- Holistic Alternativesat Essentials Day Spa
34302 US Hwy 19 N
Palm Harbor, FL 34684 - Holistic Alternativesat Contour Fitness
34310/34314 US 19 S
Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Pain
Finding Relief: The Benefits of Acupuncture for Treating Chronic Pain
According to a study published in 2023, approximately 51 million people in the United States suffer from chronic pain, with about 17 million of those suffering from high-impact chronic pain. Those who suffer from chronic pain find their lives altered in difficult ways. The search for relief is constant. Traditional medicine offers various prescription medications, but if you are looking for a more natural path to healing and wellness, acupuncture should be at the top of your list. continue reading
Unlocking the Ancient Wisdom of Gua Sha
Gua sha is rooted in traditional Chinese medicine. Practitioners of this medicine believe that a person’s qi, or energy, must flow unhindered throughout the body so you can feel your best. When qi becomes stagnant, health problems occur. With Gua sha, your acupuncturist uses a smooth-edged tool to gently scrape areas of your body where inflammation or stagnant qi exist to help improve circulation and promote healing. When done correctly, Gua sha can help you unlock radiant skin and achieve holistic well-being. continue reading
Acupuncture for Orthopedic Pain
Orthopedic pain is a big deal for many Americans, and it comes in many different forms including knee, hip, shoulder, and other joint pain. Acupuncture has been proven an effective tool to deal with orthopedic pain…even Harvard Medical School thinks so. continue reading
Acupuncture & Athletes: A Winning Combination
Whether a weekend warrior or a seasoned semi-professional or professional competitor, athletes are always looking for that competitive edge, the thing that can keep them healthy and give them a bit more in the tank to defeat the competition.
Sports acupuncture is a great tool athletes can use as part of their overall health care strategy. Sports acupuncture is a hybrid form of acupuncture and sports medicine that is specifically used to support sports-related activity. Athletes and runners especially can use sports medicine acupuncture to relieve pain, accelerate the healing of sports related injuries, improve performance, and increase muscle flexibility. Let’s unpack each of these benefits and see just how sports acupuncture can be used to treat athletes. continue reading
Acupuncture is Great for Treating Chronic Pain
The National Institutes of Health estimates that approximately 25.3 million adults suffer from chronic pain (defined as experiencing pain every day for the preceding three months). They also estimate that nearly 40 million adults experience what is considered severe levels of pain.
Chronic pain can be debilitating for those suffering from it and directly impacts quality of life. People often treat chronic pain with anti-inflammatory medications (both prescription and over-the-counter), physical therapy, or with ice and heat, but those options don’t always provide long lasting relief. According to Harvard Medical School, “acupuncture is an option with a good track record that’s worth considering.” continue reading
Top 3 Reasons Acupuncture is Great for Seniors
As we get older, those aches and pains become a little more pronounced and life begins to create some new challenges. For many seniors, schedules become impacted with doctor’s appointments and trips to the pharmacy. If you haven’t tried acupuncture, here are three reasons you should give it a try as it can greatly help some of the greatest health challenges facing seniors today. continue reading
Acupuncture Wrapped: An overview of some of the most exciting discoveries in 2020
As we enter a new year, it is natural to want to look back on the last one. As humans, we have the gift and the hurdle of marking time, so it can feel helpful to recall memories we want to hold on to or look for lessons we can take with us.
To that end, here are three categories in which research into the type, application and efficacy of acupuncture saw significant advancements in 2020, findings that will certainly help guide us as we move forward. In a year that saw so much focus on our health, these findings offer some good news in the fields of pain management without opioids, migraine headaches, and insight into why it is that acupuncture is effective as an anti-inflammatory. continue reading
Natural Pain Relief Solutions for Sciatica
Sciatica is a general term for pain that radiates along the sciatic nerve, which is in the lower back. It is a common condition affecting roughly 3 million people annually.
Typical causes for sciatica are a herniated disc, bone spurs or even a tumor. These conditions press on the nerve, causing pain that radiates down the hips, buttocks, lower back, and/or the back of one or both legs. It is more common for sciatica to affect just one leg, and the pain may extend all the way to the foot.
In addition to pain, sciatica can cause numbness, tingling, weakness, or even a burning sensation in the affected area. It is not uncommon for individuals suffering from sciatica to catch their foot on the ground when walking.
Treatment Modalities
Sciatica is a treatable condition. Treatments for sciatica pain relief include massage, acupuncture, and herbal therapy. Holistic Alternatives can provide all of these forms of therapy and can tailor a plan using any combination of the three to address your pain.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can be a highly effective treatment for sciatica, addressing pain and symptoms without drugs or surgery. Scientific studies have shown that acupuncture has a total effective rate of over 80% in treating sciatica when used alone, a rate that increases when used in combination with herbal medicine. Acupuncture can address sciatica pain by lowering the levels of certain biochemicals in the body, reducing pain and inflammation. Benefits have been observed from treatments using both traditional acupuncture and electroacupuncture.
Acupuncture can have both immediate and long-lasting impacts on sciatica pain. In addition to reducing inflammation, acupuncture causes the body to release natural opioids, reducing the intensity of sciatica pain. Further, acupuncture has been shown to aid in the repair of nerve damage. Indeed, at least one meta-analysis of numerous studies of sciatica treatments has shown that acupuncture is more effective than medication in treating sciatica.
Massage Therapy
Massage therapy can be an effective means of reducing the pain of sciatica, with studies suggesting that massage can be more effective than non-steroidal anti-inflammatories in treating sciatica pain.
Massage can reduce muscle tension and lead to the release of natural endorphins, both leading to diminished pain. Massage therapy also improves blood circulation and reduces stress, further contributing to diminished pain and improving the body’s natural healing abilities.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal therapies have been used for thousands of years to treat sciatica pain as a part of traditional Chinese medicine. Herbal therapies have particularly measurable benefits in reducing pain from sciatica when combined with acupuncture. Studies have shown that a combination of acupuncture and herbal remedies can have a total effective rate of 95% in treating sciatica pain.
Qualified in all the above forms of therapy, Holistic Alternatives can offer a drug free, non-surgical means to sciatica pain relief.
Robert Lutz
L.Ac., LMT, Diplomate of Oriental Medicine
Contact Robert to schedule an appointment:
Texts welcome (727) 266-3000.
TCM practitioner for over 20 yrs:
- Licensed Acupuncturist
- Licensed Massage Therapist
- Diplomate of Oriental Medicine
- Reiki Master
- Ordained Interfaith Minister
- Optavia Coach
- Certified Nutritionist
- Certified Fitness Trainer
“I offer alternatives to harsh drugs & invasive procedures when practical & safe to do so. I believe in supporting the healing qualities & wisdom of your body. Clients receive quality care with uninterrupted attention for 60 minutes or longer per session.”
