Back problems can be caused by an inordinately wide range of problems. It can exist alone, or it can be caused by a condition that occurs elsewhere in the body, with the pain being transmitted (referred) to areas of the back by the nervous system. The majority of backache sufferers complain of pain in the lower back; the second most common site of discomfort is the base of the neck.

Who Suffers From Back Pain?

Half of all adults will experience some form of low back pain during their lifetime. The fact that humans walk upright puts great pressure on the spine and the muscles that support it. Over time, factors such as disease, accidents, poor posture and overexertion can lead to immediate and/or long-term back problems.

Most back pain is muscular in nature. Muscle pain perpetuates what is known as the pain cycle, a phenomenon of which the back is particularly susceptible. In the pain cycle, pain causes a muscle to spasm, which may distort the discs, joints and nerves of the spine. This spasm leads to further pain, leading to further spasm, which compounds the original problem. If the nerves are irritated enough, it may cause pain to radiate down into the leg, similar to pain experienced via a herniated disc.

In most cases, people who experience an episode of acute back pain will recover in 3-12 weeks. For those who don’t recover, however, chronic back pain can be a significant source of inconvenience and suffering.

What Can Acupuncture Do For You?

Acupuncture plays a vital role in the reduction or elimination of back pain by reducing recovery time and preventing a chronic condition from developing.

Research has shown that acupuncture causes the body to produce natural steroids and promote the production of natural endorphins. Steroids decrease inflammation, while endorphins are produced by the body to kill pain. Both substances can play an integral part in the breaking up of the pain cycle.

By reducing acute back pain, acupuncture can also reduce the chances of chronic back pain from occurring. It can help avoid the need for costlier and more invasive surgical procedures. And if back pain can be significantly reduced with acupuncture, it also lowers the need for painkillers or other medications that can either cause unwanted side-effects or prolong a patient’s condition. To schedule your appointment for a pain free back call our Minneapolis Acupuncture Clinic at 612-866-4000 TODAY or visit http://www.orientalmedcare.com/ .

Source : AMERICAN HOLISTIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION
http://ahha.org

Reprint from January 2010 edition of John Weeks’ Integrator Round-up http://integrativepractitioner.com .

Studies have shown that Qigong can lower blood pressure, help balance (prevent falls for seniors), reduce incidence of stroke, increase bone density and increase longevity.

Learn to:
• maintain your health
• improve circulation (good for cold feet & hands)
• regain balance and flexibility
• quiet your mind
• decrease stress
• prevent illness (improve immune system)

You will learn Longevity Qigong, Treasured Vase Qigong, Arm Swinging Qigong and more!

No experience is necessary because the exercises are fun and easy to learn.

Date/Time: Fridays, 10:30-11:30am, January 15th – February 19th
Cost: Only $100 for all 6 sessions. Or pay drop in rate of $19 per session. Over age 65 is only $10 per session.
Location: Richfield Lutheran Church, 8 W 60th St., Minneapolis, MN 55419
To register: call 612-866-4000 or go to http://www.orientalmedcare.com/qigong_class.html

About the Instructor: Naijin Sonmore has dedicated her life to bringing true Chinese culture and health practices to the US. Originally from China, she has studied from several famous Qigong and Tai Chi masters. Naijin started learning Qigong as a teenager. In 1987 she began studying Chen Style Tai Chi from a disciple of Chen Wanting. In 1995, she obtained her Qigong teacher certificate. She teaches Qigong as a way of self empowerment to easily enhance your own health. She will teach you how to cultivate a joyful, relaxed, optimistic and energized state of mind.

“If you want to be healthy and live to 100, do Qigong.”
- Dr. Oz

Have you noticed?

And 2009 is losing its grip a little bit more every day. I’m ready, are you?

2009 was a great and transformative year. Moving productively from 2009 into 2010 – and having someone you can count on to support you to do it makes it easier. That’s why we at Complete Oriental Medical Care are here to assist you in creating a whole new possibility in your health.

It is no surprise that many of the top ten New Year’s resolutions are related to better health. Number 1 is to “lose weight,” number 2 to “quit smoking,” with “exercise more” and “eat healthier” also among the top ten.

But no matter how committed you may be to your new health resolution, it is much too easy to become sidetracked. We are all constantly bombarded with commercials that make the least healthy foods look and sound irresistible. Smoking is promoted as something that makes you look “cool” and calms you down. This is where your vision comes in:

1. Define what you want to change – lose weight, quit smoking, etc.

2. How will this change fit into the health vision for your life? Will you feel better, have more energy, worry less about your long-term health?

3. Give your new health vision power. Write it down, share it with others, find images from magazines to make a collage that represents your new vision. Hold images of yourself in your mind achieving your goal, feeling better, and having more energy. Imagine exactly how it will feel to take excellent care of yourself. Picture yourself walking through your life feeling confident about your health. Write all of this down to review whenever you feel tempted to quit.

4. Activate your new health vision. Take the first action toward your goal. Don’t fall into the trap of needing immediate gratification. Think of each step that you take as one step closer to your ultimate goal. Whenever you feel tempted to give up, go within and connect with your vision.

Your Plan for Better Health

In order to stick with your New Year’s resolution and see it through, you need to have a plan, and you need to have ways to deal with temptation when it hits – because it will! Here are some tips to get you through the rough spots:

1. Create a detailed plan to reach your goal. If you’re not sure how to reach it, do some reading, or find someone who can help you. There are numerous diets and recipes available for healthier eating, as well as many strategies to help you stop smoking.

2. Find a great exercise professional to help you with your health vision. Exercise helps detoxify the body and makes you feel more alive. This can be a yoga teacher, Qi Gong instructor, and/or personal trainer. Do whatever you need to nurture your body and mind through the process.

3. Remind yourself that YOU are in control of your life and your health. Your cravings are not in control. If eating better is your resolution, keep a log of everything you eat. This will not only prevent you from cheating, but it will help you discover which foods make you feel best.

4. Find one great person who completely supports your new health vision. This will be someone you can call if you are struggling to stay with your resolution. Make sure it’s someone who will hear you without judgment and offer gentle but firm encouragement to keep going. In other words, find positive influences to counteract the negative influences that come from the media.

5. Work with affirmations and images. Write positive affirmations to keep you focused on the goal and to saturate your subconscious mind with your intention. “Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better” is a simple and classic affirmation. Another possibility is “I draw people to me who support my smoke-free lifestyle.”

6. Find an experienced, licensed acupuncturist to help you quit smoking, lose weight, and reduce cravings. This time proven system of Oriental medicine has worked for thousands of years.

Don’t forget that healthy living is an ongoing process. It’s a lifestyle that is evolutionary, not fixed. So, make this the year that you devote yourself to greater health. Live longer, increase your energy, and enjoy your life more!

In Better Health,
Steven Sonmore, L.Ac.
612-866-4000
www.orientalmedcare.com

About the Author: For more than 20 years, Steven Sonmore has helped people transform health problems into solutions for attaining better health. Steven is a licensed acupuncturist, Oriental bodywork therapist, and herbalist. He offers complete health care with acupuncture, Chinese herbs, nutritional counseling, Oriental massage, and facial rejuvenation. He is licensed by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.For more information visit www.orientalmedcare.com or call 612-866-4000,.
Copyright by Steven Sonmore. All rights reserved.

Migraines often run in families. They can be triggered by a variety of factors including stress, poor diet, hunger, allergens, red wine, cheese, chocolate, menstruation, changes in the weather, inadequate sleep, bright lights, changes in barometric pressure or lack of exercise. We treat them everyday at our Minneapolis Acupuncture clinic.

When you get treated here at Complete Oriental Medical Care, migraine prevention acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles into specific points located on the arms and legs. Acupuncture point selection varies from person to person based on their traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis. This is determined through a thorough medical history plus Chinese pulse diagnosis. Using this information the acupuncturist is able to develop an acupuncture treatment plan for you, as well as suggestions for herbal or dietary therapies.

At our Minneapolis clinic we use a pain rating system of 0-10 with 0 being no pain and 10 being the highest. I have had patients who have come in with migraines that they rate as high as an #8. Five minutes after I get the needles in, that pain level can often come down to a #2 level. Often when the patient leaves our clinic the pain is gone.

Acupuncture can be used as a preventative in the treatment of migraines as well as during an acute attack. Studies show that acupuncture is an effective treatment for migraines, decreasing the duration and severity of an attack as well as the frequency of occurrences. The National Institutes of Health have recommended acupuncture as a treatment for headaches. Some studies show a 90% effectiveness in decreasing the frequency and duration of migraines and a reduction in medication used for the treatment of migraines after a series of acupuncture treatments. An Italian study published in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine revealed that patients who received acupuncture experienced fewer migraine episodes, missed fewer days from work, and suffered no side effects compared to the patients using conventional drug therapy.

If you suffer from migraines, acupuncture may be of great benefit to you. Acupuncture is safe and effective. Improve the quality of your life with acupuncture and live migraine free.

Tired of agonizing migraine pain? Call now for your FREE REPORT on the Real Truth About Your Headaches And How To End Them.

Dial 612-866-4000 for complete relief. Or visit us at www.orientalmedcare.com

Copyright 2009

Take this time to rest and revitalize your body. The Chinese believe that winter is the time to rest and heal your body for the coming activities of spring and summer.

Last Minute Christmas Purchases

Are you looking for last minute Christmas gifts for your friends and loved ones? This is your last chance to grab some healthy, thoughtful gifts. You AND the person who receives the gifts will be happy with what these gift certificates, CD’s and DVD’s have to offer.

If you’re like most people, you can’t seem to fit meditation and relaxation into your daily schedule. Here’s the perfect solution! http://www.theqigongmeditation.com/ .

Your body is more than 70% water, and that water controls virtually every aspect of your health. You have no doubt heard that you need to drink plenty of water to be healthy, but the quality of the water you drink is equally as important. If the water you drink is less than pure, your health will suffer. This year give the give the gift of pure water. Purchase a Multi-Pure water purifier at http://www.multipureusa.com/ssonmore/index2.html.

Do you know someone suffering from back pain, migraines, depression or low energy? Give the gift of healing. Choose gift certificates for Acupuncture Therapy at http://www.orientalmedcare.com/gift_certificates_acupuncture.html.

Learn to prevent neck and back pain, arthritis and high blood pressure. Purchase Tai Chi and Qigong DVD’s for yourself and your loved ones at http://www.orientalmedcare.com/qigong_dvd.html .

Chinese Medicine and Winter Season

“The wise nourish life by flowing with the four seasons and adapting to cold or heat, by harmonizing joy and anger in a tranquil dwelling, by balancing yin and yang, and what is hard and soft. So it is that dissolute evil cannot reach the man of wisdom, and he will be witness to a long life.” - Huangdi Neijing Suwen

The ancient Chinese believed that human beings should live in harmony with the natural cycles of their environment. The cold and darkness of winter urges us to slow down. This is the time of year for reflection upon our health…time to replenish our energy, and conserve our strength.

We wish to thank everybody that has supported our Minneapolis clinic during 2009. It’s been a great year! And we look forward to helping all of you that will be coming in for the first time during 2010 to gain optimal health.

We also want to let you know that our clinic will be closed Dec. 24- Dec. 25th. Steven, Ann and Jackie will be spending time with their families. It is good to get your treatments in now before the Holiday. We will be open again Monday Dec. 28th. To make an appointment please call 612-866-4000.

In Health,
Steven Sonmore, L.Ac.
Complete Oriental Medical Care, LLC
612-866-4000
www.orientalmedcare.com
“There are no riches above a sound body.” – The Apocrypha

While modern technology has enabled us to use surgery and Botox (injecting botulinum toxin into facial muscles) to look younger, you might ask what are these people going to do 5 years down the road? Before you schedule an appointment for Botox, you might want to know a little more about it.

Botox uses the substance that causes botulism, a sometimes fatal form of food poisoning. Botox interrupts nerve impulses to muscles in the face. The crow’s feet that appear when you squint, the lines that furrow your brow when you raise your eyebrows and the creases between the eyebrows when you frown can be caused by tension in underlying muscles, which contract the skin. Botox keeps this from happening temporarily.

If your doctor makes a mistake you can lose the ability to raise your eyelids all the way. If you’re getting shots around the mouth, a mistake could leave you drooling. Or you may not be able to raise your eyebrows, squint or frown.

Although muscles can cause some wrinkles, many result simply from the loss of elasticity that comes naturally with the aging process, causing the skin to sag and droop. Botox will NOT help wrinkles caused by aging and may make these kinds of winkles look even worse.

So what is the natural cure to looking younger? Many are now using the Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture also known as cosmetic acupuncture. I prefer the former name because this treatment works on not just the cosmetic level. Procedures like Botox or surgery are only band-aid solutions. Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture addresses reasons that we look old. While adjusting internal organ functioning, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture will increase collagen production, tone facial muscles, make your skin look tighter, reduce fine lines AND you’ll feel more energy and vitality. That’s right – there is no recovery time like you experience with plastic surgery.

Research by the International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture revealed that 90% of participants got better (i.e. better complexion, leveling of wrinkles, general rejuvenation not just confined to the face) using Cosmetic Acupuncture. But don’t take our word for it. Listen to this video of one patient’s testimony. The focus of Chinese medicine has always been for thousands of years to help people live longer and healthier naturally.

What are the benefits of Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture?

Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture can take years off your face. It helps to eliminate fine lines and makes the deeper lines look softer. It can also help to minimize dark circles, puffy eyes, sagging skin, and dropping eyelids. Other benefits include:

• Increases circulation, oxygenates the skin
• Tightens the pores
• Nourishes the skin, giving you a healthy complexion
• Moisturizes the skin from the inside
• Helps lift sagging skin, puffy or droopy eyelids
• Increases collagen production
• Brightens the eyes
• Improves muscle tone and dermal contraction
• Improves hormonal balance to reduce acne
• Improves facial color and tone
• Softens scars
• Increases blood, energy and lymph circulation
• Leaves you feeling refreshed, relaxed and rejuvenated

Q: Can I do Cosmetic Acupuncture if I already had botox?

A: Yes, Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture will maintain the effects of botox naturally.

Schedule Your Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture Series for a Younger Looking You Today! Call 612-866-4000.

For more than 20 years Steven Sonmore helped people transform health problems into solutions for attaining better health. Steven is a licensed acupuncturist and herbalist. He is licensed by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice and certified by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Visit his clinic web site at http://www.orientalmedcare.com.

The great news is that now less than 2 out of 10 adults smoke. The number of American adults who smoke has dropped below 20 percent for the first time in our nation’s history. The bad news is health officials said this week that cigarettes kill almost a half-million people a year.

This year on November 19th, the Great American Smokeout will celebrate its 33nd anniversary. The event has remarkably changed America’s health. Millions stop smoking for a day, but many people successfully quit for good. It has helped keep young people from starting smoking and protected nonsmokers from the dangers of second-hand smoke.

When the event began in 1974 smoking was accepted as a cultural norm. Now smoking is viewed for what it actually is…a killer. Smoking ,as well as secondhand smoke, kills 443,000 people every year from cancer, lung disease, heart disease and other causes, said the CDC. Half of all long-term smokers, especially those who start as teenagers, die much too young, many in middle age.

The good news is you can quit smoking easily and naturally with acupuncture. Just watch this video and see how easy it is. Quit Smoking Acupuncture Minneapolis MN

Complete Oriental Medical Care, LLC is pleased to announce that our team will host a kickoff event for the annual Great American Smokeout this Thursday, November 20, from 10 a.m. to 6pm. Our staff will be handing out information on how to naturally quit smoking for good using acupuncture. Plus, receive a $10 discount when you sign up for our Quit Smoking Today Acupuncture Program on Nov. 20, 2008. Call us today at 612-866-4000 to learn how you can kick the nasty habit. And visit us at http://www.orientalmedcare.com/quit_smoking_acupuncture_program.html.

Studies have shown that Qigong can lower blood pressure, help balance (prevent falls for seniors), reduce incidence of stroke, increase bone density and increase longevity.

Learn to:
• maintain your health
• improve circulation (good for cold feet & hands)
• regain balance and flexibility
• quiet your mind
• decrease stress
• prevent illness (improve immune system)

You will learn Healing Qigong, Longevity Qigong, Treasured Vase Qigong as well as Rejuvenation Qigong.

No experience is necessary because the exercises are fun and easy to learn.

Date/Time: Fridays, 10:30-11:30am, November 6th – December 11th
Cost: Only $100 for all 6 sessions. Or pay drop in rate of $19 per session. Over age 65 is only $10 per session.
Location: Richfield Lutheran Church, 8 W 60th St., Minneapolis, MN 55419
To register: call 612-866-4000 or go to http://www.orientalmedcare.com/qigong_class.html

About the Instructor: Naijin Sonmore has dedicated her life to bringing true Chinese culture and health practices to the US. Originally from China, she has studied from several famous Qigong and Tai Chi masters. Naijin started learning Qigong as a teenager. In 1987 she began studying Chen Style Tai Chi from a disciple of Chen Wanting. In 1995, she obtained her Qigong teacher certificate. She teaches Qigong as a way of self empowerment to easily enhance your own health. She will teach you how to cultivate a joyful, relaxed, optimistic and energized state of mind.

“If you want to be healthy and live to 100, do Qigong.”
- Dr. Oz