated area. The increase in blood flow may flush out stagnated toxins. This can have the additional benefit of reduced swelling, which can help manage pain and accelerate the body’s ability to recover naturally.

The importance of blood circulation must be recognized when it comes to recovery. Although we have dedicated organs to remove toxins and promote healing, they can sometimes be overwhelmed. Especially when constantly exposed to smoke, chemicals, and other toxins in our daily life.

Disadvantages of Cupping

Some patients find them embarrassing and often confused with bruising. Though they are not bruises as they don’t tend to hurt as bruising does. These round marks can provide insight into how effective the therapy is.

Side effects of Cupping are rare though some patients have reported feeling nausea, sweating, or dizziness. Mild soreness and minimal pain can be felt in the treated area. 

Cupping therapy is generally a safe practice though there are some exceptions. Patients with bleeding conditions such as hemophilia, blood clotting issues, or hemorrhages shouldn’t practice cupping. Patients who recently suffered cardiac arrests within the last 6 months should avoid Cupping therapy. Be sure to inform the helpful staff at SOHMA if you have any skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis, as cupping can aggravate the skin in the treated area. 

What are The Round Marks

The round marks left behind after cupping can signify how well your therapy is going. A pale mark can indicate an imbalance in your circulation or that the area being treated isn’t functioning appropriately. Light red or pink marks typically mean this area has good blood circulation and is nearing the end of the therapy. Red marks often indicate a large accumulation of toxins, and you may be experiencing pain and other symptoms. This usually means treatment has just started. If the mark is dark red or nearly purple, it can signify that this body part needs the most attention.

The discoloration on the surface of your skin is temporary, and the round marks aren’t permanent. However, depending on the colors the cupping therapy produces can greatly change the time required for the marks to fade away. The lightest colors can often fade away after a few hours, while the darker marks may take up to two weeks to completely vanish.

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.

What are Complementary Therapies to Myer’s Cocktails

by

PRP Therapy being administered

When coming to SOHMA Integrated Medicine in Long Beach, CA, our goal is to get you out of pain, into balance, and back to play. This means we want to ensure you take full advantage of our therapies to get you started on your road to recovery.

Myer’s cocktail, on its own, has a wide variety of benefits. Some of these benefits include:

  • Quick Hydration 
  • Immune System Support
  • Boost in Energy
  • Improves Cardiovascular Health
  • Promotes Relaxation
  • Prevents Migraines

Though combined with complementary therapies, Myer’s cocktail can help improve the benefits of the other treatments and vice versa. Every patient is unique; however, while some may benefit from having tension released by chiropractic adjustments or a deep tissue massage, others may benefit more from acupuncture or cupping therapy to help ease their pain.

Join me today as we go over what Myer’s cocktail is and what complementary therapies we offer with Myer’s cocktail so you can get back to enjoying your time pain-free.

What Is Myer’s Cocktail

Myer’s cocktail is a form of IV therapy, the same kind of IV that would be used in a medical setting, but tailored to be used therapeutically. It contains a perfectly crafted blend of Vitamin C, and B Complex, Magnesium, and Calcium. As we get older, the body begins to absorb nutrients differently. This often results in the need for supplements to manage energy levels and proper immune system health.

Oral supplements can provide some of the required nutrients but aren’t immediately available for the body to use. Myer’s cocktail IV therapy bypasses the digestive system by delivering the  nutrients directly to the body. This allows the body to use vitamins and minerals and higher concentrations immediately.

Ozone Therapy

Often Ozone therapy is recommended to be combined with Myer’s cocktail. Both are IV therapies and share some benefits. Whereas Myer’s cocktail provides nutrients, Ozone therapy aids in removing toxins from the body. Not only do these two therapies complement each other, but they can also often be done at the same time. What does the old saying say about two birds and one stone?

Ozone’s ability to detoxify brings with it a few other benefits, such as:

  • Pain Relief
  • Improved Immune System
  • Prevents Viral Replication
  • Reduces Oxidative Stress
  • Anti-Inflammatory

Ozone therapy often results in higher energy levels and can help heal damaged cells protecting them from mustered oxidative stress.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy

Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy can help improve the range of motion and reduce pain in people with arthritis and other injuries. PRP injections are produced using the patient’s own blood. This makes it so that there is no worry of rejection or contamination. Platelets can assist in strengthening and healing damaged tissues. By injecting the platelets into injured areas, the body will receive a higher concentration of blood platelets than would normally be offered. This can decrease pain and reduce swelling, delaying the progression of arthritis and providing lubrication to affected joints.

Many other therapies are available at SOHMA, and each patient has different needs. Feel free to ask the helpful staff at SOHMA what their recommendations are when receiving Myer’s cocktail therapy.

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 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.

What are CTP Injections Good for?

by

Cellular tissue product (CTP) is a new form of therapy we provide at SOHMA Integrative Medicine in Long Beach CA, that aids the body to repair and heal itself. 

Though the thought of any procedure involving needles can seem unnerving, CTP injections are helping us provide pain relief and a better quality of life to many patients without the need of drugs or surgeries.

Join us as we explore why you should know more about CTP injections and what they are good for.

What are CTP Injections?

CTP injections are used as an aid to support the body in healing damaged tissue caused by infections, trauma, injury or aging. CTP can help you to regrow tissue to be strong and fully functioning. Oftentimes CTP is used to help manage issues in the spine, hips, shoulders and other major joints. Days after treatment, new cells begin to grow and divide forming new tissue and repairing the damaged area.  

What are CTP Injections used for?

Due to the nature of CTP injections, they can be used to help with a variety of conditions including: 

  • Arthritis
  • Chronic Joint Pain
  • Chronic Muscle Pain
  • Inflammation
  • Ligament Tear/Sprain
  • Muscle Tear/Sprain
  • Trauma Caused by Injury

Dealing with long term chronic pain can be difficult for anybody. A common source of pain is usually swelling caused by the condition. CTP injections help prevent further inflammation in the area being treated. They then stimulate your own cells to regenerate, and encourage your body to heal the damaged tissue from the inside out. Damaged cells produce a chemical signal attracting the CTP, it then attaches itself to the local blood vessels rejuvenating, replacing and regenerating the damaged cells.

While there is no effective timeline for when a patient will notice significant improvement of their condition, CTP has been shown to help many chronic conditions. Like many procedures, each patient and condition will have their own individual variables determining the outcome of the treatment. Some patients notice an improvement in their condition within a few weeks while others will take months. There are also other cases where patients may require more than one treatment with CTP injections.

Are CTP Injections Right for You?

While there is nothing we can do about aging, here comes a time where our body can no longer keep up with our lifestyle. Whether it’s due to a sports injury, or a sedentary lifestyle, continual wear on our body can eventually become too much for it to recover from. This will slowly begin to affect muscles, tendons, cartilage and nerves. Furthermore poor lifestyle choices can accelerate the degeneration and cause additional pain to the point of it becoming a chronic condition.

Side effects of CTP injections are minor and extremely rare. Mild discomfort after in the treated area is common and increased nerve sensation can be seen when treating damaged nerves. CTP being delivered through injections will involve some level of pain though it’s usually for only a handful of seconds and are typically no more painful than other forms of joint injections or soft tissue injections. Many patients are choosing CTP injections as treatment over the alternative to masking their pain with pharmaceuticals. It’s also been used to avoid going through invasive surgeries. Although in severe cases surgery may still be required for some patients, CTP can help buy valuable time before surgery is needed.

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 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.

What is a Myer’s Cocktail Good For?

by

Myer’s Cocktails is an IV Therapy that supplements your body’s natural cellular processes.

The Myer’s cocktail is a form of IV therapy that many athletes and celebrities have popularized in recent years. This form of therapy uses the same IV seen in a medical setting to deliver medicine to patients. Instead of medication Myer’s cocktail IV Therapy is used to deliver nutrients and fluids to the body in a therapeutic environment. 

The benefit of using an IV to deliver nutrients instead of a supplement taken orally is that with an IV your body has the nutrients ready for absorption through the bloodstream immediately and at higher concentrations. Although oral supplementation can suffice for some, there is a noticeable delay and effect compared to the Myer’s Cocktail IV therapy. A Myer’s cocktail is a blend of vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex, Magnesium, and Calcium.

What is Myer’s cocktail good for? And where can I find a Myer’s cocktail near me?

SOHMA Integrative Medicine of Long Beach, CA, offers the Myer’s IV therapy. As for what it’s good for, join me as we answer that question.

Boosts Immune System

Many nutrients in the Myer’s cocktail provide enhanced cellular function. Vitamin B complex promotes the formation of antibodies to help with this response. Vitamin C often fortifies the immune system by supporting multiple cellular functions.

Improves Blood Circulation

Healthy blood circulation can help reduce fatigue and improve physical performance, which is necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The Magnesium and Vitamin C in the Myer’s cocktail is often used to promote and enhance cellular health and blood circulation. At the same time, the Vitamin B complex in the Myer’s cocktail improves blood circulation by aiding in the production of red blood cells and iron absorption. 

Mood Enhancer

Serotonin is a naturally occurring hormone that is connected to our mood. Often called the “feel good” hormone, serotonin helps stave off anxiety and depression. Serotonin can also help you feel confident in yourself and raise your self-esteem. An essential resource in the production of serotonin is Vitamin B-12.

Helps with Migraines

Migraines can be debilitating headaches for many adults, often resulting in sensitivity to sound and light. The pain can often result from inflammation and tension built up in the neck muscles and head. The body can take advantage of Vitamin C’s anti-inflammatory properties to help relieve some of that tension which can help reduce the duration of the migraine. 

Regular use of Myer’s Cocktail IV therapy has helped reduce the severity and frequency of migraines. Magnesium can cause blood vessels in the brain to constrict, which can trigger migraines. Calcium is often tied to bone health. It is also required in muscle functions such as contractions and relaxation.

Hydration

Myer’s cocktail IV therapy provides the nutrients through a saline and electrolyte solution. When absorbed by the body, it increases its hydration levels. Due to the fluids being delivered directly to the body without going through the digestive system, the body can hydrate much faster than by drinking a glass of water.

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 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.