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Q: My friend was recently diagnosed with Myositis. Can acupuncture be
used to treat this disease?
A:
Acupuncture
is very good for reducing the swelling and inflammation in muscles. Acupuncture
can help balance the immune system and pacify the overactive autoimmune immune
response. Acupuncture together with Chinese herbal medicine can also help manage
the further deterioration of muscles. Depending on which of the Myositis that
your friend has been diagnosed with, such as dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis
(PM), inclusion-body myositis (IBM), or juvenile forms of myositis (JM or JPM),
everyone is unique and they respond to treatments differently. In Traditional
Chinese Medicine (TCM), we always try to find out the underlying cause of
illnesses. Our experience with chronic conditions is that they do take a lot of
effort and time not just on the part of the healer, but also on the part of the
patient in order to achieve improvements in their conditions.
Q: I'm suffering from bouts of insomnia. About every six months, I go
a week getting less and less sleep. I've tried exercising and not exercising. I
cannot swallow the Chinese herbal teas and I'm afraid of prescriptions. I'm
thinking that acupuncture might be helpful. What is your protocol for sleep
problems and what is the cost?
A:
There are
many causes of insomnia. In Traditional Chinese medicine, we always try to find
out the underlying cause of illnesses. For sleeping disorders, we would do an
evaluation using the Yin and Yang theory to find out the individual’s imbalance.
Depending on the extent of his/her condition, we recommend beginning with a
session of 12 acupuncture treatments. Many patients respond with only a few
treatments. Everyone is unique and so they respond to our treatments
differently. Our experience with chronic conditions is that they do take a lot
of effort and time not just on the part of the healer, but also on the part of
the patient in order to achieve improvements in their conditions.
About our Doctor:
Ban Wong,
L.Ac. practices acupuncture and Chinese herbology at the Tao of Wellness clinic
in Santa Monica, California. |