September 16, 2022

Hip Pain: The Gift That Keeps On Giving

Sadly, hip pain is the gift the keeps on giving. With a ball and socket joint that are in-fact the largest joints in the human body and with the mechanics to allow for fluid movement, this joint can and does withhold a lot of pressure. However over time and with constant strain during our lives it often becomes problematic for many people at some point in time.

The most common issues that we experience in our hip pain Toowoomba clients are inflammatory disorders, which include:

  • Osteoarthritis, also known as wear and tear arthritis. This affects the cartilage of the hip joint and continuous pressure causes the cartilage to become frayed and rough, which both increases the problem of bone rubbing on bone, and resulting in hip pain.
  • Bursitis is characterised by small fluid-filled bursae found between bones. It causes the tendons and muscles to become inflamed and subsequently creates pain when found in the hip region.
  • Sacroiliitis affects one or both of your sacroiliac joints (the sacroiliac joins link the pelvis and spine). They area where where your lower spine and pelvis is generally affected by Sacroiliitis, which can cause pain in your buttocks or lower back and can extend down one or both legs. Prolonged standing, or excessive climbing of stairs and steps can exacerbate the problem and increase the amount of hip pain that you experience.

HIP PAIN TOOWOOMBA

An article written in 2021 stated that in recent decades, acupuncture has been increasingly embraced in western medicine for the treatment of inflammation.

Acupuncture can be very effective in reducing the inflammation around the hip area, which as you’ll see described in the above conditions, are often a cause of hip pain. Acupuncture induces the production of cortisol, a hormone that helps control inflammation. It also stimulates activity of other pain-relieving chemicals in the body as well. The treatment will also be increasing movement in the hip joint, alleviating the stiffness and redness around the affected area.

If you are a hip pain Toowoomba sufferer, call us to make an appointment and explore exactly how we can help to treat your hip pain symptoms.

August 30, 2022

Toowoomba Headache Treatment

Over the years the team at Release Health & Wellness Clinic have treated hundreds of headaches, with amazing results. Acupuncture is very effective in treating the different types of headaches because it:

  • Stimulates nerves and pressure points in the body to relieve symptoms
  • Brings the body back into balance
  • Releases muscle tightness around the affected area like the neck and shoulders
  • Encourages the bodies endorphins, which in turn reduces the intensity of the pain experienced.
  • Stimulates blood flow to decrease stagnation caused by inflammation.
  • Regulates the chemicals in the brain that control the constriction and dilation of blood vessels that will alleviate the pain
  • Reduces stress levels by regulating hormone levels.
  • Recovers and builds the immune system to help aid in the regulation of the inflammatory response and the production of pain- promoting hormones known as prostaglandins

Headaches happen when the muscles or blood vessels swell, tighten, or go through other changes that stimulate the surrounding nerves or put pressure on them. These nerves send a rush of pain messages to the brain, and this brings on a headache. There are three main types of headache, those being tension, cluster and migraine.

  • The tension headache is the most common affecting 90% of our Toowoomba headache clients. The pain with this type of headache radiates from the neck and shoulders then scatters to multiple points around the head region. Clients complain of feeling as though someone is pressing or squeezing on the front, back, or both sides of the head or a dull, aching and constant discomfort.
  • The cluster headache can have a duration of weeks to months depending on the attack. It’s classed as a neurological disorder and typically presents pain on one side of the head and around the eye. Most clients experience watery eyes, nasal congestion and swelling on the side affected.
  • Migraine headaches are moderate to severe. They have a pulsing nature and can last from 2 to 72 hours. The symptoms can vary mostly they include nausea, vomiting, sensitive to light/sound/smell and an aura.

So how many sessions might you need to treat your headache? Every Toowoomba headache case is different because we are all very individual. Depending on your personal history, duration of pain and if you are aware of what triggers your headaches, and if you do the home care plan that we recommend, then it is likely that you’ll need one session per week for 4 -6 weeks, at which point we will re-evaluate the need for, and frequency of your treatments.

Health & Happiness,
Meagan

June 17, 2021

Piriformis Syndrome / Sciatica Toowoomba

The Affliction

Piriformis Syndrome is a condition in which the Piriformis Muscle, located in the buttock region, spasms and causes buttock pain. The Piriformis Muscle can also irritate the nearby Sciatic Nerve causing pain, numbness and tingling along the back of the leg and into the foot (similar to and sometimes confused with Sciatic Pain).

It can be tough to tell the difference between true Sciatica and Piriformis Syndrome, the symptoms tend to mimic each other, there are however a few clues.

Sciatica will usually cause pain radiating all the way into your lower leg and foot. Piriformis Syndrome, causes pain to radiate only as far as your knee. Areas of complete numbness along the pathway of the nerve indicate Sciatica Toowoomba. Whereas, Piriformis Syndrome is associated with some very tender trigger points in your buttock. For a definitive diagnosis, your doctor will need to determine if any disk problems contribute to the source of your pain.”

Causes of Piriformis Syndrome & Sciatica

Overuse is a common cause of Piriformis Syndrome. It can be a common injury that sidelines even athletes. Prolonged sitting and trauma can aggravate the Piriformis Muscle, causing it to swell or spasm, in turn pinching the sciatic nerve.

I have found that Piriformis Syndrome is frequently caused by cold. It seems to be more prevalent in the winter or after a patient has been outdoors in the cold. I myself suffered from quite the kayaking debacle, sitting in a cold, wet kayak for hours on end. (No pun intended).

Emotionally this affliction is created within our body from feeling and inadequate sense of support or in some cases the fear of moving forward. Depending on which side of the body affected and the pain levels experienced, allows us to determine a more accurate cause. Telling the story of why the pain is there and the trauma or discomfort that we are not willing to listening to.

Treatment of Sciatica Toowoomba

Acupuncture has been proven to decrease pain, reduce swelling and increase blood circulation. Electro-stimulation Acupuncture is highly recommended for sufferers of both Sciatica Toowoomba and Piriformis Syndrome conditions. In Chinese Medicine, cupping is done in order to move blood from the injured area which when left to stagnate, results in pain. These treatments are very effective methods used to decrease the amount of time it takes for the area to heal and by increasing the release of pain-relieving chemicals in the brain.

The treatment for the emotional healing differs dependant on each client’s symptoms and the root cause, which can be extremely diverse depending on the client’s history. Acupuncture techniques can assist in this process, by relaxing the body for the emotional trauma incurred to arise.

Example of different emotional causes can be:

  • Not accepting yourself
  • Disliking yourself
  • Small outbursts of anger caused by not speaking up for what you want
  • Represents power feeling like others needs are more important than your own

Emotional Reconditioning Affirmation:

“I love and accept myself where I am right now. I am a Divine Expression of life. I calm my thoughts, I am serene. I accept myself as beautiful and loved. I use my power wisely. I am strong. I am safe. All is well.”

At Release Wellness we have the expertise to treat these and other afflictions on both the physical and emotional levels, which ultimately contribute to a more substantial depth of healing.

June 16, 2020

How We Can Support You in this Time

Maintaining a strong immune system is important to our overall health

The immune system is our body’s defense against infection and illness, so to stay in good physical and mental condition we must assist it in any way we can. It has been proven to be useful for those trying to either avoid getting sick, or those trying to hasten their recovery.

The causes and effects of a weakened immune system

A compromised or dysfunctional immune system is a major component of most chronic diseases. Poor nutrition, stress and exposure to harmful agents all lead to a declining immune system. Once compromised, a weak immune system results in frequent colds, allergies, and reoccurring infections.

Immunity related disorders include:

  • Common colds
  • Coronavirus
  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Hepatitis
  • AIDS
  • Autoimmune disease
  • Cancer
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Psoriasis
  • Immune deficiency syndrome

Acupuncture can help regulate immune function and treat the underlying cause of diseases by reducing symptoms, speeding up healing and stabilizing our body’s responses to illness. Acupuncture is believed to enhance resistance to disease and illness by assisting in defense, homeostasis and surveillance functions of the immune system. This is why acupuncture is considered to be true preventative medicine, as the needle points as chosen to strengthen wei qi (bodies immunity) so as to reduce the chance of succumbing to a virus or bacteria. We tend to get sick more easily when our protective surface energy, i.e., wei qi, is compromised such as when we are stressed or tired.

In traditional Eastern medicine, Vitamin C has a place as an element of spleen qi. The connection between the Spleen and the Lung is also highlighted by vitamin C, as Vitamin C’s role in immune function and its role in wound healing both point towards the Lung. Due to its sour nature as an acid, Vitamin C likely helps to gather and contain wei qi.

One of the best ways to boost our immunity is through Vitamin C consumption. Vitamin C is an essential micronutrient for humans, and it contributes to immune defense by supporting various cellular functions. Vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, cannot be produced by the body naturally so we need to acquire it from foods and supplements in our diet. This doesn’t normally present as a problem, as Vitamin C is present in most plant foods, as well as in various glands and organs of animals.

Pure Vitamin C has been shown to stimulate the production and function of white blood cells, helps to produce antibodies, acts as a powerful antioxidant and cofactor of various enzymes. As well as this, Vitamin C helps your body to produce collagen which assists in repair, growth and healing. It is also used by our adrenal glands when stress is triggered. Vitamin C is also considered necessary for the synthesis of numerous compounds, such as neurotransmitters, collagen, hormones and steroids. It helps to increase the absorption of iron from the gastrointestinal tract by reducing iron ions, thus helping to prevent anemia.

At Release Health and Wellness Clinic, we are able to provide you with:

  • Acupuncture can regulate immune function and treat the underlying cause of the disease by reducing symptoms, speeding up the healing of infection and normalizing the body’s immune response.
  • We will stimulate specific portions of the autonomic nervous system through selected acupuncture points to help the immune system.
  • Acupuncture can cause a rise in levels of interferon, of the immune system’s messenger hormones.
  • Regular acupuncture therapy can be effective in treating asthma, allergies, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, colds and infections.