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Trigger Points

October 27, 2011 By admin

Trigger Point

A trigger point is an area of the muscle where normal physiologic activity has become disrupted, causing local pain and sometimes in an adjacent area. I (Tom) frequently see that trigger points in the sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle at the front of the neck responsible for causing headaches on the side of the head. Trigger points also can reduce the normal range of motion in a muscle or cause it to be weak.

Trigger points can be caused by overuse or continuous contraction of a muscle, poor posture, traumatic injury, and even emotional stress. Let’s say for example, that when you sit at your computer, you are continually gripping your mouse. The muscles involved in this action stay shortened an unnatural length of time, and this creates trigger points that may produce carpal tunnel syndrome.

The only diagnostic test for a trigger point is palpation. When examining through touch the muscles that might be involved, a nodule (tightly bound area) or taut band of tissue is found to be exquisitely tender, evoking a response of recognition- as in, “yes, right there.”

Anatomy of a Muscle
A muscle contains many muscle fibers or cells that runs from its origin to its insertion. A nerve axon is attached to each muscle fiber. The area of attachment is known as the motor endplate or motor point. Motor points are usually found in the body of the muscle. Normally, the neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released at one end of the motor endplate across the neuromuscular junction, to connect the muscle fibers, but where there is a trigger point, no acetylcholine is making the jump. Acupuncture with electrical stimulation invigorates this mechanism, effectively restarting it and knocking out the trigger points.

Most trigger points are usually found in the body of the muscle or at its origin or insertion. Every muscle has an origin and an insertion. The origin of a muscle attaches to a bone and does not move that bone. The area of insertion is where the muscle attaches to another bone, and when the muscle contracts, the insertion area moves closer to the origin. Muscles usually crosses a joint, this is what allows muscles movement.

Most trigger points are near motor points, and interestingly, a lot of acupuncture points are also located on or near motor points.

Trigger Point Types
There are two types of trigger points, active and latent. An active trigger point is the full manifestation of symptoms, from local and referred pain, to muscle weakness. A latent trigger point may show as loss of range of motion to a muscle, and may be accompanied by some local tenderness in the muscle.

Here’s where it gets tricky and why it’s important for an experienced practitioner to assess your problem: active trigger points can set off latent trigger points in the same area and become active, and this cascading effect can cause much discomfort. The aim is to knock them all out with treatment, not leave some behind!

Case Study
A patient came into my office complaining of sciatica pain down the back of her leg. I had her lay face down on the table, and proceeded to palpate her lower back and gluteal muscles. I found a taut band and exquisitely tender knots on her gluteus minimus muscle that elicited the pain that she had been feeling down the length of the leg. Based on experience, I knew it was a trigger point problem, and treated this muscle with acupuncture and electrical stimulation. The sciatic-like pain was gone after 3 treatments of releasing the trigger point and allowing her neural pathways to adjust.

Conclusion
Trigger points do affect the quality of our life in one way or another, but this does not have to be, for they can be treated easily and affectively with acupuncture. One way to prevent trigger points is through injurious habits. Be aware of repetitive movements at work and play that put unnecessary stress on muscles: this includes postural habits you may not be aware of.

It is important to see a western doctor for tests to rule out the origin of the pain, because trigger points sometimes mimic other conditions. Diagnostic tests for pinched nerves, slipped discs, or arthritis can determine if there is another underlying problem.

Why suffer with physical pain if you don’t have to? Put yourself on a pain-free path by taking care of you, through by proper exercising, diet, and receiving bodywork when needed. Be well!

Trigger Points

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice in two New York City locations: Flatiron & Greenwich Village.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

 

 

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, Health Tips, Integrative Medicine, Stress Busters Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Osteoporosis: Catching it Early

October 27, 2011 By admin

photo courtesy of the Mayo Clinic: normal bone (A) osteoporotic bone (B)

Osteoporosis is a disease of bone density loss. The diagnosis of osteoporosis is determined upon findings of at least 30% loss of bone mass. The test of choice is the DEXA (dual energy X-ray absorptiometry). The hip (at the femoral neck) and the mid-low back (lumbar vertebrae) are the most commonly affected areas, so these are the areas that are tested. The DEXA test is painless and quick.

Major risk factors for osteoporosis are:
Genetics- family history
BMI below 25% (<22kg/m2)
History of fracture in adulthood
History of cigarette smoking & current cigarette smoking

Additional, lesser risk factors are:
Lifelong inadequate calcium intake (a relatively weak risk factor)
Never pregnant
Caucasian
No physical activity
Leanness
Early menopause
Alcoholic
Long-acting benzodiazepines

Prevention is key, and treatment with calcium supplements and exercise can reverse osteoporosis if detected early. The rate of decline in bone density is most rapid in women within 2 years of menopause. The average age of menopause is 51, but depending on several factors (genetics, exercise, lifestyle, diet, and menstrual history), you might arrive there earlier or later. Therefore, while the medical establishment recommends having a DEXA scan at age 65, requesting one at menopause or shortly thereafter will indicate if you need to take preventive measures.

The recommended dose of calcium is 1,500 mg. Also recommended is drinking 48 ounces of water a day, limit alcohol intake (1 daily glass of wine), reduce sugar in the diet, and generally eat whole foods, something we admonish you to do on this site on a regular basis.

Exercise needs to be “pounding,” such as walking or jogging. The reason is that in osteoporosis, osteoblasts- the cells that build bone- are outnumbered by the osteoclasts- the cells that break bone down – and your activity is designed to increase the number of osteoblasts as the body’s natural response to the pounding on the pavement or a treadmill.
Yoga pulls at bone and creates a good stress {see Maximizing Potential], yes, but not as radically and efficiently as does plain old walking.

Food sources of calcium include the seaweeds kelp and dulse; greens: collards, kale, turnip, dandelion; seeds and nuts: almonds, sunflower; dairy: cottage cheese; brewer’s yeast; vegetables: watercress, edamame, olives, string beans, sweet potato, broccoli, carrots; dried fruit: apricots, figs, dates, raisins; grains: barley, brown rice; cooked dry beans; tofu; oranges.

Osteoporosis: Catching it Early

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice in two New York City locations: Flatiron & Greenwich Village.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, All Things Food, Conditions Treated, Health Tips, You Are What You Eat Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

What’s for Dinner? Pork Chops with Vegetables and Rice

October 18, 2011 By admin

slow cooked fall vegetables and chops

As we transition into cold weather, the denser fall vegetables need to cook longer in order for their flavors to meld together. Not too much longer: 15-30 minutes additional time of slow-cooking gets the job done.

Meat is optional- it’s really all about giving your body the vegetables and grains in endless combinations of complex carbohydrates. This recipe is a template: the vegetables in this recipe were in the fridge, well-stocked from a recent trip to the store. You can make any combination of vegetables that pleases your palate, adjusting the flavor accents and quantities to your taste

Ingredients:
½ onion, sliced thinly then chopped into 1” pieces
1/8 medium kabosha (or any winter) squash, sliced thinly then chopped into ½” pieces
½ cups daikon or turnip, chopped as above
1 ½ cups brussel sprouts, quartered (to cook faster- they’re fresh and dense)
3 plum tomatoes, chopped in small chunks (can use canned)
10 small mushrooms, sliced and quartered
1 red pepper (we had small sweet peppers in yellow, orange, and red- in the market for a limited time and the priced to move), sliced lengthwise then cut into 1” pieces
1 small sweet potato, cut to ¼ inch cubes
4 cups washed greens, chopped and put aside until end
1 cup grain- this night we had ½ cup brown jasmine rice mixed with two different blends that have lentils and other grains such as oats, barley, and sweet rice in small amounts

2 boneless pork chops, marinated ahead of time for 2 hours in fridge
Marinade: olive oil (2 T), lemon (2 T), onion chopped (1/4 C), garlic- 4 cloves minced, cumin (2.5 tsp), turmeric (1/2 tsp), paprika (1/2 tsp), dash of chili powder (1/4 tsp), cilantro- dried (1/2) tsp

1. Heat oil in pan at medium heat, add onions and cook ‘til golden; add mushrooms, drizzling in a little water if the vegetables start to stick; add peppers and sauté until begin to wilt
2. Move vegetables to sides of pan and add pork chops; depending on thickness (these were about 1”), cook approximately 5 minutes each side.
3. Add the vegetables and pour over them any leftover marinade; add ¼ C water and cover, and lower flame to medium-low for a slow simmer.
4. Check every 15 minutes for fluid and turn the vegetables over so they are evenly cooked. About ½ of the vegetables will be above the fluid but after awhile they will throw off their juices and shrink into the spaces around and between the chops. Could have let these cook longer, will plan for that next time.
5. When vegetables seem ¾ done, add the greens and continue cooking.

There’s no set time to cook: mainly the vegetables should hold their shape yet gently soften and blend with each other.

Serve vegetables over the rice, spooning out some of the liquid for the rice to absorb. Serve pork chops on a separate plate (have a thing about scratching up our nice everyday bowls).

What’s for Dinner? Pork Chops with Vegetables and Rice

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice in two New York City locations: Flatiron & Greenwich Village.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: All Things Food, Nourishing You, Recipes, You Are What You Eat Tagged With: , , ,

Pizza: When You Want an Easy-Breezy Dinner

October 14, 2011 By admin

last night's pizza

Last night was a late work-night, when the prospect of making anything elaborate was out of the question. So we made pizza!

We have found home-made pizza has the benefits of being a substantial but light meal, and it’s healthy when loaded with the right ingredients. And, so far we’ve never had a flop- it’s that easy to do.

The main trick is using a pizza stone, good dough, and pre-heating the oven to 500 degrees for an hour. When the oven is that hot, the pizza stays in for only 10 minutes, essentially flash-roasting it, including uncooked meat such as sliced chicken sausage, and creating a crispy-crunchy crust.

We’re not purists enough to make our own dough but prefer a local pizza place’s dough to frozen store-bought. The toppings are chosen based on ingredients we have on hand. Please note: we are pedestrian in our tastes, but there’s no limit to topping combinations more sophisticated palates concoct.

We recommend the Gourmet Pizza Made Easy pizza kit because it has everything you need to get started: a pizza stone, a foldable bamboo paddle, a rolling cutter, and a how-to instruction book with recipes to get you started, and the price- about $35- makes it a steal. Here’s their site, where you can buy directly, or you can pick one up at Barnes & Noble or Borders.

Everything we learned about making pizza we learned from the Gourmet Pizza Made Easy people: how to work with the dough to maximize it’s flavor and make it easy to transfer from prep to oven and out when done, plus different toppings combinations.

And there’s more on their site we yet to try. But really, once you get the knack- and the learning curve is short- you have another malleable go-to recipe for busy weekends or late nights.

For last night’s pizza, the ingredients were, all in small handful portions:
leftover homemade tomato sauce
string beans
cherry tomatoes
garlic
onions
mushrooms
chili peppers
olives

We have learned, through trial-and-error, that a little goes a long way on a pizza for two. To keep it light and to limit dairy, most of the time we use a shredded soy or rice-based substitute for cheese. The same goes for sausage: a spicy soy-based sausage provides the kick without the heavier meat correlate.

The dough is hand-pressed into its shape (which comes out differently, each time), not over-handling, as the directions recommend. It is HIGHLY recommended to use parchment paper- that kitchen-god’s gift to mankind- under the dough, and use that to transfer the uncooked pizza onto the stone. You can put a little olive oil on the dough and/or some tomato sauce (jarred is perfectly fine), add your toppings, aiming for evenly-spaced but no need for perfection here, then put in the oven, setting the timer for 10 minutes.

Pour a glass of wine to get started, use the paddle to take the pizza out of the oven, and let it “sit” a few minutes before slicing, then enjoy!

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/q-whats-for-dinner-a-pizza

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice in two New York City locations: Flatiron & Greenwich Village.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

 

Filed Under: All Things Food, Nourishing You, Recipes, You Are What You Eat Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Simple Remedy to Avoid Getting that Cold!

September 30, 2011 By admin

dried orange and tangerine peels with rock sugar

People always ask in a panic what they should do when they feel a cold coming on, and honestly, I (Carol) forget just as easily the minute those telltale signs appear. This year it seems cold season started earlier, in August, and this week I managed to fight one off using my arsenal of remedies.

I wrote about this simple remedy of dried citrus peel and rock sugar last year, but it’s worth sharing again, because everyone can keep this on hand, and it works. The dried citrus peels are loaded with vitamin C.

All you need is a handful of dried citrus peels from the orange variety (tangerines, mineolas, navels), a little rock sugar to take the slightly bitter edge of the citrus, and a couple of cups of water. Boil, then lower to a simmer for 30-45 minutes and drink this decoction: it soothing and yummy, an irresistible combination!

If you haven’t begun to save your citrus peels, start this fall and winter when they are plentiful:

  • dry them in a brown lunch bag
  • store them in a jar
  • substitute honey or agave if you don’t have rock sugar on hand, which, incidentally, is found in the markets in Chinatown

A Simple Remedy to Avoid Getting That Cold

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have a combined 34 years of experience. To read more, please click here.

If you have questions and concerns about acupuncture treatment, we offer a free 20-minute phone session: click here for contact information to call or e-mail us. We practice in two New York City locations: Flatiron & Greenwich Village.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

 

Filed Under: Conditions Treated, Health Tips, Nourishing You, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , ,
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