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Archive for April 3rd, 2010

Doctor Oz and Other Docs That Like Acupuncture

Posted in Health and Wellness, Traditional Chinese Medicine, tagged , , , , , on April 3, 2010 | 1 Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Acupuncture

I started getting acupuncture years ago when I had chronic sinus infections. Antibiotics would help temporarily but then the infection would come back. In desperation I finally gave a friend’s recommendation a try and went to an Acupuncturist. Back then, Acupuncture was not allowed in Illinois unless practiced by a medical doctor or chiropractor. But I wanted the real deal so I went to a Doctor of Oriental Medicine (OMD), who had studied medicine in China. She read my tongue and my pulse and then told me to lay down and close my eyes as she

inserted tiny needles into my face and head.  She also counseled me to cut back on dairy and take some Chinese herbs for my sinuses. My infection did not go away entirely after one treatment but I felt a lot better,. In a few weeks of no dairy and taking Chinese herbs, I my sinuses were fine and I soon began to use Acupuncture for other ailments and stress relief.

In 1997, the State of Illinois also decided acupuncture was a legitimate medical treatment and made it legal for OMD

‘s and acupuncturists to practice without a Western medical license. For a complete text of the Illinois Acupuncture Practice Act click here. As time goes on more and more medical doctors are also endorsing Acunpuncture as a legitimate health care treatment. See what Dr. Oz has to say about it in a post from Acupuncture Blog Chicago.

The Houston Chronicle recently published The You Docs: Why we still like ancient acupuncture By Michael Riizen, M.D.and Mehmet OZ, M.D. Here are a few excerpts from the article.

“What do Cher, Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and Titan, the world’s tallest dog, have in common? Like more than 20 million Americans and Canadians, they’re on pins and needles.

It’s been around thousands of years, but it’s backed by an impressive body of 21st-century research. Often, acupuncture can help when drugs can’t be tolerated or when conventional treatments fail.

Here’s what acupuncture clearly has been shown to help so far:

• Peaceful sleep. Just months ago, a Hong Kong University study of 60 insomniacs found that those who got acupuncture fell asleep faster and were more likely to stay that way than those who got a fake version of the treatment.

• Relief from arthritis. British researchers who analyzed five studies of 1,334 people with bum knees have confirmed that acupuncture relieves debilitating joint pain related to arthritis.

• Squelching pain. In a landmark German study of 1,162 back-pain sufferers, twice as many got relief from acupuncture as from conventional fixes such as drugs or physical therapy. Acupuncture also has been proven at least as effective as pain drugs not only for treating migraines, but for preventing them, too.

• Reducing treatment side effects. Dozens of studies show that acupuncture helps quell pain, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes and dry mouth in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation.

• How can one therapy do so much? Eastern and Western medical philosophies merge when a licensed acupuncturist inserts those sterile, disposable needles into your skin. Eastern practitioners say the needles remove blockages so that the body’s energy, called qi, flows freely. Western science shows that acupuncture boosts levels of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory chemicals called endorphins in the brain and bloodstream. And that changes how your nerve impulses flow.”

To read the entire article click here

To read more of Dr. Oz’s thoughts about acupuncture click here

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Happy National Workplace Wellness Week! (April 5-11)

Posted in Health and Wellness, Massage Therapy, Workplace Wellness, tagged , , , , on April 3, 2010 | Leave a Comment »

By Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Licensed Massage Therapist, Certified Wellness Coach, ACSM Personal Trainer

Worksite Wellness Programs Increases Productivity and Employee Retention

This coming week is National Workplace Wellness Week!  And no, it’s not just another Hallmark Holiday,  it’s a government resolution to promote workplace wellness.

History of Workplace Wellness Week

In 2008, the the U.S. House of Representatives passed a federal resolution creating National Workplace Wellness Week. The resolution, which was endorsed by the American Heart Association (AHA), Chamber of Commerce, Partnership for Prevention and many other groups, designated the first full week of April as “National Workplace Wellness Week.” During this week, private and public employers across the country are encouraged to invest in the health of their employees by creating worksite employee health promotion programs, or by sharing their worksite wellness experiences with other employers.

Workplace Wellness Statistics

The American Heart Association offers a handy fact sheet with some alarming statistics on workplace wellness:

· Health care costs in the United States doubled from 1990 to 2001 and are expected to double again by 2012

· Chronic illnesses affect more than a third of working-age Americans and the costs associated with chronic diseases account for approximately 75 percent of the nation’s annual health care costs

· Over 130 million Americans are employed across the United States and since a significant part of their day is spent at work, comprehensive, culturally sensitive health promotion within the workplace is essential to maintain and improve the nation’s health

· Nearly 60 percent of employers’ after-tax profits are spent on corporate health benefits. An estimated 25-30 percent of companies’ medical costs per year are spent on employees with excess health risk. That contrasts to three decades ago when only seven percent of corporate profits paid for health costs

· Addressing risk factors early can make a difference. For example, $5.6 billion in heart disease costs could be saved if one-tenth of Americans began a regular walking program

· Employer spending on health promotion and chronic disease prevention is a good business investment. Programs have achieved a rate of return on investment ranging from $3 to $15 for each dollar invested with savings realized between 12 and 18 months

National Workplace Wellness Week starts on April 5th and offers a new approach to some old stubborn problems that employers and employees face related to costs, health, productivity and morale, to mention a few. This information can help any company and can help them to take action to conquer their own health and wellness issues.

Get Well With Working Well Massage

One way to help employees reduce stress, increase productivity and computational skills and reduce muscle tension is to bring in Licensed Massage Therapists from Working Well Massage to give staff members a short chair massage.  Massage is an easy, cost effective way for employers to kick off or inject new energy into a workplace wellness initiative.

If your company already has a workplace massage program, tell us what you like about it! How has it benefited you?

if your company does not provide employees with massages, ask your Human Resources Department to look into it. You, and your fellow staff members, will be glad you did! For information on setting up a workplace wellness program including massage therapy, go to our website.

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