Dr. Yu & Dr. Zhang - Acupuncture Clinic

Acupuncture Treatment What is Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that causes chronic inflammation of the joints. Rheumatoid arthritis can also cause inflammation of the tissue around the joints, as well as in other organs in the body. Autoimmune diseases are illnesses that occur when the body tissues are mistakenly attacked by its own immune system.

The immune system is a complex organization of cells and antibodies designed normally to "seek and destroy" invaders of the body, particularly infections. Patients with autoimmune diseases have antibodies in their blood that target their own body tissues, where they can be associated with inflammation. Because it can affect multiple other organs of the body, rheumatoid arthritis is referred to as a systemic illness and is sometimes called rheumatoid disease.

While rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic illness, meaning it can last for years, patients may experience long periods without symptoms. Typically, however, rheumatoid arthritis is a progressive illness that has the potential to cause joint destruction and functional disability.

Why should I seek treatment with Dr. Yu and Dr. Zhang?

Dr. Zhang herself has personally experienced the power of acupuncture in her treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis in March 2005 in Beijing. She was originally treated through the Western medical system which entailed pharmaceutical medications typically used to control rheumatoid arthritis. The medications (Methotrexate) had side effects that are damaging to the liver and kidney. In March 2008, Dr. Zhang had her first acupuncture treatment with Dr. Yu, and shortly afterward stopped her Western Medical treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. Within two months of having acupuncture treatments she had reduced swelling and pain relief. After three months of treatments she was symptom free and her ESR went down from 32 to 12. Her physical condition is markedly improved and she can now work eight hours a day pain free.

Unique three-needle therapy technique

Dr. Yu and Dr. Zhang have specially merged three Traditional Chinese Medicine techniques, called "Three needle combination", which is extremely effective at treating rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Currently, they are the only Traditional Chinese Medical Practitioners in British Columbia that practice this technique.

Acupuncture benefits for rheumatoid arthritis

Acupuncture is a really effective treatment for people who have rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis and will greatly improve overall state of health. Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners believe that deficiency of blood and liver, and kidney Qi deficiency are the main reasons for the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. Dr. Yu & Dr. Zhang's "Three needle combination" treatment not only helps reduce pain in these conditions but patients will also have increased energy, disappearance of physical fatigue and digestive function improvements as an added benefit.

Acupuncture Treatment What is Ankylosing Spondylitis?

Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of chronic inflammation of the spine and the sacroiliac joints. The sacroiliac joints are located in the low back where the sacrum (the bone directly above the tailbone) meets the iliac bones (bones on either side of the upper buttocks). Chronic inflammation in these areas causes pain and stiffness in and around the spine. Over time, chronic spinal inflammation (spondylitis) can lead to a complete cementing together (fusion) of the vertebrae, a process referred to as ankylosis. Ankylosis leads to loss of mobility of the spine.

Ankylosing spondylitis is also a systemic rheumatic disease, meaning it can affect other tissues throughout the body. Accordingly, it can cause inflammation in or injury to other joints away from the spine, as well as other organs, such as the eyes, heart, lungs, and kidneys. Ankylosing spondylitis shares many features with several other arthritis conditions, such as psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis, and arthritis associated with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Each of these arthritic conditions can cause disease and inflammation in the spine, other joints, eyes, skin, mouth, and various organs. In view of their similarities and tendency to cause inflammation of the spine, these conditions are collectively referred to as "spondyloarthropathies."

Ankylosing spondylitis is two to three times more common in males than in females. In women, joints away from the spine are more frequently affected than in men. Ankylosing spondylitis affects all age groups, including children. The most common age of onset of symptoms is in the second and third decades of life.

Unique three-needle therapy technique

Acupuncture benefits for ankylosing spondylitis

Spinal Discs The Facts on Herniated Disc (Slipped, Prolapsed, Ruptured Disc)

The spine is made up of bones called vertebrae. Between the bones of the spine are small discs or cartilage that are hard on the outside and soft and jelly-like on the inside. The discs act to absorb shocks caused when the spine moves. The spinal cord is a bundle of nerves running through the canal within the spinal column. It carries messages to and from the brain via nerve roots which branch out to the body along the length of the spinal cord. A herniated, prolapsed, or ruptured disc happens when the inner material bulges or bursts through the outer lining of cartilage, and irritates or may even damage the roots of spinal nerves. This irritation causes constant back and leg pain.

Herniated discs are common in people between 30 and 40 years old. People who spend a lot of time sitting, like truck drivers, or those who twist their back a lot, are the most likely to develop a herniated disc.

Causes of Herniated Disc

A disc can become weak with age or after an injury. The material inside the disc bulges through the outer lining of cartilage and presses on a spinal nerve, causing a herniated or prolapsed disc. When the material bursts through the outer lining of cartilage, it is called a ruptured disc.

Symptoms and Complications of Herniated Disc

A herniated disc causes pain, loss of feeling, tingling, or muscle weakness. The symptoms either come and go suddenly or are constant and last a long time. The amount of pressure the herniated disc puts on the spinal nerves determines how bad the symptoms will be. Coughing, laughing, sneezing, urinating, or straining while defecating make the pain of a herniated disc worse.

Most herniated discs are in the lower back and cause back and leg pain that won't go away. Intense pain that radiates down from the disc through the buttocks and down the leg to the foot is called sciatica. Intense pain below the knee is a sure sign of a herniated disc, since other back conditions don't cause pain below the knee. A herniated disc in the lower back can cause weakness in the legs and trouble lifting the front of your foot off the ground. If the herniated disc presses on nerves leading to the bladder and bowel, the person will have trouble defecating or urinating. Weakness of the muscles around the anus along with trouble controlling urination is a medical emergency and may need surgery on the herniated disc.

Herniated discs also happen fairly often in the neck (cervical spine). They cause pain in one arm, beginning with the armpit and upper shoulder blade, and traveling down the arm to one or two fingers. The pain can also be in the upper ridge and tip of the shoulder. Arm muscles can weaken, making it hard for someone to move their fingers.

How does Acupuncture work for the pain relief?

1. Gate-control theory of pain

The "gate control theory of pain" proposes that pain perception is not simply a direct result of activating pain fibers, but modulation by the interplay between excitation and inhibition of the pain pathways. According to the theory, the "gate of pain" is controlled by the inhibitory action on the pain pathways. That is, the perception of pain can be altered (gated on or off) by a number of means physiologically, psychologically and pharmacologically. The gate-control theory was developed through neuroscience research independent of acupuncture. Later the "gate control" mechanism was proposed to account for the hypothesized analgesic action of acupuncture in the brainstem reticular formation by a German neuroscientist in 1976.

This leads to the "theory of central control of pain gating", i.e. the pain blockade in the brain happens central to the brain rather than at the spinal cord or periphery. This occurs via the release of endogenous opioid (natural pain killers in the brain) neurohormones, such as endorphins and enkephalins (naturally occurring morphines).

2. Neurohormonal theory

Pain transmission can also be modulated at many other levels in the brain along the pain pathways, including the periaqueductal gray, thalamus, and the feedback pathways from the cerebral cortex back to the thalamus. Pain blockade at these brain locations is often mediated by neurohormones, especially those that bind to the opioid receptors (pain-blockade site).

Some studies suggest that the analgesic (pain-killing) action of acupuncture is associated with the release of natural endorphins in the brain. This effect can be inferred by blocking the action of endorphins (or morphine) using a drug called naloxone. When naloxone is administered to the patient, the analgesic effects of morphine can be reversed, causing the patient to feel pain again. When naloxone is administered to an acupunctured patient, the analgesic effect of acupuncture can also be reversed, causing the patient to report an increased level of pain. It should be noted, however, that studies using similar procedures, including the administration of naloxone, have suggested a role of endogenous opioids in the placebo response, demonstrating that this response is not unique to acupuncture.

One study performed on monkeys that recording the neural activity directly in the thalamus of the brain, indicated that acupuncture's analgesic effect lasted more than an hour. Furthermore, there is a large overlap between the nervous system and acupuncture trigger points (points of maximum tenderness) in myofascial pain syndrome.

Evidence suggests that the sites of action of analgesia associated with acupuncture include the thalamus using fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) and PET (positron emission tomography) brain imaging techniques, and via the feedback pathway from the cerebral cortex using electrophysiological recording of the nerve impulses of neurons directly in the cortex, which shows inhibitory action when acupuncture stimulus is applied. Similar effects have been observed in association with the placebo response. One study using fMRI found that placebo analgesia was associated with decreased activity in the thalamus, insula and anterior cingulate cortex.

Recently, acupuncture has been shown to increase the nitric oxide levels in treated regions, resulting in increased local blood circulation. Effects on local inflammation and ischemia have also been reported.

Why should you choose Dr. Yu and Dr. Zhang as your primary acupuncturists?

Dr. Yu has over 20 years experience treating spinal and joint disorders with acupuncture. He has also completed multiple research studies specializing in this field. Dr. Yu also published a book specific to the prevention and treatment of spinal disorders called "Disc Herniation - Prevention and Treatment" (in Chinese). In light of his knowledge and understanding about disc herniation, he discovered a group acupuncture points that effectively and quickly relieve pain and assists the healing of the herniated discs and other spinal disorders much faster than the routine treatment. He named the special group of acupuncture points the "ten point treatment". He also uses special combination of herbs that he wraps the patients affected area after the acupuncture treatment to boost the healing process. A spinal disorder acupuncture treatment lasts between 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Regardless if the disc herniation is recent, long term or post-operative, the "ten point treatment" is effective and quick. It takes approximately 10 to 20 sessions to completely treat the problem. Preventative exercise and daily life style factors to reduce re-injury will be taught individually to each patient.

Dr. Zhang was trained at a different university than Dr. Yu in Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture, and comes with additional knowledge and expertise that complement Dr. Yu's training. They work together sharing their knowledge with each other to ensure each patient gets individual care and the most complete and effective acupuncture techniques and treatments. Both Dr. Yu and Dr. Zhang have many years experience and knowledge effectively treating patients using acupuncture they have thousands of patients that have trusted them with their care.

Hair Loss Treatment What is the normal cycle of hair growth and loss?

The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 6 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter (less than half an inch) per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 2 to 3 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.

It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children.

What causes excessive hair loss?

A number of things can cause excessive hair loss. For example, about 3 or 4 months after an illness or a major surgery, you may suddenly lose a large amount of hair. This hair loss is related to the stress of the illness and is temporary

Hormonal problems may cause hair loss. If your thyroid gland is overactive or underactive, your hair may fall out. This hair loss usually can be helped by treating the thyroid disease. Hair loss may occur if male or female hormones, known as androgens and estrogens, are out of balance. Correcting the hormone imbalance may stop your hair loss.

Many women notice hair loss about 3 months after they've had a baby. This loss is also related to hormones. During pregnancy, high levels of certain hormones cause the body to keep hair that would normally fall out. When the hormones return to pre-pregnancy levels, that hair falls out and the normal cycle of growth and loss starts again.

Some medicines can cause hair loss. This type of hair loss improves when you stop taking the medicine. Medicines that can cause hair loss include blood thinners (also called anticoagulants), medicines used for gout, medicines used in chemotherapy to treat cancer, vitamin A (if too much is taken), birth control pills and antidepressants.

Certain infections can cause hair loss. Fungal infections of the scalp can cause hair loss in children. The infection is easily treated with antifungal medicines.

Finally, hair loss may occur as part of an underlying disease, such as lupus or diabetes. Since hair loss may be an early sign of a disease, it is important to find the cause so that it can be treated.

What is common baldness?

The term "common baldness" usually means male-pattern baldness, or permanent-pattern baldness. Male-pattern baldness is the most common cause of hair loss in men. Men who have this type of hair loss usually have inherited the trait. Men who start losing their hair at an early age tend to develop more extensive baldness. In male-pattern baldness, hair loss typically results in a receding hair line and baldness on the top of the head.

Women may develop female-pattern baldness. In this form of hair loss, the hair can become thin over the entire scalp.

Our Unique Acupuncture Techniques Can Stop Hair Loss and Help Hair Re-growth

Dr. Yu was trained by a master instructor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) who found a group points and special acupuncture techniques that assisted in the re-growth of hair in all types of hair-loss. Dr. Yu is the only TCM doctor in Vancouver trained in this special hair re-growth technique. These treatments not only stimulate re-growth of hair, but also treat the hair follicles that originally caused the hair loss so that they are healthy and functional. After only 3 months of treatment, hair growth will occur and the patient will in general feel much healthier and have more energy.