Acupuncture For Age Related Conditions

By Ji Yun Yu, LAc, PhD

Alterna Wellness Centers, Inc.

. https://www.naturalboyak.com/

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Acupuncture For Age Related Conditions

Cervical spondylosis is a general term for age-related wear and tear affecting the spinal disks in your neck that according to the Mayo Clinic, more than 90 percent of adults over the age of 65 have. Pain and stiffness are very common symptoms.

It generally worsens with age and is characterized by pain in the neck, shoulders, and upper arm regions. Many people are prescribed taking over-the-counter medications to reduce inflamation and the resulting pain, such as diclofenac, ibuprofen, or naproxen.

In many cases of severe pain, stronger opiates or taking muscle relaxants are prescribed, or even medications designed to treat depression. Patients should be careful with the use of medications as side effects are fairly common, including drowsiness, dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, or difficulty urinating. Moreover, patients with asthma, high blood pressure, liver disease, heart disease, or ulcers may not be suitable for any of the above treatments.

In Chinese medicine, cervical spondylosis has been treated by removing the obstruction of channels through acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion, and herbal supplements for thousands of years. Such treatments are organic and for most people, free of any side-effects.

In recent times, technology such as thermal treatment (Mitsui Onnetsuki) from Japan for supplementing heat to the autonomic nervous system has been an effective complementary therapy to acupuncture.

Patients being treated for cervical spondylosis through alternative and complementary therapies often undergo a series of acupuncture, Mitsui thermal therapy, acupressure, and cupping or moxibustion.

The treatment plan is to stimulate through acupuncture to open up obstructed channel; supplement the body's lost heat due to pain in the autonomic nervous system relax the muscles that hold the neck, shoulders, and arms in place through acupressure and relieve the body of toxins through cupping and moxibustion. Certain patients opt to take herbal supplements that are often brewed in the form of a tea to further help the body in the recovery process.

Chinese medicine focuses on long-term natural self-recovery. Most patients that opt for alternative and complementary medicine find that in the long run, their overall health has improved. Many insurance companies such as Aetna, United Healthcare, Federal Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and Cigna have begun to realize the benefits, and have created plans to cover patients being treated for cervical spondylosis with acupuncture.