Alternative Medicine News

Acupuncture and Alternative Herbal Medicine for Colds and Flu in Los Angeles By Dr. John Barrett

Acupuncture and Alternative Medicine for Peak Cold and Flu Season in Los Angeles

Avoid Colds and Flu with Acupuncture and Herbs

Now is the peak cold and flu season in Los Angeles and Acupuncture and Alternative Herbal Medicines are so effective in

avoiding and in speeding up recovery it seems no one can believe it. Having helped hundreds of patients avoid missing work or even a party or vacation, I decided to write about it.

Naturally the best advice to avoid a cold or flu is to practice good hygiene including:

• Washing hands frequently
• Using sanitary wipes at the gym, grocery store, etc.
• Using a nedi-pot to reduce viral counts in the sinuses
• Eat well, avoid stress and get the proper amount of rest and exercise

If you still find yourself coming down with something, get a treatment with acupuncture and herbs as soon as possible.  The signs and symptoms of a cold or flu coming on are any of the following:

• Itchy nose, throat or eyes
• A runny nose
• Headache in the back of the head
• Sneezing
• Alternating chills and fever
• Body aches and fatigue
• Sore throat
• Cough

If you experience any of the above get treated immediately.  Acupuncture and herbs work by expelling pathogens out of your system before symptoms get worse.  Treatments may include needles, cupping and heat on acupuncture points of the body.  The treatment principal is to promote you to sweat out the pathogens before they take hold.  It is also recommended that you go home afterwards, eat a warm cooked meal and rest.  Hot spicy foods will further assist in sweating out pathogens.  It is important that one stay covered and avoid wind or drafts during this period.  After a good nights rest most people wake up feeling rested and refreshed.  In addition, there are several anti-viral, anti-bacterial and immune system boosting herbs to assist in a successful recovery.

Acupuncture and Alternative Medicine Treatments Offered by Dr. John Barrett for Colds and Flu

The office of Dr. John Barrett offers the following treatments for colds and flu:

• Immune system boosting treatments to avoid colds and flu
• Treatments to avoid colds or flu at the onset
• Treatments to speed up recovery after catching a cold or flu

If you cannot afford to be sick , why wait? Call my friendly staff and make your appointment today at 310-277-7179.  Located in Century City we cater to patients with lunch time and evening appointments.  Se Habla Español.

Why Is Weight Loss Easy With Acupuncture and Traditional Medicine, By Dr. John Barrett

Why Is Weight Loss Easy, Acupuncture Los Angeles. By Dr. John Barrett

Losing weight can be easy. If done correctly, weight will come off gradually with just a few mindful adjustments to eating patterns. Easy weight loss means keeping your metabolism at optimal performance. Stress slows down metabolism. Abnormal eating patterns cause stress. Many people who are overweight are stressed to begin with. With too many restrictions, most diets add more stress and cannot be sustained.

Easy weight loss means using rules of thumb and common sense to keep metabolism at peak performance and stress minimized. This happens when there are calories to burn from food. Ten rules of thumb are as follows:

1. The typical person without exercise burns about 100 calories per waking hour.
2. Carbohydrates are burned during the 1st and 2nd hour after consumed.
3. High proteins sources (foods with 50% or more calories from protein) are burned during the 3rd and 4th hour after consumed.
4. Fats are burned during the 5th and 6th hour after consumed.
5. The most you can burn is two hours (200 calories without exercise; see rule 1 above) of any food type with each meal.
6. Avoid eating meals greater than 500 calories.
7. Eat breakfast within an hour of waking.
8. Avoid going to bed with unburned calories in your stomach.
9. Excess calories are stored as fat and slow down metabolism.
10. Try to eat three meals a day with snacks as necessary.

Most importantly, you need to figure out how many hours you are awake for and then calculate your caloric requirements. If you have a sedentary lifestyle and are awake for 16 hours, you will burn 1600 calories (see rule 1). You should plan on three 500 calorie meals a day as it keeps things simple and fits most lifestyles (see rule 10). Ideally, each meal should have 200 calories of carbohydrates, 200 calories of high protein sources and 100 calories of fats to optimize metabolism (see rules 2, 3 & 4). You can add a 100 calorie snack when needed to make a full 1600 calories (see rule 10). This will allow calories to be time released consistently throughout the day (see rules 5 & 6). You should note that exercise will increase calories burned and may increase your appetite. Use common sense and make sure you burn more than you eat. Also, after a few days you may decide you burn a little more or a little less than 100 calories per waking hour. Again, use common sense to adjust your portions during meals and meet your goals.

If you wake at 7:00AM and eat a 500 calorie meal broken out as above at 7:30AM, metabolism will be optimized until 12:30PM (5 hours: 500 calories later, rules 2, 3, 4 & 5). You should then plan to eat another meal 500 calorie meal as above at 12:30. This should optimize your metabolism until 5:30PM. Ultimately, another similar 500 calorie meal at 5:30 would optimize metabolism until 10:30. However, if you cannot eat until 6:30 a 100 calorie carbohydrate snack will maintain metabolism until then. Another 500 calorie meal as above will then keep metabolism going until 11:30 bedtime. Going to bed at 11:30 with nothing undigested in the stomach would be ideal (see rules 8 & 9).

Using rules of thumb are easy and can be integrated into a normal lifestyle without stress. You can start by reading the nutrition labels on your favorite foods and decide what foods work for you. Change things up accordingly to prevent boredom and stagnation. It is best to weigh oneself in the morning before breakfast to gauge success of goals. Common sense adjustments can be made accordingly. With proper dieting and adjustments, one should expect to lose 2 to 3 pounds per week and keep it off.

Acupuncture, herbs, and qi gong can jump start and enhance the effectiveness of a weight loss program by further reducing stress and optimizing metabolic functions naturally. This is most important when starting a weight loss program as it difficult to initiate any new endeavor if stress levels are too high. Acupuncture can eliminate stress and make one feel like they just returned from vacation in just one treatment. In addition to being stress-free, it helps to have optimal health at the onset of a weight loss program. Acupuncture, herbs and qi gong can quickly resolve a number of health issues that inhibit weight loss. Among them are digestive issues, muscle pain, migraines, fatigue, PMS, post partum issues, hot flashes and more. If you are ready to start a weight loss program and would like the help of a medical professional, please feel free to contact my office for Acupuncture Los Angeles and Century City. We may be able to bill insurance for you. We are located in the Century City Medical Plaza and cater to office workers with lunch time and evening appointments. Why wait? Call my friendly staff today at 310-277-7179. Se Habla Español.

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Acupuncture treating arthritic pain, muscle pain and neurological pain from aging, injuries, or post-operative recovery and rehabilitation.

Acupuncture is a most effective modality often overlooked by conventional medicine in Los Angeles when treating arthritic pain, muscle pain and neurological pain from aging, injuries, or post-operative recovery and rehabilitation. 

Acupuncture and Acupuncture with electrical stimulation is a most effective modality often overlooked by conventional medicine in Los Angeles when treating arthritic pain, muscle pain and neurological pain from stress, aging, injuries, or post-operative recovery and rehabilitation.  Being on staff at Cedars Sinai with a practice in the Century City Medical Plaza, and having practiced Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in Los Angeles for over 15 years, I have developed many highly effective protocols for treating these conditions.

In addition to relaxing the central nervous system, the most advantageous mechanism of action of acupuncture is that needles can be specifically applied at the depth of the focal area.  Thus, acupuncture provides a more comprehensive and accurate form of:

• trigger point release,
• neuromuscular stimulation,
• mobilization of soft tissue and joints
• myofascial release

Insertion of an acupuncture needle will prompt the immune system via a micro histamine response.  This in turn will:

• increase blood circulation; accelerate healing and minimize infection
• increase lymphatic drainage; reduce inflammation and related metabolic waste
• assist in neurovascular reconstruction; reduce neuromuscular pain

In these cases this same mechanism of action will facilitate formation of collagen, elastin and discourage fibrosis, keloids, and adhesions.  Due to the non-invasive nature of the needle insertion, acupuncture can be performed immediately after an injury or surgery.  Many orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists have expressed how their work is facilitated after acupuncture has been administered.

Acupuncture and acupuncture with electrical nerve stimulation may not only cut healing times in half but may also achieve results not possible with conventional use of medications, physical therapy and chiropractic.  Given the demands of Los Angeles lifestyles, acupuncture and acupuncture with electrical stimulation should included in every treatment protocol when treating arthritic pain, muscle pain and neurological pain from stress, aging, injuries, or post-surgical recovery and rehabilitation. Ultimately this will prove to save time and money for patients, hospitals and third party payors.  Additionally, acupuncture will increase work place productivity and patient quality of life.

Are you dealing with arthritic pain, muscle pain and neurological pain from stress, aging, injuries, or post-surgical recovery and rehabilitation? Do you want to accelerate healing and improve results? Why wait?  Call my friendly staff today at 310-277-7179 t.  Se habla español.

As an acupuncturist on staff at Cedars Sinai with 15 years experience, you can be sure that you will receive the most comprehensive care in my office.  My services are covered by most PPO’s, Auto, Personal Injury and Workers Compensation Insurance.  My office also accepts liens.

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