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Source: Acupuncture Alternative
http://www.acupuncturealternativeblog.com/2013/03/12/acupuncture-helps-fibromyalgia/
New research concludes that acupuncture reduces pain sensitivity for patients suffering from fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The study also showed that patients receiving acupuncture had significant reductions in anxiety and depression. Further, the overall quality of life score improved for FMS patients receiving acupuncture therapy.
Acupuncture reduces pain in patients with FMS. The treatment method was the application of five acupuncture points at a rate of once per week. The points were located in areas of discomfort near the occipital bone, rhomboid and trapezius muscles and in the region of the upper chest and lateral epicondyle. The results were published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies.
Fibromyalgia is a pain syndrome affecting the soft tissues and often involves sleep disturbances, tenderness at specific points, muscle pain, fatigue and depression. A literal translation of the term is pain of the muscles and fibrous tissues. Fibromyalgia is distinguished from most other forms of pain because it is non-nociceptive. Nociceptive pain involves inflammation and is triggered by pain receptors in the skin, muscles, joints and other tissues. FMS and other non-nociceptive types of pain conditions do not inherently involve inflammation and is a result of a disruption in central processing. Examples of non-nociceptive pain include irritable bowel syndrome, migraine headaches and FMS. It is estimated that FMS affects up to approximately 4% of the US population. In Chinese Medicine, FMS is due to Liver Qi stagnation, Bi syndrome, dampness with Wei Qi obstruction, Qi deficiency and Yin deficiency. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are commonly used to treat FMS. Biomedical treatments for FMS include anti-depressants, serotonin reuptake inhibitors, sleep drugs, pain medications and nutritional supplements.
More Research
Another recent study published in Clinical Rheumatology concludes that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome. The researchers concluded that acupuncture demonstrates definitive “beneficial effects” in the treatment of fibromyalgia. Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore also conclude that acupuncture is significantly effective in the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome in their new research. Other research performed at the prestigious Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester concluded that acupuncture is effective in treating fibromyalgia and showed specific efficaciousness in its ability to reduce pain, fatigue and anxiety.
The mounting evidence suggests that acupuncture is a primary treatment for FMS. Emerging integrative medical clinics within the hospital and general medical system are helping in the delivery of acupuncture services to patients. However, most acupuncturists have individual or family group style medical practices in the US.
Source: ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/valerie-harper-talks-cancer-engages-visualization-acupuncture/story?id=23628002
Valerie Harper is a “year and four months past my expiration date” that she was given at the time of her terminal cancer diagnosis early last year.
Harper, 74, said she was told at the time that she had three to six months left to live.
The “Rhoda” actress testified before the Senate on Wednesday to urge senators to commit more funding to lung cancer research and treatments.
Harper told senators that, in addition to the prescribed medications that her husband, Tony Cacciotti, makes sure she takes regularly, she has tried other methods of treatment in hopes of prolonging her life.
Those efforts include attempts to “exercise, eat consciously [and] don’t give up. I have regular brain scans and whole body testing twice a year.”
“I also take traditional Chinese medicine, tea,” she said. “I have had acupuncture regularly and I engage in visualization, which is actually an actor’s tool, visualizing myself kicking out the cancer, making up scenarios. I talk to them, ‘You guys, if you don’t go crazy, we can co-exist, but you’re killing the host.'”
Harper said she’s replaced the fear of dying with gratitude for every extra second she has on this planet.
On the medical side, Harper said her doctors were very aggressive in her treatments, which is why more funding for research is needed.
Harper’s 75th birthday is in August and the actress said she is determined to make it to that milestone.
Source: Shape Magazine
http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/weight-loss-strategies/i-tried-it-acupuncture-weight-loss
After the birth of her second son, Allison, 25, found herself in the same situation as many other new moms with a few pounds left to lose and no idea how to do it. While she tried cleaning up her diet and she was a regular at the gym, the weight wasn’t budging, so this mom turned to something a little less conventional: acupuncture. “I went into the chiropractor for my first time to get adjusted and have acupuncture done for my back problems,” she says. “I was asking about all the things acupuncture can help with and she mentioned weight loss. My eyes lit up and I said ‘sign me up, when can I start?'”
“At first it was easy,” Allison says. “I just had to lay there while I got pricked all over my body (which actually felt kind of good) and then lay still for another 30 minutes after the last needle was inserted. It was a dark room with relaxing music. It was a nice break!” But things took a strange turn when the acupuncturist “hooked the needles on my stomach up to a battery that pulsed electricity into them. Now that was a weird feeling. My abs were sore the next day!”
In addition to the weekly hour-long acupuncture sessions, the acupuncturist taped a small magnet to her ear that she was supposed to squeeze every time she felt hungry—a practice said to use the magnet’s south polarity “to restore areas of weakness or deficiency in your system that can cause food cravings.” Allison laughs, “Yeah, I got some weird looks with that.”
But what about results? Did she get her pre-baby abs back? After 12 weeks of weekly appointments, she reports, “I feel that overall, it worked. It wasn’t quick by any means. I lost about 1-2 lbs a week. The magnet worked as well. It actually took my appetite away the majority of the time, but I learned it doesn’t help when you eat out of boredom.” She adds, “I would do it again. The only reason I stopped was because it became a conflict with my schedule.”
However, for people looking for a quick fix, Allison cautions, “This isn’t magic. You still need to eat right and exercise regularly. It just helps give you an extra boost along the way.”
Source: Dallas News
http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/2014/04/no-more-poking-fun-at-acupuncture.html/
Chronic pain affects over 100 million adults in the U.S., according to the Institute of Medicine (IOM). This number is significantly more than the numbers of people with diabetes, heart disease and cancer all together! According to the institute, costs of chronic pain treatment and job loss hours are estimated at 635 billion annually. Incredible!
Unfortunately, pain is undertreated in the United States. Many patients never receive acceptable pain relief even in a country which has the most sophisticated medical care. Therefore, is up to the medical provider and patient to develop a treatment plan that works best to manage pain to tolerable levels. Sometimes conventional medicine is not enough. That is where acupuncture may offer an additional level of improved pain management.
Used as a technique for pain management, acupuncture is linked to traditional Chinese medicine. It’s roots date back 2000-4000 years (which should indicate some level of treatment success!). In a brief (but humble) oversimplified description, acupuncture is the insertion of very fine needles into the skin at specific body points. Sometimes an electrical stimulus or heat is applied to the needles once they are placed in any of the 365 “acupoints”. The choice of application sites depends on the professional’s observation of “looking, smelling, touching and listening”. Many years ago, I personally experienced acupuncture for chronic neck pain. I found it fascinating to watch the professional in action while he proudly described specifications of this complex treatment remedy. I was surprised that it was not very painful to have multiple needles stuck all over my body. While it was not successful for my discomfort, I discovered that acupuncture worked well for a selective proportion of patients referred for chronic pain treatment. It is important to appreciate that acupuncture truly is an art and most acupuncturists will train for up to 15 years before beginning their practice.
However, due to lack of mainstream medicine education in proper technique and our profession’s lack of understanding of treatment’s biological actions, there is less than a favorable response among most members of the traditional medical community.
Recently, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis (comprehensive review of multiple studies) that demonstrated acupuncture could be an effective treatment of chronic pain. People analyzed in the studies suffered 1 of the 4 chronic maladies: spine (back or neck) pain, shoulder pain, chronic headache, or osteoarthritis (age-related arthritis) pain.
To me, this comprehensive study demonstrates that medical providers should use multi-arsenal treatment when it comes to managing our patients’ pain. Perhaps acupuncture along with physical therapy, careful muscle –release, in addition to other natural modalities (yoga or massage) could certainly benefit sufferers who have failed conventional treatment or prefer alternative medicine. In more recent years, physical therapists have combined gentle chiropractic maneuvers with a very condensed or alternative form of acupuncture (“dry-needling”) and commonly practiced stretching/strengthening techniques to better manage clients’ pain. Overall, we are all growing closer to more integrated forms of natural therapies with (hopefully) improved long-term pain control for our patients.
Source: CDA Press
http://www.cdapress.com/news/healthy_community/article_bf0299a8-a60f-57ca-ba68-75f68a4dedf5.html
As many as a quarter of all Americans are overweight, and a whopping 95 percent of those who attempt to lose the weight fail. There are many reasons people become overweight – hormone imbalances, slowed metabolism, overeating, poor nutrition and lack of exercise are some of the most common. Using acupuncture can make it easier to lose and maintain weight loss.
Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine, sterile needles in specific points to restore balance to the flow of energy through the body. In traditional Chinese medicine, the belief is that excessive weight gain is caused by an imbalance in the body due to malfunction of the spleen and liver organ systems. The liver produces many chemicals critical for digestion, processing nutrients, and breaking down fats.
Skilled practitioners will zero in on specific body areas to effect weight loss. For example, the endocrine system and kidneys are addressed in a person with water retention and hormonal imbalance. The adrenal and ovary glands are included to treat weight gain due to menopause or PMS.
The guiding principal is that acupuncture can power up any other weight control strategy by curbing appetite, quelling cravings, boosting metabolism, improving digestion, regulating obesity-related hormones and enhancing the way nutrients are used. Acupuncture may also increase tone in the smooth muscle of the stomach to help people know that they are full.
Research is now showing that acupuncture has the ability to influence obesity hormones. It is showing that acupuncture increases ghrelin, a hormone that controls meal initiation and decreases leptin, the hormone that regulates fat storage and metabolism.
Acupuncture is not a wonder cure for weight loss. Weight loss requires a good program addressing diet, exercise and stress reduction techniques. Acupuncture, however, can make it easier to achieve lasting weight loss goals.
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sara-calabro/acupuncture_b_5084146.html
Myths and misconceptions about acupuncture are rampant in a society whose medical culture is dominated by pharmaceuticals, surgeries, and other quick-fix interventions. In my recent encounters with the uninitiated, three themes come up again and again.
Here are the top three things that surprise people about acupuncture.
Acupuncture is not just for pain
Ask most people why other people get acupuncture and the majority will say pain. It’s true that acupuncture can work wonders on pain conditions — for everything from low back pain and shoulder pain to migraines and TMJ, acupuncture is on it.
However, acupuncture can alleviate a wide variety of ailments that have nothing to do with physical pain. Whether you have digestive issues, gynecological conditions, emotional concerns such as anxiety and depression, asthma, seasonal allergies, you name it, acupuncture can help address your symptoms.
Check out these 14 things you probably didn’t realize acupuncture can help with.
Acupuncturists go to school for a long time
People tend to be unaware of the extent to which acupuncturists train to become licensed in their profession. Many assume becoming an acupuncturist is similar to becoming a massage therapist or Reiki practitioner or yoga instructor. Not so much.
At minimum, a licensed acupuncturist in the United States has been to three years of graduate school. Four years is more common. They hold master’s degrees. Some acupuncturists with doctorates have studied at the graduate level for five-plus years. Upon graduating from an accredited school, all acupuncturists must pass multiple board exams to become licensed in their state.
In addition to the academic and state requirements for practicing acupuncture, many acupuncturists seek hands-on training and mentorship in the form of apprenticeships and continuing education seminars.
Acupuncture is relaxing
“So you lie still while someone sticks multiple needles into your body?”
“Yes.”
“And this not only doesn’t hurt but also relaxes you?”
“Yep!”
Weird, I know. But true.
Acupuncture needles are surprisingly thin. They do not bear any resemblance to needles that are used for injections or to draw blood. (See one up close here.) In most cases, the insertion of acupuncture needles does not hurt. It can produce a variety of sensations, but frequent acupuncture goers will tell you it doesn’t hurt.
Once the needles are in, they start working their magic, which is where the relaxation part comes in. Acupuncture helps shift your body out of sympathetic mode (fight or flight) and into parasympathetic mode (rest and digest). It mellows out the nervous system, decreases muscular tension, and helps quiet internal chatter.
People who get acupuncture on a regular basis are familiar with the term “acu-land,” a magical place where many find themselves during and after acupuncture treatments. It’s a state of blissful relaxation in which you feel lighter, calmer, and better equipped to manage stress. You ought to check it out some time.
Source: Health CMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1296-acupuncture-helps-parkinson-s-disease-patients
University of Arizona doctors find acupuncture effective for the treatment of balance and gait disorders in Parkinson’s disease patients. The research team from the surgery and neurology departments measured significant clinical improvements in overall balance, gait speed and stride length. The results were published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Acupuncture improves gait and balance in Parkinson’s disease patients.
The researchers convened to measure objective improvements on balance and gait for Parkinson’s disease patients through the implementation of acupuncture. Balance and gait are the focus of therapeutics for Parkinson’s patients because they are predictors of the risk of falling and the impact on the quality of life. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive nervous system disorder affecting movement. Changes include the onset of tremors, slower movements, shuffling, difficulty swallowing, fainting, reduced arm sway, rigidity and changes in speech and gait. There is no known biomedical cure but medications including levodopa, COMT inhibitors, MAO-B inhibitors, dopamine agonists and other medications are used to control symptoms. Surgical interventions include the implantation of deep brain stimulators.
In the study, patients were randomly assigned to an acupuncture group or a control group. The acupuncture group received electroacupuncture. The control group received sham acupuncture to rule out variables including the placebo effect. Patients received one treatment per week for three weeks and each treatment duration lasted a total of 30 minutes.
Objective measurements were taken from various positions and during many types of activities. Balance measurements included assessment of the relationship between the mediolateral center of mass sway with the anteroposterior sway. These measurements were taken with the eyes open, closed and during multitasking. Gait measurements were taken during fast walking, postural transitions and related activities.
The researchers tabulated the results and measured an overall improvement in balance by 31% in the acupuncture group. Gait speed showed a significant increase by 10% and stride length increased by 5% for patients receiving acupuncture. Control group patients showed no improvements.
ElectroacupunctureBalance, gait and stride length were all significantly improved by the application of electroacupuncture. Use of a sham acupuncture control group eliminated the possibility of the placebo effect. As a result, the researchers concluded, “EA (electroacupuncture) is an effective therapy in improving certain aspects of balance and gait disorders in PD (Parkinson’s disease).”
Source: Health CMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1298-ear-acupuncture-sedates-anxiety-new-study
Researchers conclude that ear acupuncture effectively reduces anxiety. The research team initiated the new investigation based on prior studies demonstrating that ear acupuncture reduces anxiety prior to dental treatments, surgery and during ambulance transport. The research team discovered that ear acupuncture exerts “a specific and measurable effect” on anxiety levels.
Ear acupuncture, formally referred to as auricular acupuncture by licensed acupuncturists, involves using either standard filiform acupuncture needles or special auricular acupuncture needles. In this sham controlled trial, auricular acupuncture needles of 1.5mm length were inserted and retained for a total of 20 minutes and then removed. Sham needles were applied to patients in the control group. Looking at the photos below, one can see that the sham auricular needle does not have a penetrating tip. The needles are so tiny that they are affixed to the outer ear with an adhesive backing attached to each needle. In this study, Dongbang Acuprime brand auricular needles of a 0.22 diameter and 1.5mm length were used. Electroencephalography, a recording of brain electrical activity, was used to measure the depth of sedation.
Sham Ear Needle
The researchers documented both anti-anxiety and sedative effects of true ear acupuncture. Sham ear acupuncture did not produce a significant reduction in anxiety levels or induce a sedative effect. Electroencephalograph (EEG) measurements taken using the Bispectral Index System (BIS) confirmed the results. The sham versus true acupuncture results confirm that the placebo effect was not responsible for the therapeutic anti-anxiety effects of the auricular acupuncture. The researchers note, “When comparing the effects of real and sham needles, it was noted that there was a significantly higher reduction of
anxiety in the real-needles group” for both the NRS (Numeric Rating Scale) anxiety score and the STAI-Y (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) score. BIS values “were significantly reduced during the real-needles application” at the 10, 15 and 20 minute measuring points. The BIS (Bispectral Index System) encephalography device used in the study is depicted below.
Electroencephalograph
In related acupuncture continuing education research, investigators concluded that acupuncture relieves generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition characterized by excessively intense and debilitating chronic anxiety. The researchers note that acupuncture has a fast effective action and high compliance. In addition, acupuncture has a relatively minimal risk of side effects compared with drug therapy. The acupuncture points in this study were located on the ankle and forearm at acupoints KI6 and LU7.
Many studies focus on the ability of acupuncture to reduce anxiety for specific conditions or situations. One recent study concludes that acupuncture reduces anxiety in women undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization). A randomized-controlled study of 43 women undergoing IVF measured changes in anxiety levels. A total of four acupuncture treatments over a period of four weeks at a rate of once per week were administered. The acupuncture group received acupuncture at acupoints Yintang, HT7 (Shenmen), PC6 (Neiguan), CV17 (Shanzhong) and DU20 (Baihui). The control group received needle stimulation at non-acupuncture points near the areas of the true acupuncture points (sham acupuncture). The true acupuncture group showed a significant reduction in anxiety while the sham acupuncture group did not. The researchers concluded that acupuncture reduces anxiety and psychological strain for women undergoing IVF.
Another recent study receiving a great deal of attention is one that demonstrates that acupuncture reduces anxiety over dental procedures. In a patient-blinded randomized controlled investigation, researchers compared 182 patients. One group received true acupuncture at auricular points. The second group received sham acupuncture and a third group did not receive acupuncture or any medical procedures for the treatment of anxiety. The researchers measured anxiety levels prior to getting acupuncture and 20 minutes after receiving acupuncture, which was immediately prior to the administration of dental work. Anxiety levels in the true acupuncture group reduced significantly and but only very slightly in the sham acupuncture group. In the non-intervention group, anxiety increased. The researchers concluded that auricular acupuncture is both minimally invasive and “effectively reduces state anxiety before dental treatment.”
Researchers conducted another double-blinded study and concluded that both auricular acupuncture and body acupuncture are effective in reducing pre and post-operative anxiety. Pre and post-perative anxiety has been identified in approximately 80 percent of patients, which prompted this investigation. The ear acupuncture group received needle stimulation at point ear Shenmen. The body acupuncture group received acupuncture needle stimulation at Du20, Si Shen Cong, Yin Tang, LV3 and ST36. The needles were 0.25-.30mm in diameter and ranged between 25-40mm in length. Needle depth ranged from 0.2cm to 0.5cm. Acupuncture therapy was administered for a period of four weeks at two sessions per week for a total of eight acupuncture treatments. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatment principles were to increase lucidity, tranquilize by nourishing the Heart, calm the nerves and regulate the Qi. Both ear and body style acupuncture were effective in significantly reducing anxiety.
Source: ABC News
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/close-acupuncture-pain/story?id=23411898
A growing number of Americans would prefer to stop popping pills and avoid going under the knife to treat a bum knee, achy lower back or sore hip. Instead, they’re turning to the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture to help ease chronic joint pain.
More than 14 million Americans have tried acupuncture, according to the most recent statistics from the National Health Interview Survey, a large ongoing study that tracks healthcare habits in the U.S. The study found that nearly six percent of Americans have allowed themselves to be pricked with dozens of slender needles to help alleviate chronic pain, up from just one percent of patients a decade ago.
“Use of acupuncture has been percolating for quite a while and it’s now becoming much more mainstream in medicine,” said Dr. Houman Danesh, director of integrative pain management at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York.
So mainstream in fact, that it’s one of the few so-called “complimentary” or alternative medicine approaches covered by most health insurance plans. Even the military uses auricular acupuncture, a form of acupuncture that involves gently inserting small needles into various places on the ear that correspond with pain points elsewhere on the body.
The military uses auricular acupuncture to treat pain on and off the battlefield. Research studies consistently show that acupuncture can be an effective form of pain management, with some studies finding it even more effective than pain-relieving drugs or surgery. But exactly how it works remains somewhat of a mystery, Danesh admits.
In theory, acupuncture stimulates the body’s meridian points. By easing pressure on these energy-carrying channels, ancient Chinese physicians believed the needles corrected the body’s imbalances by allowing energy or “chi” to flow more freely. Although traditional Western medicine remains skeptical about the idea of chi, Danesh said that many of the meridian points happen to coincide with trigger points, spots on the body where pain radiates away from the center when pressed.
“Trigger points are widely accepted in modern medicine and one thought is that acupuncture may ease the stress on trigger points thereby lessening pain in that area,” he said.
Ancient Chinese doctors believed acupuncture needles released a form of energy known as “chi.”
Meridian points also track closely with major nerve centers, Danesh said. It could be that the needles stimulate the nerves, causing them to release feel-good chemicals known as endorphins. People in pain often have low levels of endorphins, Danesh pointed out, and a release of those endorphins can suppress the sensation of pain.
There are still plenty of Acupuncture skeptics who believe that any pain relief acupuncture offers is strictly psychological. But Danesh said he doesn’t care why it works, so long as it works. “I’ve had lots of skeptics come in for treatment and when they get better, they believe,” he said.
Source: Dr. Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/25/posture-training-gokhale-method.aspx
Proper posture and properly using your body to work against gravity is the foundation upon which everything else related to your health is built. The Gokhale Method addresses the root cause of physical pain, which is typically caused by improper posture. The method teaches you to reclaim your primal posture, which is the way your body was designed to stand, sit, and move.
Conventional advice tells you to tuck in your pelvis to maintain an S-shaped spine, but a far more natural spine curvature is a J-spine—your back straight, your lumbar relatively flat, and your buttocks protruding slightly. Techniques to elongate your spine, proper head and neck posture, and strengthen your midsection and back to elongate and slim your torso to help maintain primal posture are included in the Gokhale Method training.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/08/25/posture-training-gokhale-method.aspx
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