Neck and Back Pain Due to Poor Posture and Cervical Misalignment
 

Neck and back pain are often caused by poor posture and misalignment of the cervical spine (neck). Conditions like forward head posture or a straight neck can lead to chronic neck pain and even cervical disc issues if left unaddressed. Stiffness and pain in the neck may result from improper posture or age-related degenerative changes.
Traditional East Asian medicine (TEAM, TEM, TCM, TKM) offers treatments that help reduce pain and promote recovery, effectively managing chronic pain and degenerative conditions.

Issues with Poor Posture and Cervical Misalignment

Neck and back pain are common problems, particularly among people with sedentary lifestyles. Here are the main causes and effects:

1. Straight Neck and Forward Head Posture:
   • Straight Neck: The natural C-shaped curve of the cervical spine becomes flattened, often due to prolonged periods of looking down or maintaining poor posture.
   • Forward Head Posture: The head juts forward, commonly caused by extended use of smartphones or computers. This strains the neck muscles and ligaments, leading to cervical misalignment.
   • Consequences: This can result in neck stiffness, pain, headaches, and shoulder stiffness. In severe cases, it may progress to a cervical disc herniation.
2. Age-Related Degenerative Changes:
   • As we age, the discs and joints around the cervical spine undergo degeneration. The discs lose elasticity, and the bones and ligaments weaken, causing pain and stiffness.
   • Poor posture can accelerate these degenerative changes.

Risks of Neglecting the Issue

• Chronic Pain: Persistent neck pain and stiffness can lower the quality of life.
• Cervical Disc Herniation: If the disc presses on nerves, it can cause arm numbness, tingling in the hands, and, in severe cases, muscle weakness.
• Other Complications: This may lead to headaches, dizziness, tinnitus (ringing in the ears), or even vision problems due to nerve-related issues.

The Role of Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM, TEM, TKM, TCM)

Traditional Korean medicine provides effective methods to manage pain caused by poor posture and degenerative changes. Here are the key treatments:

1. Acupuncture:
   • Needles are inserted into specific pain points and acupuncture points to relieve muscle tension and improve blood circulation.
   • It can reduce inflammation and suppress pain signals.
2. Tui-Na Manual Therapy:
   • This is a hands-on technique to correct cervical and spinal alignment, addressing posture issues and balancing muscles and ligaments.
   • It’s particularly effective for correcting forward head posture or a straight neck.
3. Herbal Medicine:
   • Herbal prescriptions are used to manage degeneration and inflammation. For example, herbs that strengthen muscles and ligaments or reduce inflammation may be included.
4. Physical Therapy and Manual Therapy:
   • Treatments like heat therapy, electrical stimulation, or manual therapy offered at Korean medicine clinics can help relax muscles and alleviate pain.

Prevention and Management Tips

Alongside traditional Korean medicine treatments, here are some daily habits to prevent and manage the issue:

• Maintain Proper Posture:
  • Position your computer monitor at eye level and sit with your back straight.
  • When using a smartphone, avoid looking down for too long; instead, bring the device to eye level.
• Stretching and Exercise:
  • Perform gentle neck and shoulder stretches (e.g., pulling your chin toward your chest or turning your head side to side) 2-3 times a day.
  • Activities like yoga or Pilates can improve cervical flexibility and strengthen muscles.
• Improve Your Work Environment:
  • Use ergonomic chairs and desks to reduce strain on your spine.
  • If you sit for long periods, stand up and move around every 30-40 minutes.
• Regular Care:
  • Prevent severe pain by seeking traditional Korean medicine treatments early.

Additional Information

If your neck pain is severe or accompanied by symptoms like arm numbness or tingling, it’s advisable to get a proper diagnosis through an MRI or X-ray. Combining traditional Korean medicine with consultations from an orthopedic or neurology specialist can be more effective.

 

Mental Health

This is a new advertisement in the Camberwell Citizen Magazine #22.  People often think "Acupuncture treatment" as the last resource. 

If they come earlier when they have pain. It would be easier solving the issue.

Anyhow, if you try everything even including acupuncture, then try our acupuncture clinic. We use traditional method for acupuncture treatment. It may solve the issue or the causes of Mental Issues.

Digestion Issues

 

 

This is a new advertisement in the Camberwell Citizen Magazine #21.  People often think "Acupuncture treatment" as the last resource. 

If they come earlier when they have pain. It would be easier solving the issue.

Anyhow, if you try everything even including acupuncture, then try our acupuncture clinic. We use traditional method for acupuncture treatment. It may solve the issue or the causes of Digestion Issues.

 

This is a new advertisement in the Camberwell Citizen Magazine.  People often think "Acupuncture treatment" as the last resource. 

If they come earlier when they have pain. It would be easier solving the issue.

Anyhow, if you try everything including acupuncture, then try our acupuncture clinic. We use traditional method for acupuncture treatment. It may solve the issue or the causes of pain.

Good Heath

 

 

Eat well, Sleep well, Poop well

 

🌟 Balance is key! 🌟 At Health with Him Acupuncture Clinic, we believe in the harmony of the body's functions. The simple mantra "Eat well, Sleep well, Poop well" is a gentle reminder of the basics of good health. But what about your inner balance?

 

Swipe to explore the concept of Eum Yang Tang, a principle that represents the balance of hot and cold within your body. 🌡️ Just like mixing hot and cold water to find the perfect temperature, our treatments aim to restore your body's equilibrium.

 

Tell us, how do you maintain your balance in daily life? Do you have a routine that keeps you feeling just right? Share your thoughts and tips below! 👇

 

And if you're feeling out of sync, book an appointment with us. Let's find your perfect balance together! #AcupunctureBalance #HealthWithHim #WellnessJourney #EumYangTang

Varicose Veins

They are blood vessels which are enlarged or twisted.  It is common on the leg or feet area. Generally, the veins have a valve to prevent back-flow, called one-way valve. When the valves have problems, muscles or blood itself can allow blood to gather and make pools inside the vein. Therefore,  the veins tend to bulge or twist, which is known as varicose vein.^[2] 

 

Varicose veins are not dangerous themselves. It looks bad initially. However, they may cause the following symptoms^[1]

- aching, throbbing or burning leg pain

- itch, heaviness, cramping or restless legs

- darkening of the skin over your ankle, etc.

The worst comes when blood clots are developed, and it can be developed as a deep vein thrombosis. Very occasionally the clots can reach on lung, heart, brain, etc. 

 

The Treatment of Varicose Vein

There are a few treatment such as sclerotherapy, laser therapy, surgery.  You can talk to your GP or Specialist about this method if you are concerned about your varicose vein.

 

How Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine can help

In the Oriental Medicine (Eastern Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine), the varicose veins are similar to a lump which can be created by damp-phlegm, blood statis, blood dryness, or turbid energy. 

- Blood stasis : painful lumb, occassionally it bleeds. The pain stays in a fixed location and become sharp pain. If blood circulation is not good, then nose bleeding or haemorroids can happens.

- Turbid Energy: When Energy flow in our body become weak or Turbidy Energy flows in our body, then our blood stagnates and we get symptoms of varicose vein.  Not only the symptoms of varicose vein, but also indigestion, low appetite, borborygmus sounds in the stomach, constipation or diarrhea, phlegm on the throat can happens together. 

- Damp-Phlegm : Damp-phlegm can happen when circulation in our body is not working well. It is related to Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Tripple Energiser functions.  When you have Phlegm-damp in your body, stomach prolapse or stomach extending can happen. Furthermore, circulation related issues such as digestion issue, respiratory issue, or urology issue.

- Liver Fire Blood dryness: When Liver Fire appears, the function of transportation of Energy gets problem. Futhermore the circulation of Blood related to Liver also get problem. Blood heat can be created and blood can stagnate in one place which causes varicose vein

Therefore, we use acupuncture and herbal medicine to remove Blood stasis, Turbid Energy, Damp-Phlegm, and Liver Fire Blood dryness.  However this treatment takes a long time and our body keep produce these causes.

 

 

Reference:

[1]: Varicose veins. (2019, July 9). Healthdirect.gov.au; Healthdirect Australia. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/varicose-veins

[2]: Slideshow: Spider and Varicose Veins: What Causes Them? What Can You Do? (n.d.). WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/ss/slideshow-spider-varicose-veins

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Health Maintenance

In our body, there are nerve system, blood system, lymph system. which wrap and flow our bones, muscles, and organs. However, there is ENERGY (氣) flow in our body.  We maintain our body with food and exercise to use longer and live happy.

 

 

How to maintain Energy Flow(氣) in the body.

. Exercise - The most popular method

. Acupuncture - Specific method for boosting Energy Flow

. Food - The source of Energy.

. Herbal Medicine - Help Energy flow in our body.

 

How acupuncture helps Energy Flow(氣) in the body

Fine needle is used for helping energy flow(氣) in the body. Acupuncture uses a specific acupuncture points in our body to help energy flow for our organs and meridians. It stimulates our body not only muscles, but also organs by using nervous system, lymph system, blood system and hormonal system, etc. 

Regular acupuncture helps free flow of Energy (氣) and prevents from Energy flow stagnation symptoms, which is pain, discomfort, disease states.

 

Acupuncture is also used to fix our body problem.  In Eastern Medicine, we believe that all our body problems comes from the stagnation of Energy Flow, so helping free flow of Energy is solving our body problems. 

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Everybody know high blood pressure is not a good sign in our health. This increases the chances of developing Heart Disease, Stroke, Chronic Kidney Disease, Eye Pressure, Erectile Dysfunction and other conditions.

 

The causes of hypertension is still unknown, but the risk factors can be life style, smoking, obesity, high salt consumption, alcohol, high cholesterol level, family history, and diabetes. Some causes of hypertension can be narrowing the arteries of kidney or hormonal conditions ^[1].

The treatment can be taking medicine or changing the life style

What acupuncture can do

 

Acupuncture treatment can lower the high blood pressure according to the above journal for Stage 1 Hypertension^[2]. 

Acupuncture may have a similar effects or more strong effects of changing the life style by modifying the energy flow (氣 - 기, Qi, Chi) in the human body. Therefore regular treatment can have the effect of lowering high blood pressure. 

 

However, we recommends that patients who takes high blood pressure medication should consult with their GP and may take combined treatment with acupuncture and medication. 

 

Reference:

[1]: Health Direct. (2018, November 27). High Blood Pressure (hypertension). Health Direct; Healthdirect Australia. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/high-blood-pressure-hypertension

[2]: Seo BN, Kwon O, Lee S, Kim HS, Kang KW, Seol IC, Shin C, Choi SM. Effects of Acupuncture on Lowering Blood Pressure in Postmenopausal Women with Prehypertension or Stage 1 Hypertension: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis. J Clin Med. 2021 Apr 1;10(7):1426. doi: 10.3390/jcm10071426. PMID: 33916003; PMCID: PMC8038045.

 

 

陰(음,Yin) & 陽(양,Yang) and Quantum Entanglement

Quantum entanglement of photons captured in real-time^[1],[2]

 

陰(음,Yin) & 陽(양,Yang) in Eastern Medicine

Korean Flag. & Yin and Yang in Eastern Medicine                  

 

Eastern Medicine & Acupuncture are all about balancing 陰(음,Yin) & 陽(양,Yang) in our body. Currently the science is proving how the Eastern Medicine works. 

 

Reference

[1] X, S. (2023) Visualizing the mysterious dance: Quantum entanglement of photons captured in real-time, Phys.org. Available at: https://phys.org/news/2023-08-visualizing-mysterious-quantum-entanglement-photons.html (Accessed: 23 August 2023).

[2] Zia, D., Dehghan, N., D’Errico, A. et al. Interferometric imaging of amplitude and phase of spatial biphoton states. Nat. Photon. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-023-01272-3