Finding Quality Research for Medical Conditions, in a Nutshell

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path_1Have you had this experience? You go to the doctor, get a diagnosis, and then try to figure out what your doctor said, and what you’re going to do to get better.

This post is a nutshell guide to orienting yourself when the need arises. At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we’re big believers in being proactive. We find when we do a little responsible research, we’re able to make clearer decisions about our health.

Getting information on a condition helps us understand how the problem may have arisen, understand what the tests and treatment options are, and communicate to find the best ways to get better.

We recommend the following sites, because they provide information that is based on quality scientific research.

  • Basic Level

Medline Plus: overview of common symptoms, treatment options, management strategies of many medical conditions.

Mayo Clinic: a little more detail, stated differently, which allows you to compare and contrast the basic information, helping you orient yourself and deepen your understanding.

  • Intermediate Level

Cochrane Reviews: meta-analyses of published studies.

British Medical Journal: published studies.

  • Complex Level

PubMed: abstracts of published studies.

Minimizing Bias

Research studies of the highest quality are based on standards that seek to minimize bias when collecting data and analyzing it. Quality studies are the polar opposite of “he said, she said.”

Studies must meet the following criteria in order for money and time to be invested:

  • Outline the objective, method, and design of the study, with a complete review of related literature published to date.
  • Be affiliated with institutions that provide the ethical and scientific checks and balances, to ensure minimum bias and error.

There are many types of studies:

  • Randomly Controlled Trial is the research study gold standard in medicine. The RCT gathers information through a rigorous process that mathematically must have minimum bias and error built into its design. The RCT uses human subjects to find out the usefulness of healthcare practices. Built into it is the idea of chance: do some people get better because of other factors, or is the drug/device/protocol/healthcare practice of significant benefit?
  • The Large Prospective Study is also highly regarded, because it measures outcomes in the same participants, over a long period of time. Large Prospective Studies provide an opportunity to collect and analyze related data, often resulting in unexpected, useful findings. An example of this is the Women’s Health Initiative, which collected data for 12 years, from 1992-2004, from a large sampling of women. One arm of the study followed breast cancer incidence and hormone replacement therapy, ultimately leading the scientific community to agree to change methodologies in treatment of menopausal women.
  • The Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses look at all the studies that have been done on a given subject, to verify the findings of current research, including acknowledgement of weaknesses or shortfalls in the conclusions.

Not all studies are equal, so when you find a favorable study on your subject of interest, it is important to assess several factors: the who, what, where, and why of it. For example, how many participants are in the study, what methodology and design was used, the authors, the institution involved, the publishing journal. In future posts, we will cite some studies and point out some of these legitimizing details.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/researching-medical-conditions-on-the-internet

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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 at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: Research Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Trigger Points

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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 over 30 years 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 at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

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

Nervous System Overview

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goof_buttoncomThe nervous system is the body’s communication system, the superhighway of a vast network of nerves that connect in a series of electro-chemical reactions, often referred to as “impulses.” The nervous system allows the myriad biological functions of the body to work together smoothly. Without the nervous system, we would not be able to move, think, smell, see, hear, feel, or taste. We would be no different then a tree.

The nervous system has far-reaching effects, connecting systems and maintaining specific physiologic functions through its gathering and sending of data. From the subtle signaling of the endocrine system’s hormones, to the inflammatory and immune response systems, to moving your arm, to taking in a sensory experience and deciphering it, to digesting a meal- these actions are all possible because the nervous system is intact.

As you might expect, the nervous system is complex, so it has been broken into sub-sections in order to understand its interconnected workings. To begin, there are two anatomical sections: the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS).

The CNS is the processing center, located in the brain and the spinal cord, where information from all areas of the body and the external environment is received, interpreted, and responded to, sending out signals where needed.

The PNS is made up of nerves that connect the CNS to receptors, muscles, and glands. The PNS is basically the hard wiring that connects every muscle, organ, and gland to the CNS. Just like your electrical appliances need to be connected to its power source with wires, the PNS needs nerves to conduct the impulses from brain to its target cells.

CNS, PNS, and further divisions of the PNS:
1. Central nervous system (CNS) → The brain and the spinal cord
The brain is a complex organ, containing billions of neurons and is the main control center for the entire body
The spinal cord, protected by the vertebral column, is a relay center for sensory and motor impulses to and from all areas of the body

2. Peripheral nervous system (PNS) → 12 cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves
Physiologically the PNS is divided into afferent (sensory) and efferent (motor, away from the brain) systems. The afferent nerves send signals from sensory receptors to the CNS and the efferent nerves sends signals from the CNS to the muscles and glands.

220px-descartes-reflexThe efferent system has two subdivisions of activity:
i. The somatic nervous system sends signals to skeletal muscles only, which are under voluntary control
ii. The autonomic nervous system sends signals to smooth muscles, cardiac muscle, and glands, which are under involuntary control

The autonomic nervous system has two branches, the Sympathetic (“fight or flight”) Nervous System and the Parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) Nervous System. These two branches work together to stimulate and inhibit the organs of digestion and assimilation. The Parasympathetic and Sympathetic are designed to balance each other out, slowing down or speeding up organ functions as needed. In the case of stress, something most of us feel in the course of a day, this balance can go awry, giving rise to medical complaints, such as digestive or respiratory difficulties, headaches, insomnia, or anxiety.

There are several, overlapping theories medical science has tested to explain how and why acupuncture works. It has been established through research that acupuncture affects the nervous system. For example, chronic pain can be an indication something is wrong along a musculoskeletal pathway in the nervous system, and randomly controlled trials demonstrate the ability of acupuncture to reset the neural pathways, effectively eliminating the pain. Research on acupuncture’s effect on the nervous system is ongoing, as science continues to map the brain.

From our perspective at Mountaintop Acupuncture, keeping the nervous system healthy is important and it’s achievable. Establishing regularity in one’s daily habits, which include some form of exercise, eating well, breathing correctly, sleeping soundly, challenging the mind and resting the mind will tone the nervous system so that it responds appropriately when the true call for alarm arises.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/nervous-system-overview

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have over 30 years 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 at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: All Things Exercise, Research, Stress Busters, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Seaweed In a Nutshell

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Seaweed is a dense source of plant-based nutrition, so dense that its nutrients account for about 1/3 of its dry mass.

Seaweeds are an excellent source of micronutrients and have more concentrated amounts of minerals and trace elements than other plant foods. In TCM, the properties of seaweed nourish the body deeply, in a way we as westerners would say are “anti-aging.”

Technically, seaweeds are neither plant or animal: they are a form of alga. Their structure is such that the minerals are part of their form. These minerals are the minerals found in the ocean and are the same minerals found in our blood.

The nutrients contained in seaweed are also part of their living tissue. For instance, algal polysaccharides are compound molecules present in algae that bind substances, helping the body eliminate toxins and waste byproducts of digestion. When the plant absorbs the toxin, it is converted and neutralized as a salt, which is excreted with solid waste.

In addition to minerals and vitamins, seaweeds contain plant compounds known to have anti-inflammatory effects and have cancer-protective properties in cancers linked with estrogen signaling.

Seaweed benefits the thyroid because it has ample iodine, a precursor necessary to the formation of thyroid hormones, which regulate metabolism.

The best way to consume seaweed is by adding it daily in cooking, about 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon per person. This won’t alter the flavor, and you will be ensured of a steady supply of nutrients essential for life. Like any other supplement, more is not better: you want to take the proper amount for the best result.

When shopping for seaweed, pay attention to the region and method of harvesting, for, like anything else, selecting the highest quality makes sense. Some types are a little pricier than others, but you will find a little goes a long way, so the cost is nominal when you weigh in the health benefits. Packaged seaweeds include arame, hijiki, kombu, wakame, nori, laver, and dulse. Store seaweed in a glass jar and it will last for years.

Some of the main components in seaweed are calcium, sodium, iron, iodine, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, sulphur, phosphorous, fluorine, cobalt, boron, nickel, manganese, molybdenum, selenium, zinc, and copper.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/seaweed-in-a-nutshell

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have over 30 years 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 at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: Health Tips, Integrative Medicine, You Are What You Eat Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Insomnia

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full_issuecomMarch 7-13 was National Sleep Awareness Week in advance of the Daylight Savings time change. In our practice, people frequently mention problems surrounding sleep, so we’re taking this opportunity to summarize the two approaches taken by western and eastern medicine in the treatment of sleep-related issues.

The Importance of Sleep

1. Sleep allows the body’s restorative metabolic processes to do their work.

2. The neutral position and inactivity of sleep allows the spinal discs to re-absorb fluid lost from the compression experienced throughout the day’s activities.

3. Sleep and the lack of sleep affects physiologic activity: immunity, the need for REM-cycle sleep, cardiovascular health, and psychiatric conditions are all subjects of ongoing research.

Insomnia….as defined by Western Medicine

Insomnia is characterized by having difficulty getting to sleep, or staying asleep, or waking up several times during sleep, or experiencing non-refreshing sleep for at least one month.

There are two types of insomnia: primary and secondary. Primary insomnia derives from an unknown physical or mental condition. Secondary insomnia may be psychological, physiological, learned, and/or chronic, and it may be caused by a medical condition such as depression or pain.

Along with the suggestion of lifestyle changes, sedating drugs are the primary treatment.

Insomnia….as defined by Eastern Medicine

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) characterizes insomnia similarly, viewing it through the lens, for lack of a better expression, of body-mind-spirit. Insomnia is not treated as a disease condition, but as a symptom.

Regulating sleep and dietary habits are emphasized, and we have methods of sedation as well. Our extra arrow in the quiver is our ability to free constraint, using gentle measures.

In a nutshell, constraint is created in response to events, good or bad, experienced as an inner gripping. Once this gripping is let go, the individual can move forward, naturally transitioning the bound mental and/or physical holding to a general sense of ease.

Think of the last time a stranger cut you off in your car or walking on the street. While you didn’t do anything to deserve this behavior, you now have to deal with it. You can crash into each other, you can deflect it and avoid it altogether, or, most commonly, have to suddenly alter your trajectory in the blink of an eye. Most people are a little shocked by such minor events and shake them off quickly. However, multiply the number of external and internal stimuli and events needed to navigate through a typical workday, and we see a lot of anxiety and stress, headaches, digestive disorders, and on and on, piling up and compounding difficulties with sleep.

East and West Agree

Common sense is elusive when we’re sleep-deprived, so here is the list of lifestyle recommendations both medical paradigms suggest:

  • Avoid caffeine, alcohol, or nicotine after 1 pm
  • Don’t take naps during the day
  • Eat at regular times each day, and avoid large meals before bedtime
  • Exercise long before going to bed so that your nervous system has time to settle down
  • Keep on schedule: go to bed at the same time every night
  • Figure out comfortable sleeping conditions:
  1. How much do you want the window open?
  2. How many blankets do you like?
  • Use the bed only for sleep and sex
  • Wind down by reading or bathing before bedtime, versus television or computer viewing
  • If you can’t fall asleep within 30 minutes, get up and engage in quiet activity until you find yourself becoming sleepy
  • Remove the anxiety from focusing on not being able to fall asleep

Acupuncture has the ability to create subtle movement inside of you, freeing up what has been bound or grounding what has become unstable. Herbal formulas are immensely helpful in conjunction with acupuncture, and in our experience, we find difficulties surrounding sleep gradually evaporate in most cases.

http://mountaintopacupuncture.com/insomnia

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At Mountaintop Acupuncture, we have over 30 years 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 at The Highlands Ranch Medical Pavilion in Littleton, Colorado.

Insurance is welcome and accepted.

Filed Under: Conditions Treated, Integrative Medicine, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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