While high cholesterol can be treated by a variety of western medical approaches, such as statin drugs, there are often unwanted side effects and unclear benefits. Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a safe, natural alternative form of care than can be used in conjunction with regular checkups to manage your cholesterol levels.

A study published in the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture investigated the effects of acupuncture on losing weight and lowering cholesterol levels. Researchers enrolled 50 subjects with simple obesity (accumulation of excess energy (calories) when not used are stored as fat resulting in excess weight). The subjects were all overweight and had higher than normal cholesterol levels – this would include serum total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipid protein. Results were the acupuncture treatment decreased body weight and cholesterol levels in varying degrees but even after the treatment stopped, there continued to be decreases in all areas. In conclusion, the researchers determined that acupuncture is effective immediately and it also continues to have a stable long-term effect on weight loss and lowering cholesterol.

Liu Y, et al. Acupuncture as the Main Therapeutic Methods to Treat Simple Obesity. Int J of Clin Acupuncture.2007;16(3):187-189.

For further information about this article and treating High Cholesterol with acupuncture, click here.

Sustain Community Acupuncture offers wellness for all, naturally. Located in San Diego between the Hillcrest and North Park Neighborhoods, Sustain Community Acupuncture offers affordable Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy and Medical Massage. For questions about this article or for a consultation please call 619.358.9508 or contact us here.

Wouldn’t it be great to decrease the amount of food that you take in, and increase the amount of energy you expend? It’s entirely possible, thanks to acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Acupuncture and TCM address both the physiological and psychological aspects of weight loss. A comprehensive therapy for weight issues rooted in TCM promotes better digestion, smooths emotions, reduces appetite, improves metabolism, and eliminates food cravings.

• A 2003 study published in The Journal of Medical Acupuncture found that participants receiving acupuncture lost more than three times more weight than the control group.

• In a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia in 1998, 95 percent of the participants receiving electro-stimulation on acupuncture points reported appetite suppression. The results showed that the acupuncture group was more likely to experience a reduced appetite and to lose weight than the control group.

Read more about this article herehttp://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+Information/Detail/The+Acupuncture+Weight+Loss+Solution

Sustain Community Acupuncture offers wellness for all, naturally. Located in San Diego between the Hillcrest and North park Neighborhoods, Sustain Community Acupuncture offers affordable Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy and Medical Massage. For questions about this article or for a consultation please call 619.358.9508 or contact us here.

Acupuncture relieves workplace stress by inducing a deep sense of relaxation while relieving many of the ailments that come with a stressful lifestyle.

As the World Health Organization (WHO) states,  health is not merely the absence of disease or infirmity but a positive state of complete physical, mental and social well-being,  A healthy working environment is one in which there is not only an absence of harmful conditions but an abundance of health-promoting ones.

In an article about occupational health the WHO outlines a list of well researched requirements for a healthy workplace.  Sadly, many of these are lacking in the workplace thanks to the economy forcing many companies to make due with a smaller work force and a larger work load.  (more here)

Many salaried employees don’t know the meaning of “down time.” Nor do they understand the amount of long term damage they are doing to themselves by continuously suffering through long hard stressful hours at work. Those that live the stressful life for too long are at significantly higher risk for diabetes, high cholesterol, coronary heart disease, impedance and stroke.  For those that learn to manage stress by taking breaks, eating well, exercising and receiving preventative health care, a much higher quality of life can be expected.  For more on stress signs and symptoms go here.

Acupuncture, classic Chinese herbal medicine and massage can help with stress and its many side effects.  A weekly or bi-monthly treatment can be all that’s required to keep the stress low, the body relaxed and our mind free of the nagging voices that keep us up at night or hinder our ability to work.  A single treatment can relieve work fatigue and mental exhaustion for up to a week in some patients and the therapies have a cumulative effect. This means that after a time, the patient may only need to come in for the occasional tune up or to help fend off a cold.

A good article on Acupuncture and stress relief can be found here.