Women Legislators Endorse Acupuncture

Good news for the acupuncture profession - and the American public - as it seeks a voice in the debate over our country's health care system.

At its annual conference held just outside of Albuquerque, NM earlier this month, the National Foundation of Women Legislators passed a resolution demanding the inclusion of acupuncture and Chinese Medicine in any new health care legislation. See below.

www.aaaomonline.info/Inclusion_of_Acupuncturists_Access_to_Care_Resolution_passed_Sept_2009.pdf

To those in the profession, Chinese Medicine already is legitimate and proven. You won't find a safer, long-lasting way to optimize your health than this holistic medicine. National Institutes of Health statistics also show that more people are choosing alternative medicine, and that acupuncture is one of the most common choices.

No one knows the fate of Obama's health insurance expansion effort. But it is encouraging to see such a studied show of support by some of the nation's most prominent leaders. They certainly heard fom experts before signing on to such a strongly-worded public statement. Progress in advancing this natural, holistic medicine is a self-energizing machine: education leads to more attention which leads to more public education and so on.

It also was heartening to see our leading professional organization's committment to the event. The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine reports spending $35,000 toward the event's total cost. We need to be involved in every way if we're going to have a voice at the table.

All these developments are signs that Chinese Medicine won't sit back and be ignored. Despite efforts by some to write off or belittle acupuncture and related modalities, the medicine continues to survive. It keeps garnering attention both inside and outside the medical field.

Why? Because it works.

The Flu: Natural Solutions

We've been relatively lucky so far: the H1N1 virus that rippled through the world health community this spring causing thousands of deaths didn't mutate into a virus of mass killer dimensions. But it remains the flu, and therefore continues to be a concern, especially to the elderly and those with weak immune systems.

Major symptoms:

fever
cough
sore throat
fatigue
achy muscles and bones
poor appetite/nausea


You've got plenty of alternative medicine options at your fingertips if you decide not to get a flu shot, including Chinese Medicine modalities that have been used for centuries. Make acupuncture and herbs additions to an alternative health toolkit that may already include homeopathics and supplements, such as Vitamin C, L-Glycine, Zinc, Bromelain and Quercetin.


ACUPUNCTURE: A variety of commonly-used points clear out the lungs, ease headaches, relieve pain and stiffness and improve digestion.

HERBS: Different formulas aid in prevention and treatment. If you feel well but want to boost your immune system, try Yu Ping Feng San (Jade Windscreen Powder). At the first hint of symptoms, look to Sang Ju Yin with predominating cough or Yin Qiao San when there's sore throat. Formulas exist for more serious cases.

According to research:

Yu Ping Feng San acts as an immune-stimulant and anti-viral.
Sang Ju Yin is an anti-inflammatory that controls fever.
Yin Qiao San controls inflammation and fever, while acting as an anti-biotic and pain-relieving analgesic.

source: Chinese Herbal Formulas and Applications - Pharmacological Effects & Clinical Research - John K. Chen and Tina T. Chen - Art of Medicine Press (2009)


CUPPING: A glass cup that's been inserted with a lit, alcohol-laded cotton ball to remove the oxygen and create suction is placed upon the back. It can be rubbed across the shoulders, neck and upper back to improve blood circulation and relieve stiffness. They also can be placed directly over special acupuncture points that remove pathogens from the body, basically by "sucking" them out.

Eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fruit and vegetables is one of the best ways to stay healthy. The phytochemicals in vegetables and bioflavanoids in fruit provide anti-oxidants and anti-inflammatories that help build a balanced immune response. Pineapple is the best-known source of Bromelain. Quercetin, which is getting significant attention from researchers as a potential cancer fighter, is prominent in apples, tea, onions, tomatoes and leafy green vegetables. It's no surprise that experts advise people to load up on many of these same foods when they do get sick.

In case of the flu, avoid heavy foods and coffee until the symptoms subside. Concentrate on simpler foods, such as thin broths made with minimal amounts of chicken and vegetables. Try cooking them with ginger. As you begin to feel better, try heartier versions of your dishes until nausea or upset stomach is not longer an issue.

Another option to acupuncture, herbs and supplements is modern homeopathics. Produced by Heel, Guna and other companies, they can be used with any of the above treatments. In fact, you can co-mingle all these options. Finding natural solutions to the flu season involves some experimentation and common sense. Remember ...

Get plenty of rest
Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water
Avoid sick people and large groups as much as possible


Good luck!

Cancer: Ginger Treats Chemotherapy-Related Nausea

Chemotherapy is the treatment of choice for many cancers. The alternative/holistic medicine field tends to believe chemotherapy is overused and, at times, is so heavy-handed it causes more harm than good. However, it is one of the mainstream tools for addressing a cancer diagnosis.

Nausea is a common side effect, but could be relegated to minor nuisance thanks to current research. A study involving 644 breast cancer patients shows there's a simple supplement that helps alleviate this major distraction.

Ginger.

Patients in the study were given ginger in addition to standard anti-nausea medication. Their symptoms declined when administered this gloried East Asian root. People from those parts have long used fragrant ginger for taste and medicinal purposes, including to relieve abdominal discomfort. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginger is characterized as a warming herb that treats the spleen, stomach and lungs, making it an effective weapon at relieve colds.

Read about the chemotherapy study at the American Society of Clinical Oncology:

www.asco.org/ASCOv2/Meetings/Abstracts?&vmview=abst_detail_view&confID=65&abstractID=35351

as well as the website for the group Living Beyond Breast Cancer:

www.lbbc.org/content/news/ginger-helps-ease-chemotherapy-related-nausea.asp?section_tag=G

Chemotherapy patients regularly suffer from a plethora of life-changing symptoms, from anemia and bleeding to constipation and rabid thirst. You can read more about managing them at the National Cancer Institute website: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/chemo-side-effects.

Know that researchers are beginning to pay more attention to acupuncture's beneficial role in treating pain and discomfort. Integrative cancer care has been around for years in China. Let's hope for the benefit of all cancer patients that mainstream medicine begins to play catchup.

Acupuncture For Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Acupuncture has the ability to improve both blood flow and neurological function. One common ailments it addresses without the use of medication is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. That's what researchers confirmed in the results of a 77-patient study published in a recent edition of the Clinical Journal Of Pain.

Because of the discomfort it causes, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome leads to lost work productivity and a decline in quality of life. Compared to surgery and steroids, acupuncture held its own. By some measurements, it performed even better than the oral steroid prednisolone:


http://journals.lww.com/clinicalpain/Abstract/2009/05000/Acupuncture_in_Patients_With_Carpal_Tunnel.11.aspx


The study measured 5 main symptoms scores: pain, numbness, paresthesia, weakness/clumsiness and nocturnal awakening.

After four weeks, acupuncture registered major decreases with nocturnal awakeng and distal motor latency.

"Acupuncture was well tolerated with minimal adverse effects," the researchers concluded. They added:

"Short-term acupuncture treatment is as effective as short-term low-dose prednisolone for mild-to-moderate CTS. For those who do have an intolerance or contraindication for oral steroid or for those who do not opt for early surgery, acupuncture treatment provides an alternative choice."

What To Expect From An Acupuncture treatment?

Hi: Hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend.

Convincing people to try acupuncture is a challenge. But convince is the wrong word ... the wrong attitude. As I wrote in my last blog, the idea of using needles to improve one's health strikes many as odd. Not only that, practitioners of Chinese Medicine have the audacity to tell you they're sticking those needles in particular spots for a reason! That's it's all part of a well-thought-out system of natural medicine!

I wasn't sure what would happen during my first acupuncture treatment, which took place, by the way, when I visited my school for the first time in the summer of 2005. It made me feel a little heavy and drained. Not a ringing endorsement, except that in my case I was extremely open to giving it a chance.

There wasn't much wrong with me; I was just feeling the effects of the endorphins, opiods and the overall rebalancing that acupuncture generates.

Let me make a few observations.

1. Acupuncture Works!

Don't doubt it. Given the right circumstances, the right amount of patience and the right patient-practitioner relationship, you can achieve excellent results. For starters, visit this World Health Organization webpage: www.who.int/medicinedocs/en/d/Js4926e/5.html. You also can find a lot of information on the Internet.

2. Acupuncture should not hurt.

You'll feel a little something, even a slight sting, as the needles enter the skin. But that's where the nerve endings are. After 10-15 seconds, if you continue to feel anything like pain, the needle is probably in the wrong place. That's rare. You should begin a sense a certain heaviness, numbness or tingling around the point. That means your energy - your Qi - has been stimulated and has begun to move.

Acupuncture releases endorphins and opiods. Those body chemicals are one major reason acupuncture is so relaxing.

A good practitioner talks with the patient on the table. They should be aware of how you're feeling, and readjust needles or take them out when necessary.

3. The acupuncture points are there for a reason.

One reason acupuncture shouldn't hurt is that the points are functional. It wouldn't make any sense to design a medical system for daily use that causes constant pain!

Where are the points then and where would you be likely to be needled?

Since the energy channels run all across the body, there are points everywhere, too. But practitioners - the ones you'll run into here, at least - avoid points around the genitalia. There's never any nudity or unwanted exposure. True, many back issues, sciatica issues, hip issues, urinary issues and some reproductive issues involve some exposure as the patient lies on their stomach, that's far from nudity.

4. The needles ...

They're extremely thin, flexible and solid. Right there, that tells you they're not the big, hollow needles many got scared of in the doctor's office long ago. I like to show people an acupuncture needle if they're coming in for a first treatment or just have the desire to see one. I'll glide it over their hand and let them do the same to me if they like. It helps break the fear and mystery of the acupuncture needle. You can see the surprise and sense of relief on their faces!

Needles these days are packaged individually and administered through a plastic tube. Place it over the point and tap ... the needle goes in. Once they're used, they get thrown into a sharps box where they'll be disposed of eventually as hazardous waste.

5. What kind of results should you expect from a treatment?

The goal always is to make the patient feel better than they did when they first arrived. After 20-30 minutes, the needles have had enough time to cycle the Qi through the body at least once. You want people to come back, of course. That's because, as a practitioner, you know that 9 times out of 10, it's going to take more than one treatment to correct an issue.

Acute or short-term issues, such as a cold or a recently injured back, can usually be improved in fewer treatments. The condition is fresh and hasn't had an opportunity yet to entrench itself in the body.

Chronic issues are another issue altogether. They took root further in the past, and it very likely was a combination of imbalances that created the problem in the first place. Fibromyalgia always comes to mind in this conversation. Asthma is another example, just as long-term asthma and Irritable Bowel Syndrome are too. Any Chinese Medicine practitioner is going to need more time to make a difference.

Acupuncture is the kind of treatment that often creeps up on a patient. By that, I mean it works so subtly yet determinedly that a patient might not notice they're feeling better. Incremental improvements are very common with this medicine. Unlike the reaction you get to many Western medicine, the benefits of acupuncture not only come without side effects, they accumulate treatment after treatment, week after week.

That's why it's very helpful to make an honest committment to see if it's the right thing for you. Most often, you'll be glad that you did.

What is Acupuncture?

As our Chinese instructors often reminded us, we learn just enough in school to stick our toes in the vast waters of Chinese Medicine. But as a "newbie", I think I can honestly say that struggling to survive has imparted some perspective on what people really know about acupuncture.

That happens when you're not just trying to heal people but also bring them into your office!

It's odd to fall into an educator's role. You have to, however. Acupuncture - not to mention the rest of Chinese Medicine - remains a mystery to most people.

In general, they've heard of it. That's about all. Some decide right away that they want nothing to do with a bunch of needles. Their stubborness is as firm as the faces on Mount Rushmore. But that still leaves a lot of people who are curious enough to have a chat, listen to an off-hand remark about acupuncture's benefits or on the rare occasion, engage in an extended conversation about Chinese Medicine. So here goes. I'll likely be revisiting this subject a lot, especially what it's like to actually get needled:

For starters, acupuncture is unique way of accessing the body.

When you stick needles in a person, you're trying to access their personal energy. Doing so allows us to treat ANY part of the body.

That sounds a bit freaky to many people. But if you hang on there's a scientific side to all this.

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Chinese began noticing that the body reacted in profound ways when touched in specific point on the arms, legs, hips, abdomen, chest and head. They developed a system of energy channels connecting every part of us - from organs and muscles to skin.

Acupuncture taps into all that. And since the ancient Chinese believed the world operated by an infinite energy force they called "Qi", the goal of acupuncture and the rest of Chinese Medicine became an effort to balance this universal energy. Nothing in the annals of western science changes the fact that the body is a natural entity that's interconnected with everything else. Just look at how we catch colds - an immune system breakdown - or develop diseases from contact with pollution - an overwhelming attack on the immune system. It gets more complicated than this, but from a basic Chinese Medicine perspective, they're dangerous energetic imbalances.

What may surprise many is that as the second half of the last century rolled around, the Chinese began testing their medicine scientifically. Over the years, they and counterparts in the Western world - including the United States - discovered many fascinating qualities about acupuncture. Like the fact that it releases endorphins, serotonin and opioids. It's a major reason acupuncture helps treat pain and emotions. Brain research is showing how acupuncture stimulates various parts of our nervous system, the part of our body that determines how we respond to the world around us through the regulation of hormones, gasses and enzymes. With a little patience, you can find it all on the Internet.

In other words, science does not conflict with Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture is just another approach. It works differently than modern medication and surgery. As a quick fix for many issues, especially the complicated ones that have been around for months and years, you'll be disappointed. Think fibromyalgia. But one of the major benefits is that it works naturally. More and more people these days have seen the drawbacks of viewing the body as a machine that can be tweaked with surgery and pharmaceuticals. They want natural healing. Acupuncture, herbs and other aspects of Chinese Medicine offer that alternative.