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Treating Sjogren’s Syndrome with Integrative Medicine

By Iva Lim Peck

Dallas, March 6, 2014…As published in D Magazine, Online Edition, Dallas/Ft. Worth Healthcare Daily, The Business of Healthcare in North Texas

Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease wherein the body’s white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands in the body. These glands are primarily the tear and salivary glands. It is estimated that as many as 10 million people worldwide have this disease. While it attacks all ethnic and racial groups, estimates say that 90 percent of its victims are female and that symptoms began in their 40s.

If you have received a diagnosis that you have Sjogren’s syndrome, you may actually be quite fortunate. With standard medical tests,it generally takes about six years to come up with a proper diagnosis. Symptoms are not consistent from person to person, and there is a complex set of problems that may lead a person on a wild goose chase from doctor to doctor, trying to cure or manage a small segment of the overall package of symptoms. Using integrated medical protocols to differentiate will determine the cause so as to provide more thorough non-invasive treatments in managing the progress and relief of the disease more effectively.

Very often the early warning signs are dryness, pain, and fatigue. The Classic Sicca symptoms are: dry, gritty eyes; dry mouth; dry skin and rashes; dry cough; vaginal dryness; joint or muscle pain; sore tongue or throat; swollen glands; thyroid problems; and overall tiredness and feeling lethargic.

Unfortunately, seeking medical attention for one or two of these symptoms veryoften leads patient to go from one specialist to another, each of whom addresses a part of the problem. Without incorporating and attending to the other symptoms, the patient may develop additional complications, such as pneumonia, pancreatitis, and vasculitis. Untreated or diagnosed improperly could lead to further complications, such as severe abdominal pain; swollen lymph nodes; eye sores or pain; jaundice; or persistent cough with colored phlegm. Each of these might be perceived as separate and distinct health issues, instead of seeing them as a dynamic, interactive group of health culprits.

In the standard conventional healthcare model, the only treatment used for autoimmune diseases is total immune suppression, e.g., Cortisone or drugs that shut down immune functions. There are different protocols for diagnosing and treating patients. Western practitioners tend to specialize in a particular problem, such as those who treat allergies, or those who specialize in eyes and ocular issues, or those who treat arthritis. The system of treatment tends to rely on drugs and even surgery. The worst scenario is to surgically remove the thymus gland.

Standard tests are often run before a proper assessment can be done to reach an accurate diagnosis. Blood tests with CBC and differentials is absolutely necessary to determine blood glucose levels; evidence of inflammation; signs and symptoms indicating liver and/or kidney problems. Others might be eye tests, chest x-rays, imaging of the salivary glands, urine analysis, and biopsies of the gum to confirm the clusters of inflamed cells.

Alternative medicine definitely has more treatment options. The model of simply fixing the gut, stabilizing the blood sugar level, balancing the hormones, taking enough essential fatty acids and anti-inflammatory protocols, and so forth, are effective. However, they are not any different than treating any type of autoimmune disorders.

The major deficiency is actually how to actively identify the autoimmune mechanism.In order to figure out the autoimmune mechanism, one must dissect the person’s cytokines production and the breakdown of T cells and B Cells to figure out what’s going on with the immune patterns.

By contrast, integrated medical practitioners treat the whole body as a single system and work with interdependent, oscillating energies and seek to achieve balance and integration of the entire body. There are natural, non-invasive, and wholistic approaches that incline toward discovering the imbalances, and integrate to correct them through diet and nutrition, exercise, acupuncture, massage, and individual customized education.

One of the basic theories of oriental medicine, used in the integrated model, is that of yin and yang. The foundation is to view the body as a microcosm of nature, one that seeks homeostasis or balance. The theories and patterns of movement and interaction are quite complex, and it is not within the bounds of this article to fully describe or explain them.

While Yin and yang are oppositional, they are also interdependent, each always containing a bit of the other within and, together, they strive to be in a constant state of dynamic balance. When they go out of balance, the vital life force energy may be pooling, stagnating, or flowing in the wrong direction in the body’s innate energy pathway.

The role of an acupuncturist, for example, is to detect where the energies are out of balance and use acupuncture points to redirect the body’s energies in such a way that they “self correct.” (This is just a small piece of the process.)

While this concept of yin and yang interacts dramatically and in a complex way with other systems in the body, and the practitioner uses these concepts in the diagnosis, along with integrating other treatment protocols, we can see that this would tend to take a person’s entire physiology into consideration. By analyzing, evaluating, and diagnosing from a vast menu of tests and data, a treatment plan is developed to address the interaction of all conditions in the system that signal disharmony.

In addition to various acupuncture protocols, an integrated medical practitioner might incorporate other treatments, over time, to treat Sjogren’s syndrome. These could include, but are not limited to: pain and stress management with acupuncture, allergy elimination and desensitization, neuro-emotional technique to address domino effects of emotional complexes, enzyme and nutritional recommendations for digestive disorders, herbs and supplements to support the overall excess or deficiencies, and
last but not least, homeopathy to address the totality of each person’s individual make up, in an attempt to communicate with the psychological and spiritual components as well as the physical essence of the person.

With the variety of symptoms that encompass Sjogren’s syndrome, it is very important to have a plan and a practitioner who works with full oversight and a set of complimentary skills under one roof, so to speak. For anyone who feels they may have Sjogren’s Syndrome, there are excellent resources in terms of support groups in the greater Dallas area. Having support and sharing information—and having a positive attitude—contribute to positive outcomes.

Credentialed in both Eastern and Western modalities of medicine, Iva Lim Peck is a co-founder of the Integrated Center for Oriental Medicine in Plano.

Wellness Check Online

Online Wellnesss CheckThe quick and easy Wellness Check only takes 2-3 minutes to complete.

The results are automatically calculated and a printable report is created for you to give to your practitioner.

Complete your wellness check now, print your results and bring them in to us for evaluation.

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Second Book by Dr. Richard Peck Now Available

Dr. Richard Peck has recently published his second book “Ancient Travels”.   This book continues the story of Master Liu and is devoted student Pei Ke.   Read the full summary below or order your copy today.

Ancient Knowledge by Richard Peck, acupuncturistAncient Knowledge

Continuation of a Discourse Between a Master and His Student on Acupuncture and Chinese Martial Arts

In Ancient Knowledge, the mission and lives of Master Liu and his devoted student Pei Ke continue to evolve. The adventure escalates, the emotions rise, and the interactions require more complex responses as acupuncture and the Chinese martial arts of Tai Chi Chuan, Pa Kua Chang, and Hsing-Yi Chuan continue to be woven throughout the story.

Learn how daily activities like eating and food choice impact our organs and psyche. Explore how the simple yet complex concept of Yin and Yang relates to conditions such as stress, insomnia, headaches, back and shoulder pain, infertility, menstrual problems, and other internal issues and what we can do to resolve them.

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Acupuncture Effective in Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

According to a randomized, controlled study published in the May 2009 issue of the Clinical Journal of Pain, acupuncture is as effective as the corticosteroid, prednisone, for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).

The study investigated the efficacy of acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as measured by both nerve conduction studies and symptom assessment surveys. One group received eight acupuncture treatments over four weeks, and the other group received daily oral doses of prednisone for four weeks.

Results showed that acupuncture was just as effective as the corticosteroid for pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. For the symptoms of night time awakening and motor function, the acupuncture group had better results.

Researchers concluded that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment option for CTS for those who experience side effects to oral steroids or for those who do not wish to undergo surgery.

Happy Chinese New Year!

acupuncturist plano txIn the Chinese Zodiac, 2013 is the year of the Snake. It begins on February 10th. The Snake is the sixth of twelve animal signs. It follows the Dragon which was last year and precedes the Horse which is next year.

The Snake is a symbol of wisdom. Careful and patient, the Snake is adept at spotting new opportunities and possesses the skills needed to act quickly on them when they arise. More reserved and introspective, the Snake does not seek recognition or attention, but is deceptively powerful when faced with a challenge. If you were born in the years 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989 or 2001 you would have these underlying traits.

Regardless of when you were born we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Successful, Prosperous and Healthy New Year. Thank you for putting your trust in our services. We look forward to providing you and your family with the best possible care.

All the best to you and your family,

Richard & Iva

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