Judith treats men, women, and children for a variety of common disorders:

• Musculoskeletal – Tennis elbow, frozen shoulder, TMJ, sciatica, back and neck pain, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, fibromyalgia, tendonitis
• Respiratory – Colds and flus, bronchitis, asthma, hayfever and allergies
• Gastrointestinal – Nausea, indigestion, diarrhea, and constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and food allergies
• Circulatory – High or low blood pressure, cold hands and feet, and high cholesterol (supporting Western treatment)
• Ear, Nose, and Throat – Toothaches, earaches, sinusitis, and rhinitis
• Gynecological – Menstrual irregularity, PMS, fertility enhancement, menopausal syndrome, pain relief techniques for childbirth 
• Urogenital – Cystitis, stress incontinence, prostatitis
• Psychoemotional and Neurological – Depression, anxiety, overeating & food cravings, addiction, insomnia, headache, migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, intercostals neuralgia, post-stroke paralysis, dizziness and tinnitus

Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia, also called fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS), is a condition that can affect anyone, but mostly affects women between 20 and 50 years of age.  It is characterized by chronic muscular pain and stiffness accompanied by insomnia, fatigue, and depression. 
Chinese medicine treats FMS as a liver-spleen imbalance.  There are many variations of this pattern, so each FMS patient will receive their own individualized treatment.
Close attention is paid to the patient’s diet and lifestyle in order to treat the whole person and eliminate the cause of the condition.  Typically, the Chinese medical treatment of FMS will last several months in its active phase.  The second, less-active phase consists of taking Chinese herbs in pill or powder form for continued support. 

For a fuller explanation of the Chinese medical theory in regards to FMS, see the book: Curing Fibromyalgia Naturally with Chinese Medicine, by Bob Flaw.

Depression and Anxiety

Chinese medicine has successfully treated depression and anxiety with various combinations of acupuncture, herbs, diet, and other low-cost home therapies.  Chinese medical treatment for depression helps to strengthen, harmonize, and uplift the client’s emotional energies, thereby helping them to overcome the disease. 

The National Institute of Health (NIH) recently funded a pilot study on the effects of acupuncture on depression in women.  The results of this study showed that acupuncture was at least as effective as either drugs or psychotherapy and without side effects. Acupuncture can also be combined with Western treatment of depression.

Overeating & Food Cravings

Acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear release endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger overeating and bingeing on fattening foods. Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems that are running too fast - or in this case too slow—i.e., the metabolism and the will power.  Used in combination with herbal remedies, acupuncture can be an effective tool in lessening food cravings and the desire to overeat.  However, acupuncture and herbal remedies are adjunct therapies - not a panacea or wonder cure.  To be truly effective they should be combined with the appropriate lifestyle and dietary changes.

Addiction

Innovative methods are continually being sought to reduce the harm caused by the use/abuse of Drugs and Alcohol. Auricular-Ear Acupuncture is one such innovation that has been found to be effective in helping those affected by substance abuse. Clinical evidence supports that it is effective in relieving withdrawal symptoms associated with substance abuse (drugs, alcohol, nicotine and or addictive behaviors like gambling.) It helps decrease the severity of cravings, body aches, headaches, nausea, sweating and muscle cramping.

Acupuncture is not a quick fix, but it will relieve a lot of the discomfort of "kicking the habit" while it restores the body's energy and internal functions to normal. Used along with other treatments, such as counselling, it is a strong aid to recovery. Acupuncture is most effective with a series of treatments over a period of time.

Hayfever and Allergies

Chinese medicine provides a time-tested alternative to Western drugs when it comes to the treatment of hayfever and other allergies.  Initially, treatment focuses on the alleviation of discomfort during an acute attack.  Later we focus on eliminating the root cause of your imbalance using a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Dietary therapy also plays a large role in the overall treatment plan.  Chinese medicine advises people with hayfever and allergies to minimize or avoid sugars and sweets, fruit juices, dairy products, nuts and oils and chilled, uncooked foods in their diet.

Holistic Health Care for Women

Judith is trained in a variety of services that support women’s health, including the use of Western and Chinese herbs that are specifically beneficial to women. Herbal medicine is used in conjunction with acupuncture to support the healing process.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Chinese medicine has been treating menstrual movement imbalances for thousands of years.  There are time-tested treatments for all symptoms of PMS that help to rebalance the body and bring the organs and body fluids back into harmony. Treatment may include acupuncture, herbal medicine, along with dietary changes, exercise, and lifestyle modifications.

Pregnancy and Childbirth

Chinese medicine can work in conjunction with Western medicine to support the health of expectant mothers.  Treatments for pregnant women include:

Read about Accupuncture During Pregnancy and Childbirth by Sheryl Mika    This file requires Acrobat Reader - Download it free here

Read about nature pain relief techniques for childbirth

Fertility Enhancement

Choosing a treatment approach to address infertility problems can be difficult. At our Durham acupuncture clinic, we treat infertility problems naturally through a combination of safe and effective traditional Chinese medicine therapies. This approach is cost-effective and does not require fertility drugs or invasive procedures, but couples should seek treatment early for maximum benefit.

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine offer an effective, time-tested approach to enhancing fertility and treating infertility. In fact, acupuncture has been used successfully for infertility treatment for thousands of years. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used in combination with conventional reproductive medical care or as a primary treatment approach. Acupuncture can be effective for women taking fertility drugs (such as Clomid/clomiphene or gonadotropic hormones) or undergoing Assisted Reproductive Technology techniques (such as IVF or IUI). In addition, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can also be effective as a standalone approach to treat infertility for those not undergoing conventional medical treatment.

Acupuncture has been shown in many clinical research studies to be effective in enhancing fertility and treating infertility and in 1996, the World Health Organization (WHO) endorsed acupuncture for reproductive problems.

How Does Acupuncture Enhance Fertility and Treat Infertility?

• Acupuncture stimulates and influences hormonal activity, thus regulating menstruation, ovulation, and pregnancy. Acupuncture triggers the release of prostaglandins into the bloodstream, which in turn lead to the production of a substance that transmits messages to the hypothalamus.
• A 1996 Swedish study reported that acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus and ovaries. Decreased blood flow through the uterine artery correlates to lower pregnancy rates and acupuncture’s ability to increase pelvic blood supply dramatically improves the outcome of ART techniques.
• Acupuncture helps to reduce stress and decrease the hypersympathetic nervous system response, relaxing the neuroendocrine system and regulating hormones. Studies have shown that high stress levels decrease the likelihood of conceiving.
  Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate chemical changes within the uterine lining, thickening the endometrium and preparing the uterus for implantation.
  Research shows that acupuncture normalizes dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis.
• Acupuncture helps to decrease uterine contractions and improve implantation outcome. Increased uterine contractions at the time of embryo transfer of an IVF procedure negatively affect implantation outcome.
• In men, acupuncture can improve the concentration, volume, and motility of sperm.

For all of these reasons, acupuncture in recent years has become widely accepted as an important component of fertility enhancement and infertility treatment. In addition to acupuncture treatment and Chinese herbal medicine, lifestyle choices play an important role in restoring balance and improving the likelihood of conceiving and carrying to term a healthy child. Important lifestyle factors that are typically discussed during acupuncture treatment include: diet, stress reduction, exercise, sleep, and emotions.

Menopausal Symptoms

Menopausal syndrome can easily and successfully be treated with Chinese medicine. Chinese medicine sees menopause as a time of spiritual transformation in a woman’s life. Along with the hormonal changes, channels of energy in the menopausal woman are reversing to send more Qi to her heart and spirit.  Chinese medicine supports the transformation process and alleviates symptoms of discomfort such as:

• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Depression and anxiety
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Migraines
• Menstrual irregularity
• Vaginal dryness