Managing Men’s Health & Wellness

Men’s Leading Health Concerns

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine have been used to treat men’s health concerns for thousands

of years and are growing in popularity. The reason for this growth in popularity is that many health

issues that men face, such as high blood pressure, prostate problems and depression, respond

extremely well to acupuncture treatments.

Primary health issues that affect men include:

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease is the leading men’s health threat, with heart disease and stroke topping the

list as the first and second leading causes of death worldwide. By integrating acupuncture and

Oriental medicine into a heart-healthy lifestyle, you can dramatically reduce your risk of cardio-

vascular disease. Taking even small steps to improve your health can reduce your risk for

cardiovascular disease by as much

as 80 percent. Steps to prevention include managing high blood pressure, quitting smoking,

maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress and getting better sleep. All of these issues can

be helped with acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

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

have been able to stimulate the release of natural opioids in the body, which decreases the heart’s

activity and reduces its need for excess oxygen. This, in turn, lowers blood pressure.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading form of cancer that kills men. Tobacco smoke causes 90 percent of

all lung cancer, so you should make every effort to quit smoking for improved health and longevity.

If  you are ready to quit smoking, acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help. Shown to be an

effective treatment for smoking and other addictions, acupuncture and Oriental medicine

treatments for these issues focus on jitters, cravings, irritability and  restlessness–symptoms

that people commonly complain about when they try to quit.  Treatments also aid in relaxation

and detoxification.

In one study on substance addiction, a team from Yale University successfully used auricular

(ear) acupuncture to treat cocaine addiction. Results showed that 55 percent of participants

tested free of cocaine during the last week of treatment, compared to 24 percent and 9 percent

in the two control groups. Those who completed acupuncture treatment also had longer periods

of sustained abstinence compared to participants in the control groups.

Depression and Mental Health

Men are four times more likely to commit suicide than women, reports the Men’s Health

Network, which attributes part of the problem to underdiagnosed depression in men.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 6 million men have depression

each year in America alone. It is now believed that the male tendency to hide feelings of depression

and to not seek professional help has skewed previously reported numbers. Depression in men

does not present solely as extreme sadness. Depression in men may present as anger, aggression,

burnout, risk-taking behavior, mid-life crisis or alcohol and substance abuse.

When people are suffering from depression, brain chemicals and stress hormones are out of

balance. Sleep, appetite and energy levels are all disturbed. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine

can alleviate symptoms associated with depression and mental health issues by helping to re-

balance the body’s internal systems.

The growing body of research supporting the positive effects of acupuncture on depression,

anxiety and insomnia is so strong that the military now uses acupuncture to treat troops with

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat stress syndrome.

Prostate Health

The prostate is prone to enlargement and inflammation as men age, affecting about half of

men in  their sixties and up to 90 percent of men in their seventies and eighties. If left untreated,

benign

prostate gland enlargement, which presents with symptoms such as frequent nighttime urination,

painful urination and difficult urination, can lead to more serious conditions such as prostate

cancer, urinary tract infections, bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be used to treat prostate problems to relieve the urinary

symptoms and prevent more serious conditions from occurring. The few studies completed on

acupuncture and prostatitis show positive results, with participants noticing a marked improve-

ment in their quality of life, a decrease in urinary difficulties, and an increase in urinary function.

Reproductive Health

While reproductive health concerns may not be life threatening, they can still signal significant

health problems. Two-thirds of men older than 70 and up to 39 percent of men around the age

of 40–report having problems with their reproductive health. Oriental medicine can help treat

various male  disorders. As men age, a decrease in the function of male reproductive organs

occurs and they  experience andropause, or male menopause. Andropause differs from menopause

in that it is not characterized by a dramatic or marked physiological change. Unlike the more

dramatic reproductive hormone  plunge that occurs in women during menopause, changes in

men occur gradually over a period  of many years.

Call  (904)448-0046 now to see how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can improve

men’s health and well-being!

Foods Men Should Eat Every Day

Adding nutrient-rich super foods can help maintain muscle mass, prevent prostate cancer,

and more. Here are just a few foods that can give men a healthy boost: