Many individuals aspire to become life coaches one day because of the financial and emotional benefits that come therewith. However, actually becoming a life coach is more difficult than it may seem. In order to really succeed in life coaching, it is essential to have the right attitude and go through proper training, preferably by attending an actual life coach school. To choose the best life coach school for you, there are some things to consider, however.
Although there is a wide variety of life coach schools around the world, only a select few really provide top quality life coach training, so make sure you take a look at these certain criteria before choosing a life school to train in.
The first thing that you should take a look at is the school’s training program. Although there is not set education for life coach training, there are specific groups that are recognized world-wide, such as the International Coach Federation (ICF), the European Coaching Institute (ECI), as well as the International Association of Coaching (IAC).
All of these organizations are of good quality but they all provide different kinds of training programs. You should choose an institution that provides the same standards as the organizations mentioned above.
Another important factor to consider is experience. Find out how long the school has been training life coaches. A good school should have been established for a while, in order to have the right expertise for life coaching training and techniques.
Consider also the feedback each school has received and find out the advantages and disadvantages of each of them from their trainees. Feedback tends to be unbiased most of the time.
Lastly, take a look at the cost of the life coaching school. Usually, life coach training costs around $3000 to $6000 and that you can afford it. If you are interested in saving money, try finding schools that offer scholarships or financial aid.
The quality of a life coach school may be important; but it is also essential for the person involved to have the right attitude before delving into this profession. A lot of people tend to be interested in this career for all the wrong reasons. Chicago Life coaches may come with a hefty price, but it is the best life coaching you can get out there.
Life coaching should be about the future of the person you are intending to help. If you are doing it merely to make a lot of money, then you will never reach the pinnacle of success.
Having the proper attitude to become a life coach requires having the passion and the heart to help people, and this should be top priority.
With the proper training from a quality life coach school and the right attitude, you are sure to make your way to becoming a very successful life coach that can change people’s lives for the better.
How to Pick a Life Coach School
How Medical Spas are Incorporating Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is a cold therapy that has been used for decades to treat injuries and inflammation. It involves exposing the body to extremely cold temperatures, typically between -110°C and -160°C, for a short period of time.
While cryotherapy was originally used for medical purposes, it has recently gained popularity in the beauty and wellness industries. Medical spas are now incorporating cryotherapy into their treatments to provide their clients with a unique and beneficial experience.
What is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy is a type of cold therapy that involves exposing the body to extremely cold temperatures for a short period of time. The therapy is typically performed in a cryotherapy chamber, which uses liquid nitrogen to create a cold environment.
The therapy works by constricting the blood vessels, which reduces inflammation and swelling. The cold temperature also causes the body to release endorphins, which can help reduce pain and improve mood.
Benefits of Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy has a number of potential benefits, including:
Reducing inflammation and swelling
Relieving pain and soreness
Improving mood and reducing stress
Increasing energy and alertness
Boosting the immune system
Improving circulation
Reducing the appearance of cellulite and varicose veins
These benefits make cryotherapy a valuable addition to medical spa treatments. By incorporating cryotherapy, medical spas can provide their clients with a unique and effective way to improve their health and wellness.
How Medical Spas are Incorporating Cryotherapy
Medical spas are incorporating cryotherapy into a variety of treatments, including:
Facials: Cryotherapy facials involve exposing the face to cold temperatures to reduce inflammation and improve circulation. The therapy can also help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Body Treatments: Cryotherapy body treatments involve exposing the body to cold temperatures to reduce inflammation, improve circulation, and help with weight loss. The therapy can also help reduce the appearance of cellulite and varicose veins.
Recovery Treatments:
Cryotherapy can also be used as a recovery treatment for athletes and those recovering from injuries. Medical spas can use cryotherapy to help reduce inflammation and promote healing after a workout or injury.
Some medical spas are also offering whole-body cryotherapy, which involves exposing the entire body to cold temperatures in a cryotherapy chamber. This treatment can provide all of the benefits of cryotherapy in a more comprehensive way.
Is Cryotherapy Safe?
Cryotherapy is generally considered safe when performed by a trained professional. However, there are some potential risks associated with the therapy, including:
Frostbite or skin burns if the skin is exposed to the liquid nitrogen
Dizziness or fainting due to the cold temperatures
Increased risk of cold-related injuries in people with certain medical conditions
Increased risk of infection if the cryotherapy chamber is not properly sanitized
It is important to consult with a healthcare professional before undergoing cryotherapy to ensure that it is safe for you.
Cryotherapy is a unique and effective way to improve your health and wellness. By incorporating cryotherapy into their treatments, medical spas can provide their clients with a valuable and beneficial experience. However, it is important to ensure that cryotherapy is performed by a trained professional and that it is safe for you to undergo the therapy.
How Medical Spas are Incorporating Cryotherapy
The History and Significance of Pemmican in Indigenous Cultures
Pemmican is a traditional food that has played a significant role in the diets and cultures of Indigenous peoples in North America for centuries. Here’s a closer look at the history and significance of pemmican in Indigenous cultures.
History:
The word “pemmican” comes from the Cree word “pimîhkân,” which means “manufactured grease.” Pemmican was created as a way to preserve meat for long periods, making it a valuable food source for Indigenous peoples who relied on hunting for their survival.
The creation of pemmican involved pounding and drying meat, usually bison, elk, or deer, and then mixing it with melted fat, usually from the same animal, and dried berries or nuts for added flavor and nutrition. The resulting mixture was formed into cakes or balls and then stored in animal hides or other containers for later use.
Pemmican was a staple food for Indigenous peoples, especially during the winter months when hunting was difficult. It was also used as a trading commodity and was highly valued by European explorers and traders.
Significance:
Pemmican has significant cultural and spiritual significance for Indigenous peoples. It represents their connection to the land, their traditions, and their ancestors. It is also a symbol of resilience, resourcefulness, and survival.
In Indigenous cultures, the preparation and sharing of pemmican were often accompanied by ceremonies, prayers, and songs. It was an essential part of feasts, celebrations, and gatherings.
Pemmican is also a highly nutritious food, rich in protein, fat, and other essential nutrients. It provided Indigenous peoples with the energy and sustenance they needed to survive in challenging environments and helped them to maintain their health and well-being.
Today, pemmican remains an important part of Indigenous cultures and traditions. It is still prepared and consumed by Indigenous peoples, and there are efforts to preserve and promote its use as a healthy and sustainable food source.
The History and Significance of Pemmican in Indigenous Cultures
Chicago Kitchen Remodeling Can saves You Money
Mostly people would like to remodel their kitchens, but the money holds us back. Fortunately, it’s possible to remodel the kitchen on a budget. Remember these points, and you will save off a big chunk of the rates. The first point you need to do is plan. Possibilities are you will be stuck with the kitchen for a little while, so be sure your plant and designs are attractive and functional. Look through articles or magazines for guidance. If you can consider the process exhaustively, you will be able to discover solutions to issues that would’ve come up later and so eliminate the headaches and additional costs. You can discover it helpful to work with a Kitchen Remodeling Chicago contractor on the planning situation. Before you select one, get many bids on the work which requirements to be accomplished from at least 5 different kitchen remodeling contractors.
Not only will you be capable of appropriate the best rate, you will also get a best idea of the general rate. From there you will need to determine what you can do and what you can’t do yourself. Ensure you use a Kitchen Remodeling Chicago contractor that is ready to let you do some of this yourself and who is ready to approach the kitchen remodeling project with the required creativity. Do not be afraid to explain to your kitchen remodeling or granite contractor what you want in the designing/planning and in the executing. If something does not look good, speak up! Do as much of the preparation work as you can. Paint, prime, sand –do whatever you need to get things prepared. Keep in mind; you are saving your money if you are not paying your Kitchen Remodeling Chicago contractor to do it. Another point to save your money – work with what you’ve. If you do not have to move any plumbing or electrical, you will be practically better off. You could even want to use the kitchen as cabinet bases you’ve and just paint and prime them and add new windows and doors. They will look better, and you would not have spent a hazard on custom.
If you have an economical approach to spice up the kitchen, try using several styles of hardware on your drawers and cabinets. Evidently, you want to use some which have a similar motif so that your kitchen does not look bad. For instance, you could use black or white iron knobs and handles but in different styles for the drawers, pantries and cabinets.
You’re capable of finding a Chicago kitchen remodeling expert in no less than two different ways. It’s by browsing the web and your local telephone diary. You do have a 3rd attempt and that is by referral from your friends or neighbors who have already remodeled a kitchen.
Plan well, hire a Kitchen Remodeling Chicago contractor carefully, use existing features, discover cost effective ways to make your kitchen look custom-made, do some of the work as yourself, you will have a new kitchen in your budget!
Chicago Kitchen Remodeling Can saves You Money
Home Remodeling? Should You Call a Contractor?
Want to save money remodeling your home – what should you think about first?
How much time do you have to devote to the home improvement project yourself? What are your capabilities and what is the quality that you expect when the job is done? Saving cash to pay a contractor may be an easier way to get the job done, particularly for critical projects, unless you have experience and/or are willing to learn new skills. Homeowner capability and desired quality outcomes are big factors in deciding on whether or not to call a contractor. The cost of home remodeling can’t be quantified in just money alone.
There are many home improvement activities that homeowners can tackle on their own, without having to call a contractor. The decision about whether to call a home remodeling contractor or not depends upon three main variables.
Remodeling contractor decision #1: Time
• The first variable is time: how much time does the home owner have to devote to doing the work themselves.
Remodeling contractor decision #2: Expected quality outcome and total costs of remodel
• The second factor is comparing the desired outcome to the available cash. You may encounter a bigger quote than you had anticipated when talking to a contractor, but those costs may take into account things you had not considered. Sometimes inexperienced homeowners cost themselves money and quality, in the long run, due to their lack of experience.
Home remodeling contractor decision #3: General mechanical and physical aptitude
• The third thing to keep in mind when contemplating whether or not you should hire a contractor is the home-owner’s mechanical and physical aptitude. Lifting sheets of sheet rock, carrying roof shingles up a second or third story high ladder, kneeling down and laying tile for hours at a time, or painting over your head, all require balance, perseverance, attention to detail and physical strength. Let’s face it, not all of us have the mental aptitude to stick with repetitive activities.
Being elderly, physically challenged, or fearing heights, are all reasons why a person might choose to call a contractor for their remodel.
When do you need a permit and/or a professional for a home remodel?
There are certain activities that require a building permit, before the work is done.
In most cases, the permits required are usually mandatory when a homeowner is changing something that is considered to be significant, such as demolishing a load bearing wall, modifying a roof line, adding or removing an egress, putting in an addition, or other structure such as a garage or shed, installing new electrical wiring, and/or moving a sink.
Consult local town officials for the specifics for your area. If you hire a contractor, they will usually pull the permit, but make sure you coordinate and allow for the time to do this in your project plan.
Saving money by splitting the work with a contractor helps manage costs and save money
If a homeowner decides to change the wiring in their house to a new amp, they will need to hire a licensed electrician for the major parts of the electrical job such as changing the electrical box, or the hookup from the street.
However, homeowners may elect to do part of the electrical job themselves by specifying that they will change the outlet and switch boxes on their own. This is a simple remodeling task that requires the outlet to be connected to the ground and electrical wires with a screwdriver and requires no permit. This job is time consuming ; doing it yourself could save several hours off your final electrician bill. Just be sure to negotiate this up front.
Saving money on a remodel can include the homeowner doing some of the easier work such as hanging the doors, putting the switch plates on, or adding the hardware to kitchen cabinetry. It is best to take a look at time, general aptitude, quality expectations and total costs before making a decision to do the project on your own. You may decide that money is not the only cost factor when contemplating doing your own home remodel.
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Home Remodeling? Should You Call a Contractor?
Fireplace Remodeling 101
Fireplaces are one of the diehard attractions and trademark references to any home. With flickering flames casting a nice glow over your home or being the perfect setting for a romantic get-together, fireplaces need to be kept in top shape and remodeled from time to time to suit trends and changing personal tastes. Fireplace modeling can range from a complete do-over to an easier method of remodeling the fireplace with brick paint.
As aforementioned, fireplace remodeling can mean renovating your entire project or making small modifications in color and style. A complete do-over involves using a mason to disassemble the fireplace and install or re-arrange a new one. It is a rather expensive project that involves a lot of time. There is also the do-it-yourself route where you can remodel your fireplace by adding brick paints to turn ugly and older fireplaces into lighter works of arts. Many novices worry over the authentic look of these paints and classify it as awkward, when in reality, the paint infiltrates the brick to make it appear 100% as brick without any wide distinction – complete with the original brick’s texture as well. Repainting brick fireplaces is a very popular home improvement project.
An excellent way to learn about fireplace remodeling is through magazines. Try to figure out if you want a contemporary, traditional, or modern style and what materials (wood, stone, plaster) is used to match these styles. Visit a home improvement store like the Home Depot and learn about different fireplace remodeling techniques. One trick of the trade in remodeling fireplaces is through tiling. This involves using mix mud to build out spots not plumbed, using adhesives, and chipping off pieces of bricks to work with flat corners. If home improvement is not your thing, seek the services of a contractor to do the job for you.
Bear in mind that remodeling your fireplace requires adherence to proper installation of materials. Make sure that flammable materials are far away from fireboxes and to install all materials properly. For instance, adding tile over painted brick is a bad idea. In this scenario, a smart idea is to apply backer board prior to laying out the tiles. If you have limited experience with this, seek the advice of a home improvement store consultant or a contractor.
If fireplace remodeling isn’t what you need, perhaps decorating is the solution to reinvigorate your room. Usually, decorating is centered over the hearth and mantle with its attention as the most prominent feature. One nice touch is to match the color of your fireplace to the color of your walls. Firebacks and woodholders with varying styles and material can complement your fire in a careful arrangement. In addition, glass doors have been noted for style in the past and reflect a high class taste. Art placed onto the mantle like sculptures and paintings are classic, along with identical pieces on opposite sides of the mantel which provides balance. All in all, there are many ways to remodel your fireplace with the right mindset.
Next Post: Top 10 Best Handyman in Chicago Land Area
Fireplace Remodeling 101
Does Acupuncture Therapy Really Heal?
In the past six months, I have been to see an acupuncture therapist who I must say has been able to help me alleviate pain that years of seeing an OBGYN had not been able to help.
First let me explain how I came to find this acupuncture therapist. I have been on a whole health food, natural living kick for about a year now. One day, while visiting my chiropractor’s office, the massage therapist told me about a Natural Living Expo that would be in town that weekend. Out of pure interest in a new way of living, I decided to attend. The expo, as expected, was filled with booths featuring local businesses and individuals selling natural products and services.
As I walked along the different booths, I felt drawn to one man who looked very peaceful and unobtrusive. He seemed to be the type who only wanted to help those who wanted his help – he would not impose himself on anyone. I walked to his booth and saw that he was an acupuncture therapist. Always having been curious about acupuncture, I asked him about what acupuncture was and if it was really helpful. In so many words, he explained that acupuncture is therapy that works to release energy blocks in our bodies. Having only a slight idea of what he was talking about, I went to my second question: healing. He explained that acupuncture basically helps the body heal itself more effectively since the body was made to heal any ailment that was brought upon it.
Convinced that I wanted to know more, I took his card and asked if he took insurance, which he did. He also explained that he takes appointments regularly just to check over the body at no expense. Hook, line and sinker! I was game. So I called the office the following Monday to set up a FREE appointment to be “looked over.”
His office was small and cozy, very friendly. I already felt very comfortable there. After about 10 minutes of waiting, he called me in. Not knowing what to expect, I went into the examination room and sat, waiting for him to “do whatever he does.” The first thing he did was to have me explain what issues I was trying to have worked out, if you will. I told him I was interested in basic good health, however I did have an issue that followed me throughout my adolescence and adult years: irregular and painful menstruation. He told me that he should be able to “fix” that with no problem. A little skeptical, I took a mental note to make sure to see if he would be able to follow through on something no OBGYN had been able to help me with.
Wanting a more detailed explanation of what he told me about acupuncture at the expo, I asked him to go into more detail about the concept. He almost seemed excited that I’d asked. He explained about the concept of energy. He said that our bodies are made up of energy that vibrates at different frequencies. The faster the vibration the less solid something is. For example, a table is energy, like electricity is energy, but a table vibrates at a much slower frequency than electricity, which is why it appears to be solid. But when you look at it under a microscope, it has the same atoms and molecules as electricity, or human beings, or rocks, trees – anything else on this earth. Since we are all made up of the same energy, just vibrating at different frequencies, our bodies are heavily affected by our environment – it’s like we’re all related to everything because everything is God’s energy (he didn’t say God, but that’s where he was going with it). That’s why someone else’s bad mood can affect your mood. But he went deeper to say that our body picks up everything, even the upset that trees go through when they get cut down. Our bodies feel it because we are all connected.
And just as we are all connected with other things, our body is connected with itself, meaning that things we do physically affect our emotions and vice versa. So the things we think, eat, touch and do all affect how we think and feel (physically and emotionally). So if I eat a lot of junk, it affects my body. Or if I think a lot of negative thoughts, or live a stressful life, it can cause disease (which is really “dis-ease” – being uneasy about something to the point of it affecting you physically).
He explained that God has provided everything on this earth that our bodies need to be emotionally and physically “right” from herbs, minerals, fruits, vegetables, etc. But most of what God gave us is right in our bodies. That’s why we were given an immune system. However, we don’t treat our immune system properly so it doesn’t keep us as healthy as it should. It’s like forgetting to get an oil change or tune-up, yet expecting a car to run efficiently. He said that the energy that our bodies are made up of flows constantly like blood, and as it flows it keeps our immune system strong, but as life gets in our way (stress, eating junk, not exercising, thinking negative thoughts, being around negative people and energy), our energy gets blocked.
Acupuncture helps in that when you stick very small needles in the energy spots that are clogged up or blocked, this frees up and allows the energy to flow correctly and then allows the immune system to work correctly and heal itself. He said that when we take a lot of different drugs, they might fight off a virus for us but weaken our immune system at the same time. This is because our immune system is set up to fight off foreign substances, meaning it would fight off the drugs before they could work. So drugs are made to weaken the immune system so that they can override it and fight the disease instead. While he said that about 50% of the time, drugs are necessary if the immune system cannot battle the strength of the disease in your body, most times the immune system is strong enough on its own, but we override it every time with drugs. And the more drugs we take that weaken the system, the less likely it will be able to fight off even simple things like a Cold. So it is important to know what things the body can fight off by itself or may simply need a boost from vitamins and herbs, and what may need the help of drugs.
Feeling that he knew what he was talking about (or maybe just wanting to believe him) I allowed him to check me over then listened to his suggestions. To spare sharing ALL of my personal information, I will say that he found what he thought was the cause of my irregular and painful menstruation. He explained that I had abnormally high levels of estrogen and needed to balance my levels of progesterone (whatever that meant). He prescribed an herbal supplement and treated a few key areas on my body that he explained pertained to my menstrual cycle, then asked me to come back in two weeks so that he could repeat the process. Now keep in mind that I’d been irregular since I started my period 17 prior. Now six months after my first visit, I have been VERY regular and only in mild discomfort (on the first day only) for five of those months. I see this as a miracle because no OBGYN could tell me in 17 years what he was able to tell me, and essentially “cure,” in two visits.
So to answer my original question: Does Acupuncture Therapy Really Heal? Hey, I’m not professional in the acupuncture game. But if someone were to approach me today and ask my thoughts on acupuncture, after my menstruation miracle (sorry fellas … lol) in addition to other “problems” he was able to “fix,” I am an avid believer that acupuncture is not mythical concept – it really works! Now you be the judge. Find an acupuncture therapist in your area and try it for yourself.
Does Acupuncture Therapy Really Heal?
Family of Origin – Premarital Counseling
When couples get married, they are marrying more than just an individual. They are marrying a family. Individual identity is rooted with the family of origin. The self is a reflection of the family and developed in response to the family. Those responses can be inline with or conform to the family roles and beliefs or they can be in direct opposition. Nonetheless, they are in response to the family of origin. The family of origin may come in the form of the traditional nuclear family, single parent home, extended family, foster family or even a gang. The content of the family of origin is not the focus rather it is the system of how the family influences the individual. Cultural and ethnic identities are derived from the family of origin.
The family of origin is the model and template each person brings into a relationship. Every family has a certain pattern of interacting or behaving. Some families are closer than others are. Some are more involved and controlling than others. Not all patterns are beneficial. Some are abusive and problematic. Premarital counseling helps to shed light on these shameful family secrets.
New relationships attempt to meld different family patterns into one new family. Even though individuals are not locked into family pattern, it does provide a clue how individual might respond. Premarital counseling helps the new couple recognize family patterns and tradition in orders to combine and create new ones. The new family becomes the family of choice.
Premarital counseling helps to join the couple into a new relationship. Each can identify problematic family issues that range from emotional cut-off to over involvement. The counseling should provide an assessment to the couple regarding their degree of distance and closeness from their birth family. Gone unnoticed, that degree of distance and closeness can have an adverse effect upon the family of choice.
A technique to assist the couple within premarital counseling is to invite the parents into the family of origin session. The parents can share their pearls of wisdom and pass on their legacy to the young couple. Then the couple must be free to make their own mistakes and grow. This type of counseling can assist the older generation with closure and aid them in letting go of their children.
The use of a genogram is a great tool to help couple visualize past patterns and interactions. The genogram can also show gaps of information and emotional cut-offs. It can highlight family secrets and shameful events. Couples are free to tell their story, as they are the experts of their life. Premarital counseling highlights the family of origin and helps each partner understand whom he or she is choosing to marry. It’s an excellent tool for making an informed decision.
Family of Origin – Premarital Counseling
Tire Change Chicago – Chicago Towing
A lot of us living in Chicago come across a lot of different types of car trouble, and the funniest part about all the trouble with our cars that we face on a frequent basis is that most of us know absolutely nothing about how to fix cars or really anything about them in general.
We simply are the type of people who drive cars to get us from point A to point B with as much style as humanly possible in Chicago, and because we most likely know nothing about cars we get ourselves in some sticky situations when something goes wrong with our vehicles, even when it’s as simple as something as need to change a tire.
A lot of people may know how to change their own tires and carry around the proper equipment to do so, but for those who don’t know how or don’t have the proper equipment in their car there is the Chicago Towing Company who can come help you out with any type of tire change problem you may come across.
Doing a tire change is actually pretty strenuous and really deserves someone who knows what they are doing besides a lowly citizen who doesn’t know anything about cars.
It’s really sad to see someone change their own tire only to do it wrong and create some serious damage to their car that they didn’t have to deal with in the first place. So the next time you need a tire change be smart and call the Chicago Towing Company.
Tire Change Chicago – Chicago Towing
House Cleaning Business Services to Provide
As a cleaning service there are many different types of cleaning that you may wish to provide or that a client may ask you about. Your prior knowledge, working styles and abilities can help you determine what is right for you. I would only clean small offices, because I worked by myself. I also preferred carpeted offices, because mopping large floors is exhausting. I also turned down customers that wanted you to clean their office in the middle of the night or on the weekends.
Service Ideas
One time, monthly, biweekly, weekly house or office cleanings
Move out cleanings
Spring cleanings
New construction cleanings
Windows
Blinds
Carpet cleaning
I have done all of these things at one time or another except for outside window cleaning. My insurance would not cover climbing up on any ladder except a step ladder without changing my business classification and raising my rates. Not to mention, I am afraid of heights.
My favorite and the easiest jobs are the regular weekly or biweekly cleanings of houses and small offices. The second time that I owned my own cleaning business; I did not offer new construction cleaning. The one that I did do a few years ago was very difficult and hard on my equipment and back.
If you are going to do new construction cleanings, be sure to inspect the property prior to agreeing to do it. Sometimes household cleaning equipment is insufficient for large and filthy jobs. If you plan to do move-out cleanings or spring cleanings, also be sure to do an in person estimate. Both types of cleanings can take many hours, extra equipment and extra supplies in order to accomplish. After learning the hard way, I only did move-out cleanings with my husband’s help.
The only carpet cleanings I did were for regular customers with a carpet shampooer. I did not own a commercial carpet cleaning machine. I have cleaned inside windows and dusted but not washed blinds.
Evaluate your experience, equipment and abilities prior to offering larger or harder cleaning services.
House Cleaning Business Services to Provide
Low Back Pain and Acupuncture
Low back pain means pain in the lower lumbar, lumbosacral, or sacroiliac regions possibly accompanied by pain radiating down one or both buttocks and legs. Low back pain is one of the most common complaints. It is present in at least 50% of all persons 60 years of age or older. It accounts for millions of hours lost from work and more millions of dollars spent on treatment and medication. Low back pain may be either acute or chronic. It can be simply annoying or irritating or it can produce unbearable physical and emotional suffering. In Western medicine, acute low back pain is treated with rest, local heat, massage, oral analgesics, and muscle relaxants. Chronic low back pain is treated by weight loss, exercise, orally administered and intramuscularly injected analgesics, and surgery. However, long-term narcotic use has its own problems, and surgery is not always effective. On the other hand, Chinese have been treating lower back pain with acupuncture and Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years, and, in the last 50 years, a large body of research has been developed proving that Chinese medicine can be an effective alternative to Western drugs and surgery.
Acute lumbar sprain
Shu Hong-wen, in Shang Hai Zhen Jiu Za Zhi ( Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture & Moxibution), #3, 1994, reported on the treatment of 129 cases of acute lumbar sprain by needling a single point (Du 26). The age of these patients ranged from 19-82 years of age, with 43 years of age being the average. They had suffered from two hours to fifteen days, with three days being the average duration of pain. The cases which received acupuncture treatment for their low back sprain were compared to a control group made of roughly the same ages, males and females, and duration of pain. The members of this control group were treated with another acupuncture protocol using several points. In the single point group, there were 114 cures for a cure rate of 88%. The other 15 cases all showed marked improvement. Of those cured with this one point protocol, 73 were cured in one treatment, 33 in two treatments, and eight in three treatments. Among those receiving the alternative acupuncture treatment, 18 or 60% were cured, five cases or 17% showed marked improvement, and seven cases or 23% showed fair improvement. In other words, all patients in both groups were either cured or improved after receiving acupuncture.
