Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of women, the leading threat for men, and is more deadly than all forms of cancer combined, according to health organizations. People of all ages and population groups are affected.

There may be symptoms of cardiovascular disease such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, back or jaw pain, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, and extreme fatigue, but in about 64 percent of women who die suddenly of coronary heart disease, there were none.

For that reason, when it comes to cardiovascular health, the focus is on prevention. For heart health, it’s important to avoid systematic harm by managing high blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing stress, improving sleep quality, maintaining a healthy weight, increasing physical activity, and smoking cessation. If you are having issues in any of these areas, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help.

5 Ways Acupuncture Helps Heart Health

1. Manage High Blood Pressure
Acupuncture has been found to be particularly helpful in lowering blood pressure. By applying acupuncture needles at specific sites along the wrist, inside the forearm or in the leg, researchers at the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of California, Irvine, were able to stimulate the release of opioids, which decreases the heart’s activity and its need for oxygen and as a result lowers blood pressure.

2. Maintain a Healthy Weight
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are excellent adjunctive tools when it comes to losing weight. They can help to energize the body, maximize the absorption of nutrients, regulate elimination, control overeating, suppress the appetite, and reduce anxiety.

3. Reduce Stress
Numerous studies have demonstrated the substantial benefits of acupuncture in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and mental health. In addition to acupuncture, Chinese medicine offers many techniques that can be integrated into your life to keep stress in check.

4. Improve Sleep Quality
Poor sleep has been linked with high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart failure, heart attacks, stroke, diabetes, and obesity. Acupuncture has shown great success in treating a wide array of sleep problems without any of the side effects of prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids. Acupuncture treatments focus on the root disharmony within the body, assisting it to achieve better sleep and an overall improvement of physical and mental health.

5. Smoking Cessation
Smoking is a major cause of coronary artery disease. In fact, about 20 percent of all deaths from heart disease are directly related to cigarette smoking. Acupuncture has shown to be an effective treatment for smoking cessation. Treatments focus on jitters, cravings, irritability, and restlessness–symptoms that people commonly complain about when they quit. It also aids in relaxation and detoxification.

By integrating acupuncture and Chinese medicine into a heart-healthy lifestyle, you can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. One obvious way to keep your heart in tip-top shape is by maintaining an acceptable blood pressure level. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine provide treatments that will work directly to reduce high blood pressure and mitigate the symptoms of stress.

Come in for a consultation to see how acupuncture can benefit your heart and help you to live a long, healthy life.

info@drmindyboxer.com

310. 450. 9711

Dr. Mindy Boxer is a holistic practitioner who has grown into her specialties in an organic way. Understanding a range of disciplines allows her to integrate the wisdom of Ancient healing in combination with the most recent innovations in Scientific research. This dynamic blend has enabled Dr. Boxer to help patients in the prevention and treatment of disease for over 25 years.

At age 15, Dr. Boxer began her lifelong practice of Yoga & Meditation, read many Nutrition books, began Juicing her Vegetables, and explored and all Raw Diet.  Recognizing the importance of Nutrition in overall health, she earned her Ph.D. in 1986 in Nutrition and Human Behavior, providing her with a solid foundation to counsel and educate patients on how to attain health and vitality.

Her informative Lectures and appetizing Cooking Classes were the perfect forum to educate the community about the effects of food on Mood and Behavior, as well as in innovative ways to balance Body Chemistry in order to achieve overall well being.

Sensing a need to expand her training and understanding of the human body as a whole system, Dr. Boxer continued her studies in Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine,  and in 1993 earned a Masters Degree in Traditional Oriental Medicine. She is licensed by the Medical Board of the State of California in Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine and is also licensed by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine.

These diverse disciplines give Dr. Boxer a unique view of the human body and how to keep it functioning in an optimal manner. Her practice of Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Functional Nutrition have a profound effect on Hormonal balance, Rejuvenation, and Immune system enhancement.

Dr. Boxer has a particularly keen understanding of Women’s Health issues including Gynecological irregularity, PMS, Fertility, IUI & UVF support, Healthy Pregnancy & Delivery, and Menopausal issues. Her interest in the human body as a dynamic system has given her the understanding to deal with such problems as improper Digestion and elimination, Cancer Support, Allergies, back pain, tight neck and shoulders, carpal tunnel syndrome, respiratory distress, chronic fatigue, Insomnia, Stress, Anxiety and Depression.

She has also studied the art and science of Homeopathy, earning her Diplomate in Homeopathy from the Hahnemann College of Homeopathy in 1995. This allows her to treat the whole person — physically, mentally, emotionally.