Men’s Health

SPORTS RELATED INJURIES

Men often suffer from sports and stress related injuries.

Traditional Chinese Medicine easily treats:

Strains/Sprains.
Neck pain or stiffness.
Headaches.
Knee/elbow/ankle injuries.
Muscular problems.
Shoulder problems.
Arthritis.
Low back pain/Sciatica/Disk problems.
Hip/pelvic/leg pain.
Fracture healing.
Pre- surgery prep/post surgery recovery.
Abdominal pain.
Torn hamstrings/Achilles tendons.
Carpal tunnel syndrome.
Tennis/golfer’s Elbow.
TMJ/ facial pain.
Open wound healing.

CLICK HERE To read research studies associated with acupuncture and sports injuries.

Acupuncture and Sports Injury

Amateur weekend warriors, as well as professional and top amateur athletes use acupuncture for the treatment of injuries, and to help optimize their conditioning. If you are wondering how acupuncture treatment can help your acute or chronic sports injury, contact me today. Every case is different and results vary, but generally our success rate is extremely high. Herbal medicine and nutritional support are discussed specifically for your condition. Feel free to bring in your orthopedic X rays or MRI narrative reports for review. TCM helps you get off and stay off western drugs like pain killers, and anti-inflammatory meds which are hard on your liver and kidneys. Long term use of NSAIDS (aspirin, Tylenol, Etc.) breaks down cartilage and can cause liver and kidney trouble. Restore and reach optimum health naturally.

Acute Injury Treatment

Sprain and strain of the joint and surrounded tissue are common sports related injuries (sprain involves the ligament and strain involves muscle or tendon). Besides pain, inflammatory response may include swelling of the injured area, redness or purple skin discoloration, and reduced range of motion of the joint. In addition to conventional R.I.C.E (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) treatment, many athletes find acupuncture treatment very helpful in suppressing inflammation and swelling quickly. My patients schedule immediately after an injury or accident to begin the recovery and restoration process. I want you to get well quickly and fully recover. Acupuncture treatment is often overlooked and under-utilized. The activation of important pathways and “circuit boards” in your body can be crucial to effectively treating your acute trauma or repetitive-stress injuries.

Prolonged inflammation causes scar tissue formation and may prevent proper joint function or mobility.

How Acupuncture helps:

Acupuncture stimulates the nervous system and causes the release of chemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body’s self-regulating systems, stimulating its natural healing abilities. It brings new blood flow to the area, bringing nutrition. It reduces inflammation and restores tissue, ligaments, tendons, muscles, bones, discs, etc.

Research shows that acupuncture treatment promotes resolution of injuries by:

• Provides pain relief (Pomeranz, 1987).

• Increases local microcirculation (Komori et al, 2009) which aids dispersal of swelling and bruising.

• Suppression of the peripheral inflammatory response (Kim et al, 2008) and other anti-inflammatory mechanisms (Kavoussi & Ross, 2007, Zijlstra et al, 2003).

• Breaks down scar tissue – controlled micro trauma causes a local inflammatory response, which initiates reabsorption of inappropriate fibrosis or excessive scar tissue and facilitates a cascade of healing activities resulting in remodelling of affected soft tissue structures.

• Promotes faster recovery after training sessions (Pan & Pan, 2007).

Acupuncture is effectively combined with other treatments such as massage and rehabilitation exercises.

Acupuncture Treatment for Tennis Elbow & Golfers Elbow

Acupuncture, is successfully used to treat tennis elbow. Tennis elbow is inflammation of the outside of the elbow. This area of the elbow is the bone called the lateral epicondyle, which is why tennis elbow is also known as lateral epicondylitis. The outer part of the elbow becomes painful and tender as a result of damage or tearing of the tendons and muscles of this area.

Golfer’s elbow is quite similar to tennis elbow except the inflammation occurs on the inside of the elbow, around the bone called the medial epicondyle. It too can be treated with acupuncture. Golfer’s elbow is also referred to as medial epicondylitis. The inner part of the elbow becomes painful and tender as a result of damage or tearing of the tendons and muscles of this area.

Causes of Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow

The terms Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow are misleading because most people don’t develop them from playing tennis or golf. The conditions are often brought on by overused or strained muscles, which in turn lead to the inflammation. Activities such as painting, raking, pitching and hammering involve repetitive arm movements that overuse and strain the muscles of the elbow.

Sometimes the conditions can be the result of a single injury or, they can be brought on from other conditions such as arthritis. The problem may be due to problems in the neck, or there may be no explanation for the inflammation at all. Usually, however, any activity that involves excessive force or repetition when gripping, twisting or reaching can trigger tennis or golfer’s elbow. The latter can be treated by the acupuncturist.

Symptoms of Tennis Elbow and Golfer’s Elbow

Difficulty with movements such as gripping, lifting and carrying
Pain and tenderness either on the outside of the elbow (tennis elbow) or on the inside of the elbow (golfer’s elbow)
Pain that radiates down the arm toward the wrist
Difficulty extending the forearm

Tennis elbow is a result of overuse of the common extensor muscle group. The common extensor muscle group is not only excessively used by tennis players, but also computer users, typists, cash register operators, carpenters, and hair stylists. Tennis elbow is far more common than Golfer’s elbow. General treatment procedures are similar for both but the following is specifically written for tennis elbow sufferers.

Evaluation Procedures:

Resistance Test (Cozen’s test). This test is used to determine whether the pain gets worse when you bend your wrist back (extend it) against resistance. Small tissue damage around the elbow tendon attachment of the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis (the muscle that runs from the lateral epicondyle to the middle finger) can be found in many tennis elbow cases. In those cases, the patient will feel sharp shooting pain in the elbow by extending his/her middle finger against resistance.

Tenderness. Here we test for tenderness over or near the bony bump on the outside of the elbow. In the event of both these signs being present, it is likely that you have tennis elbow.

Grip Strength. Patients are asked to grip the dynamometer and stop as soon as pain is felt in the elbow (pain-free grip power), then grip with maximum power despite any pain (maximum grip power). Tennis elbow sufferers usually show a decreased maximum grip power and a large difference between pain free and maximum grip.

It is also important to examine your neck and upper chest regions, as factors in these areas may be fully or partly causing your pain.

What is the treatment?

The conventional approach often involves physiotherapy treatments, use of anti-inflammatory drugs, and may include an injection of a small dose of steroid to the affected area.

Is there any natural alternative treatment?

Acupuncture and moxibustion (a Chinese heat therapy) treatment is used in order to decrease the hyper-tonicity of common extensor muscles.

In some acute cases, cryo (ice) massage is applied around the lateral epicondyle. After acute inflammation has subsided, the massage technique called transverse friction is often incorporated to break down the existing scar tissues around the tendons and restore normal tissue health.

Is there anything, besides the treatment, I can do or shouldn’t do?

Rest: The best way to relieve tennis elbow is to stop doing anything that irritates your arm — a simple step for the weekend tennis player, but not as easy for the manual laborer, office worker, or professional athlete.
Wearing a Brace: For those who are unable to commit to complete rest, wearing a brace (especially designed for tennis elbow which helps decrease the stress on the lateral epicondyle) is recommended. In order to avoid muscle atrophy, the brace should be worn only at certain times of the day during activities and should be considered a temporary solution.
Ice: Application of ice helps decrease the inflammation. During the acute phase of tennis elbow, it is recommended that you apply ice at home or office at least a couple times a day (10-15 minutes duration). Ice should also be applied immediately after any activity that has caused pain and in some cases after the treatment.
Exercise: When the acute inflammation has subsided, I’ll show you an exercise that is helpful for your condition. The exercise consists of strengthening the common flexor muscle group (which will help relax the extensor muscles through the mechanism of antagonist inhibition reflex) and stretching the common extensor muscles. You should avoid doing any weight exercise that puts stress on the common extensor muscles.

ACL Injury and Reconstruction

“Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction failed to restore normal rotational knee kinematics during dynamic, functional loading and some degradation of graft function occurred over time. These abnormal motions may contribute to long-term joint degeneration associated with ACL injury and reconstruction.”

LOW BACK PAIN

A growing body of research continues to support acupuncture as an alternative pain-relief method without the risk of side effects common to pharmaceutical drugs. The largest acupuncture study to date has shown that treatments plus routine care ease chronic low-back pain. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology (2006; 164 [5], 487–96), included more than 11,000 people with low-back pain in a randomized, controlled trial with a nonrandomized acupuncture group.

Researchers provided patients with either routine care alone or routine care plus acupuncture for up to 3 months and continued to observe subjects for an additional 3 months. By the end of the first 3 months, the acupuncture patients were experiencing much better back function, less pain and a higher quality of life than the other participants. Study authors noted that even though there was a fee for acupuncture, it was still deemed cost- effective, given the degree of improvement in patients’ back function. (Regimen in Health).

Acupuncture can help people with chronic low back pain feel less bothered by their symptoms and function better in their daily activities, according to the largest randomized trial of its kind, published in the May 11, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine. But the SPINE (Stimulating Points to Investigate Needling Efficacy) trial raises questions about how the ancient practice actually works.

Compared to the group that got usual care, results were similar for all three of the SPINE trial’s acupuncture groups: individualized, standardized, and simulated (without going through skin). Of the people who got any kind of acupuncture, an extra one in five were functioning significantly better at the end of the seven-week treatment – and an extra one in eight were still functioning better at one year.

“This study suggests that acupuncture is about as effective as other treatments for chronic back pain that have been found helpful,” said SPINE trial leader Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD. “But we found that simulated acupuncture, without penetrating the skin, produced as much benefit as needle acupuncture – and that raises questions about how acupuncture works.”

The SPINE trial included 638 adult patients at two nonprofit health plans in Oakland. They all rated the “bothersomeness” of their chronic low back pain as at least a 3 on a 0-to-10 scale. None of them had received acupuncture before. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups:

Individualized needle acupuncture, involving a customized prescription for acupuncture points from a diagnostician
Standardized needle acupuncture, using a single prescription for acupuncture points on the back and backs of the legs, which experts consider generally effective for chronic low back pain
Simulated acupuncture on those same standardized points, mimicking needle acupuncture but instead of a needle using a toothpick in a needle guide tube without penetrating the skin
Usual care, which is the standard medical care they would have gotten anyway – and that all patients in all groups received

Everyone in the three acupuncture groups (individualized, standardized, or simulated) was treated twice a week for three weeks, and then weekly for four weeks. At eight weeks, half a year, and one year, researchers measured back-related dysfunction and how much symptoms bothered patients.

The SPINE team found that at eight weeks all three acupuncture groups were functioning substantially better, while the group getting only usual care was functioning only slightly better. Dysfunction scores improved significantly more for all three acupuncture groups than for the usual care group. These benefits lasted for a year, although they waned over time.

Notably, the outcomes for groups that received the needle and simulated forms of acupuncture did not differ significantly. So, although acupuncture effectively treated low back pain, that therapeutic benefit seemed to require neither tailoring acupuncture needle sites to an individual patient nor inserting needles into the skin.

“We don’t know precisely why people got back pain relief from the simulated acupuncture,” said Cherkin’s co-author Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH. “Historically; some types of acupuncture have used non-penetrating needles. Such treatments may involve physiological effects that make a clinical difference.” Or it might be all about the mind-body connection, she said: “Maybe the context in which people get treatment has effects that are more important than the mechanically induced effects.”

Western medicine does not have highly effective medical treatments for chronic back pain, Cherkin said. Back pain is the number-one reason that Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including acupuncture.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the SPINE trial.

“The findings of this research show that acupuncture-like treatments, including simulated acupuncture, can elicit positive responses,” said Josephine P. Briggs, MD, director of NCCAM. “This adds to the growing body of evidence that something meaningful is taking place during acupuncture treatments outside of actual needling. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking these responses.” Source:
Rebecca Hughes, Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies.

CLICK HERE to read additional research studies on Acupuncture and Low Back Pain.

STRESS / ANXIETY / DEPRESSION

Many of us are on overdrive. We overwork, overstress, over worry. We lack rest. Situations, family and work matters build up. Be assured. Research supports

the use of TCM in treating stress, depression and anxiety. It helps you feel more grounded, rested. It increases your natural energy and alleviates many forms of depression.

Improve your quality of life with TCM. You deserve it! If you better take care of yourself, you can better take care of others.

It often takes relatively few treatments to see improvements and signs of change.

HEADACHES

HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE SUFFERERS –RELIEF IS POSSBLE WITH TCM!

Pain from headaches and migraines debilitates and affects 45 million Americans.

Western medicine offers strong drugs to mask and relieve symptoms… but why aren’t we talking about treating root cause? Is there a cure? Is there a way to alleviate the discomfort and concessions headache suffers endure? I think so!

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) includes acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (CHM). Successfully used for over 5000 years, there has to be something to its standing the test of time. The clinical studies and research strongly advocate TCM for headache reduction, management and often cure. Yes, it is possible! Patients need to be informed and educated on alternative treatment protocols so they have the knowledge to select the best course of action for themselves.

This does not replace professional care, but allows you to seek results, not Band-Aids.

Your quality of life is at stake. And can be improved.

No one likes to tell their friends or family…”I cant today, I have a headache.’” That carries an emotional as well as physical burden.

Western medicine as we know it is approximately 200 years old. Pharmaceuticals offer relief, but only till the next headache, and the side effects on your liver and kidneys is extreme. Read the warning sheet from the pharmacy. It will help you take action.

Causes

Headaches and migraines stem from stress, hormonal, neurological, structural or alignment imbalances, fatigue, weather changes, chemical or food sensitivities or alcohol.

Seven factors as to how TCM work?

Acupuncture promotes blood flow and increases circulation. This creates dilation of blood vessels. Blood flow brings energy, nutrition and nourishment to the brain, muscles, nerves and ligaments. If they are “nourished”, they have more power and support to “stay strong”, without causing problems!
Acupuncture removes blockages, pressure, excesses, and stagnation- you may know it as that sharp, stabbing pain knifing through your head, temples or back of the neck. When blood is allowed to flow these blockages are reduce, removed and cleared so that homeostasis (state of balance or harmony) is achieved.
TCM reduces stress and alleviates fatigue.
TCM balances hormones benefiting the endocrine system. Thousands of women suffer from hormonal headaches and many teens experience headaches at the onset of puberty. There is no need for our daughter so suffer all of their lives. No need for you to suffer either!
TCM often stabilizes some of the neurological aspects causing pain.
What can TCM do about the food, environmental and chemical sensitivities…simple—reduce them! By supporting your immune system. Your TCM practitioner uses your signs and symptoms, history, triggers, nature of the pain, frequency and duration of pain and other health factors to arrive at your unique pattern of disease. MSG, nitrate and alcohol triggers can be part of a specialized allergy elimination process called NAET. Not all acupuncturists are certified in this. It is very effective and I have been treating allergies using NAET (Nambutriripad Allergy Emination Treatment) for over 15 years. It is not for everybody- you may or may not need it, but it is worth checking out! From there they determine a treatment plan and protocol designed that will bring your entire body into balance. It is not just about your head! We consider the whole of you! The site of the pain may not be the origin or the root… this is what we look for vs. Western treatment.

Tension Headaches Dramatically Reduced by Acupuncture

A randomized controlled trial in Germany found that acupuncture cut tension headache rates almost in half.

Those receiving the traditional acupuncture reported headache rates of nearly half that of those who received no treatments, suffering 7 fewer days of headaches. The minimal acupuncture group suffered 6.6 fewer days, and the non-acupuncture group suffered 1.5 fewer days. When they received acupuncture after the main study period, the “no treatment” group also reported significantly fewer headache days.

The improvements continued for months after the treatments were concluded, rising slightly as time went on. By: Sam Gaines, (aufinder.com Source: British Medical Journal, July 2005).

SINUS CONGESTION

Symptoms include any individual, or combinations of the following:

• Cloudy, discolored nasal drainage.
• A cough that may be more severe at night.
• Runny nose or nasal congestion.
• Poor sense of smell.
• Nasal stuffiness, or postnasal drip
• Fever or sore throat
• Headache.
• Facial pain or tenderness.
• Coughing.
• Fatigue.
• Ear aches.
• Neck pain.
• Bad breath.
• Sensitivity to light.

Causes of Sinusitis

Viral or fungal infections, damp weather, air pollutants, seasonal allergic problems or hay fever, can each lead to inflammation of the sinuses. As well, people with conditions that reduce immune function (e.g. HIV), or conditions with reduced mucus movement (e.g. cystic fibrosis) may experience sinusitis. Sinusitis can be caused through the abuse of over the counter nasal sprays or illegal drugs. Stress, overwork, diet and poor nutritional choices often aggravate your condition. In TCM, imbalances in the body organs systems or flow of Qi or blood cause disruption in the body’s ability to transform fluids which leads to phlegm and mucous buildup. TCM very, very effectively treats this condition with acupuncture and Chinese herbs.

MALE FACTOR INFERTILITY

Please visit our fertility page to learn more about how TCM treats Male Factor Infertility.

WEIGHT LOSS

Obesity is a serious and rising health epidemic in our country. You are not alone in this fight. It is estimated that nearly 93 million Americans are obese and that number.

There are various classifications of obesity. You may have heard various terms such as “morbid obesity” or also “childhood obesity,” readily used by physicians and the public. This section will teach you the differences in these stages of obesity in addition to all the information you need to know in order to make an informed decision about what to do. Acupuncture helps the liver function better and metabolize more efficiently. It helps you lose fat, and improve muscle density.

Weight loss program + Acupuncture = Best results!!

Want to totally improve your weight loss efforts? Add Acupuncture!

Acupuncture balances the endocrine system (thyroid, adrenals, and metabolism!). It assists the liver and kidneys so they better process toxins. It helps the pancreas function better and can help insulin, cortisol and brain chemistry. It reduces stress on your system and if your system is functioning better… you metabolize better and faster!

Obesity affects almost 93 million Americans! That number is expected to reach 120 million within the next five years. 20 million people in the U.S. have type 2 diabetes and an additional 20 million have impaired glucose tolerance (pre-diabetes), which is a strong risk factor for developing diabetes later in life. An estimated 70 percent of diabetes risk in the U.S. can be attributed to excess weight. The related health problems aren’t worth it!!! Lets add heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol-(65 million Americans have it), hypertension, lack of energy, depression and loss of self esteem to the pile of troubles that often accompany weight gain. Recent studies suggest that those diagnosed as morbidly obese had death rates from cancer that were 52 percent higher for men and 62 percent higher for women, as compared to rates for normal-weight men and women. In both men and women, higher boy mass indexes are associated with higher death rates from cancers of the esophagus, colon and rectum, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and kidney. The same trend applies to cancers of the stomach and prostate in men, and cancers of the breast, uterus, cervix, and ovaries in women. Almost half of post-menopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer have a higher than normal BMI.

What you focus on gets down. If you are working on your weight… how committed are you? Your results depend on your full mental focus. If you can commit… the weight program, nutrition and exercise become easy (that’s just the administration of your plan!
Your nutritional goals should reflect a decision to be healthier from the inside out. Weight affects your longevity!

How does acupuncture work?

Acupuncture affects all of the organ systems- particularly the stomach, liver, kidneys and endocrine system.

Your body becomes balanced.

Your physical and mental stress is reduced so you have more energy to exercise, more mental discipline and increased vitality.

How many treatments?

This depends on your commitment.
Overeaters may benefits initially from 5 daily treatments and then 1-2 times per week.
For those looking to lose 5-10 pounds 1-2 x per week over 10-12 weeks for optimum results .Acupuncture body and ear points are used.
Ear tacks or press pellets are also placed in the ear to reduce cravings. If you haven’t had a live blood cell analysis… it is a good time to use this as a baseline and foundation for your functionally sound your blood is.
If your blood system is alkaline – you can lose faster… if your system is acidic… or co exists with yeast, bacteria overgrowths, fungus or parasites… you may experience more difficulty and less than desirable results.

Benefits of Chinese Herbs

What can you expect? Make an appointment to discuss your nutritional goals and make a commitment to your self.
I will help you accomplish them.

International Journal of Obesity published a review of 31 studies on the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of obesity. The systematic review was comprised of 3013 individual cases. The aim of this review was to critically assess evidence for reduction of body weight and to evaluate adverse events of acupuncture therapy based on the results of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate the effect of various types of acupuncture therapies.

The results of this review showed that compared to control of lifestyle, acupuncture was associated with a significant reduction of average body weight and was an improvement in obesity. Acupuncture significantly reduced a body weight, on average, compared to placebo or sham treatments. Acupuncture also showed more improved outcomes for body weigh, as well as for obesity, than conventional medication.

this review did show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for obesity.

Related Conditions

Obesity is a major health crisis in our country. There are several obesity-related health conditions that are associated with obesity. These conditions often lead to a decreased quality of health and life of those affected. Below you will find a list of obesity-related conditions. It is important to talk with your doctor about these conditions.

Cancer:

Cancer involves the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that have mutated from normal tissues. These cells prevent normal function of vital organs, damaging essential systems.

Diabetes:

Diabetes is a life-long disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. It can be caused by too little insulin (a hormone produced by the pancreas to regulate blood sugar), resistance to insulin, or both.

Among those diagnosed with type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes, 67 percent have a BMI greater than 27 and 46 percent have a BMI greater than 30. Nearly accounting for more than 90 percent of diabetes cases.
For more information on diabetes and obesity, please click here.

Gallbladder Disease:

Gallbladder disease includes inflammation, infection, stones, or obstruction of the gallbladder.

Heartburn:

Heartburn is a painful burning sensation in the esophagus, just below the breastbone. The pain often rises in your chest and may radiate to your neck or throat.

Heart Disease:

Heart disease is any disorder that affects the heart’s ability to function normally. The most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or blockage of the coronary arteries, which supply blood to the heart.

High Cholesterol:

Lipid disorders are when you have excess fatty substances in your blood. These substances include cholesterol and triglycerides. Having a lipid disorder makes you more likely to develop arteriosclerosis and heart disease.

High Blood Pressure:

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension (high blood pressure) is when your blood pressure frequently goes over 140/90 mm Hg.

About 1 in every 5 adults in the U.S. has high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs more often in men than in women.

Osteoarthritis:

Osteoarthritis is a chronic disease causing deterioration of the joint cartilage (the softer parts of bones which cushion their connections to each other) and the formation of new bone (bone spurs) at the margins of the joints.

Psychological Depression:

Depression may be described as feeling sad, blue, unhappy, miserable, or down in the dumps. Most of us feel this way at one time or another for short periods. True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger, or frustration interfere with everyday life for an extended time.

Sleep Apnea:

Sleep apnea is a condition characterized by episodes of stopped breathing during sleep. For more information on sleep apnea.

Stroke:

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel (artery) that supplies blood to the brain bursts or is blocked by a blood clot. Within minutes, the nerve cells in that area of the brain are damaged, and they may die within a few hours. As a result, the part of the body controlled by the damaged section of the brain cannot function properly.

Prostate / Urinary Problems / Libido

PSA

TCM helps lower high PSA counts, normalizing the function of the prostate gland.

Many patients have undergone prostate surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatments.

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine effectively treats many syndromes of incontinence as well a frequent and painful urination.

Benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) is commonly seen in ageing males and can be addressed naturally. Prostate enlargement affects about half of men in their 60s and up to 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s.

Signs or symptoms may include:

Weak urine stream.
Difficulty starting urination.
Stopping and starting again while urinating.
Dribbling at the end of urination.
Frequency or urgency to urinate.
Nocturia-Increased frequency of urination at night.
Not being able to completely empty the bladder
Hematuria -Blood in the urine.
Urinary tract infections.
Pelvic or lower abdominal pain or discomfort.
Discomfort during ejaculation.
Fever and chills (infection).

Prostate gland enlargement is not related to the development of prostate cancer.

One pilot study examined acupuncture with electric stimulation on the quality of life of men with chronic prostatitis and chronic pelvic pain syndrome. The treatments were given twice a week for 6 weeks. The participants had an overall improvement in their quality of life, decrease in urinary difficulties, and an increase in urinary function. Another study of chronic pelvic pain syndrome tracked the effect of needling only one point located on the sacrum. The treatment was performed once every week for 4 weeks, and then once a month. After the 5th treatment, the participants showed a reduction of pain and improvement in quality of life. In addition, the ultrasonography showed intravenous congestion decreased from the acupuncture. These studies support the use of acupuncture as a safe and effective complement to standard care.

Prostate Cancer

I see many patients post prostate cancer to help them improve incontinence, erectile dysfunction or urinary flow. This can be normalized through acupuncture. The acupuncture points used are not in the genital area. Most often points on the lower legs, abdominal or low back are used.

Incontinence

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal medicine effectively treats many syndromes of incontinence as well a frequent and painful urination. I see many patients post prostate cancer to help them improve incontinence, difficult urination or strengthening urinary flow. This can be normalized through acupuncture.

Approximately 17 percent of American men and women suffer from overactive bladder and spend an estimated $20 billion on products to manage the condition. Research (Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2005) indicates that acupuncture may be a more effective treatment.

Researchers at the Oregon Health and Science University found that four weekly acupuncture sessions showed significant improvement in bladder control, frequency of urination, and the urgent need to urinate as compared to the control group, which received “sham” acupuncture as a placebo.

Libido

Loss of sexual function, premature ejaculation, or low libido can be due to surgery, aging, fatigue, stress, medications or the general state of your health. TCM is effective in improving function and desire. Sexual health is commonly treated.

Treatment corrects the root imbalance in the body. I recommend once or twice a week for usually 10-12 sessions. Treatment increases one’s ability to hold urination, decrease frequency (especially at night), decrease urinary urgency, and creates a smoother urine flow. Sexual function often improves over the same period of time.