Human Touch recently welcomed two-time U.S. Open Champion, Retief Goosen, to our Wellness Council. Mr. Goosen’s long list of professional accomplishments include being in the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking for over 250 weeks, titles of 2001 and 2004 US Open Champion, and 34 professional wins. In 2019, Mr. Reteif Goosen was also elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Known to his fans as "The Goose," Retief is married and has 2 children. Off the course Retief is passionate about his award-winning Goose Wine collection and also his passion for golf course design.

A long-time advocate of Human Touch massage chairs, Retief Goosen was a natural fit for the Human Touch Wellness Council. We spoke to him briefly about his experience with his new Novo XT Massage Chair so far, and he was excited to share this feedback:

“I have been using massage chairs from Human Touch for a number of years, and just recently upgraded to the Novo XT which offers a higher performance of massage and stretching than any other massage chair out there. 

I feel that use of the Novo XT helps me with flexibility and relaxation; not only after a week of playing professional golf, but also with the general stresses and strains that day to day life often brings. The therapeutic massage can also fit with any requirements as it can be customized to exactly where and what pressure suit your current lifestyle. 

When I am at home, I use my Novo XT every day. It helps to recharge my body and fits in perfectly with daily life. With being a professional golfer, I feel that one of the most important parts of my training is stretching, and the Novo XT is able to help with keeping me supple.  It definitely helps me recover when I come back from a week of traveling and playing golf.

Thank You Human Touch,

-Retief”

Written by: Dr. Hoon C Kim, Acupuncturist and Human Touch Wellness Council Member
Image by: Henri Pham
 

No matter how much I emphasize the importance of breathing, it won’t be enough. Breathing is the base of our bodily engine system and enables us to live. Therefore, most people think they know how to breathe and it is then easily neglected, but here I want you to know of the right way of breathing, and the benefit of it.

In Chinese, the air is called kong qi – which is a spatial energy or energy from the space. Ancient Chinese must have known the importance of breathing; breathing is absorbing the vital energy from the universe.

There are plenty of books and articles of lower chakra, or Dan Tian breathing in Indian yogic practice and qigong; both put an enormous emphasis on abdominal breathing, or deep breathing.

Look at a baby or your dogs. How do they breathe? They breathe deep and comfortable with stomach region, and it seems so natural and easy.

Then why do most people forget this breathing, which we once all did?

As we grow old with stresses - anger, frustration, fear or anxiety- we became a shallow chest breather because of fight-or-flight response, which depends on chest breathing for quick, short bursts of oxygen. Eventually the body gets used to this shallow breathing.

What is this stress?

This type of stress is an animal instinct of fight or flight response, and acts as a self-defense system.

Under this type of stress, your body will need more energy so that heart beats will become faster and your breathing also will become faster and shorter to supply more blood to the muscles of limbs, and not the brain and digestive system. Therefore this stress can cause you to have headaches, stomachaches, muscle pain, sleep disorders, fatigue and so on.

So now imagine you have a body that perceives itself to be in stress all the time… your body will need that short breathing and sometime later your body will keep that breathing pattern, and this activates the body’s stress response system unnecessarily, emitting stress-related hormones.

How to evaluate your stress level:

1. Your head feels heavy and cloudy, and you get tired frequently
2. You get dizzy frequently
3. You have stiffness and pain in the neck
4. Your tongue has more white coating on it than usual
5. You have indigestion such as bloating, gas, belching and so on
6. Shoulders feel heavy, and you have tension with upper back and knee pain
7. When you get up in the morning, you still feel tired and heavy so your day starts sluggish
8. It is hard to focus on the work
9. It is hard to fall asleep
10. You have heart palpitations and cold extremities
11. You tend to avoid social meetings and a crowd of people

Normal: 0-3;
Moderate: 4-6;
Serious: 7+ (Necessitates a change in your lifestyle)

How to remove stress by changing your breathing pattern:

1. First take two-three deep breaths, exhaling fully through the mouth. Then slowly breathe in while expanding your lower abdomen to the count of 4. Then slowly breathe out while contracting your lower abdomen to the count of 4. Focus on breathing rhythmically and try not to move your chest.

2. Inhale through your nose to a count of 4 and exhale either through your mouth or the nose to a count of 4 and then pause for a count of 2.

As you become more comfortable with this breathing, you can increase the length of time of inhalation, exhalation and the pauses between them.

Practice this breathing for 10-15 minutes twice a day in the morning after you wake up, and in the evening before you go to bed and also at any time during the day (except immediately after meals). Though simple, if practiced regularly, this exercise can greatly benefit the health of your mind and body.

Bernadette Johnson, Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at Greenwich hospital, also offers these four easy steps to break the stress cycle:

1. Stop what you’re doing.

2. Breathe using your stomach (abdominal breathing) for a few deep breaths, allowing your gut to expand with air. Do not breathe using the chest, which most of us do normally. Count 1 to 4 while inhaling, then count down from 4 to 1. You should inhale through the nose and exhale from the mouth, but you can do whatever is comfortable.

3. Think about the cause of your stress, deliberating its importance in the scheme of things. For example, a computer crashes and you get angry. Clearly, seething won’t change or resolve the situation.

4. Rectify the problem with a viable solution.

Learn how 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist, Misty May-Treanor, uses her Novo XT massage chair to relax.

By: Dr. James Rouse, Naturopathic Physician and Human Touch Wellness Council Member

Just about this time of the year there is an ever increasing number of people who are falling into the support group called “not quite there” when it comes to feeling good about their New Year’s intentions. Research shows that most of our goals and resolutions tend to be fading fast by the end of January,as well as our confidence in ourselves to raise our quality of lifeto a level that reflects our true potential.

Is that you too?

Please do not despair, or think about ways you should be better by being harder on yourself…there is a possibly a better and more grace-filled path to success for you.

Massage.

Yup, I bet you didn’tsee that coming. As a clinician and a researcher, the science is clear and inspiring that giving yourself the gift of massage may be one of the most powerful paths to resurrecting your confidence that you do have what it takes to realize your mission for 2018 and beyond. Here’s how:

Massage rocks our resolutions by supporting the levels of powerful chemicals associated with success, happiness and health. First off, massage helps to keep the stress hormone cortisol in check-which in turn helps to serve our overall peace and balance. I believe we all achieve more under the influence of greater ease and grace - moving from stressed to blessed.

I have a wonderful knowing in my heart that “we” are also much better equipped to reach our peak when we are maintaining optimum levels of serotonin, the chemical associated with greater happiness, calm and centeredness, and massage may help to support this “check up from the neck up” too.

And lastly, we all tend to do better and realize more of our potential when we are feeling more motivated, confident and focused-this is the job description of dopamine, another chemical that is supported with massage.

You are here to create a life you love. If you are ready to allow the gift of massage to serve and support the highest expression of you…choose to allow massage to touch your mission and lift your vision to make 2018 the best year of your life yet!

Check out this helpful video from Dr. James Rouse on how to use massage to keep your New Years Intentions.

The current nature of Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) doesn’t give way to much familiarity. Most try to liken it to cryotherapy or sensory deprivation float tanks. Though they bare similarities, HBOT is completely different. HBOT is a non-invasive medical treatment of delivering a large amount of oxygen under pressure. That influx of oxygen supports rapid healing in the body during the session and in days after. But it’s not common place and our treatment chambers can look a bit intimidating, so we have made every effort to practice HBOT in an environment that is peaceful and relaxing. Our Human Touch® Perfect Chairs® really make the experience.  Immediately, our patients are transported out of the grind of their lives and on a mini va-ca, into a spa where every need was thought of and met before the patient had to ask. The Perfect Chair is their first introduction to our place. We recline them, take vital signs, and walk them through the treatment. Our regulars stake claim to their favorite chair, colonizing them with their personal items, customizing the settings and regaling the newbies about their first time. This chatter helps; new patients tend to sink into their chair more at ease and all you see after a while are two pairs of feet in the air from a deep recline, like two white flags surrendering to the process, ready for treatment.

Once settled inside, the pure oxygen lulls most everyone to sleep. For good reason, your body wants to utilize the surge of oxygen. When the body is put under pressure, oxygen is able to be dissolved in to your blood at a much higher rate (Henry's Law). Oxygen is needed to make ATP which is cellular energy or cellular cash and just like every good capitalist society, cash is king, and your body goes right to work spending it. While the patient sleeps, cellular contractors are putting in bids and molecular architects are submitting plans. Every project is approved in this oxygen rich environment and the work begins without delay! Teams begin repairing soft tissue, building new blood vessels, stimulating the growth of stem cells, reducing inflammation/swelling, enhancing immune functioning, improving neurocognitive functions, fortifying bone tissue and more. All the patient has to do is breathe.

After 90 minutes, the patient is brought out of the chamber and welcomed back into our tranquil place. With all the changes their body undergoes, they experience disorientation and the feeling of being high. We guide them to take refuge back in a Perfect Chair. There is no better way to transition them back to real life. We preheat the chair with the jade infrared heat and have a tray with warm moist towels ready for them. The infrared heat improves lymphatic flow and increases circulation of blood deep in the tissues, helping to clear out any leftover waste from all the projects. Once they are nestled in, we recline them and let them re-acclimate slowly. This pause is paramount. The body needs to rest and readjust back to the oxygen poor environment. Once the patient feels like they are back down to earth, they are given vitamins and sent on their way. Routinely, patients will call us just to tell us about how great they feel even days later.

Our goal is to transport people away from the hustle of real life to a tranquil escape. We are reintroducing what healthcare is supposed to look like. It is our belief when people are placed in an environment rooted in patient first care, they actually heal. And that reintroduction starts and ends with the Perfect Chair. From the moment they sit down, they know we have invested in their comfort. The Perfect chair is not just a design choice, it is the treatment. The perfect bookends to a restorative hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment.

© Craig Berry/flickr.com

PonyApp Pro-Tips brought to you by Human Touch^® Super Novo.

We’ve come a long way from the days when riding was considered an exclusive, country pursuit, usually accompanied by corseted ladies in sidesaddle, plenty of tweed, and a healthy dose of sherry and whiskey. More and more today, equestrian competition is being recognized as the sport that it is by the general public, but we, as riders, often fail to recognize the other half of that equation. Riders are athletes, and we need to think about our sport, and how we train for it, like any other athlete would.

“Riders are athletes, and we need to think about our sport, and how we train for it, like any other athlete would.”

At the top of that list: taking a more holistic approach to the way we care for ourselves in and out of the ring, from our diet and exercise program, to the way we incorporate wellness techniques for the mind and body—be that through mediation and yoga, acupuncture and massage, or something else entirely.

So just why is thinking big-picture about health and wellness critical to a rider’s overall performance? For that, we caught up with Dr. Drew DeMann, a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in Primary Care Sports Medicine at Manhattan Medicine in New York. Here, Dr. DeMann shares four reasons why taking a holistic approach to your training can help you hack your health, in and out of the saddle.

1. It can help you prevent injuries.
“If you don’t look at things holistically, and you just look at [pain] like ‘it’s a knee’, or ‘it’s a shoulder’, or ‘it’s a back’, often you miss the big-picture on how people get hurt,” explains Dr. DeMann. “You could be presenting [in my office] with knee pain because your hips are too tight, or because your back is too tight.” The goal: treating these associated areas with something like massage or physical therapy before there’s a sports performance issue.   

2. It can help you eat the absolute right way.
You know what they say: you are what you eat. Ask any top rider and they’re likely to tell you that looking at your diet holistically, as an extension of your training program, can have a positive impact on your performance. From Dr. DeMann’s perspective, it’s just good common sense. “From a nutrition standpoint, it’s super important, because if you don’t [eat in a healthy way], you’re going to wind up with nutritional deficiencies over time.”

3. It can help you get your head right.
“Sports doctors can tell, when patients come in the office, who’s more likely to get better and who’s not, almost [based entirely] on their attitude,” says Dr. DeMann, who notes that taking steps to ensure your mental wellness is as fine-tuned as your physical health is essential. “If you tell your brain that you’re healthy, your brain will produce chemicals that will make you healthy. If you tell your brain that you’re sick, or that you’re not functioning properly, your brain will fulfill that outcome.”

4. It can help you train better.
Let’s face it, it’s a lot harder to maximize that hour in the gym or be the best you can be for the horse you’re riding in the moment when you wake up every day feeling stiff and uncomfortable from the training you’ve done the day before. For that, Dr. DeMann says, incorporating a massage program can be especially beneficial. “When you exercise anaerobically—as in, you’re training—you produce something called lactic acid. Lactic acid can get cleared out of the muscles, and [that’s when] you get post-exercise soreness,” he explains. “Massage increases blood flow to the muscle, and releases a lot of that lactic acid back into your lymphatic system, and that helps you to function a little more normally.”

Function more normally and ride a whole lot better. Who can argue with that?

The new Human Touch^® Super Novo is a specially designed chair that delivers three dimensional massage along the entire length of your spine and all the way down to the thighs. What’s more, the Super Novo offers Mediation and Yoga Studio programs to help you achieve a relaxed state of being pre- or post-ride— it’s even (Amazon) Alexa compatible! For more information, visit: humantouch.com/supernovo.

  WRITTEN BY
 The PonyApp
  The fastest-growing horse network, PonyApp is a platform built to better
  connect the global equestrian community to horses and to each other!
  Download PonyApp or visit theponyapp.com.

Guest post from our friends at Massagers-And-More!

Are you interested in buying a massage chair, but confused silly with all the different options out there? Not to worry, I was in your shoes about a year ago. With not enough resources and information, I’d find myself tirelessly scavenging the net comparing one chair to another. Safe to say that all paid off!

Since then my fascination for massage chairs has grown tremendously. I’ve written detailed reviews on 30 odd chairs, and continue to do so as new chairs get released.

The below 6 considerations are what I personally used/followed when I purchased my massage chair. Whenever friends or family ask me “what to look for when buying a massage chair,” these are the points I recommend.

Even though some items on this list may seem subjective, it’s worth paying attention to. Without further ado!

What To Look for When Buying a Massage Chair 

#1 Price $$$$$!

Massage chairs aren’t exactly cheap, and even the cheapest of chairs will run you a solid $400-500 easy. The higher end chairs can go up to the $10K mark!

With these kinds of prices, you definitely need to know how to buy a massage chair.

And if you haven’t purchased a chair before or even know what features to look for, you can spend a lot of money on a chair that you don’t really need.

Which is why it’s so important to get a handle on budget!

You must ask yourself the following questions specifically:

1. How much am I willing to spend in total? Total means everything i.e., shipping, install fees, taxes etc.
2. How do I wish to pay? Typically, you can either finance the chair (most places offer 0% interest) over a period of several months, or you can pay the entire amount in one shot.

It’s important that you have a clear understanding of this before even looking at anything else. If you’re having difficulty coming up with a budget, just remember there’s no right or wrong answer. It’s about what you’re most comfortable spending.

If you’re okay spending $3K, fine. If you’re okay spending $6K, awesome. If you’re okay spending $500, swell!

If you have your budget nailed down, that’s it. Many people tend to budge from their set budget. Don’t be one of those people! Set yourself a budget!

But also, be realistic with what your budget will get you.

A $500 chair is going to have the most basic features. You’ll definitely still have a chair that gives you a nice massage, but don’t expect the same features in a $500 chair you’d find in a $3,000 chair. It's just not going to happen.

Set yourself a budget and tame those expectations if your budget is low.

What Do You Get When You Pay for a High-end Massage Chair?

High-end chairs fall within the $2,500 - $4,000 range, and when you sit in one of the more expensive chairs, you really notice the difference of:

• Smoother massage
• Additional massage functions
• Advanced roller systems

You really need to know what to look for in a massage chair when focusing on the high-end market because they have a ton of additional features, such as lumbar heating, massage programs, leg and foot massage and so much more.

And you’ll find a lot of different roller systems, too.

#2 Roller System: 2D, 3D, or 4D?

Once you’ve determined your budget, next step is to decide on a roller system. As of 2022, there are 3 types of roller technologies to choose from:

2D Rollers

2D rollers are the oldest technology you can find on a massage chair. They move in 2 dimensions i.e., up and down along the length of the back, and side to side across the width of the back.

3D Rollers

Basically, a step up from 2D rollers. In addition to the horizontal and vertical movements, 3D rollers can also protrude in/out. This additional dimension makes 3D rollers capable of performing deep tissue massage.

4D Rollers

The most technologically advanced roller system you can find on a massage chair. 4D rollers are the exact same as 3D, but with one major difference: roller speed control is automatic in a 4D system. In a 3D system, roller speed is something you must manually adjust.

So, does that mean you should only buy a chair with 4D rollers?

Absolutely not! 4D is the best money can buy, no question, but 3D and 2D chairs are not far behind. What’s more is the incredible industry experience around 2D rollers. Because 2D technology has been around for decades, massage chair manufacturers truly understand how to get the most out of this technology.

What’s the catch?

It’s simple. It all boils down to intensity. If you’re specifically looking for a chair capable of massaging at high intensities, consider a 3D or 4D chair. If intensity isn’t a concern for you, pick a 2D chair!

Human Touch Super Novo: Our first 4D chair. The Super Novo offers 3D and 4D massage, fingertip controls, virtual therapist, S- and L-track massage and much more!

Want to learn more about rollers and what you can expect from them? Be sure to read through our in-depth guide on 2D vs 3D vs 4D rollers.

#3 Roller Track

In point #2 we discussed the different roller technologies, that’s only one half of the equation. The other half has to do with roller track. What is roller track anyways?

Roller track talks about the distance a set of rollers will follow.

For example, there are some massage chairs with rollers that can only travel from neck to tailbone (30-32’’), and then there are other chairs whose rollers can travel all the way to the hamstrings (47-52’’).

The longer the track, the better the massage!

If you’re able to afford it, I recommend you always go for a chair with an extended roller track. The extra roller coverage makes a world of difference when it comes to massaging the glutes and hamstrings.

Human Touch iJoy Total Massage: A perfect option for anyone in the under $1,000 massage chair range!

#4 User Flexibility

This is something that often gets overlooked. If people paid more attention to this one thing, they’d end up saving so much time and money!

User flexibility is about how well a massage chair can accommodate users with varying heights and weights.

If you’re buying online, this becomes especially important to consider. If you’re buying offline, it’s still important, but not as much because you would have sat and tried the chair out.

No 2 chairs are the same!

And as such user flexibility can tend to vary from one chair to another. For example, chair X may be designed to fit in small, tight spaces, so as a result, it can only accommodate a height range of 5’0-6’0 ft. Chair Y on the other hand is designed to fit taller folks and has a height range of 5’2-6’4 ft. The same thing applies for weight.

Remember to check the height and weight limits before you buy!

The Novo XT2 is an example of a massage chair that has incredible user flexibility!

#5 Number Of Auto Modes!

Auto modes are preset or preprogrammed massage routines. They’re incredibly important for a few reasons:

1. Auto modes take away the guesswork from the user. In other words, the user doesn’t have to mess around with manual settings trying to figure out the optimum parameters for massage.
2. They keep things fresh. This is especially true for chairs that have 10+ auto modes! Because you have so many choices, massage is never repetitive and boring.

Most massage chairs generally tend to have on average 5 auto modes. Some of the better ones have 7-10, and some of the high-end ones have 30+!

#6 Massage Technology Other Than Rollers

The main roller system is arguably the most critical component to a massage chair, but it doesn't end there. There are several other components that also play a role in determining how good/bad a chair is. These are the airbags, calf rollers, and foot rollers.

Why are each of these components important?

Airbags and calf/foot rollers are important for 2 reasons:

1. They provide a massage technique different from the main roller system. For example, airbags inflate with air to provide a compression style massage.
2. They provide a massage to areas of the body where the main roller system can't reach. For example, the feet is one area where the main back rollers cannot reach.

That being said, one should always consider:

1. The number of airbags in a chair before buying. Look for a good spread across the chair!
2. The presence of calf and foot rollers. Foot rollers are a must have as far as I'm concerned. Calf rollers on the other hand is a feature you won't find in most massage chairs. After a long day, foot massages are pure bliss.

You'll also want to consider the reputation of the seller. Are they a good company that backs their product with a warranty? Is it easy to get a hold of customer support if you need help with anything?

You may never need to use your warranty or reach out to support. However, if you do have an issue with your product, you’ll be happy you researched the company to see how responsive and helpful they are.

Now that you know how to choose a massage chair, the next part is narrowing down the options in your budget range. Human Touch offers a wide range of options that will fit into every realistic price range.

We hope you enjoyed this guest post from our friends at Massagers-And-More!

Human Touch, the U.S. market leader of innovative massage chairs, Perfect Chair® Recliners, and other wellness solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of three new products to the iJOY family line-up. The iJOY 2.1 Massage Chair, the iJOY 4.0 Massage Chair and the iJOY Foot & Calf Massager are launching in June 2018. Designed to be equal parts stylish, comfortable and powerful, Human Touch iJOY massage products are an attractive addition to any room and active lifestyle. The addition of the iJOY 2.1 and 4.0 massage chairs and iJOY Foot & Calf massager complete the iJOY line-up by bridging the gap for the active massage enthusiast seeking a compact, yet powerful massage wellness solution.

“Human Touch is on the forefront of providing wellness solutions and massage products. We strive to be the best, but in order to do be the best we must understand the needs of our growing customer base. The iJOY family line-up is a reflection of that goal by developing the best massage technology without compromising on design and functionality.” said David Wood, CEO of Human Touch. 

Meet the iJOY family product line-up:

*  The new iJOY 4.0 Massage Chair by Human Touch features FlexGlide Duo™, a dual robot technology that can simultaneously massage your back and glutes. You can enjoy any of four intelligently designed, invigorating auto-massage programs, or customize your experience. As an added convenience, the iJOY 4.0 offers a Tech Cradle with a USB port to keep your phone close and charged. Sleek and compact, the iJOY 4.0 is the perfect addition to any room.

*  The new iJOY 2.1 Massage Chair allows you to customize your massage using a wide variety of massage techniques. The FlexGlide® orbital massage technology replicates techniques used by massage professionals to relax and recharge your body. You can choose from two stationary massage techniques, a rolling massage, or you can select one of the three auto massage programs. The chair’s compact design, easy for storage and maneuverability, also delivers on convenience by offering zippered pockets on both sides of the chair.

*  The new iJOY Foot & Calf Massager offers Human Touch’s exclusive CirQlation® and Figure-Eight® Technologies that are designed to refresh and invigorate sore muscles. It also provides a powerful underfoot reflexology massage to revive the arches and soles of over-stressed feet. Offering portability and convenience, the iJOY Foot & Calf massager is perfect for the home or work.

*  The iJOY® Massage Anywhere® by Human Touch is a powerful, portable solution that provides the perfect massage anytime (and anywhere). The iJOY Massage Anywhere uses a rechargeable battery to provide two full hours of portable massage and offers the same powerful FlexGlide orbital massage found in the iJOY line of massage chairs.

About Human Touch

Human Touch is the leading provider of high-quality, innovative lifestyle products, massage chairs, and experiences that have been delivering indispensable, life-changing benefits to an ever-growing number of consumers for almost 40 years. Human Touch has been making people feel better by developing state-of-the-art massage products containing patented massage systems that replicate the hands and techniques used by massage professionals, thereby helping to reduce pain and stress caused by today’s hectic lifestyle. Products are available at fine furniture stores, back care specialty stores, and mass-market retailers across the U.S., through international retailers and distributors in more than 40 countries, and online at www.humantouch.com. 

Follow Human Touch on Facebook and Twitter @HTFeelBetter.

Media Contact: 
Delia Alvarado
Direct Ph: 562-733-7314
Direct Fax: 562-424-7846
Corp. Ph: 562-426-8700
dalvarado@humantouch.com

www.humantouch.com

Photo by Antonika Chanel on Unsplash
Written By: Dr. Hoon C. Kim, Acupuncturist and Human Touch Wellness Council Member

What is Autoimmune Disease?

Autoimmune Diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks the body and destroys or alters tissues.  There are more than eighty serious chronic illnesses in this category including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and Guillain–Barré syndrome. 

According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) twenty percent of the population suffers from autoimmune disorders.  Each disease appears uncommon on an individual basis but, as a group, the disorders make up the fourth-largest cause of disability among women. 

Due to the complexity of treating autoimmune disorders, integrative medicine solutions including acupuncture and Asian medicine have received much attention as successful therapies in their treatment particularly for use in providing pain relief, regulating the immune system, managing symptoms and improving overall quality of life.

What Causes Autoimmune Disease?

Under normal conditions, an immune response cannot be triggered against the cells of one's own body. In certain cases, however, immune cells make a mistake and attack the very cells that they are meant to protect. This can lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases which encompass a broad category of over 100 diseases in which the person's immune system attacks his or her own tissue.

The exact mechanisms causing these changes are not completely understood, but bacteria, viruses, toxins, and some drugs may play a role in triggering an autoimmune process in someone who already has a genetic (inherited) predisposition to develop such a disorder. It is theorized that the inflammation initiated by these agents, toxic or infectious, somehow provokes in the body a "sensitization" (autoimmune reaction) in the involved tissues.

As the disease develops vague symptoms start to appear, such as joint and muscle pain, general muscle weakness, possible rashes or low-grade fever, trouble concentrating, or weight loss. The following symptoms may point toward something being wrong: numbness and tingling in hands and feet, dry eyes, hair loss, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or repeated miscarriages can also be caused by an autoimmune response.

How Acupuncture Treats Autoimmune Disorders

According to East Asian medicine, autoimmune disorders occur when there is imbalance within the body. Imbalance can come from an excess or deficiency of yin and yang that disrupts the flow of Qi, or vital energy, through the body.   Acupuncture is used to help the body restore balance, treating the root of the disorder, while specifically addressing the symptoms that are unique to each individual.

Clinical research has shown that acupuncture causes physical responses in nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and parts of the brain. These responses can cause the body to release proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions. It is proposed that, by these actions, acupuncture affects blood pressure, body temperature and the immune system.

In addition to acupuncture, your treatment program to manage your autoimmune disorder may involve a combination of therapies including stress reducing exercises, moderate physical activity, herbal medicine and nutritional support.