Referrals Are Always Appreciated

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Many of you have been successfully treated for various health issues here at my clinic.  Referrals are the mainstay of my practice, so if you have had a positive experience, please share!  It is illegal for me to give you prizes, gifts, etc. in exchange for referrals, but the appreciation for you as a patient and referral is always there!

Treating The Effects Of Multiple Sclerosis With Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Formulas

 

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Formulas are very effective in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis (MS).  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an  autoimmune disease.  A person's immune system attacks the myelin sheath that covers and protects  the nerves of the brain and spinal cord. A simple way of understanding the disease is this:  imagine the outer casing that holds and protects many electrical wires wears away leaving tears and holes that expose the internal wiring.  The wires inside the casing short circuit, burn, smoke, and malfunction due to exposure to environmental elements (your bodily fluids, etc).  The wearing down of the myelin sheath leads to injury and inflammation; consequently, electrical or nerve signals to and from the brain to different organs, muscles, nerves and other connective tissue are blocked.  The end result is debilitating - the patient can experience difficult vision, burning pain in the extremities, loss of muscle coordination and strength, loss of organ and other bodily functions, and a downward spiral of degenerating health.  Multiple sclerosis can affect any sex or age group but is common in ages 20 to 40 years of age.  Women are twice susceptible to MS as men.

Traditional Chinese Medicine looks at the patient as a whole in determining treatment for MS or any other condition.  All lifestyle and physical aspects of the patient are evaluated.  Tongue and pulse diagnoses offer much information about the patient's condition.  There are 18 pulse positions that are felt and evaluated; the condition of the tongue can determine heat, cold, organ dysfunction, build up of toxins and a plethora of other indicators pertinent to the individual case.  In evaluating the MS patient, the demyelization of the neural sheath is considered to be a heat condition; heat dries bodily fluids and builds toxins; this in turn, leads to organ and connective tissue malfunction.  Acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas address these symptoms effectively and can help reduce or eliminate various symptoms of this autoimmune disease. 

Case Study:  A 62 year old post menopausal female presented with burning pain in both legs, travelling to lower legs and the soles of her feet.  The patient was unable to walk 2 city blocks without pain. The patient experienced nocturnal body heat and woke up every other hour in the evening in 'pools of sweat'.  The patient had  been diagnosed with MS 4 years prior to her visit to my office and had recently gone on disability because of her inability to walk and work.  Her quality of  life had suffered and had been suffering mild depression.  The patient's tongue was overall red with a very dry, thin coat (this denotes a heat condition and drying of internal bodily fluids.  Her pulses overall were thin, rapid, wiry and small.  I determined a diagnosis of Yin Deficiency as root cause and a secondary condition of Qi Stagnation.  In plain English, this means that the MS was caused by a heat condition (Yin Deficiency); the night sweats and neuropathies were being caused by the secondary condition (Qi Stagnation).  Because of the heat, the internal bodily fluids were drying, causing the normal flow of blood, lymph, fluids, red and white blood cells to reach the extremities and provide the necessary cellular nutrition for proper physical function.  The treatment strategy:  clear the heat, tonify the immune system, clear the stagnation and calm the mind (to address the depression).  Acupuncture treatment twice weekly for 4 weeks, with nutritional modifications ( no spicy foods, acidic foods, alcohol, sugar or dairy) and water therapy were additive to the protocol.  An herbal pill formula to address the nocturnal sweat and fluids was prescribed to be taken on a daily basis.

After 4 weeks of this treatment protocol, the patient reported she could walk more than half a mile, could swim for 20 minutes in the pool, and the burning pain had dissipated from a 9 of 10 on the pain scale to a 3 of  10.  The nocturnal sweats had disappeared and she was beginning to feel more like herself.  The protocol was modified to one treatment weekly for 8 weeks; yoga was suggested in addition to water therapy and the continued diet modifications.  After 8 weeks, the patient reported that she was pain free and had spoken with her employer - she was going back to work and felt wonderful.  This patient continues with treatment once monthly and continues to do yoga and swim; she can now dance and is living a productive and happy life once again.

Traditional Chinese Medicine cannot offer a cure for MS, but a good practitioner can help reduce or eliminate certain afflictions of the disease.  While results vary from case to case, this is one of the many pathologies that I treat on a daily basis.  Traditional  Chinese Medicine is over 2,000 years old for a reason.

Acupuncture For The Prevention And Treatment Of Migraines

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Quite often, a new patient arrives at my office with a full blown migraine headache.  After a 30-40 minute treatment, their headache is typically completely gone and they walk away feeling much better.  A treatment strategy is laid out for the patient that includes dietary changes, some lifestyle changes and acupuncture treatments at least once per week for 8 weeks.  All of my patients who suffered from 3-4 migraines weekly now only have a rare headache; typically due to improper diet or stress.  If you or someone you know suffers unnecessarily from migraine headaches, contact my office today.  917-701-7582  k@kmondesire.com

Acupuncture Treats Arthritic Pain

"May is Arthritis Action Month, held to draw attention to the more than 100 forms of arthritis that afflict at least 50 million people in the United States and collectively cost more to treat than cancer. Mayo Clinic invites the public to ask questions during hour-long online chats with Mayo physicians about four of the most common conditions — rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia" the Mayo Clinic Twitter site 4.30.12

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Acupuncture is very effective to treat the pain, stiffness and limited range of mobility from which arthritic persons suffer daily.  Whether you suffer from R.A. (rheumatoid arthritis) or osteoarthritis, call or email today for an appointment.  Drug-free and no side effects...you could become pain-free...finally!

For Breast Cancer Patients Magnesium Oxide May Ease Hot Flashes

The Mayo Clinic just released this information:

Data released from a pilot phase II trial from Virginia Commonwealth University Health System suggests that magnesium supplements in daily routine taken by women suffering from breast cancer may provide resistance to menopausal hot flashes. Researchers conducting the study reported that women with breast cancer who took 400 mg of magnesium oxide every day for 4 weeks reported a 41.4% reduction in the frequency of hot flashes.  By the help of magnesium supplements up to 50% of hot flashes can be controlled. It was observed that the side effects were negligible and the cost of the tablet (magnesium oxide) is very low, i.e. per tablet cost is $0.02. The results from this study are being used to plan a full a placebo-controlled trial.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Acupuncture is very effective in reducing the symptoms of menopause, particularly hot flashes.  If you are suffering from hot flashes or any other symptoms of menopause, schedule an appointment with your acupucnturist to alleviate your discomfort.

Acupuncture on Dateline NBC

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center was featured recently on Dateline NBC on the benefits of Integrative Medicine...acupuncture being one of the featured medicines used at the Bendheim Center, NYC.  Watch  this video and pass it on to everyone you know.  There are various ways of relieving the symptoms and side effects of chemotherapy and radiation treatments.  If you or someone you care about is going through a difficult journey battling cancer, please have them contact me to discuss how acupuncture can alleviate their discomfort.  If they are not in the New York City area, I will try to find a practitioner in their area.  Remember, the cancer patient should only see a licensed acupuncturist who is well-trained in the field of oncology.  These patients have special needs and require special care!
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032600/vp/41670690?Email_PageName=March+2011+Lately%40MSKCC&Email_OID=newsletter%2Ditem%2Dtitle%2D527273#41670690

The Vegetarian Diet and Optimum Nutrition

This week, we're going to explore vegetarianism...what is a vegetarian, the different types and even if you're a meat and fish eater, there's some good stuff coming your way as well, so stay tuned this week!!

The Mayo Clinic offers a plethora of information and support for any individual who thinks he or she would like to embark on a vegetarian lifestyle.  There are many reasons why people are vegetarians (religious, social, ethical or health problems such as cardiovascular disease).  But whatever the reasons, make sure you are getting a proper and well-planned diet.  Nutritional needs are paramount to good health no matter what type of lifestyle eating you are engaged in.  If you're not sure about what your individual needs are, consult with your m.d., a nutritionist, or myself and together, we will plot a course to great and tasty nutritious meals!
Did you know that there are three types of vegetarian diets?

■Vegan diets exclude meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products and foods that contain these products.
■Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are allowed in a lacto-vegetarian diet.
■Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow eggs and dairy products.

Some people follow a semivegetarian diet (also called a flexitarian diet) which is primarily a plant-based diet but includes meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish on occasion or in small quantities.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  stay tuned tomorrow for the vegetarian food pyramid and learn more about healthy food choices (think out of the box here, folks), and Nancy....would you share your kale chip recipe with us???  I've never heard of them before, but they were one of the tastiest treats I've ever had!!!  And anyone else who would like to share some vegetarian recipes, please do!

Vascular Dementia - Another Reason Why You MUST Take Good Care of Yourself!

This weekend, I found out that one of my oldest and dearest friends has vascular dementia.  My friend was (and still is..his illness aside) a brilliant man.  He invented the first solar/wind collector and developed hydroponic farming using his system.  These units are still in use over 30 years later; sometimes, I look up at various buildings in Manhattan and there they are; still going strong.  He was a NASA scientist, financier, philanthropist and one of the funniest and best friends anyone could hope for.  Now, he gets lost going around the block.  Currently, he is in a group home, being well-cared for...a victim of many mini-strokes that followed massive strokes experienced during the past several years.
Vascular dementia can be prevented and here are some facts you should know about this condition:

Courtesy the Mayo Clinic, here is the definition of vascular dementia:
Vascular dementia is an umbrella term that describes impairments in cognitive function caused by problems in blood vessels that feed the brain.

In some cases, a blood vessel may be completely blocked, causing a stroke. Not all strokes cause vascular dementia. It depends on the severity of the stroke, where the stroke occurred and the portion of the brain that's affected. Vascular dementia also can occur when blood vessels in the brain narrow, reducing the amount of blood flow to those sections of the brain.

Risk Factors Include:
■Increasing age. This is one of the biggest risk factors for vascular dementia. The disorder is rare before the age of 65. And people in their 80s and 90s are much more likely to have vascular dementia than people in their 60s and 70s.
■History of stroke. The brain damage that occurs with strokes appears to increase the risk of developing dementia.
■Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis occurs when plaque builds up in your arteries and narrows your blood vessels. This can increase your risk of vascular dementia.
■High blood pressure. Hypertension puts extra pressure on blood vessels throughout the body. This increases the risk of vascular problems in the brain.
■Diabetes. High glucose levels damage blood vessels throughout the body, increasing the risk of stroke and other vascular problems in the brain.
■Smoking. Smoking increases the risk of hardening of the arteries and other vascular diseases, including vascular dementia.
■High cholesterol. High levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) are associated with an increased risk of vascular dementia, and possibly with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  For years, I would get on my friend's case about what he ate, drank, weight and exercise - he'd always laugh at me and tell me to stop worrying about him.  When I tell YOU to stop smoking, watch your weight, sugar and blood pressure, listen to me, please.  I don't want any of you to experience what this great man is living through.  If you have any of the above-mentioned conditions, start becoming pro-active and get yourself into a wellness program.  Every little bit counts and above all, you gotta have hope!

Visceral Adipose Tissue (VAT)...What You Should Know About Deep Fat Tissue

Courtesy of the Mayo Clinic, I thought I'd share an excert they've posted about belly fat....
"Gaining weight in your abdomen does more harm than simply making your waistband too tight. While putting on weight in general can have negative effects on your health, abdominal weight gain is particularly unhealthy. Too much belly fat increases your risk of:

■Heart disease
■Breast cancer
■Diabetes
■Metabolic syndrome
■Gallbladder problems
■High blood pressure
■Colorectal cancer
Researchers also have found that abdominal fat cells aren't just dormant energy waiting to be burned up. The cells are active, producing hormones and other substances that can affect your health. For example, some fat-cell-produced hormones can promote insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes; others can produce estrogen after menopause, which may increase your breast cancer risk. Researchers are still sorting out how the excess hormones affect overall health, but they do know that too much visceral fat can disrupt the body's normal hormonal balance."

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  enroll today in my Wellness Program!  Complete the online questionaire (click on the link) and you will qualify for a FREE initial consultation.  My Wellness Program is custom-designed for each individual...no two patients have the same treatment strategy.  Busy people who don't have the time for office visits can still benefit BIG TIME from online and telephone coaching and receive nutritional supplements and superfoods to their home or office by just the click of a button!  So...get rid of the belly fat today!
http://www.kmondesire.com/whatsnewsthismonth.html

Mayo Clinic Uses Acupuncture

Specialists at Mayo Clinic recognize that complementary and alternative medicine treatments such as acupuncture can help promote physical, mental and spiritual wellness. Mayo has created a new specialty (Complementary and Integrative Medicine) to blend the best of both worlds — conventional medicine and complementary and alternative medicine. Mayo Clinic professionals integrate acupuncture and conventional treatments to help a patient balance mind, body and spirit.


Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If acupuncture is good enough for the Mayo Clinic, then it's good enough for you!  Call or email me today and enroll yourself into my Wellness Program.
917-701-7582
k@kmondesire.com