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This year, we decided to highlight Dr. Meng’s Weight Loss Program at Meng’s Acupuncture Medical Center as another way to demonstrate how acupuncture can be a method to wellness. Would weight loss cure an illness? Not completely, no, but with the relieved pressure the body experiences that comes with the reduction of the amount of weight it’s supporting, many symptoms can be alleviated or even eliminated. Joint pain, for example. The extra weight puts a lot of pressure on the knees, which in turn causes pain and may even lead to surgery. Less weight means less strain on the knees, and in turn, less pain. Here is the testimony of a long-term patient, Marie Clark.
Clark, age 71, who lost 63 pounds in eight months, says that she never thought she’d like [acupuncture] as much as she does. Clark comes in three to four times a week because a car accident that left her with “severe pain” in her right shoulder. When suggested to see Dr. Meng, “the first thing I thought was I know I’m not gonna like it.” Besides the pain, Clark was here to lose weight and water-retention. With the combination of Dr. Meng’s diet, acupuncture, knowledge, and herbs, “I have drastically decreased my water-retention. I used to have bulges on my thighs due to water-retention, but I don’t have them anymore!” In the first month of treatment, “I lost 15 pounds. I am really really impressed.”
Smiling, Clark informs Dr. Meng, who in turn informs our staff, that her family and friends take notice, and compliment her of her changing exterior. Dr. Meng’s method is to treat and balance the body as a whole, and as such, Clark reports that she has regained her energy, has consistently shed the pounds, and more importantly, kept them off. Clark has also regained her ability to sleep.
“After one month with Dr. Meng, I no longer take any sleeping pills. And after four months with Meng’s acupuncture, my doctors suggested I go off my blood pressure medication because they said I didn’t need it anymore!” With her body in a more stable balance, we the staff of Meng’s Acupuncture Medical Center see that Clark’s skin has also evened out, wrinkles smoothing out over time. Along with her digestive system, Clark also reports that her hormones are much more cooperative – now that the Meng’s 180 Natural Herbs are a part of her life.
“The way I feel now is like night and day, and I plan to come back forever.”
Acupuncture as pain-relief
Besides weight-loss, acupuncture can be used to treat virtually any health condition, but by far the most commonly thought-of medical issue for acupuncture is pain. And with good reason: acupuncture is safe, natural, and has virtually no side effects. Numerous scientific studies have demonstrated acupuncture to provide effective and lasting pain relief for lower back pain, knee pain, acute sprains, herniated disks, and even nerve damage. Acupuncture has also been shown to moderate fibromyalgia symptoms in many patients. The World Health Organization officially recognizes acupuncture as an effective medical modality for the treatment of acute and chronic pain. And many insurance companies will now cover acupuncture when used to treat pain conditions.
There is a major difference between the methodology of pain relief of Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Most Western pain management is about masking or hiding the pain, and very little is done to actually treat the cause of the pain. This is especially true in chronic pain conditions. A combination of steroid shots and painkillers is often the prescription for many patients with chronic pain. Steroid shots can lead to unwanted weight gain and often become ineffective after several administrations. Pain pills can damage the internal organs, can lead to addiction, and do absolutely nothing to address the root of the pain in the first place. In our view, using painkillers to treat chronic pain is like treating a broken water pipe by putting a bucket under it to collect the water, rather than fixing the actual leak itself.
TCM is different because we not only address the pain itself but we seek to heal the root cause of the pain. The goal for most types of chronic pain is not pain management but pain relief. That is to say we are looking to heal the body so the pain is gone and there is no residual need for pain management.
Unfortunately there are certain conditions where acupuncture cannot entirely get rid of the pain. However even in those cases acupuncture can help to reduce the intensity and frequency of the pain and is a safe and natural alternative to drug therapy.
Dr. Meng’s weight loss program has helped many patients who have found weight reduction nearly impossible. Her program, called “18 Days to Success”, utilizes acupuncture, herbs, and food therapy for a total weight loss of eight to 15 pounds in 18 days. She is conveniently located on 4060 PGA Boulevard, Suite 202 Palm Beach Gardens. Please call her office (561) 656-0717 to schedule a consultation. Most major insurance accepted.
Dr. Meng, MD (China), AP, received her medical degree from the prestigious Shandong University in China and has also completed several advanced training courses in oriental medicine from well-respected TCM hospitals in China. She has over 15 years of experience as a doctor of oriental medicine. She has owned and operated Meng’s Acupuncture Medical Center since 2007.
Stephen Sedita, AP, spent 5 years as a research scientist working towards a Ph.D. in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences at FAU before leaving to pursue his passion of Chinese medicine.
Call (561) 656-0717
