Acupuncture can provide individual-focused care when combatting lifelong autoimmune diseases.
Did you know that over 50 million Americans suffer from some sort of auto-immune disease? There are over 80 recognized autoimmune diseases; some commonly known examples are Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Multiple Sclerosis, Hashimoto's, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, and Crohn's disease. Let's dig into what causes autoimmune diseases and how acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can help.
When the Immune Response Goes Wrong
The traditional role of the immune system is to act as protection against foreign substances, bacteria, and viruses. When an individual suffers from an auto-immune disease their body loses the ability to tell the difference between healthy cells and invading bacteria. The body starts to attack itself as a result and eats away at its own organs, tissues, and cells. This leads to dysfunction in the affecting tissues. The image to the right shows some common autoimmune diseases and the areas they affect.
So if Autoimmune Diseases are Incurable, How are Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine Able to Help?
Both Acupuncture and TCM are powerful allies when living with autoimmune disorders. Although autoimmune diseases are not necessarily curable, they are treatable!
Acupuncture & TCM work by:
Regulating your immune system
Reliving painful symptoms
Reducing your stress
Supporting your overall health
Tailoring your treatments.
The most important part of an acupuncture/TCM treatment is that the TCM doctor tailors each treatment plan! Even though 2 people may have the same Western medical diagnosis, their Chinese medicine treatments could be quite different. To determine the treatment plan in Chinese medicine, the TCM doctor goes through all of your body systems to find the imbalances. Then they put together the herbs and acupuncture points that will best regulate your system imbalances. Every person's health is unique and thus each plan is unique to their specific health situation and medical history.
5 Ways to Kick-Start the Body's Innate Healing
1. Green & Black Tea: both are rich in antioxidants and help delay cell damage.
2. Apples: help to reduce allergic reactions.
3. Ginger: reduces inflammation and eases nausea.
4. Flaxseed & Fish Oil: are both rich in Omega-3 acids.
5. Fiber: helps to decrease food sensitivity.
*These are general dietary recommendations that may not be appropriate for your health condition. Please discuss dietary options with your TCM doctor to find out which foods are good for your system.
Autoimmune Diseases can be complicated and exhausting, but we are here to help you find relief!
Yours in Health and Wellness,
If you or someone you know is looking for support for an Autoimmune Disease give us a call or click to book your
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