Integrative medicine at Amita

Getting the good vibes at Amita Holistic Center.

Did you know that every organ in your body vibrates with a certain frequency—which means that it emits waves—signals that can be measured and interpreted.  When your organs vibrate with the “right” frequency, they stay healthy and operate as they’re supposed to.  But stress, toxins and age can alter the frequencies—either decrease on increase it, causing organs to either underperform or overperform , which leads to health problems.  Luckily with new cutting edge tools, these vibrations can be measured and interpreted to a get a full-body holistic health picture.

Amita Healing Center in Brooklyn, NY, uses Orion Bioscan, a computer that can read the body’s biofeedback by reading and recording such vibrations—and then generate the picture of the body’s biological state.  The bioscan is done through a headphones censor or a band-like censor the patient wears on his head. It takes about 30 minutes to construct the entire body’s health picture.  When the scan is done, that health picture and problem areas are displayed on the screen.

If you visit a regular doctor complaining about chronic stomach aches, he’d send you for a battery of tests: a blood test, an ultrasound, a gastroscopy test, a colonoscopy and possibly even a CT scan (a series of X-rays) or a contrast scan for which you’d have to drink a mildly radioactive liquid to make your intestines glow brighter during the scan. Besides being time consuming, these tests are also expensive, beyond unpleasant and often unhealthy—the CT scans, and especially radioactive CT scans, are quite bad for your health.  But Amita’s bioscan is quick, painless and even relaxing.  And, unlike the traditional medicine tests, it generates an overview of the entire body, not just one specific area like abdomen. Getting that overall holistic picture of your body is important, because stomach aches may not be caused by any abdominal abnormalities, but by bad teeth, for example. 

But Orion Bioscan’s beauty doesn’t end there. Just like it measures the body’s status quo it can also measure the effect of medications, supplements or homeopathic remedies on the organs that require treatment.  When you place a pill in its probe, the computer can measure how that pill will affect your ailing organ and whether it will have side-effects on your other organs. It can tell whether your organs’ vibrations will get corrected, get worse or remain the same.  By going through a few “candidate” pills you can identify just the right one that your body needs.  So after an hour-long visit to Amita, you can go home with just the right remedy.

In a regular doctor’s office that would require 2-3 visits in addition to all those tests above.  And if the medicines prescribed didn’t work or caused side-effects, there’d be more visits, more medications and perhaps some repeated tests.  Because Orion Bioscan can measure the medications’ efficiency on the spot, the trial-and-error phase so widely used in traditional medicine (if pill number one didn’t work, we’ll move on to pill number two, then pill number three, and so on, while the patient may suffer from side effects and little benefits) is skipped entirely.  Orion Bioscan can also be configured to send the right kind of vibrations to the body to help restore the organs’ natural rhythm. Another technique Amita uses to restore the body’s vibrations is electrostimulation—using very light electrical currents to balance the organs’ vibrations.

Homeopathy at Amita

At Amita Holistic Healing Center, Homeopathy Is Done Right.   

Homeopathy is an ancient medicine practice in which patients are treated by very small doses of natural substances that trigger the body’s natural system of healing. These substances can be herbs or minerals, tablets of drops but because the doses are tiny, they are all nontoxic and free of side effects. The idea is to treat “like with like”—a substance which causes unwanted symptoms when taken in large doses can be used in small amounts to treat the same symptoms. The “treating like with like” principle dates back to Hippocrates, but still works today.

At Amita Holistic Center in Brooklyn, New York, homeopathic doctor Tatyana Yakovleva applies the same principle to her daily practice—she uses a variety of homeopathic remedies to cure her patients’ physical and emotional problems with great outcomes.  To achieve the best results, she often combines homeopathic remedies with various forms of acupuncture techniques—Korean, Chinese or French acupuncture.  Sometimes she adds micro-current therapy—the use of very light electrical currents to stimulate certain processes in the body. During 20 years of healing her patients’ maladies, many of which are deemed incurable by modern medicine, Yakovleva created a vast arsenal of techniques which she now customizes to every patient’s particular case.  She employs remedies and techniques rarely found in any one place—all based on her two decades of experience in natural healing.

Yakovleva has many success stories.

A 61-year old man was suffering from Rheumatoid Arthritis for years.  When treated with Korean acupuncture combined with homeopathic remedies Polygonum, Marcozyme and Allernest, which together produce a cleansing and anti-inflammatory effect, his joints’ swelling drastically reduced.  A 46 year old woman had psoriasis for most of her life.   When treated with acupuncture, Marco Derm and Solidago, which stimulates body cleansing and removing of waste matter, her condition improved significantly.  For some problems, adding micro-current therapy produces even better results. Another patient, a 52-year old woman battled debilitating chronic headaches for half of her life, trying one painkiller after another with no help. When treated with acupuncture, micro-current therapy, Cholenest and Intesta Cleanse, both of which work by cleansing the body, her headaches disappeared.

This is not surprising.  Many health problems are caused by toxic build-up in the body. Acupuncture triggers the clean-up process while homeopathic medicines facilitate the cleansing, and micro-current helps stimulate the removal of toxic chemicals. That’s why Yakovleva combines different methods together. With the right mix, multiple techniques complement each other, creating excellent effects.

Some homeopathic remedies can be administered topically—like Luvos powder, a medicinal clay discovered and manufactured in Germany. A 52 years old male patient had acne problems his entire life; not a single dermatologist has been able to help  him. After applying Luvos topically and receiving a few treatment sessions of Korean acupuncture at Amita Healing Center, his acne went away.

Homeopathy is excellent in treating emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. Another patient, a 34 year old woman complained that anxieties and panic attacks were ruining her life.  After being treated with combination of French acupuncture, Lithium and Cerebro PTC was able to restore her life back to normal.  Lithium improves a person’s mood, and Cerebro PTC delivers oxygen to the brain and balances neurotransmitter responses.

Another condition modern medicine is often unable to address—impotence—responds well to the homeopathic remedy Pandam— a stimulant that increases blood flow to the male genital region; it works just as well as Viagra but is made from natural ingredients and doesn’t have any side effects. A 44 year old patient’s sexual dysfunction problems went away after several acupuncture session combined with taking Pandam.

But perhaps the most impressive was the case of a 64 year old man who had one kidney removed and whose second kidney was failing.  He was about to start dialysis, plus his condition was worsened by the fact he was overweight. After a combination of acupuncture, micro-current treatment and homeopathic remedies Solidago and Sambong, which stimulate diuresis and excretion of waste matter from the body, he lost 65 pounds and his kidney began working again. After a few months, his conditions improved to the point that his doctor released him from further treatment. 

These are only a few cases of Yakovleva’s natural healing successes, but there are many more.  At Amita Holistic Healing Center, homeopathic remedies are used to treat many diseases that stubbornly resist modern medical methods—allergies, obesity, diabetes, hypertension and a plethora of others. Have you been battling a health problem for years, have tried every pill, and feel like you’re at the end of your rope? Maybe it’s time to try homeopathy. At Amita, homeopathy is done right—great effects and no side-effects.

Cholesterol Management

Oriental Medicine for Cholesterol Management

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be used to treat many of the health conditions known to drastically increase the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol including smoking, high blood pressure, excess weight, and diabetes. What is cholesterol and how is it bad? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your body and many foods. Your body needs cholesterol to function normally and makes all that you need. Too much cholesterol can sometimes build up in your arteries. After a while, these deposits narrow your arteries, putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke. Since you can have high cholesterol without realizing it, it's important to have your blood cholesterol levels checked. Most of the 65 million Americans with high cholesterol have no symptoms. All adults age 20 and older should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every five years, or more frequently if cholesterol levels are elevated. High cholesterol can also develop in early childhood and adolescence, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the risk increases as weight increases. In the United States alone, more than twenty percent of youth aged 12-19 years have at least one abnormal lipid level. Children over the age of two should have their cholesterol checked if they are overweight or obese, have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease, have diabetes, high blood pressure, or certain chronic conditions such as kidney disease, inflammatory diseases, congenital heart disease, and childhood cancer. According to the American Heart Association, exercise and a healthy, balanced diet low in cholesterol and saturated fats is important to lowering risk and improving your cardiovascular health. Speak to your health care providers to make sure your cholesterol is being monitored and find out how acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help you stay healthy by visiting Amita Holistic Healing Center. 718-375-1144

Oriental medicine for skin problem

Oriental medicine and Acupuncture can be very effective at treating skin conditions. Treatments can provide quick relief for acute symptoms and significant and lasting relief from recurrent or chronic skin conditions.

The skin reflects and reacts to imbalances within the body's internal landscape and the effects of the environment. Internal disharmonies caused by strong emotions, diet, and your constitution, as well as environmental influences such as wind, dryness, dampness, and heat, can all contribute to the development of a skin disorder. To keep your skin healthy and beautiful on the outside, you must work on the inside of your body as well. Increasing the flow of energy, blood and lymph circulation improves the skin's natural healthy color.
Promotion of collagen production increases muscle tone and elasticity, helping to firm the skin. Stimulating the formation of body fluids nourishes the skin and encourages it to be moister, softer, smoother and more lustrous.
General skin conditions that can be treated with acupuncture and Oriental medicine include acne, dermatitis, eczema, pruritus, psoriasis, rosacea, shingles and urticaria (hives). Oriental medicine does not recognize skin problems as one particular syndrome. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques with acupuncture, such as herbal medicine, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body
If you suffer from a skin conditions or would like to know how to improve your skin health, Amita may be your choice.

Weigh problems

Weight Gain

Many people struggle with body weight during their lifetime. Because of the natural tendencies of the prosperous, the majority struggle to lose weight, so there is a lot of emphasis on weight loss programs. There tends to be less public attention to people with the opposite issue of being underweight, however, which may make it difficult to come forward with this problem. Being underweight is also poses significant health risks that should be taken seriously.

What is Considered Underweight?

The body mass index (BMI) is a statistical standard through which doctors consider whether you are at a healthy weight for your height. At the heart of it, our bodies are designed to carry a certain amount of weight to promote healthy muscle and organ function, and going too far above or below this height/weight ratio can put a person at risk for health problems. The formula for BMI is a person's weight (in pounds) multiplied by 703, and then divided by the total height squared (as measured in inches). For people with "normal" weights, the average BMI calculation is 18.5-25. Anything below this is considered underweight. A BMI measurement less than 16.5 denotes that a person is severely underweight, posing risks for malnutrition, starvation, and other health complications.

Risks of Being Underweight

Independent of the underlying causes behind low weight, a very low BMI can have serious health consequences. People that are underweight tend to be very tired and prone to exhaustion. The lack of nutrients can also deplete the immune system, making a person much more susceptible to illnesses and infections. Low iron intake can lead to anemia, as state where less oxygen is carried in the blood, furthering their feelings of exhaustion and reducing organ function. (Please see our article on Anemia for more information.) The severely underweight may additionally develop hair loss or osteoporosis, even if they are quite young.

Causes of Being Underweight

Active young people, for example, may find that despite reasonably high caloric intake, they are able to remain thin. For them, weight gain is a concentrated effort, perhaps desired to increase physical performance in sports (through increased muscle mass) or enhance feelings of sensuality (some thin women wish for curvier bodies, for example). Over training, particularly for endurance sports (like long distance running) can cause a person to burn far more energy than put into the body, resulting in low body weight.

Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, severely limit nutrient uptake by the body, resulting in very low BMI. Each of these conditions is characterized by low body weight, which is due to the purposeful restriction of the amount of food eaten or absorbed (by vomiting before digestion). Digestive disorders or inflammatory bowel diseases (such as Crohn's disease) can also severely limit nutrient uptake in the gastrointestinal system, causing weight loss. Cancer, cancer therapies, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS may also lead to very low body weight.

While type II diabetes is typically associated with obesity, excessive weight loss might be a sign of type I diabetes. In this form of diabetes (sometimes called "juvenile" or "childhood" diabetes, given the early onset), sugar builds up in the blood because there is no insulin from the pancreas to help bring these nutrients to the cells. As the body tries to cleanse the sugar from the body through the urine, it also releases a lot of Hyperthyroidism is a hormonal imbalance caused by an overactive thyroid gland. The thyroid orchestrates many aspects of the body's metabolism, so can easily push everything into overdrive if not controlled. People with hyperthyroidism usually have tremendous appetites, but despite the calories they consume, they are unable to gain weight.

 Conventional Weight Gain Therapies

Conventional therapies for weight gain largely depend on the cause of the weight loss. Certainly, if some sort of physical illness, such as a thyroid disorder or diabetes can be identified, treatment of these conditions can help restore the lost weight. For others, the most direct solution is increase in calorie intake. To help begin restoring nutrients to very thin people, very high calorie, vitamin-packed nutritional supplements are often given to revitalize the body. If there is a psychological disorder behind the weight loss, such as anorexia or bulimia, addition counseling may also help greatly in the quest to reach a healthier weight.

Acupuncture for sports related injury

All athletes and coaches are involved in an ongoing search for ways to improve performance and gain a competitive edge over their rivals. Many are finding that acupuncture can often provide that edge.

By following the principles of Oriental medicine, an acupuncture treatment can strengthen body function and restore internal harmony and balance. Professional sports teams and top athletes regularly have an acupuncturist on staff to treat injuries and keep them performing at their peak.

Some of the best Olympic athletes are incorporating acupuncture into their wellness programs. China's most popular sportsman, the 7 foot 6 inch China basketball center, Yao Ming, used acupuncture and Oriental medicine to help him recover after undergoing surgery on his ankle in April, 2007.

Chinese swimmer, Wang Qun, was photographed doing some last minute training in Beijing with round marks on her back from a traditional Chinese medicine treatment. The marks on the swimmer's back were caused by cupping. Cupping is a technique in which a glass cup or bamboo jar is suctioned onto the body. It is used to relieve muscle pain, especially back pain from stiffness or injury; and to clear congestion in the chest, which can occur with common colds and influenza.

Studies on Acupuncture to Enhance Athletic Performance

Studies have shown that acupuncture has measurable effects on the flow of blood to certain areas of the body, which could in turn boost athletic performance. One such study conducted at the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine involved athletes running 5,000 meters, and then sitting for acupuncture treatments before they had a chance to catch their breath. The heart rates of the athletes who received the treatments recovered more quickly than those in the control group.

Another study published in the American Journal of Acupuncture measured the effects of acupuncture on anaerobic threshold and work capacity during exercise in healthy young males. Researchers found that individuals in the acupuncture treatment group had higher maximal exercise capacity and were able to perform higher workloads at the onset of blood lactate accumulation (OBLA) than individuals in the placebo group. The individuals that received acupuncture also had lower heart rates.

A recent study published in the January, 2008 issue of the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine examined the effects of acupuncture on cyclists. Twenty young (between 18 and 30 years of age) male cyclists underwent three tests per week, riding a stationary bike for 20 kilometers as fast as possible. The volunteers were divided into three groups that either received acupuncture, sham acupuncture or no acupuncture. Acupuncture points were chosen on the basis of Traditional Chinese Medicine and administered immediately before cycling. Sham acupuncture was shallow needling of known acupoints. Not only did the study show that the group that received acupuncture had a higher scores compared to the other tests. The men receiving the real acupuncture treatments completed their cycling tests at a higher acceleration than the others.

Acupuncture is well known for its effectiveness in reducing most types of pain, including sports-related injuries.

Acupuncture can be used to help decrease swelling, spasms and inflammation. Additionally, it can be used to control pain, increase range of motion and help promote healing. Because of its broad range of applications, acupuncture can be used during any of the phases of injury. The focus is not only to treat the injury but also to treat any underlying conditions that may predispose an individual to injuries. This is especially important when treating chronic or recurrent injuries that interfere with life activities or athletic performance.

Injuries occurring from sports are mostly due to trauma or overuse syndromes involving the musculoskeletal system and its soft tissues. Trauma to these soft tissues, including ligaments, tendons and muscles are generally the result from falls, blows, sprains/strains, collisions, compressions crushing and disruptions of the healing processes due to inflammation.

Some Commonly Treated Sports Injuries:

• Muscle Pull
• Neck Pain
• Shoulder Impingement
• Tennis Elbow
• Lower Back Strain
• Groin Pull
• Hamstring Strain
• Runner's Knee
• Shin Splints
• Ankle Sprain
• Achilles Tendonitis
• Arch Pain