It’s Cold and Flu Season here in Austin. We have already has our first official cases of influenza reported at the hospital. Imagine the poor lady lying in bed or sitting in the doctor’s office; Sick. Throwing up. Running to the bathroom every 10 minutes. Chills, Feverish and achy in muscles she didn’t know she had. Another day wasted in bed with sooo much to do and to get done. Now imagine what it would be like if that were you.
News reports over the past week or two show Emergency Rooms backed up for hours with patients with the Flu. And for every one patient a doctor sees for the flu, they’ll see 10 with the common cold.
The Drug makers would have you believe that once you get their Flu shot, you are free and clear and impervious to the flu. What is often failed to be mentioned is that colds and flu’s are caused by hundreds of different viruses and bacteria’s. Each year, when the drug companies produce the next year’s batch of vaccine, it’s based on their educated guess on which of the viruses will be the most common; but not all of them. What if you happen to be exposed to the wrong flu virus? And the common cold, of course has no vaccine. And it looks like its going to be that way this year according to officials at the CDC.
Thankfully, you can do something now to prevent the worst from happening. Why not give yourself a little “beat the odds” insurance. Why not give yourself the assurance acupuncture provides.
Q; “Why would I need acupuncture, I’ve already got my flu shot?”
A; The flu shot is definitely a good thing, but it won’t stop all strains of flu, and it won’t stop a common cold. Modern medicine concerns itself primarily with the killing of the germs and controlling symptoms. Many of the treatments actually suppress the body’s natural attempts to fend for itself. Achy muscles, fever, sneezing and snotty noses are all things the body does to defend itself and defeat the invading germs. Most cold medicines attempt to stop those natural responses because they annoy us. The reason acupuncture achieves such great success in treating colds and flu’s and similar conditions has to do with the nature of the medicine itself. Acupuncture’s primary concern is maintaining a healthy state of balance within the human body and its outside environment.
Acupuncture is a perfect tool to prevent colds and flus by improving your immune defenses. People that receive regular acupuncture treatments get sick less often. If you have a cold or flu, acupuncture can help you recover more quickly. There have been countless clinical studies preformed in universities and hospitals worldwide proving it’s effect. Even after a single needle, the body begins to respond by producing more white blood cells, as well as other components of the immune system.
Q; “What is the proof it works? Isn’t it all just Silly Folk Medicine?”
A; The fact is, millions of intelligent physicians from around the world have used these therapies for years. Even here in the US, acupuncture and herbal medicine is becoming mainstream medicine at a breakneck pace. Today, over 42% of all the hospitals in the US have acupuncturists on staff, and well over half of all the medical schools now offer courses on acupuncture to their doctors. Even Mayo clinic in Rochester has given its nod of approval and now offers acupuncture to patients with auto-immune disorders and pain (how would you like to get that bill…) Several studies prove its effectiveness in all manner of immune system disorders including such deadly diseases as HIV and AIDS.
Here’s a true story to illustrate the point. Some years ago, a group of esteemed scientists from the People’s Republic of China were invited to visit the United States by the American scientific community. This event ushered in an exchange of ideas and an opportunity for two great nations to be able to corroborate on a number of issues vital to the health and welfare of the world. Over a period of two months, the Chinese scientists visited virtually every major research facility in the nation, followed closely by their American hosts, who were furiously taking notes and promoting discussion on matters from nuclear physics to aerospace, medical research and treatment approaches. The visit culminated in a banquet at Princeton University in honor of the Chinese scientists, which was attended by a virtual “who’s who” of the North American scientific world.
During the banquet, the moderator of the event posed the question to the chief Chinese scientist as to what he felt was one of the most significant things he had learned in America; what had impressed him the most about the United States that he would return to China and share it with his colleagues who were not present on this historic visit? The scientist rose from his chair, strode to the microphone, gazed over the crowd and stated in understandable English: “The number one thing that has impressed me the most about America is the common belief by the common person that there is no cure for the common cold.” The American scientists were totally caught off guard with this statement, as it was perhaps the farthest thing from anyone’s mind. It was not what they had expected to hear.
Although the US is fixated on the idea that there is no cure for the common cold, in the Orient, it is commonly understood that there is plenty that you can do to get rid of colds & flus. In Chinese Medical school, the first sickness we learn to treat is the common cold. During the SARS (Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic of a few years ago, the Chinese (who is constantly trying to modernize their healthcare system), found themselves once again relying on centuries old traditional medicine over more conventional western drug treatments for the deadly SARS . Doctors found themselves giving traditional medicine such as acupuncture and herbs in the Emergency Room along with modern life saving treatments such as nebulizers, intubators, steroids and antiviral drugs.
Q; “But insurance wont pay. You want me to pay for this out of my pocket?”
A; Does your insurance company pay for a gym membership to stay healthy? Maybe they pay for your walking shoes or your multivitamin? All those things have been scientifically proven to reduce sickness and improve health. Why don’t they pay for those? Truthfully the insurance companies don’t care whether you are sick or not, or in pain, or even ugly. What matters to insurance companies is that you pay them and they hopefully don’t have to pay you. Honestly, how much faith do you put in insurance companies really caring about you. Years ago, health care was decided by you and your doctor. Today, health care decisions are made by you, your doctor, some corporate lawyers and their accountant (over the phone) 2000 miles away. Consider that the average insurance company will only pay for 6 visits of Physical Therapy while PT’s usually recommend 24 sessions. Most insurance companies cap mental health reimbursement at $20K throughout someone’s life. Seriously; $20,000 is a drop in the bucket for mental health care. Insurance companies simply won’t pay for anything unless they are forced (by the way, did you know that health care providers (such as doctors and hospitals) average a $0.52 on the dollar reimbursement from insurance companies. That means that for every dollar they bill you, they only get paid 52 cents from the insurance companies.)
Q; “So how can I take back control over my health this season?”
A; You can come into our office for our “Immune System Booster Acu-Pack” (nice name, eh?) series of 12 treatments, you would not only vastly increase your chances of remaining cold and flu free this Flu season, but you would feel much, much better, overall. You remember that feeling you had when you initially came in for acupuncture, don’t you; remember the relaxed feeling; the peace of mind and mental awakeness; The feeling of having more energy. That’s why we have decided to make you a very special offer to remove any roadblocks you might think there are to keeping yourself well this winter.
As you know, acupuncture medicine doesn’t work by magic (I wish). Just as if you were to go to the gym once and then not go back, you shouldn’t expect to see many results. In this way, Acupuncture is like going to the gym, but for your insides instead of your outsides. One acupuncture treatment just wouldn’t be enough. A short series is needed to make the benefit stick. That’s why were offering this;
12 sessions for the price of 10! (That’s a whopping $100 savings!!!)
If you were thinking about coming in anyway, or are currently in care, you can still take the $100 bonus. There’s no better time. Normally, we charge $49 per visit.
The cost of the 12 sessions is only $488 (pay for 10 up front, get 2 free).
To put it in perspective, remember that acupuncturists up in the Cities and Rochester charge between $75-105 for a session of acupuncture and some charge as much as $280 a session! Mayo clinic charges $799 for their own watered down version.
If you do that math, it’s like getting $9588 worth of high quality medical care here at our clinic, but for just $488! We’re simply doing this because we really want you to be healthy this season and want you to make sure you get enough acupuncture for it to be effective.
The number one reason acupuncture fails is because patients drop out too soon or treatments are spaced too far apart. That’s why we want you to come in for the 12 sessions over a course of just a few weeks. 12 sessions is the common treatment protocol in Chinese hospital and University studies and is the foundation for good, long lasting results.
Many in America have found acupuncture as a cost effective addition to their healthy lifestyle in building a strong immune system, strengthen vital internal organ function and increase overall health, longevity and sense of well being.
Not only will these 12 sessions boost your immune system, it’ll also address whatever else needs to be taken care of such as a bad back or headaches. The beauty of Chinese Medicine is its ability to address multiple ailments at the same time. If you have an ache, or a pain or a funny symptom, it’s history. We’ll set you up with the 12 sessions at a frequency of 2 to 3 a week (the way it’s done in China); or whatever works best for you.
The only catch is that you have to act fast. I can only offer this until the end of the month. When February comes, the deal is off and so is that $100 savings. I’m doing that because you need to act quickly and prepare your bodies defenses before the viruses get here in full force.
You have to ask yourself; What is your health worth? What is a winter free from the misery of the flu worth? What is it worth to enjoy play time with your grandkids this season? There aren’t a whole lot of winters in ones lifetime to enjoy, you know.
So don’t let this fantastic opportunity for better health slip through. It’s such a small investment. You’ll be trading away something you don’t want (the crud) for something you do (better health) and not only will you be healthier; you’ll have more energy to enjoy it with.
So go ahead, Call our Austin Acupuncture office today.
On a side note, another thing to avoid is fluoride from your city water. This is a whole other topic for another day, but fluoride found in city water has been linked to disrupting hormones and interrupting proper bone regeneration. Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste if you feel that you must, but stop drinking it; that absolutely does not help your teeth; fluoride works is a topical application, not a nutritional supplement that you ingest. Its poisonous and a known neurotoxin. You can buy special fluoride filters to remove the fluoride form your city water. More on that later…
So what are some non-pharmaceutical ways to prevent osteoporosis? First, and most importantly, start early. The number one prevention for is weight bearing exercise. Squats, dance, Yoga, Pilates, boot camp, weight lifting…things like that. If you start in your 20’s and 30’s or 40’s, so much the better. The bones are one of those parts of the body that get stronger the more you try to wear it out. So today go find someone in your community that is an expert on exercise. You might find them at the YMCA or the local gym, or that cool church in town that is into that sort of thing or even the Senior Center. They always have exercise classes there and have the know how to give you a great ‘sane and sensible’ workout specifically for your current state of health. So no matter where you are beginning from, start now.
Austin Acupuncture Clinic 