Sunday, February 13, 2011

Consider "Alternative" medicine!

For the past six months, I have been struggling with tendonitis in my elbow. I'm not sure exactly how it came about but it could have been from too much gardening or painting, being too aggressive in the weight room or swinging the golf club wrong. At any rate, I have been trying to aggressively heal this as golf season is soon approaching. As I look out my window, however, there are at least two feet of snow that need to melt.

Anyway, some say that I should get a cortisone shot but that will only give me temporary relief and it is not solving the problem. Instead, I look to more holistic approaches to healing the body. I have been seeing my chiropractor and he has given me some stretching exercises to do which seem to help.

I decided, however, to take it a step further and try acupuncture! Acupuncture is a form of ancient Chinese medicine that has successfully treated billions of Chinese people and is one of the fastest-growing alternative health care methods in the world. Even some health care providers are starting to pay for this.

As you can see from the picture (a real Glamour Shot - huh?), small acupuncture needles are inserted into an acupoint on the skin. A simplified explanation, is that these needles stimulate the body's Chi (energy) which circulates through fourteen major energy channels called meridians in the human body. A blockage in the energy flow can cause a deficiency of Chi which may lead to imbalances in the body as health problems. The number and frequency of treatments needed is unique to each person and their health situation. I have definitely seen relief after three treatments but I plan on a few more visits.

If you have an unresolved health problem, you might want to consider acupuncture.

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