What is it?

This has been used in China for more than centuries as a form of Asian medicine or Oriental body work. It is a variety of massage, acupressure and other types of body manipulation. It works by implementing pressure to muscles, nerves, and different meridian points to eliminate obstructions that prevent the flow of energy into the body. When the obstructions are now eliminated, the energy is now regenerated and restored. This will then result to a more improved strength, vitality and a healthy lifestyle. This type of traditional therapy is often used along with foods and exercise to promote effective and true healing.

This is true not just for our wellness and physical health, but also for our psychological and emotional well being. The purpose of this treatment is not just to correct problems but also to avoid and prevent them. It keeps the body's energy balanced for health to be maintained and managed correctly.

The different methods

  1. The Bone Setting Method
This emphasizes on methods to realign the musculoskeletal. It also specializes in joint injuries and nerve pain.

  1. The Rolling Method
This emphasizes on soft tissue techniques and focuses on muscle sprains and joint injuries

  1. The Nei Gung Method
This emphasizes on the use of Nei Gung Energy or the energy exercises and specific massage techniques. This is used for revitalizing energy in the body.

What are the benefits of this kind of treatment?

1.       Chronic pain

2.       Headaches and migraines

3.       Neck pain and stiff neck

4.       Shoulder pain and frozen shoulder

5.       Distension of shoulders

6.       Tennis elbow

7.       Sciatica

8.       Pain or sore on the back

9.       Immobility

10.   Constipation

11.   Diarrhea

12.   Low energy and weak immune system

13.   Trapped nerves

14.   Muscle aches

15.   Repetitive strains

16.   Insomnia

17.   Difficulty in focusing

18.   Tiredness and weakness

19.   Anxiety and depression

20.   Stress related disorders

21.   Respiratory diseases

22.   Painful and irregular menstruations

23.   Facial paralysis and numbness

24.   Stroke

25.   Fatigue

26.   Emotional problems

27.   More women’s problems

28.   More musculoskeletal conditions

More about the treatment

It encourages structural and locomotive health by improving the regulation of the nervous system and eliminating waste out of our body system. With this procedure, the energy properly moves and flows to our bodies. This increases mobility, flexibility, range in motion and decrease of pain.

By Brian Musial

Read about
Qigong Therapy
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What is it?

Qigong is known as "Ch'i Kung" which is a highly effective program of treatment, healing and energy medicine from China. Its history started about 4 thousand years ago during the Tao Yao periods and was known to be a way of dancing.

It is the art of healing and preservation of health. The art of using respiration methods, soothing activities, and relaxation to detoxify, enhance, and calm the body and mind. The Qigong exercises cause better health, energy and relaxation.

Different Traditions and Intents

1.       Taoist

Maintains and preserves the physical human body and great quality virtue. Many Taoist experts or masters experience long lives and definitely enjoyed it. There are over 3600 techniques and approaches that are mentioned and described throughout its history.

2.        Buddhist

This is the most popular of all types. It aims to free the mind, develop quality and to obtain intelligence. Our body system is considered a tool for getting enlightenment. There are over 84000 techniques that are described in its history.

3.       Medical

Healthcare qi-gong focuses on the free flow and balance of qi which is the vital energy in our bodies. The main purpose of this treatment is to heal sickness or heal a disease. Practitioners learn how to use the inner qi for analysis and treatment.

4.       Martial Arts

It teaches our bodies to provide lethal strikes that are improved with qi or vital energy. It also trains our bodies to be protected from cuts by weapons and attacks using the four limbs.

5.       Confucian

It aims to provide great ethical personality, positive character and intellectual capability.

What are the health benefits of this kind of treatment?

  1. Used for self defense and improves your defense mechanism
  2. Requires little space for practice
  3. Easy to learn
  4. Develops self discipline
  5. Increases intelligence
  6. Improves physical activities
  7. Develops inner peace and a sense of calmness
  8. Improves concentration
  9. Improves will power
  10. Increase and develop mind powe

    More benefits of the treatment:

  1. relieves arthritis
  2. decreases tension
  3. reduce stress
  4. eliminates chronic fatigue
  5. strengthens immune system
  6. lubricate joints for pain free activity
  7. flexibility
  8. improves food digestion and elimination
  9. improves metabolism
  10. weight control
  11. anti aging and youthfulness
  12. healthy energy or qi
  13. anti allergies
  14. improves blood circulation
  15. restore body system
  16. improves oxygen
  17. improves and soothes neurological system
  18. improves health and well being

By Brian Musial

Read about
Moxibustion Heat Therapy
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What is it?

Moxibustion or heat therapy is a traditional Chinese treatment. People from China have used this kind of treatment for more than centuries. It comes from the Japanese word “Moe Kusa” which means “burning herb”.

Moxa is where you apply burning herbs near painful and agonizing areas of your body. The herb used in this treatment is called "Artemesia". They are aromatic leaves that are very medicinal and widely used for various natural treatments and health issues. It is a mugwort plant that contains essential oils (such as cineole, wormwood oil, and thujone), flavonoids, triterpenes, and coumarin derivatives. This type of procedure is a way o warming or heating different parts of your body.

Benefits of this kind of treatment

Back injuries can create stress because of pain and rigidity in the muscle tissue and soft tissue cells of the lumbar and lower back region. Muscle tensions can also lead to spasms. These will therefore be resulting to a blockage in blood circulation.

1.       It increases oxygen delivery to tissues because of heat

2.       It gets rid of carbon dioxide.

3.       It lowers lactic acid and other substances that cause muscle pains.

4.       Increases capabilities to stress and easily flex muscles.

5.       It allows the affected muscle tissues to rest and begin with healing by dilating the blood vessels.

6.       Improves blood circulation in the affected area

7.       Helps lower discomfort and decrease the amount of pain signals or sensory receptors to the mind.

8.       It decreases rigidity and stiffness by increasing lubrication due to heat.

9.       It promotes your ability to get rid of toxins in a more natural way by increasing blood flow.

10.   Promotes natural healing process of your body.

2 Types of Treatment Methods for Heat Therapy

1. Direct Contact with the skins surface.

2. Indirect Contact requires a medium such as salt, ginger, white pepper paste or garlic to be placed between the burning Moxa and the surface of the skin.

It is also commonly used to cure various illnesses such as:

1.       abdominal pain

2.       chest pain

3.       neck pain

4.       shoulder pain

5.       back pain

6.       menstrual problems

7.       anxiety

8.       tennis elbow

9.       golfers elbow

10.   smoking addiction

11.   allergies

12.   chronic fatigue

13.   sinus congestion

14.   headaches

15.   arthritis

16.   stomachache

17.   vomiting

18.   asthma

19.   diarrhea

20.   rheumatic pain

21.   stress

22.   menopause

23.   infertility

24.   carpal tunnel

25.   various gynecological conditions and a lot more

By Brian Musial

Read about
Gua Sha
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Gua Sha

06/27/2012

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What is it?

Gua Sha is what you call a “scraping therapy”. It is kind of treatment used in conventional and traditional medicinal practices which involves in the scraping and the rubbing of the skin. "Gua" means to scraping and rubbing with friction while "Sha" means the reddish elevated patch of the skin. It is a term or phrase used to explain the before and after the blood stagnation is removed.

This type of treatment can be performed using a traditional specialized tool such as board, Shaslide or other Gua Sha tools available.

The Sha bump should naturally fade away in 2-4 days. When the bump is slower to fade then this indicates poor blood circulation. Your practitioner will now ascertain and check whether there is a deficiency of blood, Qi, or a deeper organ deficiency.

Kinds of Scraping Therapy: How does it work?

During your treatment, a special oil is spread on a particular area of your epidermis where the acupuncturist starts rubbing and scraping the area with the tool. The tool used for the treatment is made and designed from jade or horns.

1.       Meridian Scraping Therapy

This method combines acupressure with cutaneous scraping

2.       Holographic Scraping Therapy

It is a method of scraping points on the body which correspond to organs in the body. This therapy has the special feature of scraping only a small area and taking a short time.

Main benefits and Advantages of this kind of treatment:

1.        Promotes and encourages the movement or activity of Qi

2.        Improves and increases blood circulation

3.       Restore and normalize metabolism

4.       Ease serious and mild pain.

5.       Promotes and generates new skin cells

More Wellness Circumstances Handled is as follows:

1.       Treat common colds

2.       Treat cough and excess flem

3.       Treat stress and fatigue

4.       Treat heat and sun stroke

5.       Treat immobility

6.       Treat pain and rigidity

7.       Treat respiratory ailments

8.       Treat digestive disorders

9.       Treat bladder and gynecological conditions

10.   Reduce fever

11.   Treat headaches

12.   Influenza

13.   Bronchitis

14.   Asthma

15.   Blocked Chi

16.   Treat insomnia

17.   Muscular Tension

18.   Relieves muscle stress or muscle injuries

19.   Assist in food poisoning

20.   Renew complexion

21.   Reduced clogged pores

22.   Control pimples and acne

23.   Reduce fine lines

24.   Treat eye bags, puffy eyes, and dark circles

25.   Treat memory loss

26.   Swollen Throat

27.   Tooth Pains

28.   Hormonal Imbalances

29.   Impotence

30.   High and low blood pressure

31.   Weight loss

By Brian Musial

Read about
Electro Acupuncture
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What is it?

Electro-acupuncture is a practical and convenient strategy for stimulation technique to be used with the same traditional Chinese medicine factors and acupuncture points in the body. It do well with a lot of treatments as to with the conventional acupuncture needles.

History of the treatment

How does it work? What is its history?

Period of conventional treatment with electro-acupuncture is usually 10-20 minutes and hardly ever surpasses Half a time. The electric stimulus incitement is used in a few cases for more or less than an hour. The therapy should be longer when there is a difficult to treat condition or when related to neurological disorders.

During the period of stimulation, the affected person may already be adapted to the stimulus or to the incitement and this will generally happen after the first few minutes. Soon after there will be a constant decrease in reaction or response. To resume the sensation, the electrical output should be altered and adjusted in intensity and regularity.

The history of this type of treatment is also from China. With the traditional medicine, Electro acupuncture was designed and developed in 1934 as an expansion to the acupuncturists hand manipulation. This was developed as a helping tool for acupuncturist to be able to attend other patients and their illnesses. This helps the practitioners’ to attend to patients and stimulate properly without being fatigue.

What are the benefits of this acupuncture treatment?

It offers excellent results to treating neurological diseases, spasms, paralysis, chronic pains and it also helps relieves pain cause by labor. Holistic sports medicine also uses this kind of treatment for pain and injuries.

This has been proven to promote the flow of qi or energy and blood through our body system. It helps reduce pain and warm the muscles. It also helps in removing blockage due to poor circulation and impediment.

 What are the risks involved?

This type of procedure should not be conducted on an individual’s neck, throat and more especially the heart. This procedure shouldn't be used for patients who have records of convulsions, seizures, epilepsy, heart diseases, strokes, cerebral vascular accidents or even people who suffer from pacemakers.

More about the treatment

For fast paced experts and those who do not normally offer extended guide to needle techniques, Electro-acupuncture enhances the scientific and clinical scenario.

In situations where extensive, high regularity of frequency, and extended therapies might be considered very important in the procedure, as with certain persistent nerve and neurological conditions, this treatment may be the only method to offer effective everyday therapies.

By Brian Musial

Read about
Cupping: Acupuncture Therapy
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What is Cupping?

Acupuncture work with tiny needles by insertion to the skins epidermis. These needles ease the pain and suffering of one’s individual.

There is another technique included in acupuncture treatments, it’s what we call “Cupping”. Cupping is also considered to be a way of Chinese medicine. It is an alternative to the use of tiny conventional needles. The history of this kind of treatment also originated from China and is part of their traditional Chinese medicine. This treatment has been developed 2500 years ago.

Methods of Cupping Treatment

What is the difference of a cupping treatment from the use of acupuncture needles? Does Cupping work? How does cupping work for detoxification?

The strategy used behind cupping is suction power. This method and technique starts by taking a glass cup containing a cotton ball swabbed with alcohol. The cotton ball with alcohol is then captivated and ignited. The glass cup is then placed at a specific location on the individual's skin or epidermis after the cotton ball has been removed. The individual's skin then increases up in the glass cup and blood flow circulates and rushes to the area because of the vacuum created inside the glass cup. This technique is known as “Fire Cupping” and practitioners’ believe it to be the most effective technique.

There are other practitioners who prefer the use of the suction cup method instead of the fire cupping method. In the suction method, air is replaced as fire. After the cup is placed on the skin of the individual, the air is sanctioned from the cup manually. To remove fats and cellulites from the body, oil is first applied to the skin. The cups are manually moved up and down the surrounding area. This is really very effective for weight loss.

This method of treatment also follows the meridian lines. These cups are generally placed at the five meridian lines on our back. By using the meridian points, cupping can help rest our 'qi' and also focus more on our particular illnesses. It is believed to impact cells up to four inches wide deeply from the exterior epidermis. Toxins and poisons can be launched from the body. Obstructions can be removed and also blood vessels and bloodstream can be rejuvenated.

Benefits of Cupping

Are there health benefits to acupuncture cupping?

Cupping helps with infertility, inability to conceive, critical conditions and cancer problems. It helps alleviate and relieve back problems, nausea, neck pain, cramps, stiff muscles, anxiety, migraines, rheumatism, fatigue, asthma, lung problems and even cellulites and a lot more.

By Brian Musial

Read about
Korean Acupuncture
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What is Korean Acupuncture? What is its history?

The roots of its medical treatment for types of conditions go back to at least 200 B.C from local Chinese people. This knowledge and techniques then spread to nearby countries such as Korea and Japan. It was then developed to a unique style of practice.

The Korean variety of acupuncture in general is divided into four schools. They are individualized or customized and constitution - based approach that are generally features of this type of treatment when compare to the custom of China.

The Korean Hand Therapy

What are the benefits of this kind of Treatment?

This is a style that differs by its particular focus on revitalizing details or so called pressure points in the hands. This style is closely related to the Five Element concepts. This views or considers each individual's particular structure when deciding on a course of treatment and medication.

It is a clearly new developed technique of this historical system which has been matured 20th century ago out from the work of Dr. Tae Woo Yoo.

This hand therapy counts 14 meridians and over 300 pressure points in the hand. This affects the internal organs and other parts of the bodies system by stimulation (to the different pressure points in the hand).

This are for people who are afraid, unfavorable, and reluctant to have needles inserted in the different parts of the body, instead the needling would be in the hand.

The 4 Needle Techniques

What is it about?

Ancient books suggested that it is better to be using one needle and not to surpass 4 needles. 4 needles are used in this kind of technique which is called the “4 Needle Technique”.

Depending on the person, the 4 needles technique can bring much better results. This reason is because it includes changing and adjusting all of the essential organs.

All the essential principles in this conventional medicine are included in special 5 details in each meridian. They are called the “5 elements” and “5 transport” details points. All these places are under joints such as elbows and knees. This type of treatment provides additional precaution and safety. These details signify cold and hot, lacking and extreme on each meridian. The specialist chooses these details or points according to the individual's symptoms.

The Saam Method:

This method effort to find the actual cause of the individual's illness while taking the persons exclusive structure and current emotional state into account. This form of traditional medicine is restricted to acupoints on the arms, thighs and toes, removing the risk taken by some other techniques of harming other areas of the body.

By Brian Musial

Read about
Auricular Acupuncture
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What is Auricular Acupuncture?

This type of Traditional Chinese Medicine is, quite simple an alternative medication done on the ear. This is an ancient medicinal practice that originated in China. The name comes from the Latina word acus, or “needle”, and from the word pungere, or “prick,” and involves the placement of fine tiny metallic stainless needles into specific body factors or meridian points on the body system. Once placed, the tiny needles can be controlled to activate the system for healing effectiveness. In this kind of treatment, the placement of tiny needles is performed on the ears, which also contain acupuncture points.

What are the different benefits of Auricular Acupuncture?

The outer ear is composed of a lot of factors. The different acupuncture points found in an individual’s ear correspond to different locations in the body system. With stimulation in these factories or points which we call acupoints, the needles send electrical impulse to the brain, which activate other parts of the system. This can then relieve pain in the muscles or joints around the body; therefore it can also stimulate the mind.

This is effective in treating mental and emotional disturbances including depression, insomnia, migraine, headache and anxiety. It is also used for treating physical pain and suffering such as osteoarthritis, back pain, tendonitis, sciatic pain and other concerns. It is also used for the treatment of colitis, gastritis, indigestion, and other digestive problems. Premenstrual symptoms, obesity, breathing, sinusitis, asthma, and other respiratory and other health problems are also treated by Auricular Acupuncture. This also includes drug addictions and addiction to cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake.

Tell me more about Auricular Acupuncture

According to different research, findings from researchers determined that Auricular Acupuncture could reduce stress and different stages of anxiety or in otherwise the health topics related to depression. Researchers added that the results of the study suggest that traditional Chinese medicine may be just right for individuals suffering from extreme stages of daily stress, and extremely recommended a randomized managed test be conducted to assess the potency of this technique for the therapy of preoperative stress and anxiety.

This kind of Chinese remedy cay be used as a primary function of treatment or along with other treatments such as acupuncture, physical therapy and also with natural medicine.

Try out the best Licensed Acupuncturist in Chicago to deal with your needs. Treatment from a professional can be even much better than anyone.



By Brian Musial


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The Use of a Needle in Acupuncture
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What is Japanese Acupuncture? How does it differ to the traditional Chinese way of treatment? What is the history of this kind of Alternative Medicine?

This is one of the few major styles and techniques of acupuncture and its remedies. It all started when Japan was presented and introduced to Chinese Medicine and its different concepts of natural or herbal medicine that began thousands of years ago. Experts and practitioners who practice this type of alternative medicine have developed a lot of unique concepts and methods.

As we all know, Acupuncture did originate in China for it was one of the most widely used traditional Chinese medicine of today. It had its different set of versions and variety when people from other countries got their hands to it. They suddenly learned more about it, and they were able to create and develop a new variation. It had then first migrated to Asian countries such as Japan and Korea when students started to research and practice more on its variations during the 5th Century.

In Japan, the procedure generally involves a thinner and shorter set of needles which are barely thicker than the human hair. These needles are used during the needling technique. They insert shallower needles than on Chinese acupuncture.

There are different styles that involve Japanese Acupuncture. The techniques used in this kind of practice were designed and developed by the three of the best known acupuncturist during the 20th Century. They are namely Dr. Yoshio Manaka, Kobe Akabane, and Kodo Fukushima.

Manaka who was a surgeon, designed a very interesting conventional theories with Chinese medicine. After years of personal research, he designed an effective and flexible way of the Japanese type of treatment. Manaka developed it according to their lifestyle and made it suitable to their time. As for Akabane and Fukushima, they have studied and influenced people in the Far East and during the Sino-Japanese war.

What are the benefits of this kind of treatment?

The benefits are still the same as with Chinese Acupuncture. Patients are still relieved with the treatments and are relaxed after the treatment. The treatment is usually divided into the “root method” and “local method”. The root method is more on the core energy and the structural imbalances of the patient, while the local method is for symptomatic relief during pain or other complaints by patients. The local and root method can also be used together to perform at the same time. This then resolves the condition faster.

Japanese methods are milder and less agonizing than the methods used by Chinese practitioners.

By Brian Musial

Read about
Is Acupuncture a Naturopathy and Holistic Medicine?
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Almost everyone inquire if Acupuncture is considered as Naturopathy and Holistic Medicine? Are they related?

Holistic treatments are considered conclusive and are also known an alternative medical treatment. Traditional Chinese medicine is a well-known method of holistic medicine which is also considered as a natural treatment, while naturopathy is a system of medical care that combines natural and other natural elements. It is a kind of treatment that is according to body maintenance with the actual use of heat, water, light and air. Primary, these methods focus on the importance of psychological and physical balance with the body system's ability to cure without the use of artificial drugs or synthetic medicine.

Holistic medicine has a large area of study. Essentially, this means treating a client or patient, not as a collection of symptoms and parts of the body system. It means treating the whole person including the body, emotional feelings, psychological thinking, and spirit. Among all of these, we know that only the body exists on the physical plane. The inner aspects of a person prevail at a higher energetic plane.

Acupuncture and Emotional Feelings

Emotional Feelings have long believed to be main root of many illnesses, circumstances, and diseases. In Chinese Medicine, the 5 main cardinal emotions which are Joy, Anger, Worry, Grief, and Fear are believed to be main causes and effect of illnesses and also treatments. For example, building up the liver organ has a great effect in decreasing rage because the liver is considered to be associated with our emotions.

There are also Traditional Chinese medicine points or so called as "Acupuncture Points" for 'calming the mind' and 'strengthening the soul’.  In Natural or holistic thinking, disease and disharmony that take up property in the body system are characteristic of much further psychological and spiritual disharmonies. These negative energies may be handled rather easily in many cases, if it is easily accepted within our thoughts to do so. Often, with early recognition there is no need to wait for the condition to enter the body system. We must take action immediately because it gets worse and having these attitude as a habit with greatly affect us entirely. A part of Acupuncture is dedicated to promoting health, fitness, longetivity, and wellness. Strengthening your own defense mechanisms and healing disharmonies while they are still dynamic in characteristics by various methods in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

By Brian Musial

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