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Bell’s Palsy

How to Find Your Best Acupuncturist

What to consider when searching good Acupuncture Clinic Near You:

 

Like anything else you search on or offline, finding a good or the best acupuncturist near you, has its own challenges. Below are some tips we always recommend our own clients, family and friends:

 

1.     Get Referrals from family and friends. The best way to know that an acupuncturist and the acupuncture clinic will be a caring one is to get referrals from family and friends. Their experience will take many questions out of your mind and will give you the confidence you need before you walk into a new clinic.

 

2.     Acupuncture License: Verify that the acupuncturist you will see is licensed. While only licensed acupuncturists in New York State can practice by law, it is a good idea to ask whether he or she has acupuncture license. We always remind our patients that.

 

3.     Expertise: Ask around and check online what kind of conditions are treated by your acupuncturists. Acupuncture is great for many conditions such as lower back pain, sciatica, head ache, migraines, pediatric acupuncture, knee pain, digestive issues, Bell ’s palsy, upper back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, foot pain, arthritis, infertility, insomnia, anxiety, stress, weight loss and great for a preventive care.  

 

4.     Clean and Relax Office Settings: Make sure that the clinic you are being treated is clean and relaxing.

 

5.     Convenience: Your practitioner’s location and schedule are of primary importance, especially for time intensive therapies.

 

 

Fun Facts about Acupuncture

Did You Know That?

 

  • Acupuncture needles DON’T HURT as much as people fear or imagine. Thin acupuncture needles are almost same or less felt than a mosquito bites in most cases.

 

  • Before stainless steel needles that used in today’s acupuncture practices, very first acupuncturist used to work with thorns, bamboo slivers, and sharpened bone to stimulate acupuncture points.

 

  • The oldest acupuncture needles were made of bronze, copper, tin, gold and silver. Oldest needles found date back to A.D. 600.

 

  • Stainless steel was discovered in 4th Century A.D in China and became the most commonly used material since steel was strong and could make very thin needles.

 

  • Waichi Sugiyama – a gifted blind Japanese acupuncturist invented the guide tube in 17th This was the biggest step in the development of much finer needles

 

  • Today’s acupuncture are made of stainless steel of a very fine diameter (approximately 0.015″). These are prepackaged, sterilized, disposable and one time use only.

 

  • Acupuncture needles were accepted by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1995 as medical instruments, stating their safety and effectiveness.

 

  • Acupuncturists look at your body as a whole and treat root cause of the complain rather than masking the symptoms.

 

  • Acupuncturists can assess your  overall health by checking your pulse and look at your tongue.

 

  • Acupuncture treatments are different for each individual. Every person will have their own treatment plan based on complete diagnosis performed by their acupuncturists.

 

  • The World Health Organization endorsed acupuncture for over two hundred symptoms and diseases – low back pain, seasonal allergies, headache, nausea, vomiting, allergic rhinitis, depression, anxiety, side effects of chemotherapy and induction of labor to name a few.

What can Acupuncturists Treat

What can Acupuncturists Treat

Acupuncture is an ancient healing art that is more than 5000 years old.  Although it is called Alternative medicine in western world, people relied on Acupuncture as a mainstream medicine for a long time.

Acupuncturists go under an extensive training in USA. They have to know about anatomy in western medicine terms as well as eastern medicine. Acupuncturists have to pass a very difficult national exam and obtain their licenses from their states.

Acupuncture compliments the western medicine in many conditions.

In Lifetime Acupuncture we have helped many patients with the following conditions throughout Suffolk and Nassau Counties in Long Island. With three locations in Deer Park, North Babylon and Hauppauge, we are easily reachable from many towns.

Some of the conditions acupuncture is really effective are as follows:

  • Chronic Pain:
  • Arthritis
  • Migraines, Headaches, and Neck Pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Anxiety
  • Insomnia
  • Heartburn & Indigestion
  • Bell ’s palsy
  • Weight Loss,
  • Back Pain,
  • Facial Pain,
  • TMJ,
  • IBS,
  • Depression,
  • Diarrhea,
  • Chron’s
  • Colitis,
  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Infertility,
  • Digestion,
  • Sciatica,
  • Carpal Tunnel,

A Traditional Chinese Medicine Approach to Bell’s Palsy

Effecting about 40,000 people in the United States every year, Bell’s Palsy is a neurological disorder that manifests as a paralysis of the face. This disorder often affects only one side of the face. Bell’s Palsy is thought to be a result of damage to the facial nerve that controls the muscles on one side of the face, which then causes those muscles to droop. The facial nerve damage that affects the facial muscles can also impact a person’s taste, saliva, or ability to cry. Bell’s Palsy is most common in young adults, the elderly, diabetics, and pregnant women, but it can affect anyone.

This condition is often a shock, as it comes on overnight. The majority of patients wake with the facial muscles in paralysis. Most patients either have no symptoms beforehand, or they miss the warning signs, which are subtle and can include neck pain, pain behind the ear, or pain in the back of the head. People with Bell’s Palsy can experience difficulty with multiple facial functions including closing their eyes, eating, smiling, and their speech can also become slurred. Often, people jump to the conclusion that a stroke has occurred, but thankfully, Bell’s Palsy is not the result of a stroke, and is also a temporary affliction. While the condition comes on suddenly, it usually passes or gets better on its own within three weeks.

While the patient is waiting for signs of the condition to alleviate, there are several natural remedies that can quicken the recovery process. In traditional Chinese medicine, herbal remedies may be used to promote effective functioning of the nervous system, prevent stress (which is thought to exacerbate Bell’s Palsy), and offer a therapeutic effect. Herbs like St. John’s Wort, Avena Sativa, and Valerian, as well as carefully prepared Causticum, Dulcamara, and Aconite can be used to treat conditions relating to the nervous system. Taking supplements of vitamins B12 and B6, as well as zinc can promote nerve growth and may help quicken the recovery of the damaged facial nerve.

Massage can also help ease the symptoms of Bell’s Palsy. Gently massaging the afflicted areas of the face, or practicing daily facial exercises can help the condition. Additionally, a full body massage on areas that are unaffected by the condition can help. Stress can worsen the condition, and is often thought to be a precipitating factor that may bring on an episode, so receiving a relaxing, full body massage can help soothe a patient and lead to a quicker recovery.

In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the diagnosis for Bell’s Palsy is termed “External Wind-Cold attacking the channels of the face”. According to TCM principles, one of the main implications of this condition is an underlying qi (a person’s inherent energy) deficiency. In China, acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to assist in Bell’s Palsy recovery, and the initial treatment goal according to TCM would be to expel Wind and resolve Damp, as well as to invigorate qi and promote blood circulation to the face. Consistent acupuncture treatments (usually recommended once or twice per week), can help soothe a patient, expedite the paralysis from dissipating, and enhance nerve function.

Patients with Bell’s Palsy can have several weeks of recovery time in which they may choose to stay at home and take some time off from their normally rigorous daily routines. Traditional Chinese medicine and holistic healing has several options, from herbal remedies to massage and acupuncture, to vitamin supplements, that patients may wish to investigate during their recovery period.

 

Source:

http://www.pacificcollege.edu/news/blog/2015/02/20/traditional-chinese-medicine-approach-bells-palsy