A Look Into Men’s Health – Prevent, Identify, Treat

Men’s Health Month promotes awareness for preventable health problems and early detection of illnesses that men are more likely to face. While TCM has been widely used to effectively treat women’s health issues, its use in the treatment of men’s health have been growing in popularity.  The reason for this growth is that many health issues that men face, such as high blood pressure, prostate problems and depression, respond extremely well to acupuncture treatments and Chinese herbal therapy.

Cardiovascular health

• Cardiovascular disease is the leading threat to men’s health, with heart disease and stroke topping the list.  By integrating acupuncture and Oriental medicine into a heart healthy lifestyle, you can dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
• Acupuncture has been found to be particularly helpful in lowering blood pressure. By applying acupuncture needles to 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.

Reproduction Health

• While reproductive health concerns may not be life threatening, they can still signal significant health problems and affect quality of life. Two-thirds of men older than seventy and up to 39 percent of men around the age of forty report having problems with their reproductive health.
• Acupuncture and Oriental medicine are well known for improving male performance and a variety of reproductive health concerns including low sperm count, diminished sperm motility, diminished libido and male menopause (also known as male climacteric or andropause).

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 as they approach their seventies and eighties.  If left untreated, benign prostate gland enlargement, symptoms such as frequent nighttime urination, painful or 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 by relieving related urinary symptoms and preventing the more serious conditions from occurring.  The few studies completed on acupuncture and prostatitis show positive results, with participants noticing a marked improvement in their quality of life, a decrease in urinary difficulties, and an increase in urinary function.

Smoking and Addiction

• 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 under-diagnosed depression in men.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than 6 million men have depression each year in America alone.
• When 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 rebalance 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.

Have more questions regarding how acupuncture can address any of the issues above? Contact us at San Francisco Integrative Medicine and we’ll be happy to provide the answers.

By Elanita Korian L.Ac., M.S.

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