Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Acupuncture May Be Helpful for Chronic Pain: A Meta-Analysis

This article discusses the widespread problem many Americans suffer from in Chronic Pain. According to the article Chronic Pain- pain anywhere in the body lasting three to six months- affects 100 million American adults and is a top reason why adults go to the doctor and is estimated to be costing Americans $635 billion per year. Chronic Pain often leads people not to pursue active lifestyles in an effort to alleviate the pain and until recently western medicine has been at a loss for drug free approaches to treating Chronic Pain. This is changing however as acupuncture is becoming a much more viable option for millions of Americans suffering from Chronic Pain who are looking to treat the source of the problem rather than just the symptoms. For a long time western medicine dismissed acupuncture as having a placebo effect on patients and insisting that acupuncturists cited bogus studies and science but a bulk of recent research has revealed concrete evidence that acupuncture in rodents stimulates adenosine. Adenosine is a strong pain reliever produced naturally by the body. With the tests being done on rats this also rules out the placebo effect making it clear that acupuncture is a viable and drug free way to treat Chronic Pain.

We treat people for a variety of pain issues every day at Kate Ruma & Associates Acupuncture. Pain is still not well understood by modern medicine, and the usual way of treating it is to simply prescribe pain medication, which only dulls the sensation of pain, it doesn’t treat the source of it. The other option is most often surgery, which may or may not work and will permanently alter the body, sometimes resulting in motor loss. Acupuncture treats pain at its source, helping the body to correct the problem and often helping to avoid unnecessary surgeries. 80-90% of patients will become pain free or have their pain reduced to a tolerable level over the course of their therapy. If you are suffering from chronic pain please contact us, we may be able to help.

Link to Article:

http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/spotlight/091012

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Thursday, April 17, 2014

Free Lecture - $25 Off Initial Consultation & Acupuncture Treatment

Eric St. Laurent Lic Ac will be giving a talk about stress and how acupuncture can help manage it. Attendees will receive a $25 gift certificate towards an initial consult and acupuncture treatment.

Did you know:

 The effects of stress can be cumulative, making you sick and shortening your life.

 Acupuncture reduces stress hormones, heart rate & blood pressure.

 Acupuncture induces a deep sense of relaxation.

 Two-thirds of all office visits to family physicians are due to stress related symptoms.

If you are troubled by stress on a regular basis, then you will want to attend this talk!

Where? 180 Mass Ave., Arlington, MA 02474, in the Meeting Room.

When? Wednesday, April 30th, at 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Please call us at 617.372.3960 to solidify your place at this talk. You can also email Info@KateRuma.com to sign up!

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Conversation with Acupuncturist Eric St. Laurent

Eric St. Laurent has joined Kate Ruma & Associates Acupuncture. Recently, Kate asked Eric a few questions about acupuncture and how he came to it. We thought you might be interested in reading some of his responses.

What is the difference between Chinese and Japanese acupuncture?


Japanese acupuncture uses the abdomen as a main diagnostic tool to assess what is wrong with the body and as a feedback mechanism during the treatment. The patient's body systems are checked and the weakest one is treated first to help bring the body back to a state of homeostasis, which allows the body to combat a diseased state better. Japanese styles also utilize a variety of moxibustion techniques that Chinese styles do not use.

What type of cases do you like to treat?

I like working with pain management cases, both internal and external. Whether it is from a temporary situation such as an injury or a long term condition such as chronic migraines or cluster headaches, the only recourse people often have to alleviate their pain is to take medication to mask it. Allowing people to function on smaller dosages or even without any medication at all creates a profound improvement in their lives.

How did you get into acupuncture?

When I was younger I spent a lot of time reading about Taoist philosophy, and it isn't possible to read about the philosophy without references to Chinese medicine. The idea of a medical treatment that used tiny needles to somehow readjust the body fascinated me. Medicine has always been an interesting topic for me, I love the complexity of the living body and all the systems required for it to work properly.

What is your favorite success story?

A friend of mine, after a good bit of encouragement from his wife, gave me a call to ask if I could help with his migraines. He suffered from cluster headaches that would be present for a few months then go away for long periods of time. He was just going to suffer through this headache period but his wife had told him that he should try acupuncture to help manage his headaches. After the first treatment he was only taking half a pain pill, and after the second treatment his headaches stopped.

What did you do before becoming an acupuncturist?

I did quite a few things before I became an acupuncturist. I was a cook, a bike messenger, and an assistant kung fu instructor. I am also ex-military.

Why should people try acupuncture or use acupuncture instead of or in addition to western medicine?

People often find themselves in a position where standard medicine has already done everything it can for them. Acupuncture can help with more medical conditions than it would be helpful to list, a lot of them problems that aren't even resolved with medication. By adding acupuncture to their treatment people often see improvements they didn't think possible otherwise. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a great example here. Acupuncture works great for such a condition. It greatly improves the quality of life for people suffering from it.