What is Moxibustion? Moxibustion is an ancient traditional Chinese treatment (TCM) that involves the burning of Mugwort near the surface of the skin. Mugwort is a common name for several species of aromatic plants belonging to the genus Artemisia. Other names include wormwood and green ginger. Moxibustion is frequently used in conjunction with acupuncture treatments. …
Widely used in traditional medicine, Turmeric is a spice that gained popularity for both its flavorful properties and health benefits. With its spread across Asia, it has been used through ages, as a major ingredient in curries and across cultures as a vital food seasoning ingredient. It originates from the turmeric plant (Curcuma Longa) which …
In medicine we regard pain as a symptom associated with an injury or some type of pathological process. However this excludes a large proportion of sufferers with psychological pain where there is no obvious physical cause. Unlike acute pain which usually has an organic cause, patients with psychological ailments have no obvious cause of the …
Endometriosis is a painful chronic condition that occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium (the tissue that lines the walls of the uterus) begins to grow outside of it e.g. ovaries and fallopian tubes. There is painful inflammation in the surrounding tissue which results in the formation of scar tissue. Typically this leads to pain …
Thanks to environmental pollutants, allergens, increased pesticide usage, smoking, obesity, UV radiation, alcohol consumption, and nutrient poor diet, cancer has become the leading cause of deaths across the globe. The number of people diagnosed per year in the United Kingdom and the United States are about 0.3 and 1.5 million respectively. We all know that …
Chronic pain affects a significant number of people worldwide. The exact number of people with chronic pain is not known but the numbers are not minuscule. For decades, acupuncture has been used to manage several types of acute and chronic pain disorders. The therapy utilities very fine needles that are inserted at specific anatomical sites …
St John’s Wort (SJW) also known as Hypericum perforatum is a shrub that has star shaped yellow flowers, leaves and stem commonly found in Europe and the US. Historically, it has been extensively used medicinal herb. The flowers and leaves contain active ingredients ‘hyperforin’ and ‘hypericin’ and new research suggests that taking the whole preparation …
Acupuncture has a long history of use to treat many conditions, including pain, depression, fatigue and addictions. It is known to effect local responses as well as distal changes through neurological and endocrine systems. When used together with heat treatment it can cause multiple biological responses, seen both in animals and humans. However, the mechanism and …
Electroacupuncture (EA) may be the answer to improving regulation of blood sugar levels in overweight and obese women. New research published in the FASEB Journal reported that scientists found that a single bout of (EA) activated the sympathetic and partly the parasympatheric nervous system which increased whole-body glucose uptake, an important consideration in the treatment …
A ‘trapped nerve’ describes compression on the nerve, usually due to pressure applied by the surrounding tissue, muscle, tendon or bone. This can present as pain in the neck and shoulder, back, legs, arms and wrists. Common examples include; bulging of the spinal discs and carpel tunnel syndrome. In other less serious causes it can …
