PAIN SYNDROMES

    Acupuncture: During your initial 
    evaluation, acupuncture points 
    will be carefully chosen using a 
    number of "acupuncture systems 
    theories" that target your painful 
    areas.  Often times acupuncture 
    will be initiated at sites on your 
    body that are far removed from 
    the area of pain.

     For example, while targeting neck
   pain, points may be chosen on the wrists, ankles, or ears.  Many patients notice immediate reduction in pain just minutes after the treatment is started.  Sometimes Electrical Stimulation is applied to some of the needles to provide a more comfortable longer duration of needle stimulation.


Herbal Medicine: Herbal prescriptions are also indicated for many types of pain. In Chinese Medicine there is a famous statement-“Where there is pain there is no free flow; Where there is free flow there is no pain.”

If herbal medicine is appropriate for your condition you may be recommended to incorporate one or more herbal prescriptions into your treatment plan to address the underlying pattern(s) contributing to your body's own lack of "Free Flow".

Herbal formulas are usually prescribed in the form of capsules or concentrated granules that are convenient for a busy lifestyle.


    Ear Treatment:  Small seeds or 
    pellets are taped to specific
    points on the earth with a skin-
    colored adhesive.  Patients are
    instructed to press the points
     according to the treatment plan.

    Ear treatment is an effective 
    pain management technique that 
    can be used as both a primary 
    treatment or as a complimentary 
    treatment.

Herbal prescriptions and Ear Seeds are an excellent choice for pain relief in those patients with a pronounced fear of needles.


DIGESTIVE CONDITIONS
 
Diet and Lifestyle:  Digestion holds a special focus in Chinese Medicine. Digestive conditions are treated first and foremost by analysis of one’s diet and eating habits. Foods and types of preparation to avoid as well as foods and types of preparation to include will be discusses.

Herbal Medicine: Herbal prescriptions are carefully chosen to correct the “patterns” that present in various digestive complaints. Most patients with digestive disorders usually present with several patterns that are identified during the initial evaluation. Herbal treatment has proven most effective for even stubborn digestive complaints.

Acupuncture: The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture’s effectiveness in treating a multitude of digestive conditions including colitis, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, morning sickness, nausea, and many others. Points are carefully needled at such places as the legs, arms, hands, feet, abdomen, back, and top of the head.

Moxibustion: Burning the plant artemesia vulgaris (Asian Mugwort) at carefully chosen acupuncture points provides a remarkably soothing and relaxing warmth that has powerful effects on the digestive system.

Cupping: Cupping is an Asian folk remedy that can be surprisingly effective at relieving abdominal pain. Cupping involves creating a vacuum inside a small jar that is placed over the abdomen or back where the skin is “sucked up” creating a negative pressure at the skin surface.


SKIN CONDITIONS

Chinese Medical Dermatology is a sub-specialty at Purcell Acupuncture & Herbal Therapy.

Many patients have experienced impressive results, including patients who have had unsatisfactory results after consultation with traditional dermatological specialists.

Herbal Medicine: Herbal prescriptions are the treatment of choice for skin conditions in Chinese Medicine. Herbal treatment ranges form ingested capsules or granules to ointments, tinctures, and washes. Formulas are professionally chosen to correct the pattern(s) that the patient with a skin issue is manifesting.

Acupuncture: Needling specific points at the elbows, knees, hands, and feet reduces inflammation and itching of the skin.

There are also a few special points located on the ear that show anti-allergy effects.

NEUROLOGICAL

    Acupuncture: Most researchers 
    agree that the nervous system is the 
    primary organ system involved in how 
    acupuncture works. Acupuncture 
    demonstrates effective treatment for 
    a wide variety of neurological 
    conditions such as anxiety, 
    depression, dizziness, facial paralysis 
    and tics, headaches/migraines, 
    tremors, numbness/tingling and many 
    other symptoms consistently found in 
    such neurological conditions as 
    Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis, Bell’s 
    Palsy, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Shingles 
    and post-herpetic neuralgia, nerve 
    impingements, peripheral 
    neuropathies, etc... 

    A wide variety of acupuncture 
    techniques and point locations must 
    be carefully chosen and employed to 
    address neurological conditions.

Herbal Medicine: Any neurological condition treated by acupuncture can also be treated with herbal medicine, alone or in combination, with acupuncture.  Herbal prescriptions are chosen after an analysis of the symptom-patterns are identified.

For example, any type of abnormal "movement" in the body such as tremors, tics, vertigo, etc., fits a general Chinese Medical pattern called "Internal Stirring of Wind". This "Wind" (wind is a metaphor erratic movement of one’s Qi) is corrected by a certain class of herbal medicinals that are said to “Extinguish Wind”. In addition to extinguishing wind, the underlying patterns that originally cause this “wind” such as “Liver Yang Rising”, “Blood Vacuity”, “Liver-Kidney Dual Vacuity” as examples, must be addressed with herbs from their associated categories.

The end result is a combination of several herb ingredients that are customized to each individual’s unique combination of patterns.


CARDIAC-PULMONARY

Chinese Medicine offers wonderful treatment for heart and lungs conditions. Less complicated conditions can often be helped by acupuncture and herbal medicine alone while more serious or complicated cases benefit from a combination of modern medicine with Chinese Medicine.

    Acupuncture. There are a number
    of acupuncture protocols that help
    with wheezing, chest tightness, 
    coughing, chronic shortness of
    breath, etc.
    
    Acupuncture is also effective for
    angina-type chest pain, as well as
    palpitations. The World Health Orga-
    nization recognizes the followiing
    cardiac and pulmonary conditions as
    acupuncture appropriate:

    · Asthma
    · Bronchitis
    · Common Cold
    · Pneumonia
    · Rhinitis
    · Sinusitis
    · Sore Throat and Tonsillitis


Herbal Medicine. There are scores of herbal prescriptions both ancient and modern that are effective for heart and lung conditions. Like all conditions treated by Chinese medicine the “patterns” associated with the patient’s signs and symptoms hold the key to choosing the right formula(s). Herbs are effective for relieving pain, improving circulation to the heart and lungs, dilating the bronchioles, transforming phlegm, easing cough, opening sinuses, curbing allergies, etc.


GYNECOLOGY

Chinese Medicine Offers a Lot for the Unique Physiology of Women.

Acupuncture. Acupuncture points have a gentle yet profound influence on the female reproductive system. Points on the hands, feet, legs, arms, abdomen, and back have the ability to regulate menstruation, ease cramping, and even promote fertility.

The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture's effectiveness for the following conditions:

· Fertility
· Menopause (hot flashes, emotional changes)
· Menstrual Irregularities (early, late, no periods, heavy, 
  etc.)
· Morning Sickness
· Pain (cramps, low back pain, breast pain, menstrual headaches, etc.)
· PMS

Herbal Medicine. A woman’s overall picture of signs and symptoms tells the practitioner what “patterns” are causing each gynecological condition. Herbal prescriptions are chosen to correct each woman's individual patterns. Often times a patient will be asked to chart her basic body temperature and herbal prescription are further tailored to work during different phases of the menstrual cycle.

Moxibustion, Cupping, Ear Seeds. Chinese Medicine also offers several other modalities to treat gynecological conditions.

· Moxibustion involves burning an herb that creates a soothing warmth that is applied to points. Moxibustion has proven over 75% effective in double-blinded placebo controlled studies to correct the position of breech babies.

· Cupping is the application of small jars to the skin that apply a negative pressure via a vacuum mechanism. Cupping is useful for abdominal pain.

· Ear Seeds are small pellets taped to the ear that affect pain levels, and hormones that influence the female reproductive system.


URO UROGENITAL / SEXUAL

Chinese Medicine offers solutions for many common urological and genital conditions.

    Acupuncture. The pain relieving effects
    of acupuncture are beneficial for pain
    associated wtih chronic cystitis, testicular
    pain, hernia pain, and herpes.  Urogenital
    pain is treated by using points on the 
    hands, feet, legs, abdomen, and lower
    back.

    Acupuncture is also beneficial for urinary
    incontinence, frequent urination, and
    early to mid-stages of uterine prolapse
    (typically manifesting a dragging or bear-
    ing down sensation in the lower abdomen)
    -these conditions benefit from points on 
    the lower abdomen and top of the head, 
    especially with moxibustion applied to 
    a point at the vertex of the head.

Herbal Medicine. Herbal medicine has addressed the health of the urinary tract for centuries, as disease of the urinary tract is so crucial to life. Many of the oldest formulas from the Han Dynasty were designed to treat diseases of the kidneys and bladder-addressing various manifestations of edema, urinary retention, urinary tract infections, etc.

These formulas, and more contemporary formulas, are equally effective today. Considering the importance of family and fertility in ancient China it isn’t surprising that male and female reproductive health has developed into an entire specialty within Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Herbal formulas offer solutions for such conditions as impotence, testicular pain, premature ejaculation, chronic night time emissions, herpes pain, low sex drive, excessive sex drive, benign prostatic hypertrophy, etc.


IMMUNITY & METABOLIC

Acupuncture. Both acupuncture and moxibustion have shown the ability to boost the function of the immune system and number of white blood cells. Acupuncture is often used to treat people who catch colds & flu’s frequently including those with conditions such as HIV/AIDS and chemotherapy/radiation patients who have weakened immune systems. Acupuncture also offers treatment for conditions where the immune system is hyperactive. Examples include rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, allergies, asthma, etc..

Acupuncture also helps the complications associated with metabolic diseases such as diabetes. For example the numbness, burning and loss of sensation associated with diabetic peripheral neuropathy can be helped with acupuncture.

Herbal Medicine. The strongest immune boosters in the vegetable kingdom have been employed by Chinese doctors for centuries. Herbs such as Astragalus (Huang Qi), Ganoderma (Ling Zhi), Ginseng (Ren Shen), and many other less commonly known substances are combined based upon Chinese Medical principles.

There are several “patterns” that manifest in patients with lowered immunity. If the correct treatment principles are not employed the patient may actually get worse. For instance, ginseng has become popular in the West as a generalized energy booster. Many patients self-prescribe ginseng and do not recognize that it is contraindicated during certain infections like the flu, hence, making their flu symptoms worse. This example demonstrates the need to seek professional advice when using herbal substances.


PSYCHO / EMOTIONAL

Both acupuncture and herbs offer help with psychological and emotional conditions. Chinese Medicine sees a two way relationship between emotions and physical health. Not only does Chinese medicine recognize that emotional changes cause disease but also as indicate disease. Each emotion is associated with a particular organ system and each emotion is both a cause and a symptom. For example, fear damages the energy of the kidneys but is also a symptom of weak kidneys; anger damages the energy of the liver but is also a symptom of liver imbalance.

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine have shown effectiveness for anxiety, depression, insomnia, alcohol and drug abuse, and nervous manifestations such as stress related headaches, or stress related diarrhea.


OTHER CONDITIONS

    Chinese Medicine is a complete 
    system of holistic and/or 
    complimentary medicine. Using this 
    logical system that has been refined 
    over many centuries the Chinese 
    Medicine practitioner can 
    troubleshoot and sift through the 
    symptoms of many conditions and 
    scenarios to see what “patterns” are 
    manifesting. 

    Once these patterns are seen, more 
    likely than not, a treatment that can solve or at least help the condition is possible.

Purcell Acupuncture & Herbal Therapy is proud to offer treatment for strange, and difficult-to-treat, even bizarre symptoms such as but not limited to: Poor memory, sweating, smoking addiction, poor appetite, excessive appetite, cancer support during chemotherapy & radiation, HIV/AIDS support, and treatment for a multitude of side effects, or minor inconveniences from larger more complicated conditions.