Tips for Cold & Flu Prevention

Although fall is a beautiful season, it is also, of course, a time when people tend to contract colds and flu. Here are 3 tips for cold/flu prevention:

1) Come in for an immunity-boosting acupuncture treatment. If you tend to get sick around this time of year, or you are still experiencing allergy symptoms, it is helpful to come in for a series of four weekly treatments to boost your immune system and rid yourself of respiratory difficulties.

2) Be sure to wash your hands frequently - especially when you are around others who have cold/flu symptoms.

3) Remember to layer your clothing in this New England weather. It may be 70 during the day at times, but it can get cold quickly! Keep scarves, sweaters and/or jackets on hand when you go outside - especially in this rain!

Call us at 617.372.3960 or email Info@KateRuma.com for any questions about Chinese medicine.

Acupuncture And Stress: A Positive Relationship

-Free Lecture and Mini-Treatment-

Wednesday, September 19, 2012, 6:30 pm

Kate Ruma & Associates Acupuncture,
180 Massachusetts Ave, Suite 301
Arlington, MA

Cost: FREE
___________________________________________________________
All of us experience stress in our daily lives. The combined effects of stressors can negatively impact both our immediate and long-term health. Research has found that during periods of stress immune and bodily functions are surpressed and that a lot of energy is used by the body in reaction to stress. Continued stress can lead to a depletion of energy and other resources making it difficult to recover physically and emotionally.

Acupuncture is a holistic therapy which can be used to treat a broad range of conditions and is a treatment which encourages the patient's body to heal itself. Topics in this lecture will include:

Stages of Stress & Their Impact
Positive and Negative Stress
Use of Acupuncture to Reduce Stress


Included with the lecture is a 20-minute acupuncture session so that you may experience the stress-reduction power of this ancient science.

Kate Ruma, MAOM, Lic. Ac. is the founder of Kate Ruma & Associates Acupuncture. Kate founded her practice to educate the public about the benefits of acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine as an integral part of today's health-care system. She has had abundant success in treating patients with a variety of ailments including stress-related anxiety, depression, fertility and chronic illnesses.

Maximum number of participants is 10: please RSVP to secure your spot at 617-372-3960

Acupuncture Reduces Pain and Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer Patients after Neck Dissection

http://www.mskcc.org/news/press/acupuncture-reduces-pain-and-dysfunction-head-and-neck-patients-after-neck-dissection

Please Vote for Us for the Boston Phoenix Best of Boston 2012!

If you value the service we provide to our community, please vote for us for the Boston Phoenix Best of Boston 2012. Click on the link below, and find the 'Nominate Your Own Category' box under 'Shopping'. Type the following in this box:

Acupuncture-Kate Ruma & Associates Acupuncture

Thank you for your time!

http://contests.thephoenix.com/thebest/boston/2012/noms/shop#cat10547

Have You Tried to Quit Smoking with Acupuncture?

Did you know acupuncture can be used for smoking cessation?

Here's an article about acupuncture & addiction:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-o-smith/addiction-acupuncture_b_1665796.html"

Call us at 617.372.3960 to obtain info on how acupuncture and Chinese herbs can improve your health.

Acupuncture for the Athlete in You

Athletes and coaches are finding that acupuncture is a great tool for improving athletic performance and gaining advantage over their competition. The San Fransico Giants (1) have employed a team acupuncturist from spring training through the end of the season to keep them on track. Five-time Olympian high jumper and licensed acupuncturist Amy Acuff (2) has been quoted as saying that the use of acupuncture has helped her longevity in the sport she loves. These professional athletes have learned the value of adding acupuncture to their repertoire of treatments to keep them healthy and ward off further injury. From swimmers with rotator cuff injuries and low back pain, to runners with runner’s knee, plantar fasciitis and shin splints, athletes who want to compete and recover much more quickly are seeking out acupuncture and making it a part of their healthcare routine.

As acupuncturists, we know the benefits of our practice in the clinic. Watching a patient on the table recover from a sprained ankle can be quite interesting. Many times we see swelling dissipate right after the first treatment and the patient is able to walk much better right from getting off the table. Acupuncture reduces pain and swelling and bolsters the immune system to promote and shorten recovery time. Acupuncture also reduces stiffness and tension, thereby improving range of motion.

Many have begun to see acupuncture as a complement to Western methodologies while others see it as an alternative. Both views raise the profile of the practice while increasing the demand for licensed practitioners. Tendonitis, osteoarthritis and tennis elbow (3) have all been treated successfully through the use of acupuncture.

A research study on the impact of patient expectations on outcomes with respect to acupuncture showed that patients who expected a better outcome with acupuncture fared better than those who did not. This supports the mechanism of holistic therapies in using the strengths of the body, mind and spirit. Broader use of acupuncture for both amateur and professional athletes can support these positive patient expectations and outcomes (4).

Next time you have a sports injury try the ancient practice of acupuncture to speed recovery time and prevent another one from developing.





References
1-Acupuncture Scores Home Run With SF Giants -- Team Acupuncturist Keeps Players in the Game
Tina Beychok, Associate Editor
Acupuncture Today August, 2009, Vol. 10, Issue 08

2-www.AmyAcuff.org/Amy_Acuff.html

3-Acupuncture and Sports Medicine, A Review of Published Studies
Alec Meleger, MD and Joanne Borg-Stein, MD
Medical Acupuncture Fall 1999 / Wiinter 2000- Volume 11 / Number 2

4-The impact of patient expectations on outcomes in four randomized controlled trials of acupuncture in patients with chronic pain.
Linde K, Witt CM, Streng A, Weidenhammer W, Wagenpfeil S, Brinkhaus B, Willich SN, Melchart D.
Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, Department of Internal Medicine II, Technische Universität München, Kaiserstr. 9, 80801 Munich, Germany. Klaus.Linde@lrz.tum.de

What's that Ringing? Tinnitus and How TCM Can Help

(Excerpt from PCOM newsletter -
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/articles/1157-whats-that-ringing-tinnitus-and-how-tcm-can-help.html)


Have you ever had an inexplicable ringing in your ears, but don’t know why or how to get rid of it? You may have a condition called Tinnitus, and there is a wide array of causes. Exposure to sudden, loud music or explosive noises can cause Tinnitus, a nerve disorder that involves a consistent ringing sound in a person's ears. At its worse, Tinnitus can lead to deafness. Tinnitus affects one in 10 people, and can range from mild to chronic. While it is a common problem for veterans and the elderly, other common causes include whiplash or even dental work. While it is a difficult phenomenon for Western and East Asian medicine doctors to treat, tinnitus is not incurable.

In Chinese medicine, chronic Tinnitus is believed to be caused by kidney weakness, according to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine Faculty Member Dr. Mohammed Javaherian. Acupuncture is recommended and treatments will focus most likely on the kidney meridians, as well as on points along the liver and gallbladder meridians to help strengthen the root of the problem.

Tinnitus is linked to nerve and touch sensitivity. For some people, clenching one's jaws or applying pressure to the neck can bring on or reduce tinnitus episodes. Acupuncture patients with this disorder will have a high response rate to the nerve's natural response to pressure and the disorder's sensitivity to certain points. The practice of acupuncture is based on the stimulation of certain points on the body, as well as meridians and channels. Stimulating specific points (which are determined based on the patient's unique case) can rebalance the qi (one's life force) and alleviate the source of the problem. It is integral in traditional Chinese medicine to treat the origin of an ailment as well as the symptoms, and TCM has several theories as to what causes tinnitus.

For example, in more temporary cases of Tinnitus, high emotional strain or sudden anger can lead to a ringing in the ears. Also, diet can have an effect. Practitioners of TCM believe that excessive greasy foods or irregular eating can lead to Phlegm (a TCM term that commonly refers to a retention in body fluid), which prevents the rising of clear qi to the head (resulting in the "phantom noise" associated with tinnitus). Overworking or excessive physical strain can lead to a nerve disturbance, causing tinnitus. Lastly, trauma is a common cause of the ringing noise associated with this disorder.

Along with acupuncture, Chinese herbs can be prescribed. Example formulas are: Tian Ma Gou Teng Yin and Er Ming Zuo Ci Wan. “Sometimes a combination of chrysanthemum flower with mint might help,” Dr. Javaherian said.

Western medicine is limited in its treatment options for Tinnitus; no prescription drug is available for this condition. However, with careful management and the natural remedies found in traditional Chinese medicine, there is a resource waiting to be tapped.