The Inflammatory and Immune Response Systems: Part IV

November 16, 2011 By admin

photo courtesy of softchalk.com

The Lymph System

The immune system carries out part of its defense with components that move in a continual flow in the circulatory system (blood/hematic), and the lymphatic system. These cellular components are on the alert and ready to destroy foreign invaders should they be encountered.

The lymph system is a close relative of the immune system, producing immune players and assisting delivery of these cells through movement.

The lymph system has several functions: it drains specific wastes (extra protein in the interstitial fluid), transports fats, produces lymphocytes, and develops immunities. In Part II and Part III of this series, non-specific and specific defense was reviewed, respectively, with a review of the types of cells in each.

Anatomically, the lymph system is made up of vessels and nodes that cover almost all of the body. This massive circulation of the lymph system is similar to and closely follows the (blood/hematic) circulatory system.

photo courtesy of the University of Pittsburgh

Bone marrow, several organs (the spleen, tonsils, and thymus gland) are also structures of the lymph system. Immune cells are produced and grow to maturity in the bone marrow and thymus gland. The remainder of lymphatic tissue and organs trap and destroy antigens: the lymph nodes, spleen, tonsils, appendix, Peyer’s patch in the intestines, and the mucous membranes of the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and reproductive systems.

Most lymph is delivered through the muscle movement, pumping material through valves, into vessels, large and small. Proper breathing is another way to make lymph move well.

This is why exercises that promote inversion and even breathing, such as yoga, have excellent health benefits. Acupuncture has a stimulating effect that promotes movement in local areas, which is one of many reasons why it is great as a preventative medicine, but why it is contraindicated in the presence of tumors.

The Inflammatory and Immune Response Systems: Part IV

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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, Integrative Medicine, Stress Busters Tagged With: , , , ,

The Inflammatory and Immune Response Systems, Part III

November 16, 2011 By admin

ACQUIRED IMMUNITY: WHERE AND HOW

Part III continues our series with a focus on specific defense. In a nutshell, the main immune players can be likened to different types military forces. Microphages and macrophages are the local police (see Part II), white blood cells are the standing army, at-the-ready, from all divisions, and immunoglobulins are the the special ops class, trained to react with precision in order to eliminate the enemy.

ANTIGENS AND ANTIBODIES: Immunoglobulins and White Blood Cells
Specific defense (acquired/adaptive) can be likened to the military’s special ops. The immune cells are found in the body tissue and on cell membranes, and their key function is to protect against pathogenic organisms or other sources of not-self. Specific defenses are unique responses (antibodies) to not-self elements (antigens).

1) Immunoglobulins
An antigen is a foreign substance that sets off an immune response. Antigens can be microbial (bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) and non-microbial (poison plants, insect bites, and tree pollen). Our body creates antibodies to counteract each antigen.

Antibodies are proteins called immunoglobulins. There are five types of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE), to respond to different kinds of enemies (antigens), located in different types of body tissue and fluids.

Structurally, antibodies are shaped like a Y so that they can easily lock onto the target cell and enable other immune components to find and either destroy the antigen, or stop its replication mechanism.

2) Immune Cells
Like soldiers, airmen, and seamen on the front line, there are different types of immune cells to attack not-self from all angles. These cells are present and active in both non-specific and specific defense.

Lymphocytes are the most common cells of specific immunity, and they are separated into two classes: T cells and B cells. Neutrophils, eosinophils, and basophils are white blood cells. Other kinds of immune cells are monocytes, macrophages, denritic cells, natural killer cells (NK), and the major histocompatiblity complex (MHC).

3) Humoral Immunity and Cell-Mediated Immunity
Humoral immunity is found in body tissue and the blood’s plasma, on the lookout for invaders, and creates an antibody in response to an antigen. Cell-mediated immunity issues the clarion call that activates other immune players.

The Inflammatory and Immune Response Systems, Part III
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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, Integrative Medicine, Stress Busters Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , ,

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: , , , , , , ,

The Inflammatory and Immune Response Systems, Part 1: Inflammation in a Nutshell

September 30, 2011 By admin

courtesy of digital thermal imaging, showing back pain originating from inflammation in the (R) kidney

Large or small, inside or outside, wherever injury occurs the body’s defenses set off a cascade of players to deal with the tissue damage (inflammation system) and keep strangers out (immune system). Whether you bump your elbow, get a splinter, or have an autoimmune disorder, the same sequence unfolds, aimed to restore order and heal you, naturally.

This series will cover the major components present where injury to tissue occurs. It’s a fascinating, complex process, with a lot of moving parts in a rapid sequence of events. We begin with a discussion of inflammation, and move on to immunity, inflammatory conditions, health tips, and related topics in future posts.

Inflammation is characterized by four cardinal signs:
Redness
Pain
Heat
Swelling

The inflammatory response serves to stop bleeding and wall off the injured area to prevent further damage to the local tissue. This unfolds as a natural process beginning with acute-phase and transitioning into chronic-phase responses.

1. Acute-phase response has active two stages, the vascular stage and the cellular stage.

a. During the vascular stage, the blood vessels first respond by constricting, then rapidly dilate (enlarge). The blood vessels that supply the area also dilate to allow fluid and plasma proteins to move out of the vessels and into the surrounding (interstitial) spaces, causing the swelling, heat, pain, and redness associated with acute-phase inflammation.

b. During the cellular phase, the capillaries become permeable for the delivery of immune factors, nutrients, and blood-clotting factors.

Chemical mediators produce the signs and symptoms of inflammation at both the vascular and cellular stages. These mediators perform an array of functions that keep the intricate process moving forward step-by-step, with the ultimate purpose of stopping the damage and returning the system to homeostasis. We will cover some of these in future posts.

2. Chronic-phase responses can become long-lasting if not treated. Some chronic-phase injuries are local (shoulder pain) and some are systemic (autoimmune disease). Foreign substances, both living (viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites) and non-living (example: splinters) can also underlie chronic inflammation.

Chronic-phase responses put an additional demand on the body’s resources, hence the reason why we stress the importance of quality nutrition that supplies the raw material for all the body’s functions.

The Inflammatory and Immune Response Systems, Part 1: Inflammation in a Nutshell

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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, Nourishing You, Stress Busters, You Are What You Eat Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Joint Pain in a Nutshell

September 26, 2011 By admin

Joint Pain in a Nutshell

joint pain

Most people think of muscles when they think of being flexible, but our bones equally give us mobility. Without our bones, our muscles would enable us to move like worms, but with our bones we become erect and perform a myriad of functional activities. Our joints are the articulations between bones, and vary depending on what kind of movement is required.

Types of Joints

Joint structures allow range of motion and accentuate a specific movement. There are three basic types of articulations: fibrous, cartilaginous, and synovial joints.

1. Fibrous joints have no joint cavity so the two bones must form a tight fit, and this achieved with fibrous connective tissue, that holds the bones together. This type of joint allows for very little movement. Sutures that connect the cranial bones and allow enough movement for the pulsing of the cerebral spinal fluid is an example of a fibrous joint.

2. Cartilaginous joints don’t have a joint cavity either, and the bones are held together by cartilage. The vertebrae of the spinal column and the pubic symphysis are examples of cartilaginous joints.

3. The synovial joint has a joint cavity, which allows for greater movement. Protective tissue surrounds the bone to cushion it for a lifetime of wear-and-tear: hyaline cartilage, a wrapping of ligaments, bursa sacs, and synovial fluid inside the joint reduce friction and maintain proper range of motion. Synovial joints are in the major articulations of the body: the knee, elbow, hip, and shoulders.

Directions of Synovial Joint

The synovial joint can move in many directions.

Gliding back-and-forth (ankles, wrists)

Rotation turns bone along its axis (flip hand palm up palm down)

Circumduction (rotate whole arm)

Angular increases (i) or decreases (d) between the two bones involved:

Flexion- bends  (d)

Extension- straightens (i)

Abduction- away from midline (i)

Adduction- towards and crossing midline (d)

The Injury and Healing of Joints

High-quality nutrition and regular exercise are the key ingredients for healthy joints. Our joints are susceptible to normal wear-and-tear, with age and gravity adding further stress on the tissue. The ligaments, tendons, and cartilage in the joint spaces get little or no blood supply, and it is for this reason that injuries seem to linger.

Studies have shown that acupuncture can speed healing in a wide variety of joint problems, both chronic and acute. From a Chinese medicine perspective, joints are places where things can get stuck, creating the sensation of tightness and pain. Acupuncture and its modalities facilitate local activity at the site of injury.

It is our recommendation that to keep your joints healthy and pliable, eat the best possible nutrition, keep moving by including stretch  and strengthening qi gong exercises in your routine, and when needed, decompress the joints when possible, and finally get some acupuncture to correct the problem before it gets worse.

Joint Pain in a Nutshell

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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, Conditions Treated, Health Tips, Integrative Medicine, Nourishing You, Stress Busters, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , ,
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