Acupuncturist/Eastern Medicine | Valencia – Santa Clarita

Asthma, Cough, and Upper Respiratory Illness

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If you have coughing, asthma, or upper respiratory illness and you are suffering through the winter, it may be time to try acupuncture treatments.  Acupuncture may seem like an unusual suggestion for someone suffering with Upper Respiratory issues especially asthma. You may be curious as to why no one has mentioned this treatment option before, and it could be because others are not aware of the effectiveness of Acupuncture, but it works! Some people have grown so accustomed to using inhalers, cold medicine, and antibiotics to treat their upper respiratory illness that they have stopped wondering if anything else could help them. People are prone to habit, especially when it comes to feeling ill and wanting instant relief.  Also, some people may be tired of inhalers, cold medicines, and antibiotics but were not informed that there are other options for treatment.

Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine provide treatment for acute conditions as well as preventative treatments for Asthma, Colds, Cough, and other Respiratory issues.  The treatment protocol for these types of illness follow a pattern of diagnosis, acupuncture, herbal therapy and home remedies to be administered by the patient in their own homes. During your visit with Jun’s Acupuncture, we may use Du 20, Yin Tang, Du 24, Bi Tong, and Kidney points along the chest area to help alleviate cough and asthma. Also, treatment may include points along the back of the neck and upper back for cough, asthma and other respiratory illness accompanied by an infrared heat lamp. Some point prescriptions may include points along the arms, hands, and feet. The treatment plan is individually based and determined by us during diagnosis, and we would determine which prescription is best for you. The reasons behind cough, asthma, and upper respiratory issues differ for each person; there may be four or five root problems that result in this type of illness, and we would need to determine that before treatment.

We want our patients and future patients to understand why our treatments are effective. Acupuncture can help adjust your body constitution to get rid of chronic conditions such as Asthma and other Respiratory issues. This is the biggest difference between taking medications which temporarily relieve the symptoms of the issue but does not treat the root of the problem (it only masks it) and our advanced Acupuncture treatment system. The Asian Medicine System gets down to the root of the issue and alleviates the root to treat the symptoms. When that is accomplished, the symptoms go away with the root problem.  Imagine that our bodies function like a tree, in which the root system determines the health of the branches, and if the roots have illness, the branches will be ill. Some treatment forms will cut off the branches to temporarily alleviate the pain, and don’t bother with the roots in which case the pain will reoccur. Our type of medicine is a  root treating the branch system while other treatment systems often follow a branch treatment system. When the roots of a tree are healthy, so are its branches.

In closing, Acupuncture is an excellent treatment choice for Asthma, Colds, Cough or other Respiratory Illness. Jun’s Acupuncture can combine acupuncture, herbal therapy, and homeopathic remedies to help support our patients feel their best and breathe easily through life.

Here is one simple tip we can give you to help prevent contracting colds during this cold season:

Red tea with 1 teaspoon real grated ginger per cup. It is important to use real grated ginger with the skin peeled for this tea.

This recipe will help your body stay warm and strong to help fight off colds and upper respiratory illness.

 

Supporting your Mind, Body, and Soul to live a healthy and stress free life,

Jun’s Acupuncture

 

 

Acupuncture for Fertility

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Have you and your significant other been trying to have a baby with discouraging results? Have you tried IVF, or Invitro Fertilization and are becoming overwhelmed with the cost of the procedures and still having no success? Do you wonder what factors you can control that can affect your ability to have a baby? Is there a cheaper and more effective solution?

Did you know that Acupuncture and Asian Herbal Therapy is famous for its ability to treat fertility for women and men?

Here is the scoop on Fertility Treatments through Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy:

1. Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy Is a Medical System of its own and treats Fertility from a different perspective than Western Fertility Specialists.

What does fertility mean for the Acupuncturist? Fertility for an Acupuncturist means that the Uterus of a woman is a healthy, fertile environment for a baby to grow. It is without excess dampness, excess cold, excess heat, and sufficiently supplied with Yin and Yang from the mother and father. In this way one can understand that excess dampness, heat, or cold are considered pathogenic for a uterus. Dampness would be described as a cloying substance that clogs the uterus and blocks the channels making the success of the fetus unlikely. What causes dampness in the uterus are things like excess damp foods (dairy, sugar), excess alcohol consumption, greasy rich foods, eating too quickly with inadequate digestion, and other factors that would be determined based on the individual being assessed. Excess heat can be caused by the above factors listed for dampness, as well as eating spicy foods or foods that are hot in nature such as cheeses, fatty foods, peppers, onions, and certain meats. Excess heat can also result from poor digestion or eating too fast without chewing the food properly or binge eating large amounts frequently. Though many of these factors cause dampness in the spleen and stomach, they still affect the uterus because they impair the transformation and transportation of food into energy within the body.

Also, factors such as excessive sexual indulgence can create these pathogens within a uterus. If a woman is Yin deficient, (what would look like estrogen and progesterone deficiency), this can create excess heat as well. In the case of cold in the uterus, it can be caused by a deficiency in Yang Energy that creates coldness, or coldness in the body can impact the uterus because a person over consumes cold, damp, and nutritionally deficient foods that can create cold. These factors and more is what an Acupuncturist looks at when determining the fertility of a woman. But the Acupuncturist will also look at the fertility of the male. Though the male can have all of the factors listed above as pathological conditions, even Yin deficiency (though it does not show like estrogen and progesterone deficiency), they manifest in different ways and relate more to the male organ. For example, a male may have excess dampness creating pathogenic factors in his sperm count and motility, and it may show in yellow excess sweat on the genitals or abdomen. If a male’s genitals are kept too warm, cold, or constricted, this can affect his fertility also. Acupuncture can help balance the male reproductive system to help improve his fertility.

2. How does the Acupuncturist view the age of the person trying to conceive?

From the perspective of an Acupuncturist, our goal is to help the uterus of the woman, or the sperm of a man, be young enough to carry/fertilize a baby. How can we make a uterus or sperm younger you may ask? Well, that is an analogy of the Acupuncturists’ goal and not a literal clinical description. The Acupuncturist wants to make the uterus/sperm function as if it is a younger persons uterus/sperm. We can describe this process like we would describe the nurturing of a garden that has barren soil. The soil itself cannot support life because it is nutrient deficient and the nutrients it has are not in balance in the way required to sustain life. The soil may be too damp, too cold, too warm or too deficient. So a gardener would condition the soil, nurture the soil, drain out the dampness and make sure the temperature is amiable within the soil. The original soil is modified and made healthier. So using this analogy, we can say that Acupuncture and Asian Herbal Therapy can help the uterus/sperm itself be a healthier, younger, more fertile environment to increase potential for carrying a child. Acupuncture can, to use the analogy, make the uterus and sperm more vital and without pathology creating fertility. If the uterus and sperm are more fertile and healthy, they are more like a younger uterus and sperm; healthy and vital.

This is a short explanation of a very complex system of medicine that Acupuncturists use to determine how they can best treat a patient with fertility issues. This is an example of the diagnostic mind of an Acupuncturist. If you want help with your fertility issues,  give us the opportunity to diagnose you and find out the root of your infertility so that we can help you. Since the diagnostic portion of fertility treatments with Acupuncture is so important, the consultation is imperative to its success.

3. How does the Acupuncturist treat a fertility patient that has an irregular menstrual cycle?

A very important factor to the success of fertility treatments is the state of the woman’s reproductive system. What happens if a woman’s menstruation is irregular making it hard to determine cycles of ovulation? If a woman has a history of irregular periods, it is likely that fertility will be decreased. From the Acupuncturists perspective, this is a main concern when trying to conceive a child. If the cycle is off, success in pregnancy is unlikely. So, before the treatments on the conception of the child can actually begin, the Acupuncturist must treat the menstrual cycle first. The good news is that Acupuncture is famous for treating gynecological issues. Sometimes, a corrected menstrual cycle is a positive side effect of regular acupuncture treatments. Once the menstrual cycle is regulated, then the Acupuncturist can start working on helping the uterus be more vital for carrying a baby. This is an essential thing to remember when talking to your Acupuncturist about fertility treatments, because it can lengthen the typical treatment duration for fertility patients. However, success can still be achieved, and your Acupuncturist can still help you.

Though this is informative, you may still be wondering why not just use IVF and skip all of that? Well here is a very good comparison of the cost and effectiveness of Western Treatments for fertility and Eastern treatments for fertility to help you understand from our perspective the difference.

Though IVF and other Western style fertility treatments are effective, relatively safe, and usually work after the 6th attempt for women younger than 42, is it cost effective? One “Cycle” of IVF usually costs $12000 or more and the medications that help produce excess eggs for them to harvest cost $4000-5000. One Cycle can be described as one harvest of eggs from the female, and sperm from the male, and at least one injection of a fertilized egg into the uterus. Possibly, if enough have been harvested from the first cycle, they can be injected into the uterus 1-2 at a time until it attaches and grows. However, most people have a 20-40% (42 years of age or younger) chance of success before the 6th fertilization attempt. So, to sum it up, the cost of IVF for impregnation is, at the bare minimum, $16000, and it is only 20-40% successful before the 6th attempt. It could cost as much as $96000 to conceive a child with IVF. Though the success rates of IVF are higher than the chances a couple has to conceive naturally, if a couple is getting fertility treatments in the first place, it is likely that the usual percentage doesn’t apply and that they have tried to conceive naturally.

For fertility, treatments with Acupuncture and Herbal therapy are effective, free of side effects, and at a much lower cost than IVF. It is the experience of Jun’s Acupuncture that we can confidently gauge our success rate at 80% for woman 42 and under. During a typical course of fertility treatment, a patient is treated from 1-3 months 2-3 times a week with that percentage of success. One month of the herbal formulas is usually sufficient in combination with Acupuncture treatments to produce pregnancy. This means that on average, a patient would spend less than 10% of the cost of IVF. The difference is staggering, and the results from Acupuncture would appear higher than that of IVF naturally.

In closing, we should look at a very important factor in how Acupuncture treatments for fertility can be very successful; Acupuncture reduces stress significantly, and this can be very beneficial to the conception of a child. When stress levels are lower, a person’s body is in better condition to conceive a child. Acupuncture is well known for its stress relieving functions, and is reputed for its ability to treat stress related illness such as headaches, lowered immune function, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and premenstrual conditions.

If your are interested in how Jun’s Acupuncture can help you and your significant other have a baby, don’t hesitate to call us at any time or schedule a consultation. We are confident that we can improve your fertility and that your experience at Jun’s Acupuncture will be comfortable as well as peaceful.

“A Healthy and Stress Free Life is Our Ultimate Goal!’

Jun’s Acupuncture

For more information on Fertility Treatments, please visit our website:
https://drjunsacu.com/services/gynecology

Acupuncture for Arthritis

 

 

Are you or anyone you love suffering from Osteoarthritis? Do you or someone you love gulp down NSAIDs and other pain reducers trying to ease the discomfort of aching knees, fingers, hips, back, elbows, feet and neck?

It can be tiresome when there is chronic pain without relief and the medications just don’t seem to do the trick. There has been considerable research done by specialists looking for treatments for OA or RA that are side effect free and effective.  Many researchers have turned the light on Acupuncture and Herbal formulas based in Traditional Chinese Medicine as an effective treatment for RA and OA 50% of the time or greater. We happen to agree with them and wanted you to hear from us on the subject.

In one article, a Pain Specialist Doctor, James N. Dillard, MD, comments on the effectiveness of Acupuncture by stating that “Acupuncture doesn’t work for everyone, but slightly more than half of patients with moderate OA will experience some benefit,”  *[James N. Dillard, MD]. In the Same article you can find that Dr. Dillard is the former medical director of Columbia University’s Rosenthal Center for Complimentary Medicine and Alternative Medicine in NYC. He based his professional opinion of Acupuncture and its treatment of Osteoarthritis on years of practice and some supporting studies. Dr. Dillard further comments “It’s incredibly safe,” [and] “The adverse side effects a patient may have with those drugs are way, way worse.”[James N. Dillard, MD] Since Acupuncture does not have side effects like NSAIDs and other anti-inflammatory drugs, and there are no other known serious side effects, it is a very safe alternative to typical therapeutic methods.

So how does Acupuncture work to treat arthritis? Well, do you want the Traditional Chinese Medicine answer or the Western Medicine Answer?  A little bit of both may solve the mystery perhaps. In Western Medical terms the insertion of Acupuncture needles into specific points in the body cause a series of chemical events in the body wherein neurotransmitters release endorphines and enkephalins that have pain reducing properties. The insertion of the Acupuncture needle also causes the body to release cortisol which is an anti-inflammatory. The result is a reduction in pain and inflammation.

Boy, is that a mouthful for the non-medical populations? Well, in TCM Acupuncture circulates the the Qi in areas that are inflamed. Also, in cases of arthritis, Acupuncturists look at OA in several different ways,  wet arthritis and dry arthritis are two types of the many. In the case that arthritis causes swelling, edema and painful irritation, there is dampness and the Acupuncture Doctor needs to dry out the area by releasing the dampness, and allow for free flow of Qi. This would be a case of wet arthritis. In Dry Osteoarthritis, there is pain without swelling and the cause is a more degenerative type of arthritis without swelling and edema, and the treatment would include nourishing the joints with the Acupuncture treatment.  There are other forms of arthritis that Acupuncture can treat also. The Doctor needs to diagnose the root cause of your arthritis (which is different for each individual) to determine how we can help you.

In closing, it cannot be denied that Acupuncture helps with arthritis, and it is our opinion that for arthritis, our services are over 80% effective in reducing pain in our patients.Though we discussed mostly Osteoarthritis, Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy can also treat Rheumatoid Arthritis, or other forms.  Also, we would like to comment that Acupuncture is limited like any medical system, and there are exceptions to its effectiveness. One such exception to the effectiveness of Acupuncture for arthritis, is if there is no cartilage left in the effected joint.  In this case, Acupuncture may help manage your pain, but it is best that you consult a primary care physician for knee replacement. However, if the arthritis is not so far gone, acupuncture is the best treatment without medication available.

Though Acupuncture is the best treatment for arthritis, we would like to add some tips that can help with your arthritis pain naturally. There are several foods that studies show help with pain reduction for arthritis. Some of these foods are Turmeric, Fish Oil, Ginger, and Chile Peppers or things containing capsaicin (as long as you do not have any digestive issues like acid reflux). There are many other herbs such as Ru Xiang and Gou Teng that we can prescribe for you with a diagnosis and treatment if they are good for your constitution to help you with your pain as well. These herbs are all natural and do not have negative side effects like some medications may. We would be glad to answer any and all questions  and schedule an appointment for you!  If you want to feel better, give us a call, so we can begin your treatments.

 

” A healthy and stress free life is our ultimate goal!” 

Jun’s Acupuncture

 

For more information about Acupuncture and Pain Management, check out our webpage.

https://www.drjunsacu.com/services/pain-control

*[http://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/other-therapies/mind-body-pain-relief/oa-acupuncture.php (Acupuncture and Osteoarthritis,Timothy Gower)]

 

Chronic Fatigue? Let Us Brighten Up Your June Gloom!



Do you suspect you are suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Is this June Gloom adding to your fatigue and making you want to sleep instead of enjoy the Summer? Well, let us brighten up your June Gloom! We want to help you with Chronic Fatigue. Many people may be feeling symptoms of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome without knowing it. Are you, or someone you love feeling, so tired and low energy that you are missing out on your life?  The good news, is that we can help you feel better and possibly eliminate Chronic Fatigue Syndrome from your life all together. Before this weather gets too warm, and your fatigue gets more pronounced, you should seek treatment.

First, let’s talk about what Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) actually is and why people may get it.   Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a disorder in which severe fatigue, and possibly pain related to CFS occurs without clear reason or diagnosis. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome effects people all the time, in every setting, and those individuals may not even know there is an issue until they can no longer function in their lives. This Syndrome can be very sneaky in the way that it manifests. It can manifest suddenly or as a slow progression. It can result from a traumatic experience, a serious illness, or even just after what feels like a common flu. However, the symptoms are the same: Severe Fatigue, Desire to sleep all the time, physical and mental fatigue, mental cloudiness, memory loss, muscle weakness, dizziness or feeling lightheaded, shortness of breath upon exertion, severe tiredness after activity, cold hands and feet, and even digestive issues accompanied by nausea and depression. Chronic Fatigue can also  manifest with insomnia or sleeping but never feeling rested. The tricky part of chronic fatigue is that it may go unnoticed by the individual until they no longer can go to work, school, or social occasions because they are too tired. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and suspect that you may have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, we can help you, so read on to find out more!

Chronic Fatigue may manifest after a period of serious illness, stress, or even a flu like illness that just seems to linger. These are key red lights that something is not right with your body. When you do not want to get our of bed often, or feel your mind cloudy,  or your body achy for longer than a couple of weeks, its time to get help.

You may wonder how Acupuncture can treat such a condition. Acupuncture is a natural way to increase your immune function, to increase you stamina, and to eliminate dampness. According to the Eastern Medical System, Fatigue is caused by low constitutional energy, or Qi, and/or dampness accumulation from poor diet, over eating, or overindulgence in spicy foods, dairy, fried foods, and alcohol. It is also possible to overwork you body’s Qi through stress, over worry, and illnesses. This can reduce your body’s ability to keep up with the daily demands of life and Acupuncture can help build your Qi so that you recover. Chronic Fatigue syndrome can also result from Hypothyroidism, and if you have been diagnosed with a Thyroid condition, we can treat that in conjunction to fatigue. It is important for the Acupuncturist to diagnose you to find out the root of the problem causing the fatigue in the first place. Once the diagnosis is made the treatment principles are determined. The treatment principles may involve building Qi. strengthening immunity, recovering lost constitutional Qi, or draining dampness accumulation so the body is not weighed down by damp.  Acupuncture itself is an effective treatment for CFS, not to mention that it is good for relaxing the mind and spirit so that healing can occur appropriately. Herbal therapy in conjunction with Acupuncture is especially good for eliminating dampness accumulation and bolstering the Qi, so you should ask Dr. Jeon us if we feel herbs are appropriate for your specific diagnosis.

There are also some foods we can recommend that will help you fight Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Foods such as broccoli, plum, strawberry, tomatoes, and grapes are good for fighting fatigue. Also, eggs, garlic, and greens are good for fatigue. Best of all for fatigue is ginseng. Ginseng can be taken daily to help you fight CFS. Ginseng is good as long as you do not have High Blood Pressure, if you have High Blood Pressure, let us help you, but do not take Ginseng. These foods can help you treat fatigue naturally. If these foods don’t help enough, its time to schedule an acupuncture session.

Whatever the root of your problem is, Acupuncture and Herbal therapy can help.  Its time to get off the couch or out of bed, and get down to Jun’s Acupuncture to kick Chronic Fatigue out of your Summer plans. Please contact us if you have any more questions or would like to schedule an appointment. Below is a link if you want more information about how Acupuncture works.

 

Jun’s Acupuncture
“A Healthy and Stress Free Life is our Ultimate Goal!”

 

https://drjunsacu.com/acupuncture

 

 

 

 

Stress Will Make You Ill!!! Let us give you some suggestions…..

 

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During this time of year everyone is worried about taxes, deductibles, flood insurance, fire insurance, 401K’s and every other life issue that arises at the beginning of each year.

So, how can we help you? Acupuncture is a great way to reduce your stress and help your body stay healthy. When the body is stressed, their is poor sleeping and anxiety as well. A person cannot maintain health if they are not sleeping well and anxious!

Acupuncture has shown to reduce stress in recent studies. In an article from the Huffington Post they reported that researchers discovered that the “…[electronic] acupuncture blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway,” [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/16/acupuncture-could-help-prevent-stress_n_2883996.html]  In the same article, it states that “The researchers discovered that stress hormones were lower in rats that had received [electronic] acupuncture. Results were published in the Journal of Endocrinology.”

It is wonderful to see scientific evidence that Acupuncture works to relieve stress, and we are glad to support more studies about the effects of Acupuncture for stress reduction, pain relief, and general longevity.  If each person can reduce the level of stress they experience on a daily basis, the incidence of disease will be far less.  We like to look at Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as a life style that can not only treat disease but also prevent it. By reducing your level of stress, you will sleep better, and have lower anxiety; this  will allow you to be a healthy individual enjoying your life!

“A Healthy and Stress Free Life is Our Ultimate Goal!”

 

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Stress, Depression, Anxiety & Insomnia

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Happy September everyone!

Its that time of year again when Summer has come to a close and the holidays will soon dominate our thoughts and lives.  Unfortunately, not everyone is happy about the holidays coming because, for some, it means stress, depression, anxiety, and insomnia are also on their way. Stress, depression, and anxiety are debilitating to many and they can reduce ones quality of life to cause sadness. People respond to these emotions in various ways; some get irritated and short with family and friends, some people shut down and hide in their homes, some people get sick and seek medication. Others may indulge in intoxicants or other dangerous means to escape the way they feel. Some people meditate or workout to relieve their feelings of depression, stress, and anxiety.  However a person deals with their negative emotions, the root of the issue is still the same; stress, depression, and anxiety are difficult to handle.

Sometimes, our minds handle stress, depression, and anxiety one way, and our bodies deal with it in its own way. Often, with these feelings, insomnia or unsettled sleep may also occur creating a cycle that is destructive to the Body, Mind, and Spirit.

The good news about this is that Acupuncture and Herbal Therapy can not only relieve the emotional strain people feel, but it can also correct the physical side effects of these emotions.  For thousands of years Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture have been treating stress, depression, anxiety and insomnia without medications. This can be a great relief to many who have become addicted to anxiety medications or sleeping aids that have other unwelcome side effects like dry mouth, nausea, and digestive disorders. Also, some medications are very expensive and can add up quick to those saving up for Holiday spending. Acupuncture is side effect free and can bring the relief you need in your life.

If you are struggling with stress, depression, anxiety & insomnia trying acupuncture may be the answer you need! The best news of all is that acupuncture is absolutely natural and side effect free. We are here to help you and answer any questions you may have about treatment, so please contact for further information or to schedule an appointment.

A healthy and stress free life is our ultimate goal!

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