Ask Dr. Etingin: Acupuncture vs. acupressure; Causes of bad breath; Kyphoplasty
What’s the difference between acupuncture and acupressure? Is it true that acupuncture doesn’t hurt?
Both of these treatment modalities are based on ancient practices that originated in China. In the traditional Chinese approach to health, all of the body’s systems are connected through a network of channels called meridians. Illness is believed to be caused by an imbalance among different elements and organ systems in the body. An imbalance also may occur if “Qi” (pronounced “key”), the vital life force or energy that flows throughout the body, is blocked or is stagnant.
Acupuncture is the practice of stimulating various points on the meridians with very thin needles in order to correct imbalances and improve the flow of Qi. Acupressure uses pressure applied by the fingers to stimulate the meridians.
It is true that, for many people, acupuncture is painless. An acupuncture needle is the thickness of a human hair, and the end is blunt; it is not meant to cut or puncture the skin, but to go through tissue planes. The procedure of placing the needles at points along the meridians is called “needling.” When needling is done, the patient may feel a small prick. However, many patients don’t feel anything, and it’s common for patients to fall asleep during an acupuncture session.
I brush my teeth regularly, but my bad breath always seems to come back. Is bad breath ever a symptom of a disease?
Bad breath, or halitosis, is most often caused by food particles in your mouth or by plaque, a film of bacteria that has formed on your teeth and tongue. When brushing your teeth, brush for a total of two minutes (30 seconds for each quadrant), and brush your tongue as well. Using dental floss can help remove plaque and food stuck between teeth. If you can’t brush after eating, rinse your mouth out with water or an antibacterial rinse if possible.
Other conditions that may cause bad breath include infection or chronic inflammation in the sinuses, throat, or nose, and acid reflux (when stomach contents come up into the esophagus). When you eat foods like onions and garlic, brushing and flossing may not get rid of odors because, once these foods are broken down, they get into the bloodstream and end up in your lungs. And several types of medications can cause bad breath, such as those that have dry mouth as a side effect.
Having a Helicobacter pylori infection in the stomach may cause breath (and also sweat) to smell like ammonia or urine. (H. pylori infection is quite common, but many people who have an H. pylori infection don’t know they have it because they never have any symptoms.)
Occasionally, a condition such as lung disease, kidney infection, or stomach cancer may be the cause of bad breath. If you practice good oral hygiene and still have persistent bad breath, report it to your doctor so that he or she can check for possible underlying causes.
What is kyphoplasty?
Kyphoplasty is a procedure used to treat compression fractures in vertebrae that usually are caused by osteoporosis. During the procedure, an inflatable device is inserted into the fractured vertebra. Once the device is inflated, bone cement is injected, and the fractured pieces of bone are essentially glued back together. Kyphoplasty is considered a minimally invasive procedure. It usually take less than one hour, and most patients can return home the same day.
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