This holiday season is the perfect time to start taking more control over your health. I’m seeing it more and more in my patients…an understanding that one size doesn’t fit all. We see better results if we branch out and use a variety of health care options. Health care doesn’t have to be exclusive to either the East or the West or Alternative and Western. Health care isn’t about us versus them. Health care is about finding the best wellness possible for you and your lifestyle.
Lifestyle plays a big role in health care solutions. For the active adult who wants to stay active, using more than traditional western medicine to address medical issues may make the difference between an active retirements versus being disabled.
As more and more effort is being applied to the research of Chinese Medicine, we are starting to see proof in a scientific manner that Chinese Medicine is effective either by itself or in unison with other therapies such Western Medicine, massage, physical therapy, and chiropractic.
Massage, physical therapy, chiropractic and acupuncture have a synergistic effect when used together to address pain and trauma. What may take a number of months with just one type of treatment can be reduced by using multiple types of treatment. With each method addressing pain and trauma from a different aspect, using them all you can ensure a more comprehensive health solution thus speeding your recovery. A simplified example: massage can address muscles, physical therapy the retooling of the movement, chiropractic the bone alignment, and acupuncture tissue repair.
Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine can also have a synergistic effect. The Society of Acupuncture Research has been dedicating their efforts to studying the effects of Chinese Medicine in combination with Western Medicine. Their efforts have culminated in multiple studies confirming the efficacy of Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine in the management of chronic medical issues such as: high blood pressure, pain management in cancer survivors, women’s reproductive health, arthritis and more.
Yet, Chinese Medicine, with its focus on repairing the body, has also been found to effective by itself. More and more, doctors are recommending acupuncture for chronic issues that may be too difficult to treat in Western medicine. Issues such as cystitis, back pain, women’s reproductive issues, childhood anger issues, bedwetting are just some of the conditions which get referrals from Western Medical doctors.
Your health, your way! Start today at looking at your health and how different modalities may play an important role in your long-term wellness.