Acupuncture and Oriental medicine have been used to treat men’s health concerns for thousands of years and are growing in popularity. The reason for this growth in popularity is that many health issues that men face, such as high blood pressure, prostate problems and depression, respond extremely well to acupuncture.
Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the leading men’s health threat, with heart disease and stroke topping the list of the first and second leading causes of death worldwide. Integrating acupuncture and Oriental medicine into a heart healthy lifestyle can dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Taking even small steps to improve your health can reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease by as much as 80 percent. You should manage high blood pressure, quit smoking, maintain a healthy weight, reduce stress, and get better sleep. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine help all of these issues.
Acupuncture has been found to be particularly helpful to lower blood pressure. By applying acupuncture needles at specific sites along the wrist, inside the forearm or in the leg, researchers have been able to stimulate the release of natural opioids in the body, which decreases the heart’s activity and reduces its need for excess oxygen. This, in turn, lowers blood pressure.
A German study published in the June 2007 issue of Circulation found that acupuncture significantly lowers both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The extent of the blood pressure reductions by acupuncture treatments was comparable to those seen with antihypertensive medication or aggressive lifestyle changes, including radical salt restriction. By the end of the six weeks, 24-hour ambulatory systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly reduced from baseline in the acupuncture-treated patients. There were no significant changes seen in the sham acupuncture group.
Depression and Mental Health
The Men’s Health Network reports that Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women. In part, this is due to depression being under-diagnosed in men. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 6 million men have depression each year in America alone. Men have a tendency to hide feelings of depression and to not seek professional help, skewing previously reported numbers. Depression in men does not present solely as extreme sadness. Depression in men may present as anger, aggression, burnout, risk-taking behavior, mid-life crisis, or alcohol and substance abuse.
When people are suffering from depression, brain chemicals and stress hormones are out of balance. Sleep, appetite, and energy levels are all disturbed. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can alleviate symptoms associated with depression and mental health issues by helping to rebalance the body’s internal systems.
The growing body of research supporting the positive effects of acupuncture on depression, anxiety, and insomnia is so strong that the military now uses acupuncture to treat troops with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat stress syndrome.
Prostate Health
The prostate is prone to enlargement and inflammation as men age, affecting about half of men in their sixties and up to 90 percent of men in their seventies and eighties. If left untreated, benign prostate gland enlargement, which presents with symptoms such as frequent nighttime urination, painful urination, and difficult urination. It can lead to more serious conditions such as prostate cancer, urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence.
Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be used to treat prostate problems to relieve the urinary symptoms and prevent more serious conditions from occurring. The few studies completed on acupuncture and prostatitis show positive results. Participants noticed a marked improvement in their quality of life, a decrease in urinary difficulties, and an increase in urinary function. Acupuncture is showing success with this very unique men’s health issue.
If you want to get a head start on addressing any health issues which may present a problem in the future, or already have a diagnosis of a serious illness, call for an appointment today! 971 236-7610 Most insurance accepted.
Presented By Danielle Melanson LAc, Dipl. OM . Thanks to Acufinder for the majority of content in this article.
