You At Your Best

By Karen rice yoU at yoUr Best Mention the term "acupuncture" and a porcupine-like vision of needles up and down the body may come to mind. Despite that, the practice is gaining in popularity as more Americans turn to this millennia-old Chinese system to relieve pain, deal with chronic conditions, treat allergies and more. Treatment of chronic pain is just one of the things that brings patients to Ozark Integrative Medicine in Bentonville, according to owners Dr. Erik Hardin, L.Ac., a licensed acupuncturist, and his wife Lindsey. "The majority of people are seeking relief from pain," Dr. Hardin asserts. "But I also see a lot of patients for stress, anxiety, insomnia, auto immune conditions, digestive issues, thyroid and chronic fatigue." His patients range in age from pediatric to geriatric, from all walks of life. But does it work? And how? The answer has to do with meridians and energy flow known as chi (spelled qi.) The goal is to balance the flow of qi so the body can heal itself, resulting in relief from various conditions. "The needles cause a tiny injury at the acupuncture point that rallies the immune system in a specific way that has an effect on the body," Dr. Hardin explains. "Studies have not been able to explain the concept of qi however one does not need to understand qi to receive benefits from acupuncture." A recent study published in the May 2019 edition of the Journal of Pain found acupuncture to be effective for the treatment of chronic pain and that the effects last over time. It has been recognized by the National Institute of Health as extremely helpful in recovery after a stroke. "A lot of people who walk through our door are at square one," Lindsey notes. "Some people have tried everything and this is a last resort, others have seen their doctor and have been told they need to make some changes to their lifestyle." Treatment involves more than just putting a magic microscopic needle in exactly the right spot, however. Acupuncture is just one of the protocols included under the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) umbrella. "TCM is a whole and complete medical system that includes, but is not limited to acupuncture," Lindsey points out. Other treatments can include cupping, Qi-Gong and Tai Chi movement exercises, and diet therapy. "I speak about nutrition with every patient," Dr. Hardin points out. "Your food could be causing inflammation that's contributing to your pain." He repeats a favorite Ayurvedic medicine quote, "when diet is incorrect, medicine is of no use, when diet is correct, medicine is of no need." Lindsey, who is also a personal chef, can guide patients through the process of shifting their diets, working with restrictions and food allergies and helping them discover how food is affecting them. Since the TCM approach is integrative, one that considers the whole person, Dr. Hardin carefully studies a patient's complete health history and lifestyle, including medications and supplements. "Even supplements can be overdone," he points out. "The goal is to look for underlying patterns and help people change them, instead of just treating a symptom." "A person will come in with knee pain," he says, giving an example. "Maybe we'll discover they're stressed out. Maybe that's making them cycle too hard and injure their knee. We gently suggest they work on that." "In conventional medicine, you refer the responsibility of your own health to the physician,'" Dr. Hardin notes. "We're empowering people by giving the responsibility back to them." Some people are resistant to the idea of taking control of their own health. But Dr. Hardin sees less and less resistance to TCM, even among conventional medical doctors. "I have medical doctor friends and colleagues who are very open to it. They are learning about TCM in school now," he says. "They are seeing a lot of value in referring to licensed acupuncturists." Dr. Hardin contrasts conventional Western medicine with TCM. "Conventional medicine is like a mechanic: this part is broken, replace it, fix it," he notes. "Chinese medicine is like gardening. If you want flowers, you have to cultivate the soil. And it takes time. But it's elegant in its simplicity, because it has been refined over so many centuries." Acupuncture can be a safe, effective treatment if done correctly. If you're considering it, talk to your doctor to see if acupuncture might help you. Get a referral to a licensed acupuncturist, and check your acupuncturist's credentials. In Arkansas, acupuncturists must be licensed by the State Board for Acupuncture and Related Techniques, which also has specific education and clinical practice standards. Acupuncture: By Karen rice yoU at yoUr Best Do you feel a slight sense of panic if you leave home without your mobile phone? Is it difficult to sit still without browsing the internet on your devices? If so, you're not alone. A 2014 report from Nielsen found that adults log a total of 11 hours of screen time per day. And kids spend an average of 6.5 to eight hours per day looking at screens. Screen time has taken over most people's daily lives, but at what cost? • Multiple studies indicate that spending considerable time on screens can produce atrophy in gray matter areas of the brain. That can affect the frontal lobe, which governs executive functions like planning, prioritizing, organizing, and impulse control. • Staring into screens can strain the eyes and result in blurred vision and headaches. Studies show that screen time and insufficient sunlight exposure have more than doubled incidences of myopia (nearsightedness) among American children in recent years. • Many researchers also believe that the blue light from digital devices suppresses the sleep-promoting hormone melatonin, keeping people from having restful sleep. • According to Net Nanny, a technology watchdog site, extended screen time directly affects the brain by keeping it in a state of constant stimulation. This can make it difficult for the brain to get the downtime it needs to recharge. • Digital devices also encourage multitasking. But evidence suggests that although the human brain can handle two tasks relatively easily, adding a third task can overwhelm the frontal cortex, increasing mistakes and actually delaying the completion of tasks. • Technology also has blurred the lines between work and personal time. There is is it time for a An ancient system for modern ills Unplugging for your health digital detox? 6 | yoU at yoUr Best | nWadg.coM/yoUatyoUrBest March - natUral health & Wellness | satUrday, feBrUary 29, 2020

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