Tag Archives: musculoskeletal problems

Sci-Tech

Acupuncture Found Everywhere In Nature

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Hoy Chi Master Mike Mah and the Developer of the Hoy Chi Technique has successfully used acupuncture to treat stroke recovery patients.

Acupuncture, a word that literally means, “puncture with needle”, has been practiced around the world for over 2500 years. The historical origins of acupuncture are rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine, and one of key fundamental is the intrinsic balance of energy or “qi” within the body. The best way to visualize this balance is by looking at the well-known yin yang symbol.

Yin [According to urbandictionary.com  ying-yang is an erroneous spelling CP] and yang are found everywhere in nature, as complementary opposites, neither exist without the other. Humans are always in a dynamic balance, and optimal health requires the body to be able to adapt to various internal and external changes. Illness arises when this balance is disrupted, and homeostasis is now longer intact.

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners found they were able to access the vital energy of the body through the insertion of acupuncture needles into points along the 12 different energetic meridians within the body. These “points of insertion” or “where the needle goes” have been developed over many years of pattern recognition and diagnosis. The goal of acupuncture is to restore normal functions by stimulating certain points on the meridians to restore the body’s flow of energy.

There are more than one meaning offered for the symbol Yin-Yang but most meanings suggest this symbol represents the ancient Chinese understanding of ‘how things work’. fly.cc- “The outer circle represents everything while the black and white shapes within the circle represent the interaction of two energies, called ‘yin’ (black) and ‘yang’ (white), which cause everything to happen. They are not completely black or white, just as things in life are not completely black or white, and they cannot exist without each other.’ It goes on further to state that the shape of each section suggests a movement of these two contrasting energies, which models natural conditions such as the rising and falling of tempertature, the expansion and contraction of glaciers etc. Think of it as a visual model of the character of nature. CP

 

Contemporary evidence- based medicine looks to understand the acupuncture from the reductionist perspective focusing on determining the mechanism of the concern, and diagnosing a neurological dysfunction in the individual. This new type of clinical knowledge has made acupuncture increasingly popular within the western medicine.

Physiotherapists and chiropractors commonly use acupuncture for musculoskeletal problems. This type of acupunctures needling induce a chain of events that results in the release of neurotransmitters and neurohormones resulting in widespread and measurable effects on pain, and tissue healing.

In addition, clinical studies have demonstrated efficacy [the capacity to produce an effect ] for treatment of irritable bowel disorder, insomnia, fertility and support with assisted conception.

While the use of acupuncture has been increasing in popularity, it is important to continue to respect the vast amount of clinical knowledge Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture point indications are based in.
Naturopathic Doctors are a wealth of knowledge regarding use of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. We are trained from the Traditional Chinese Medicine background, but embrace the modern scientific explanations of acupuncture to treat a variety of conditions. Training for Naturopathic Doctors incorporates understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine, clinical case taking, and hands on clinical practice utilizing various acupuncture needling techniques. For the Silo, Ashley Beeton ND.

 

 

 

 

Sci-Tech

Neuroband Clothing Gives Athletes Measurable Performance Boost

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What Do Peyton Manning, Dwight Howard, and Diana Nyad Have in Common? They all rely on performance-enhancing technology. Forget drugs that boost performance but cause health problems – and get athletes stripped of medals, titles and anything else they’ve earned.

alignmed system

Professionals and amateurs alike have discovered a new technology, Neurobands, to optimize their performance on the field and alleviate pain from current and prior injuries. Developed with the help of a 16-member team of physicians, trainers and other specialists, Neurobands mimic contractions that stimulate neuron pathways in specific muscles so they continuously adjust muscle balance to keeping the skeleton in alignment.

“Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who’s had repeated neck and back injuries and multiple surgeries, now has eight therapeutic shirts with built-in Neurobands and wears them pretty much every day,” says Bill Schultz, who brought the technology to market via his company, AlignMed, www.alignmed.com .

“Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard began wearing MyLign shirts after suffering a torn labrum [shoulder injury] in January 2013 when he was with the Lakers. The National Basketball Association approved it as a medical device.”

Is this where we are heading? Hi-tech clothing that approaches Batman's body enhancements and armor? Could be. CP
Is this where we are heading? Hi-tech clothing that approaches Batman’s body enhancements and armor?

And Diana Nyad wore one when she made her record-breaking swim from Cuba to the Keys last year,” he says.

Nyad, who injured her shoulder in her 2011 crossing attempt, can be heard asking during a training session, “When are we gonna put my shirt back on?” in the 2013 documentary, “The Other Shore: The Diana Nyad Story.”

How and why do therapeutic posture shirts work? Schultz explains.

• Body alignment and good posture are the key recognizable characteristics of human health and a fundamental requirement for performance.  The skeletal system will best support the weight and forces put on the body using the least amount of energy when it is correctly aligned. However, many people, including professional athletes, have a difficult time maintaining perfect alignment, or posture, either because they’ve had an injury that impedes it or because they’re unable to do so without making a conscious effort. “These shirts are actually even more helpful and effective for people who sit at desks all day, since they tend to sit with their head forward,” Schultz says.

• Compression shirts don’t perform the same function. Compression shirts are designed to indiscriminately squeeze regional body parts. The only scientifically validated benefit is increased blood flow in the legs when certain regions are compressed, Schultz says, adding compression garments tend to be worn more for an aesthetic the wearer hopes to achieve.

• Correct alignment improves blood flow and reduces stress on joints. Increased blood flow improves muscle strength. In one of the independent studies done on AlignMed Posture Shirts, the University of Southern California tested pitchers’ velocity, accuracy and throwing arm physiology when wearing the shirts and when wearing their usual game day undergarments. Velocity increased 1.47 mph and an overall 23.5 percent improvement in accuracy. “Reducing the excess force on joints cuts down on fatigue, the No. 1 cause of injury,” Schultz says.  For the Silo, Ginny Grimsley.

About Bill Schultz Bill is founder and president of AlignMed, www.alignmed.com , a leading research-based innovator focused on the mechanical, neurological and aesthetic functions of posture. Through clinical studies and with the help of the AlignMed Advisory panel of 16 physicians, trainers and other specialists, Schultz has helped deliver critical information on the benefits of a proper posture to universities, medical clinics, physical therapists, strength coaches, the Air Force Academy and professional athletes. In September, Schultz received a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition for “outstanding and invaluable service.”

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