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Primary dysmenorrhea, pain associated with menstruation, affects many women during their reproductive years.  Prevalence estimates range from around 40% to upwards of 90%, so it can be easily stated as common.  For around 10-20% of women the menstrual pain can be debilitating for several days or lo…

Globally, mental disorders, notably anxiety and depression, are a massive problem with hundreds of millions of people suffering, many with little or no access to treatment.  The situation appears to be worsened by all of the experiences and changes related to the current pandemic (source).  Even in…

People suffering with migraines may do just about anything to be rid of them. What about bloodletting? While bloodletting sounds straight out of the middle ages, it is actually a fairly mild technique used within acupuncture for a range of conditions. Our theory site has a general introduction to b…

Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition in which the trigeminal nerve, a nerve that goes from the brain to the face, is affected. In most cases, the nerve is pinched or compressed and causes a shooting facial pain, or even unexplainable sensations in the face in some patients. It often affects only one…

Statistically there is one person every 3 seconds, somewhere in the world, that develops dementia. There are currently around 50 million people world-wide which are in various stages of memory impairment and this number is currently expected to double every 20 years. There are, of course, a host of…

Seasonal allergies affect many people every day and may impact their lives profoundly, from itchy eyes to sneezing, stuffy nose, to swelling of the face and throat in extreme cases. Many people that I know, relatives and friends, are under medical treatment for seasonal allergies and have been tak…

Tinnitus is the perception of ringing and/or sounds in the ear.  The severity can range from mildly annoying to disabling.  It affects over 340 million people worldwide and appears to be increasing for a not entirely clear set of reasons.  Military personnel, factory workers, and others with noise…

Persistent vegetative states (or "unresponsive wakefulness syndrome") arise following brain damage leaving the patients in a state of partial arousal. While potential outcomes will vary depending on the causal factors, after 3-6 months chances for a complete recovery are considered low and genera…

According to the World Health Organization the global rates of diabetes have risen in the last 30 years by approximately 300 million cases.  Currently there are over 400 million cases of type II diabetes globally.  People who are clinically obese, a strong contributing factor to type II diabetes, …

Acupuncture is often used at varying stages of pregnancy and the birthing process.  Commonly treated conditions include morning sickness, back pain, breech position and aiding with labor itself (among many others). There are a number of studies that have established the effectiveness of acupunctur…

Acupuncture is both a science and an art form and it doesn't always lend itself well to the controlled linear ways of western clinical trials.  While there are volumes of positive studies with acupuncture, a smaller number of those include acupuncture how it is actually practiced (see "What does ac…

Pulpitis is a condition where the middle of the tooth, the pulp, stays inflamed causing pain and irritation. There is a reversible condition (more mild) that can be helped with improved oral care and hygiene, and then a irreversible condition (more severe) that can result in widespread gum and con…

Below you will find commonly used acupressure points located on the arms and hands.  Acupressure on the arm and hand points aids a number of conditions including headaches, nausea, breathing problems, sinus issues, stress, anxiety and more.  For acupressure points on other parts of the body, or for…

Acupuncture is a safe and effective healing art backed by more than two thousand years of practice and research. It is used worldwide both as a primary and adjunctive treatment for a wide range of conditions. Generally, people find an acupuncture treatment to be a relaxing experience. This is espec…

Within the field of acupuncture there are many styles, or schools of thought, and each of these schools contains within it unique diagnostic tools and theories which lead the practitioner to appropriate acupuncture point selection and treatment methods. This page discusses some of the basic Traditi…