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September 29, 2014 by admin
Source: CDAPress
http://www.cdapress.com/news/healthy_community/article_53fbf871-00aa-545e-b961-9ca010df0a09.html
Patients undergoing traditional cancer therapies suffer immense side effects. They range from pain to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hot flashes, insomnia, depression, anxiety and other mental issues, lack of motivation, dry mouth, peripheral neuropathy, and just a sense of not feeling well. While there are many other side effects, the above-mentioned ones are symptoms that have been studied and researched, and found to be helped by acupuncture.
While many universities and hospitals – such as Yale University, University of Pittsburg, University of Minnesota, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Segal Cancer Center of Jewish General Hospital (Canada), Mercy Hospital, University of Maryland School of Medicine, National Institutes of Health-funded General Clinical Research Center associated with Yale School of Medicine, and Yale New Haven Hospital – are currently doing research in the field of acupuncture and cancer treatments, many more in other countries are targeting acupuncture as a viable means of supporting conventional cancer therapies. More specifically, reducing the side effects caused by radiation and chemotherapy.
Journals such as Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine, Current Oncology, Journal of Clinical Oncology, Physiotherapy, Support Care in Cancer, Current Pain and Headaches Reports, Pancreatology, Cancer, Annals of Internal Medicine, Critical Reviews in Oncology / Hematology, Menopause, Gynecological Endocrinology, Breast Cancer Research and Treatment all have articles reviewing the benefits of acupuncture in managing cancer symptomatology effectively.
While acupuncture has been used for (literally) thousands of years without understanding the physiological mechanisms, acupuncturists, oncologists and researchers are engaged in the intriguing ways acupuncture is helpful. Some of what we understand to date includes the activation of the neural, endocrine and immunological systems. Acupuncture increases serotonin output from the region of the upper brain stem and hypothalamus, which causes the release of opiates from the brain (b-endorphins, dynorphins, enkephalins, and endmorphins), all responsible for alleviating pain, calming the mind and improving wellbeing. It also supports immune function by stimulating leukocytes (granulocytes and lymphocytes) by stimulating the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. It also helps T-lymphocyte and Natural Killer cells function better.
Acupuncture modulates the side effects of certain medications, such as aromatase inhibitors, venlafaxine, tamoxifen and other anti-estrogen drugs. A 50-60 percent reduction of hot flashes was common in the various studies.
Other studies have shown that acupuncture has been helpful in controlling cancer by reducing tumor-associated inflammation. It also appears that acupuncture has a regulatory effect on angiogenesis – the development of new blood vessels within tumors. This is especially true during the early course of tumor development. Another study showed acupuncture to be beneficial in slowing cancer cell division.
While acupuncture became recognized as an important treatment application following the National Institutes of Health study in 1997 showing acupuncture to be beneficial for treating nausea after chemotherapy, it has been widely used for cancer support before then. During the 1990’s, before moving to Idaho, three cancer clinics in Orange County, California refused to see cancer patients unless they simultaneously had acupuncture treatments. According to them, acupuncture treatments substantially improved patient outcomes with all types of cancer.
September 29, 2014 by admin
Source: News 4 Jax
http://www.news4jax.com/news/uf-researcher-to-study-if-acupuncture-could-help-cancer-patients/28271288
A University of Florida College of Nursing professor will examine how acupuncture might help curb weight loss in cancer patients with a wasting syndrome. Saun-Joo Yoon, an associate professor of nursing, has received a UF Research Opportunity Seed Fund award for 2014-2016 to conduct the study.
Yoon and colleagues from the UF colleges of Medicine, Public Health and Health Professions, and Pharmacy will study the impact of an acupuncture intervention to counteract weight loss in gastrointestinal cancer patients with cachexia, a wasting syndrome whose symptoms are characterized by involuntary weight and muscle loss that cannot be reversed nutritionally.
The intervention, called mechanism-based acupuncture, addresses the specific symptoms of a disease or condition.
“Treatment for cancer such as chemotherapy and tumor-mediated metabolic changes can cause weight loss, systemic inflammation and muscle waste, which negatively impacts patients’ health at a critical time,” Yoon said. “We want to explore whether complementary treatments like acupuncture specifically focused on these symptoms can improve their appetite and overall health outcomes, including their physical functioning and quality of life.”
Yoon’s past research has focused on how complementary and alternative medicines can promote health and manage chronic illness in adult populations.
Yoon, who is one of 16 UF faculty member principal investigators to receive this award, and her research team will receive $84,000 over two years.
UF distributes approximately 15-18 Research Opportunity Seed Fund awards each year, which range from $65,000 to $85,000.
September 19, 2014 by admin
Source: Windsor Star
http://blogs.windsorstar.com/life/drs-oz-roizen-amazing-acupuncture
You may not like the idea of being needled, but acupuncture has been a go-to therapy for 5,000 years.
And this Chinese healing art, which uses hair-thin needles to stimulate points in the body that affect chi or qi, the life energy, has been in the news lately — not just because celebs like pop star Alicia Keys and bike racer Vincenzo Nibali (winner of the 2014 Tour de France) use it to stay energized, but because modern medicine is discovering more and more about the powers of acupuncture to heal the mind and body.
The World Health Organization says acupuncture may help ease digestive problems like constipation and diarrhea; chronic sinus and lung infections; all sorts of pain, from headaches and migraines to neck pain, back pain and osteoarthritis; infertility; and even urinary and menstrual problems. At the Cleveland Clinic, where Dr. Mike is chief wellness officer and there are more than 10 certified acupuncture practitioners in the Wellness Institute’s Center for Integrative Medicine, a review of the best research found good evidence that it works to ease gastroesophageal reflux, nerve pain and post-surgery pain.
No wonder the number of North Americans being needled jumped from two million in 2002 to more than 14 million in 2007. And now at least four U.S. states include health-insurance coverage for acupuncture under the Affordable Care Act, and people in many more have plans that do the same.
So, if you’re one of the folks who like the idea, and the treatments work for you, here are some recent insights into what acupuncture can do for you:
Acupuncture is a stress reliever: Levels of neuropeptide Y — a combo of 36 amino acids that acts as a neurotransmitter and constricts blood vessels — skyrockets when you’re tense, triggering the fight-or-flight response. Acupuncture helps control levels of neuropeptide Y, lowering blood pressure and relaxing muscles.
It’s a pain soother: In a new University of California San Diego study, after 31 kids (ages 2 to 17) had tonsillectomies, acupuncture muted their throat aches within minutes.
A hot-flash cooler: A new review of 12 studies involving 869 menopausal women concludes that acupuncture reduces the number and intensity of this annoying menopause symptom.
A pound melter: When 91 overweight people followed the same healthy diet and got real or sham ear acupuncture, those who got the real thing lost weight.
An energizer for cancer patients: In two recent University of Pennsylvania studies, women receiving chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer reported reductions in tiredness, anxiety, depression and joint pain after receiving acupuncture.
We know that in some studies, sham acupuncture produces results almost as good (or as good) as the real thing. Perhaps the sham technique (pricking acupuncture points) works as well as inserting needles … or, in some cases, acupuncture works because people want it to. Future research will help sort that out. What we know for sure? Here’s how to get the most out of this healing therapy:
Talk with your doctor first: Don’t stop medications or other treatments on your own. Instead, ask your doctor about combining the two.
Check your insurance: Some plans cover it; others may offer a discount if you use certain providers. If you have a health spending account, you’ll probably be able to use it for acupuncture, too.
Know what to expect: Needles are thin, sharp and sterile — only disposable, prepackaged needles should be used. You may feel a twinge or nothing at all when they’re inserted. Depending on your health, you may need one to 10 treatments or visits that continue for several months. We hope you get the point!
September 10, 2014 by admin
Source: Austin Fit Magazine
http://www.austinfitmagazine.com/Acupuncture-Alternative-to-Surgery/?utm_content=5467605&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
For many it’s a familiar story: Play hard and sometimes you hurt hard. Now you’re sitting across from your doctor. It’s bad. You’ve known it since the blackish-purple bruise formed. An intent expression is on his face, telling you surgery will be the only treatment for the small muscular tear, and all you can think is, “How is this going to fit into my life?”
That’s exactly what happened to Omar Mena, 37, with an injury to his hamstring muscle from playing soccer. When the married father of two isn’t spending time with his wife and daughters, he is active with both indoor and outdoor organized soccer. Mena is self-described as living and breathing sports, and the injury was devastating to him.
“I have to be out on a field competing, but I’m only as good and as able as my body allows me to be,” Mena said.
In too much pain to get his shoes and socks on without the help of his wife, Mena knew something had to be done. “You don’t realize how much your hamstring impacts your way of life until you severely injure it,” Mena said. He wasn’t convinced that surgery and the muscular rehabilitation that goes along with it were the only way.
Mena had been to AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine’s student clinic for acupuncture only one time before, so when he sought acupuncture again he was delighted to hear that Yongxin Fan, MD (China), LAc 663, was confident that his injury would be a good candidate for acupuncture treatment.
Dr. Fan has more than 20 years of clinical experience in treating musculoskeletal issues, pain, digestive disorders, and psycho-emotional conditions. While qualified to treat any type of condition, he specializes in acute and chronic injury, many of which are sports-related. Dr. Fan explains that muscular micro-tears and partial tears all have very good prognoses when treated using acupuncture.
“Based on the research, we’ve found that acupuncture can help to recover muscle contractile structure as well as improve circulation to speed recovery,” says Fan.
After two sessions in the span of one month, Mena was back to the soccer field.
The recovery of the muscle took about six months total but required very little downtime. He now comes to AOMA for support for his lower back and the various injuries that come with playing as hard as he does.
But isn’t acupuncture painful? You’d think sticking needles into a torn muscle would be excruciating, but Mena would beg to differ. “You can barely feel the needles beingplaced. The whole process is actually extremely relaxing. After the needles were placed, I lay on my stomach for about an hour to let the needles work on my muscle. I listened to relaxing music and fell asleep until it was time to have the needles removed,” Mena said.
Dr. Fan would stress that while acupuncture cannot actually change a structural problem, like a fracture or complete tear, it can do many things to help with chronic or acute injuries, and can be a wonderful adjunct to surgical recovery to help restore function.
Whether the problem is in the muscle, joint, ligament, or a combination, acupuncture can help. Dr. Fan and the other wonderful faculty members and interns at AOMA Graduate School of Integrative Medicine are there to help get you back to doing what you love.
September 10, 2014 by admin
Source: Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/article/new-scientific-breakthrough-proves-why-acupuncture-works
New groundbreaking research shows that the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin disrupts the branching point of nerves called C fibres. These C fibres transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances by using Merkel cells as intermediaries. Dr. Morry Silberstein of the Curtin University of Technology will publish his research in the Journal of Theoretical Biology later this year.
We have never really had a scientific explanation for how acupuncture actually works,” he said. In the absence of a scientific rationale, acupuncture has not been widely used in the mainstream medical community. If we can explain the process scientifically, we can open it to full scientific scrutiny and develop ways to use it as a part of medical treatments.”
Dr. Silberstein mentions that they have known, for some time, that the acupuncture points show lower electrical resistance than other nearby areas of the skin. His research specifically pinpoints that the C fibres actually branch exactly at acupuncture points. Scientists don’t know exactly what role C fibres play in the nervous system, but Dr. Silverstein theorizes that the bundle of nerves exists to maintain arousal or wakefulness. The insertion of the acupuncture needle disrupts this circuit and numbs our sensitivity to pain.”
Acupuncture for pain relief is actually being taught to American Air Force physicians deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan (2009) by Dr. Richard Niemtzow MD, PhD, MPH and editor of Medical Acupuncture. His technique called “Battlefield Acupuncture” relieves severe pain for several days and is a variation of acupuncture, which inserts very tiny semi-permanent needles at specific acupoints on the skin of the ear that blocks pain signals from reaching the brain.
“This is one of the fastest pain attenuators in existence,” said Dr. Niemtzow, who is the Consultant for complementary and alternative medicine for the Surgeon General of the Air Force, and is affiliated with Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda. “The pain can be gone in five minutes.”
It has taken quite a long time for Western medicine to embrace acupuncture even though it was introduced in the early 1970’s after contacts with China improved.
Professor Tsuei mentions: “In 1972 the respected New York Times columnist James Reston underwent an emergency appendectomy while in China. He later wrote about acupuncture treatment for post-operative pain that was very successful. This report attracted attention and many American physicians and researchers went to China to observe and learn acupuncture techniques.”
Since then, only a few controlled studies were done in the West. Yale researchers proved its effectiveness for cocaine addiction in 2000 and published their findings in the August 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.
A North Korean researcher, Kim Bonghan, published papers in the early 1960’s and his research was confirmed by the Japanese researchers Fujiwara and Yu in 1967. Unfortunately his research took almost 40 years to be confirmed through studies done on rats, rabbit and pigs with Stereo-microscope photographs and electron microsopy.
The main article photo shows the stereomicroscopic image of acupuncture meridians:
“Assemblies of tubular structures 30 to 100 micro-meters wide (red blood cells are 6-8 micro-meters in diameter). Apparently these structures have remained undiscovered for so long because they are almost transparent and so thin that they are barely visible with low-magnification surgical microscopes. They are also easily confused with fibrin, which coagulates and obscures these structures when there is bleeding in dissected tissues. Now that they have been rediscovered, researchers are investigating their composition and function. The tubular structures that make up Bonghan channels contain a flowing liquid that includes abundant hyaluronic acid, a substance that cushions and lubricates the joints, eyes, skin and even heart valves. Also visible in the photographs are small granules of DNA or microcells about 1-2 micro-meters in diameter that contain chromosomal material highly reactive to stem-cell antibody stains. When these cells were isolated and then induced to differentiate, they grew into cells of all three germ layers. These may be our body’s natural source of pluripotent adult stem cells, with the potential to develop into any cell in the body”
Russian researchers in 1991 at The Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Novosibirsk, USSR discovered in a research project lasting several years, how the human body conducts light. They found that the light conducting ability of the human body exists only along the meridians, and can enter and exit only along the acupuncture points. Dr. Kaznacheyev, a professor of physics said:
“This seems to prove that we have a light transferal system in our body somewhat like optical fiber. It appears that the light can even travel when the light canal is bent, or totally twisted. The light appears to be reflected from the inner surface, appearing to go in some sort of zigzag track. You can explain this through traditional electromagnetic light theory as it is used in optical fiber communications.”
This finding has been confirmed by a 1992 study in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a 2005 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine where moxibustion and infrared thermography were used to trace meridian pathways.
There might be a “light body” after all.
Source: HealthCMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1361-new-acupuncture-mri-brain-sleep-discovery
A new MRI study demonstrates that acupuncture affects the brain very differently for sleep deprived patients than patients with normal sleep. The fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) images show distinctly different patterns in the cerebellum. The brain’s cerebellum is an area of the brain active in motor control, balance, mood, fear, pleasure, heart rate, blood pressure changes, language use and cognition. These results mark a clear difference in how acupuncture affects the brain under different circumstances.
Acupuncture was applied under two separate conditions. Patients received stimulation of acupuncture point SP6 (Sanyinjiao), located on the leg, after normal sleep and after sleep deprivation. The MRI images demonstrate that the cerebellum is activated differently for sleep deprived and normal sleep patients. The activated regions for sleep deprived patients were wider, larger and with greater intensity.
Another important discovery was made. The contralateral cerebellum was activated in normal sleep patients but bilateral activation occurred in sleep deprived patients. Needling acupoint SP6, located on the lower leg, on one side of the body caused activation of the brain’s cerebellum on the opposite side of the body in normal sleep patients. However, both sides of the brain were activated when the same patients received SP6 stimulation under sleep deprivation circumstances. The MRI images prove that acupuncture affects the brain differently dependent upon the amount of sleep received by the patient.
Prior studies demonstrate that different acupuncture points activate specific areas of the brain. This new study show that the same acupuncture point affects the brain differently dependent upon how much rest the patient received. Acupuncture point specificity has now been proven to apply to specific acupoints and the physical state of the patient.
Source: Bastyr University
http://www.bastyr.edu/news/general-news-home-page/2014/01/brain-acupuncture-new-imaging-yields-insight-stroke-recovery
The breakthrough came in giving acupuncture to a watermelon.
The melon lay inside the giant mouth of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine at the University of Washington. Steel needles poked into its rind, connected to wires that ran outside the room and into a small box in the hands of acupuncturist Kathleen Lumiere, DAOM (’08), MAc, LAc.
Dr. Lumiere used controls to send mild electric currents into the melon. The technique, electroacupuncture, seeks to stimulate the body’s own electrical currents to promote healing. Dr. Lumiere has seen it help stroke patients make significant recoveries at Bastyr Center for Natural Health, where she is a clinical faculty member.
The melon in the imaging lab didn’t do anything, just as researchers hoped. It didn’t heat up or vibrate in response to the needles, which were specially designed to work inside a magnetic machine. The discovery brings researchers closer to showing it is safe to study electroacupuncture on humans inside an MRI machine. That, in turn, brings them closer to understanding how electroacupuncture works — and how it could become a widely accepted stroke therapy.
The project is a classic example of what researcher Leanna Standish PhD, ND, LAc, FABNO, calls “translational medicine” — translating a time-tested therapy of one culture (traditional Chinese medicine) into the vocabulary of another (modern Western medicine).
“What does acupuncture actually do to the brain tissue? Nobody knows,” says Dr. Standish, a research professor in the Bastyr University School of Naturopathic Medicine and an affiliate research professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine. “We think it works, from Chinese studies, but we don’t know how it works.”
By studying electroacupuncture through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), her team hopes to gain insight into how exactly the therapy alters blood flow in the brain.
The Electrical Brain
Dr. Lumiere has helped stroke patients recover with electroacupuncture at Bastyr Center.
That may be especially important for victims of strokes. The most common form of stroke occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to part of the brain, starving cells of oxygen. Restoring blood flow to the affected areas is thought to be crucial for helping patients recover the ability to do things like speak, walk and use their hands.
“We’re looking for a way to show that acupuncture, especially scalp electroacupuncture, can support stroke rehabilitation,” says Dr. Lumiere.
Electroacupuncture is common for stroke patients in China, where traditional medicine rests on the notion of qi (pronounced “chee”), the body’s underlying life force. Healers seek to restore the flow of qi through the body — some acupuncturists describe needle points as “gates” that needles can reopen. Electroacupuncture uses the same points, introducing mild currents as a more potent therapy for pain, muscle spasms or neurological issues.
As a clinician at Bastyr Center, Dr. Lumiere uses an electrotherapy standard well-studied in China. For stroke patients, she places two needles in the scalp near the motor cortex, which controls body movement. One needle sends a current of 2 hertz (two beats per second), mimicking the brain at sleep. The other needle sends a frequency of 100 hertz, a faster “invigorating” frequency. Patients often describe a tingling sensation, but rarely pain.
“The body acts like it’s sleeping,” Dr. Lumiere says. “It regenerates tissue, removes waste products, and facilitates healing rather profoundly.”
Mariluz Adler, a student in Bastyr’s Post-Baccalaureate Program in Naturopathic Medicine, worked on the study by reviewing published research on electroacupuncture, most of it conducted in China and Japan. She found strong evidence the therapy improves paralysis, speech impairment and other stroke symptoms.
“It has so many positive results, it just makes sense for us to move forward with the study,” she says.
Electroacupuncture has been slow to spread in the U.S. But using electricity to stimulate the brain makes sense to Dr. Standish, who earned a doctorate in neuroscience before completing degrees in acupuncture and naturopathic medicine.
“Qi has never been translated into physics,” she says. “But the very basis of brain activity is the electrical firing of a neuron. So our biology is electromagnetic in a very essential way.”
Testing non-magnetic needles confirmed they wouldn’t create disturbances in imaging results. As a translation tool, magnetic resonance imaging has unique potential to shed light on therapies that seem to resist measurement. By reacting to the iron content in blood, machines are able to map changes in neural activity inside a subject’s brain. Dr. Standish and colleagues at Bastyr and UW have used functional MRI technology to map the effect of qigong, a Chinese movement therapy, on a healer’s brain, with promising preliminary results.
But acupuncture poses a new challenge. MRI machines are essentially giant magnets whose power would yank regular steel needles out of a subject. Dr. Standish worked with medical-imaging specialists to find acupuncture needles that would not react to magnetism. In a paper published last year, her team documented how austenitic stainless steel, a processed, nonmagnetic material, would enable MRI studies. (Gold needles work for some methods but are too soft for scalp acupuncture.)
That finding enabled the watermelon test, which Dr. Lumiere led through a faculty research grant from the Bastyr University Research Institute. She found the needles provided electroacupuncture without producing heat that could harm a patient. Another test of the needles in gelatin found the needles wouldn’t create “noise” that would obscure results.
She presented her results in April 2013 to the Society for Acupuncture Research, emphasizing that these methods could allow a multitude of studies.
“The equipment research we’ve been doing this past year enables all kinds of electroacupuncture and fMRI research, because we’ve found the right tools,” she says.
Next comes a study of healthy human participants. Their proposal is currently awaiting approval from Bastyr and UW internal review boards (which review safety on all studies of human subjects). The team plans to begin early this year.
After that, the group will seek funding for a larger clinical trial of stroke patients. For stroke recovery, researchers will look at two key indicators, says imaging specialist Clark Johnson, PhD, a UW research associate professor emeritus. The first measurement is the change in blood flow in the damaged area. The second is changes in metabolic activity — energy flowing into brain cells affected by the stroke.
“Both of these would be indicators of successful treatment,” says Dr. Johnson. “You want blood to get there and you want brain activity to change. It’s clearly just a question: Does the use of this technique allow the neurons in the area of the stroke to become reactivated? I don’t know if it’s going to be true, but it’s a good question.”
Source: The Epoch Times
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/857486-acupuncture-is-working-for-elite-athletes/
Whether you’re a professional athlete or a person who likes to stay active, acupuncture can help you feel great and perform at your best! Every time I read about an elite or international competition, I quickly hear about some athletes who are using acupuncture. Why are athletes turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine? No drugs, few to no side effects, and a multitude of benefits.
I don’t need to remind you that training hard can incur injuries (and awaken old ones), incite inflammation, and increase joint and muscle soreness. Athletes use acupuncture because it is wonderful for relieving pain, increasing circulation, decreasing inflammation, and speeding up recovery from injuries and tough workouts. To see specific ways elite athletes have effectively used acupuncture, read below.
5 Amazing Athletes Who Use Acupuncture
1. Daniel Kowalski an Olympic Gold, Silver and Bronze medalist in swimming, made this video discussing how acupuncture was integral to maintaining his health while he trained for the Olympics and afterward. He stated that acupuncture helped him recover from shoulder injuries, improved his sleep, fended off colds and flu, while simultaneously enhancing his general well being.
2. Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant took to twitter and posted this picture of him receiving acupuncture for his leg injury.
3. Just some week ago, Vincenzo Nibali won the Tour de France while being treated with acupuncture everyday throughout the arduous 3 week race. Eddy De Smedt L.Ac., a Belgian acupuncturist, treated all the cyclists on Team Astana. His treatments focused on assisting the racers with pain relief, quick recovery, and rest.
4. My favorite twitter pal, Olympic bronze medal winner Dee Dee Trotter, is a huge advocate for acupuncture. She began using acupuncture when she was dealing with “a lot of unanswerable muscular issues” and her coach at the time suggested she try it. She has become such a fan that her hometown acupuncturist accompanied her to London when she competed in the 2012 Olympic games. She won the bronze medal in the 400 meter run. Way to go DeeDee!
5. Ray Emery – The Chicago Blackhawk used acupuncture to help in his long recovery process after hip surgery in 2010.
You can see that these 5 athletes have turned to acupuncture for injury rehabilitation, sleep, general health, pain relief, peak performance and much more. What are all you athletes waiting for?
Source: HealthCMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1358-acupuncture-reduces-hypertension-over-drugs
Acupuncture reduces high blood pressure for patients with hypertension. In a surprising result, acupuncture was found more effective than a pharmaceutical medication commonly used for the treatment of high blood pressure and heart failure. Additionally, acupuncture was clinically successful in controlling symptoms associated with high blood pressure including dizziness, aching of the waist and knees, and palpitations.
Researchers conducted a randomized controlled study and divided 60 patients with hypertension into two groups. Group 1 received acupuncture. Group 2 received the drug catopril, an antihypertensive and renal protective agent given the trade name Capoten. The drug is an ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor. Common uses for catopril include the treatment of hypertension, congestive heart failure and protection of kidney function for diabetics.
All acupuncture patients in group 1 received a standardized, protocolized acupuncture point prescription. The acupuncture point selection was Hegu (LI4), Taichong (LR3), Quchi (LI11) and Xingjian (LR2). LI4 and LR3 are commonly paired in treatment protocols and this pairing is given the name Siguan, translated as four gates.
Both groups showed significant reductions in blood pressure. However, the acupuncture group showed greater improvement. Measurements of diastolic blood pressure at 14 days and 21 days into the treatment regime revealed that the acupuncture group showed greater diastolic reductions. The same was true for improvement of symptoms associated with hypertension. The acupuncture group demonstrated clinical superior patient outcomes for reductions in dizziness, aching of the waist and knees, and palpitations. Moreover, the acupuncture group demonstrated less adverse reactions than the drug group. This last result is not surprising since adverse events associated with catopril intake include light-headedness, fainting, dizziness, abnormal frequency of urination, bodily pain, fever, chills, abnormal bleeding (vagina, mouth, nose, rectum), difficulty concentrating and shortness of breath. Based on the findings, the researchers concluded that acupuncture is safer and more effective than catopril for the treatment of hypertension.
The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differential diagnosis for all patients admitted to this study was hypertension due yin deficiency with excess yang uprising. Image of one inch filiform needles. This type of hypertension is characterized by a small, wiry, rapid pulse often accompanied by a red tongue with a yellow coating. There may be headaches, light-headedness, irritability, burring of vision and dizziness in addition to high blood pressure. The acupuncture point prescription was chosen based on this differential diagnosis. As a result of the study’s findings, acupuncture was determined to be both safe and effective for lowering high blood pressure and reducing symptoms associated with hypertension due to yin deficiency with yang uprising type hypertension.
Source: Pacific College
http://www.pacificcollege.edu/acupuncture-massage-news/articles/559-quit-smoking-with-acupuncture.html
Each year, people across the globe vow to finally quit smoking for good only to watch their resolution go up in smoke. If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how difficult it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a powerful addiction. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
Acupuncture as an alternative approach to smoking cessation has a growing number of converts. In fact, acupuncture is often a court mandated treatment for drug addicts because of its ability to curb withdrawal symptoms and manage cravings.
It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit 2 or 3 times, or more, before finally kicking the habit. When conventional methods to quit smoking, such as nicotine gum or patches, have failed, smokers often look outside the mainstream and turn to alternative medicine.
Acupuncture is not a panacea or a magic cure in the treatment of any addiction, including smoking. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to quit and remain smoke-free. If you are highly motivated and ready to quit, acupuncture can empower you to take control and begin a healthy and smoke-free life!
A Formidable Addiction
More than 50 million Americans smoke, and nearly 7 million more use smokeless tobacco. The numbers are even higher in other parts of the globe, with worldwide statistics showing that one out of three men and women over the age of 18 are smokers.
The reasons to quit smoking are endless. Cigarettes have 4000 known poisons, any of which can kill in high enough doses. One drop of pure nicotinic acid can kill a man. According to the CDC, tobacco kills more than 440,000 people each year, in the US alone. Not to mention the chronic illnesses and diseases that are associated with smoking. Emphysema, lung cancer, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, chronic cough, an increased frequency of colds and flu; these are just a few of the widely known risks associated with smoking.
Many people decide to quit because of the enormous expense of a cigarette habit or are just plain tired of being dependant on a substance. There is also considerable social pressure not to smoke. I am sure that most smokers can recall a dirty look or rude comment from someone that was nearby when they lit up.
How Does Acupuncture Help Break the Cigarette Habit?
Acupuncture has turned a growing number of cigarette cravers into permanent ex-smokers. As said before, acupuncture is not a panacea or a magic cure in the treatment of smoking. It can, however, reduce the cravings and lessen the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. A successful acupuncture program will include patient preparation, patient commitment, and education about what acupuncture will and will not do.
Oriental Medicine aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body.
Your acupuncturist may do an interview to learn about your unique smoking habits and perform a physical examination including blood pressure, taking the pulse and observing the tongue. The emotional and physical symptoms that you are experiencing will help create a clear picture on which your practitioners can create a treatment plan specifically for you.
The acupuncture treatments will focus on the jitters, the cravings, the irritability, and the restlessness that people commonly complain about when they quit. It will also aid in relaxation and detoxification.
Are There Herbs To Help Me Quit Smoking?
Often you are prescribed herbs or supplements to control cravings or withdrawal symptoms.
There are three areas to address for herbal support; dryness and tissue repair, irritability and cravings.
* A Lung Yin Tonic such as Ophiopogonis Combination (Mai Men Dong Tang) is often used to moisten the lungs and mouth which can prevent cravings and repair tissue damage caused by smoking.
* A Chinese herbal formula to calm the spirit may be used for irritability. Bupleurum plus Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell (Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang) can help relieve irritability and anxiety associated with detox. Many people use this formula to help them through stressful situations and prevent relapses.
* Lobelia Tea (Ban Bian Lian) or Green Tea can be sipped daily during the detox period to keep tissues flooded with elements that discourage nicotine cravings. (Lobelia is traditionally used to rid the body of a strong toxin such as a snake bite.)
NOTE: The improper use of Chinese Herbs can be dangerous. Please consult with a licensed acupuncturist and herbologist before taking any herbal products.
What Lifestyle and Dietary Changes Should I Make?
Exercise is encouraged and dietary and support systems are recommended to rid the body of toxins and avoid relapses:
* Get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable juices and miso soup to neutralize and clear the blood of nicotinic acid and to fortify blood sugar.
* Carrots, Carrot juice, celery, leafy green salads and citrus fruits promote body alkalinity and decrease cravings.
* Avoid junk food, sugar, chocolate, coffee and cooked spinach. They can upset blood sugar levels and increase blood acidity which can aggravate smoking-withdrawal symptoms.
* Lobelia Tea (Ban Bian Lian) or Green Tea can be sipped daily during the detox period to keep tissues flooded with elements that discourage nicotine cravings. (Lobelia is traditionally used to rid the body of a strong toxin such as a snake bite.)
* Drink water – Research shows that dryness causes cravings. Sip water frequently throughout the day.
* Deep Breathing Exercises – to increase body oxygen
* Support Person – The decision to stop smoking can elicit uncomfortable emotions. Ask someone who is available to you in the next few weeks to act as a sounding board and provide encouragement when needed.
* Affirmation – An affirmation is a positive statement repeated often to create desired changes in your life. Repeating the affirmation helps not only to remind you why you are no longer smoking but imprints a new image of health so that the body can then produce health. Examples: “I am a non-smoker. I make healthy choices in my life.”
* Setting Boundaries – Set up contracts with other smokers to refrain from smoking in your presence. This includes spouses. When possible, stay away from smokers during the first few weeks.
* Managing cravings – Plan what you will do during a craving. Examples: Chew licorice root sticks or gum; repeat your affirmation; breathe deeply; exercise; sing a song; dance; call your support person.
How Many Treatments Will I Need and How Long Do they Take?
The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary. Typical treatments last from five to 30 minutes, with the patient being treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after the first treatment, while more severe or chronic ailments often require multiple treatments.
A stop smoking program will often consist of 4-6 initial treatments scheduled in the first few weeks followed by monthly treatments for four to six months.
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Contact Us
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Meridian Healing
Silicon Valley
4161 El Camino Way, Suite A Palo Alto, CA
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PHONE:
650-815-8251 |
EMAIL:
meridianhealingsv@gmail.com |
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