Immediate Injury Care

What are Injuries?

Injuries we sustain are a result of excessive external force acting on structures of the human body in which the weakest

Andrzej Strzalkowski, RPT

link and/or the most exposed area is always compromised.  This can happen through improper stretching or excessive pressure on body parts resulting in a fractured bone, sprained or over extended ligaments, tendons and muscles. 

The Body's Natural Defenses

After the injury, the body's natural protection system is ignited.  A spiral begins from the injury sight as your body attempts to protect the area by tensing and immobilizing neighboring joints and muscles. That tension, (your body's attempt to protect from further pain) causes lockage in joints and structures, irritating nerves of the autonomic nervous system.  The autonomic nervous system is responsible for feeding the somatic nerves.  When this system is interrupted, the surrounding nerves are either agitated or suffocated.  These nerves containing nocireceptors (pain receptive fibers) sustain irritation and become vulnerable to any movement.  Consequentially, additional pain and discomfort are experienced at the site of the injury and a referred pain is produced in other areas of the body, apart from the injured site.

Eliminating Lag Time Between Injury and Rehabilitation

Immediately subsequent to an injury, osteopathic adjustments from Alternative Therapy assist in alleviating this natural protection system the body uses when injured. The treatment consists of releasing the tensions (created by the injury) from the muscles, joints and irritated nerves.  Removing these tensions will restore proper function to the nerves promoting efficient and rapid healing of the injury.

Lasting Effects

Additionally, patients are trained in restorative exercise; learning methods of identifying the patterns of tensions (developed from the time of injury through early recovery) and creating habits to release them.   From the onset of an injury, a patient may begin, with their initial visit to Alternative Therapy, assisting their body to promote healing and full recovery of the injury.

Acupuncture & Herbs

Oriental Medicine and the Common Cold

Oriental Medicine treats the common cold with acupuncture and Chinese herbal remedies.  Treatment can often prevent a cold from taking hold, other times it can shorten the duration or severity of the various stages leading to a speedy recovery of energy and function.

Ellen Teeter, D.O.M.

  Oriental Medicine approaches the body from the standpoint of patterns of disease.  This concept includes both the symptoms and how they manifest in a person's particular constitution.

The most common patterns of the common cold and flu's are called "Wind Heat" and "Wind Cold".  Wind is considered a pathogenic influence and is what can "drive" an illness into the body.

The symptoms associated with the Heat pattern are:  fever and chills with more fever, stuffy or runny nose with yellow discharge, headache, slight sweating, possible thirst, irritability, and sore throat.  

The Cold pattern symptoms are:  fever and chills with more chills, body aches, clear runny mucous from nose, sneezing, slight scratchy throat, sometimes wheezing, lack of sweat and possibly a headache.  The cold pattern often turns to heat after is has lingered.

Some acupuncture points like Zusanli (ST36) have been shown to increase the body's immunity and can help the body fight the virus.  Hegu (LI4) is used to clear heat and open up the nose or Shaoshang (LU10) help clear heat and relieve sore throats.  For the cold type illness you might combine LI4 with Lieque (Lu7) and Yingxiang (LI20) for the runny nose.

I often have people come in for acupuncture at the beginning of a cold and report it lasts a shorter time and is less of a bother than when they don't come see me.

As symptoms progress with a cold different herbs are needed.  For the very initial stage of either wind Heat or Wind Cold a modern formula called Gan Mao Ling is used.  Modern research in China showed certain herbs have strong anti-viral properties and Gan Mao Ling was created to take advantage of those properties.  Gan Mao Ling and another formula called Yin Qiao San can be taken as prevention, although they are only taken if you might be exposed to a virus.  For instance if you are traveling by plane or train and breathing air with a lot of people you could take one of these formulas, or if your workplace has lots of people sniffling with colds. 

A famous formula which is taken if you frequently catch colds and want to avoid them is called Jade Windscreen and is traditionally taken in late summer and early fall to build up the immune system and reduce the chance of you catching a cold. 

Whether you tend to catch colds frequently or find yourself surrounded by sneezers and snifflers Oriental Medicine has a lot to offer to keep you healthy and happy this Fall.  Call for your herbal consultation today at 941-727-1500!