Keep Your Skin Healthy with Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be very effective at treating skin conditions.
Treatments can provide quick relief for acute symptoms as well as
significant and lasting relief from recurrent or chronic skin
conditions.
The skin reflects and reacts to imbalances within the body's internal
landscape and the effects of the environment. Internal dis-harmonies
caused by strong emotions, diet, and your constitution can contribute to
the development of a skin disorder. Environmental influences, such as
wind, dryness, dampness, and heat can also trigger or exacerbate skin disorders.
To keep your skin healthy and beautiful on the outside, you must work on
the inside of your body as well. Increasing the flow of energy, blood
and lymph circulation improves the skin's natural healthy color.
Promotion of collagen production increases muscle tone and elasticity
helping to firm the skin. Stimulating the formation of body fluids
nourishes the skin, adding moisture and making it softer, smoother and
more lustrous.
General skin conditions that can be treated with acupuncture and
Oriental medicine include acne, dermatitis, eczema, pruritus, psoriasis,
rosacea, shingles and urticaria (hives). Evidence that Acupuncture
and herbal medicine have been used for skin disorders, such as hives,
can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3 AD. Medicinal
plants and stone needles were utilized to relieve and cure discomforts
of the external areas of the body.
Oriental medicine does not recognize skin problems as one particular
syndrome. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are
unique to each individual using a variety of techniques including
acupuncture, herbal medicine, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary
recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in
the body. Therefore, if 10 patients are treated with Oriental medicine
for eczema, each patient will receive a unique, customized treatment
with different lifestyle and dietary recommendations.
Acupuncture views nutrition in a complex light, through the application
of Oriental medicine wisdom to dietary habits. In short certain foods
are considered too yang, or hot, to eat in excess during the warmer
months, while others are prized for their yin ability to cool the body.
Overall, the goal is balance between the internal yin and yang of the
body. A healthy, nutritional diet, good sleep and moderate exercise can keep your skin and physical form at its best.
If you suffer from a skin
condition or would like to know how to optimize your skin health, call
today to find out more about how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can
help you: (904) 448-0046
Treating Hives with Acupuncture
Hives (urticaria) are swollen and red, bumps, patches or welts on the
skin that appear suddenly. Itching is the most common symptom
associated with hives, although some people report that hives cause a
stinging or burning sensation.
Hives can occur anywhere on the body including the hands, face, lips,
tongue, throat, or ears. A sign that the whole body is experiencing a
hypersensitivity reaction, a hives outbreak can occur due to a wide
array of stimuli. While intolerance to certain foods, additives,
intense emotions, sunlight exposure, and medications can all cause
hives, in 70-75 percent of outbreaks the exact cause of hives remains
unknown.
Whether lasting for just a few minutes, a few hours or persisting for
several weeks, hives are rarely a medical emergence. However, in some
cases they are the first sign of a strong allergic reaction to something
and can be accompanied by shock or difficulty breathing, which can be
life threatening. About 20 percent of people will experience hives
(urticaria) at some point in their lives.
While standard treatment for acute cases of hives involves
antihistamines or a corticosteroid drug to relieve symptoms, many people
are turning to acupuncture and Oriental medicine to address underlying
imbalances that cause this condition and help stop recurrent outbreaks.
In Oriental medicine, an outbreak of hives is described as wind invading the skin and the meridians, causing itching and swelling. When the eruptions are red, it is an indication that wind and heat are involved. When the eruptions are a pale pink or white, it is likely that the diagnosis will be wind-cold invading the skin.
How the condition is diagnosed will determine what acupuncture points are used, what herbal medicines are prescribed and what
lifestyle/dietary re- commendations are made.
Treatments are directed at addressing both the cause and the symptoms by providing immediate relief from the itching and swelling and addressing
the underlying imbalances and triggers that are causing the condition.
A study published in the Internet Journal of Dermatology examined the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic hives (urticaria).
The results showed that acupuncture was able to reduce both episode rate
and episode duration of urticaria by as much as 25 percent. After
three weeks the majority of the acupuncture treated patients experienced
partial remission of their symptoms. The researchers also noted that
the greatest improvements were seen in the third week of treatments and
that the efficacy of acupuncture seemed to increase with each treatment.
Foods to Help You Look Your Best
Be sure to integrate these items into your diet to help keep you looking your best:
Vitamin A: Acting as an antioxidant to neutralize harmful
elements in our skin, vitamin A helps to prevent wrinkles, resist infection and maintain the skin's elasticity. One of the best places to
get vitamin A is from vegetables that are deep orange in color, such as
carrots or sweet potatoes.
Blackberries, Blueberries, Strawberries, and Plums: Antioxidants
and other phytochemicals in these fruits can protect cells from damage
and dis- integration, thus guarding against premature aging. In a study
published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, these four fruits weighed in with the highest "total antioxidant capacity" of any food.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs): Responsible for skin repair,
moisture content, and flexibility, and because the body cannot produce
its own, EFAs must be obtained from diet. Fish, walnuts, and flaxseed
oil are great sources of omega 3 fatty acids.
Selenium: An antioxidant mineral responsible for tissue
elasticity and healthy skin selenium can be found in brown rice, tuna, turkey, Brazil nuts
Green Tea: Green tea's ability to slow down the development of some signs of aging is attributed to its high levels of polyphenols, which have been well- documented for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Water: Essential to maintaining your skin's elasticity and
suppleness, hydration plays a key role in keeping skin cells healthy.
Hydration helps cells move nutrients in and toxins out to keep skin
clean and clear.
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