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February 25, 2016 by admin
Source: Fox News
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/02/18/tailored-acupuncture-might-offer-some-fibromyalgia-relief.html
Individualized acupuncture treatments were tied to greater pain relief for people with fibromyalgia, according to results from a small trial in Spain that compared the approach to sham acupuncture.
Researchers found the benefits of tailored acupuncture seemed to persist even a year after treatment. But an expert not involved in the research thinks the evidence for acupuncture is still limited.
Although all participants in the study had a fibromyalgia diagnosis, for those who got the real, rather than sham, treatments, the study team tailored acupuncture points based on Traditional Chinese Medicine diagnosis of underlying issues, such as “Liver Qi stagnation” or “Yin deficiency.”
“Doing so, it improves the results with the technique, as we demonstrate in our article where the result of the use of individualized acupuncture is far higher that standard acupuncture for these patients,” lead author Dr. Jorge Vas of the Pain Treatment Unit at Dona Mercedes Primary Health Center in Seville told Reuters Health by email.
“In . . . our pain clinic, we give individualized acupuncture not only for fibromyalgia patients but also for any patient with different pathologies, and we can see the difference in the result with patients in which standard acupuncture is practiced,” he said.
The study included 164 adults with fibromyalgia, a chronic widespread pain disorder affecting up to 5 percent of people. Patients had all been referred to Vas’ clinic from three primary care centers in southern Spain.
The researchers divided participants into two groups, with members of both receiving weekly 20-minute acupuncture sessions over nine weeks. One group received real, personalized acupuncture and the other got fake treatments from a therapist mimicking the actions of acupuncture without using needles.
Patients didn’t know which group they were in, and they continued to take any fibromyalgia medications they had already been prescribed.
All the patients were interviewed, completed questionnaires and were physically examined before the study began, after 10 weeks, six months and one year later.
Both groups experienced some pain relief at the 10-week point, but the reduction in pain intensity was significantly larger, at 41 percent, in the real acupuncture group compared with 27 percent in the sham acupuncture group.
By one year, those in the acupuncture group still reported a 19 percent reduction in pain intensity compared to their scores at the start of the study, while the sham group reported only a 6 percent reduction.
Comparing real acupuncture treatments to imitated acupuncture can be difficult as even the sham treatment group does attend a treatment session and gets personal attention from an acupuncturist, which past research suggests may have some effect of its own.
“It is also surprising that the control group treated with sham acupuncture, which was stimulation of acupuncture points with a little tube without puncture, worked for pain relief after the sessions even up to 10 weeks after finished treatment,” Vas said.
Drug treatments for fibromyalgia have had mixed results and they often carry side effects and may not be effective, Vas said. And the evidence for psychological techniques is also limited, he said.
February 15, 2016 by admin
Source: Bustle
http://www.bustle.com/articles/136975-11-ways-my-body-changed-after-3-months-of-acupuncture
GINA M. FLORIO
After I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2014, everyone and their mother suggested that I get acupuncture done. Mind you, none of these people had ever done it before themselves, but they still swore that it would relieve my chronic pain and ease my anxiety in general. I accepted their recommendations with a stiff smile, only to roll my eyes privately.
Until very recently, I didn’t have much experience with holistic health treatments. The chiropractor was as far as I would get from mainstream modern medicine, and that was good enough for me, thanks very much. Also, I’m deathly scared of needles. But when I kept waking up with a nasty backache every morning, I knew it was time to try something different.
I got in touch with an acupuncturist who came highly recommended and I booked a treatment. Her name was Seven. (No, really, that’s her given name; she’s part Native American.) I went into my first session with Seven feeling positive, but also sweating profusely because I was so nervous. What happened over the next three months was pretty wild, and a lot more good things happened than I expected.
Here are 11 things that changed after committing myself to acupuncture for three consecutive months.
1. I Had Less Back & Neck Pain
Obviously, I wouldn’t have kept going back for that long if this wasn’t one of the first changes I noticed. The morning after my very first treatment, I woke up with absolutely no pain for probably the first time ever in my life. I nearly cried into my coffee. While not all mornings were this heavenly moving forward, the vast majority of them were, and that was enough to keep me going back for a long time.
During the second month, I started seeing her twice a week. By then, I was feeling incredible. I could sit at my desk for an hour or two without experiencing extreme discomfort in my lumbar spine, and there was no more nerve pain in my neck.
2. My Period Became Regular
One of the first things my acupuncturist, Seven, always asks me at the start every session is when my last period was. It’s one of the things I’ve grown to love about acupuncture — acknowledging that all parts of the body, including the reproductive system, work with each other and inform the state our bodies are in.
On our third appointment, I told her right off the bat that my period was eight days late but that I knew I wasn’t pregnant. She told me that she could “needle it out of me.” My initial reaction to something that ominous-sounding was No way, girl. But my desperation to menstruate prevailed, so I agreed to having a few extra needles stuck in.
That day, she put two needles in my feet for the first time. One of them hurt like hell upon entry. Then, she placed a couple extra in my lower back, right around the kidneys. The next morning I woke up astounded — my period had appeared in full force.
Right around the time of my period over the next two months, knowing that I struggle with irregularity, Seven did the same thing. Both months my period came right on time, on the exact day my Kindara app predicted.
3. I Slept More Soundly
Acupuncture has been connected to relieving insomnia in many people, and there are studies proving that this ancient Chinese treatment is significantly more effective than prescribed medication.
After a few weeks of acupuncture, my internal clock slowly got adjusted to where I could fall asleep around 10 p.m. and sleep for a solid seven hours without stirring, something that rarely happens. Also, on the mornings I had to set my alarm clock a bit earlier than usual, I wasn’t dragging myself out of bed cranky and miserable. Vitality was the name of the game.
4. I Needed Less Coffee
This isn’t as sad as it sounds. It’s not like I stopped enjoying coffee; I just didn’t need to throw back three or four cups a day to keep my energy up. At the end of my first month of acupuncture, I was perfectly happy with just one coffee in the morning. This also meant that I wasn’t dealing with a massive caffeine crash at the end of the day.
Apparently, I’m not alone. Once you get needled on the regular, you usually have more energy to get things done without relying on substances. Even after just one treatment, some people report having a pep in their step for days or even weeks afterward.
5. I Sat Cross-Legged Less Often
Blame it on the new alignment, I guess, but it was suddenly uncomfortable to sit with one leg sexily crossed over the other. I wasn’t instructed to make this change by my acupuncturist. I spontaneously discovered that positioning myself like this while working at a desk was seriously uncomfortable, and it was resulting in a dull ache in my lower back.
6. My Neck Grew Longer
I swear, I gained about a quarter of an inch on my neck. Because of my tight shoulders and the collapse in my cervical spine, my shoulders naturally creep up toward my ears all the time. This is neither physically comfortable nor aesthetically pleasing. Regular acupuncture fixed this up pretty quickly, though.
Within a month, my shoulders were more relaxed than ever before, allowing my neck to be beautifully exposed. The best part? Two friends pointed it to me, and dragged me to the mirror to see for myself when I refused to believe them.
7. My Anxiety Was Significantly Reduced
My most anxious time of the day arrives between 4-6 p.m., and it usually makes me crawl behind my couch for a self-induced timeout. However, the longer I stuck with acupuncture, the less and less that mean anxiety monster came to harass me. It didn’t hurt that I left each session super duper Zen. Luckily, that feeling stayed with me for many hours afterward.
A 2013 study published in the Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies showed that just a 20-minute acupuncture session eased anxiety and increased memory strength in participants compared to subjects who received no treatment at all. The needles are meant to get your Qi flowing, which slows down the production of stress hormones.
8. I Drank More Water Throughout The Day
It all started because I left my first session dying for a bottle of water. I ended up drinking an extra liter of H2O that day, which, trust me, never happens. This habit continued for the entire three months as I turned into an acupuncture junkie.
Seven told me it’s pretty standard for people to become more conscious of what they’re putting in their bodies when they engage in holistic treatments. They tend to make better choices in their diet and pay attention to what their bodies are truly in need of.
9. I Was More Flexible In Yoga
I felt like I had a new body in my hot yoga classes. My thoracic spine was feeling especially open and bendy, and I could explore postures in ways I never thought possible. Because those small needles can get in between tight muscles in ways that a massage therapist’s hands never could, I was experiencing flexibility in the most unexpected of places. Subsequently, I was stretching deeper into the poses, and this granted me even more relief than the acupuncture treatments alone.
10. My “Tickle Tension” Spots Vanished
Tickle tension is real, people! You might think you’re just, well, ticklish, but oftentimes these spots in our body indicate that something else is going on underneath the surface. Maybe it’s due to an injury from years ago, or perhaps the muscles in that area are just extra tight.
There was a spot smack dab in the middle of my back, to the left of my spine, that used to make me giggle so hard that massage therapists couldn’t even put pressure on it. Seven spent a lot of time in the neighborhood, though, and by the third month, she could dig into any part of my back without my laughing like an idiot.
11. I Became More Aware Of Physical Pain & Discomfort
We’ve all heard about the new level of awareness that comes with things like yoga, meditation, and holistic treatments such as acupuncture. Fortunately, I’m here to report that they’re not legends. I truly did achieve a new level of consciousness in my own body after being needled so often in that three-month period. Acupuncture helped me identify the different sensations that popped up in the small corners of the body, and figure out if they needed my time and attention.
So now, I guess I’ve become one of those people who highly recommends you try acupuncture, too.
February 8, 2016 by admin
Source: South China Morning Post
http://www.scmp.com/tech/science-research/article/1906624/float-butterfly-sting-needle-acupuncture-can-treat-parkinsons
Former world heavyweight boxing champion of the world Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984 at the age of 42, and the world watched in the following years as he slowly withdrew from public view while his motor skills degraded.
But did he ever try acupuncture?
For thousands of years, Chinese medical practitioners have used acupuncture to treat various illness and as a remedy for pain relief. It has been used to tackle brain-related illnesses like Alzheimer’s and stroke recovery, but remains a controversial and somewhat disputed practice.
Researchers from Shanghai have now confirmed for the first time that acupuncture, which involves inserting thin needles into certain points of the body, could be used to cure Parkinson’s, according to a paper in the journal Scientific Reports.
The treatment works by stimulating the neurons in charge of dopamine production, and is based on experiments with mice. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter with a number of functions related to reward-motivated behaviour, motor control, and the release of hormones.
Parkinson’s, a degenerative disease associated with body tremors and impaired motor skills, stems from a paucity of dopamine-secreting neurons in the substantia nigra, located in the middle of the cerebellum. But in most cases, doctors don’t know why this afflicts people.
The research team, which was led by Professor Fan Chunhai at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics, used mice that had been genetically engineered to exhibit symptoms of Parkinson’s for the experiment.
Needles were inserted just above the right hind legs of the mice, in an acupuncture point known in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as the yanglingquan (“yang hill spring”). It has been widely used by TCM doctors to cure motion dysfunctions.
The treatment was performed once daily for 12 consecutive days. The researchers studied the brain structure of the mice using an electron microscope, which uses an electron beam to examine objects in much greater detail.
The mice that received the treatment showed a more than 80 per cent improvement rate compared to a control group that did not, according to the paper.
The neurons that produce dopamine were found to have been stimulated by the needling, which caused them to release various chemicals to clean up the “debris” in those neural circuits damaged by the disease. This created room for healthy cells to regrow.
To test how well the mice recovered, the researchers put them on a spinning rod, or cylinder, to see how long they could stay on it before falling off. Longer durations presupposed better motor control skills such as grip and balance.
“Remarkably, the AG [acupuncture group] mice exhibited about an 80 per cent increase in overall rod performance scores, whereas the SG [standard group] ones did not show any significant change,” the authors wrote in the paper.
The researchers compared the AG mice with others that had been orally administered rapamycin, a drug that can stop the body from rejecting transplants by suppressing the immune system. It can also repair damaged neurons, recent studies show.
The team found that the Parkinson’s symptoms had receded in both groups, but that the ones that received acupuncture treatment were overall in better healthy, with thicker and shinier fur, while the others manifested a “sparse and dull coat of hair”.
This is because acupuncture may produce fewer side effects than the other medicine, which was found to negatively affect the metabolic systems of the mice.
But Fan and his colleagues said the acupuncture treatment still has a few riddles waiting to be solved. For example, they were not clear how the stimulated hind leg could work its magic on the brain given the long distance of the connecting neural pathways.
Mao Rongrong, a neural scientist with the Kunming Institute of Zoology in southwestern Yunnan province, said the findings by Fan’s team were “encouraging”.
“But the results are based on animals, and it remains to be seen whether the effectiveness and mechanism will be the same on humans,” she said.
The rapid development of neural science in recent years has provided researchers with many new tools to study phenomena that was previously considered unfathomable, Mao said.
“Ancient wisdom may hold a key to the future,” she added.
January 29, 2016 by admin
Source: Bustle
http://www.bustle.com/articles/138280-8-signs-you-should-try-acupuncture
Here are eight signs that acupuncture might be the perfect holistic treatment for you.
1. You Have Chronic Neck & Back Pain
Back problems are the number one reason people seek out acupuncture, and for good reason. It’s an especially good choice for you if you’ve tried a lot of other alternatives — massage, yoga, physical therapy — and none have worked in a lasting way. The American Pain Society and American College of Physicians actually recommends that doctors send their patients with chronic lower back pain to an acupuncturist, particularly if conventional treatments haven’t been working.
Before you get started, though, remember that acupuncture only works once you’ve proved your loyalty. You can’t expect to just go once and permanently feel better (although, you do feel pretty incredible after your first session). Give it at least a few weeks before you decide whether it’s truly helping you.
2. You Have Irregular Periods But Don’t Want To Change Birth Control Methods
There’s no denying that acupuncture has some sort of positive influence on your menstrual cycle. At the very least, it relieves stress and gives you the energy to feel great. This kind of positive boost definitely contributes to a healthier cycle, which is why it’s often used as part of fertility treatment as well.
Personally, my experiences with acupuncture have been amazing when it comes to regulating periods. It always helps kick start a period that is a bit too shy to show up, and it assists me in staying regular in general.
3. You’re Anxious A Lot & Therapy Alone Isn’t Helping
Even if you’ve got a fantastic therapist and you’ve tried a few different medications, there comes a time when you feel like you could an extra bit of help to ease the anxious feelings that plague you. Acupuncture can start to relieve your anxiety within the first few weeks of treatments, and there are no side effects that will make you doubt whether it’s worth the trouble.
Daniel Hsu, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in New York, says the body’s overall system becomes more balanced from acupuncture, and that includes your stress. It’s a treatment that significantly reduces anxiety, without interfering with the other ways you’ve chosen to take care of yourself.
4. You Have Inexplicable Mood Swings
When compared to counseling sessions, one study showed that getting acupuncture weekly for three months treats depression more effectively. If you feel like your moods are all over the place, consider finding an acupuncturist in your area. The needles trigger the neurotransmitters in your brain that make you happy, without the nasty side effects that often come with prescription medication.
5. You Don’t Sleep Well
Acupuncture addresses the imbalances in your body that throw off your proper sleep cycle. The gentle needling encourages your brain to produce more of the neurotransmitters that contribute to relaxation and sleep. People with insomnia report that their sleep cycles become more balanced the more they get treated.
If you haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a while, there might even be some stuff going on in your body that medication can’t treat, but a solid holistic treatment can explore the possible causes and get to the heart of the matter.
5. You Want To Ward Off Seasonal Allergies Without Medication
Patients who suffer from allergies every year have reported less sneezing and runny nose throughout the day when they took to acupuncture, and they were able to stop taking antihistamines. Some have even found relief in these treatments who didn’t respond at all to medication or shots. Acupuncture can treat symptoms of allergies, as well as prevent them from visiting you in the first place.
It’s done by treating the meridians in the body that are around the spleen, stomach, and large intestine. Apparently, these are the parts of the body that release lymphocytes, which react strongly with pollen and make your eyes itch like crazy.
6. You Want To Prevent Injury & Illness
Prevention isn’t sung as acupuncture’s most popular benefit, but it’s certainly one of its strongest. We don’t have to wait to feel rundown or sore before we do something about it. It’s like getting a flu shot — you opt in so you don’t fall sick later.
Eight out of every 10 people will report lower back pain at some point, so even if you haven’t experienced any yet, there’s a chance you’ll struggle with it in the future. Acupuncture also boosts your immune system and helps it ward off infections, which prevents you from catching unwanted illnesses.
7. You Have An Old Injury That Still Causes You Pain
Injuries from years ago can come back to haunt you when you least expect it. For example, I busted my knee when I was sixteen from a pretty hard stumble on the tennis court. After it initially healed, I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about it ever again — until it started aching nearly eight years later.
This is pretty common among old injuries (sometimes scarily referred to as mini-traumas), but, fortunately, acupuncture is brilliant for treating those years-old damages. The needles relax the tissue around the muscles and allow the collagen to build up again, which also prevents that pain from creeping in out of nowhere.
8. You Get Migraines Often
They’re said to be incurable monsters, but a study by the Canadian Medical Association Journal says acupuncture reduces the frequency of migraines in people who suffer from them, and the effects are long-lasting. Albrecht Molsberger, a specialist who worked on the study, said this study made it clear that acupuncture should be used as a primary treatment for individuals wrestling with migraines.
There’s nothing to lose by giving acupuncture a shot. At the very least, you’ll go home relaxed and ready for a much-needed nap. Sometimes there’s nothing better in the world than that.
January 21, 2016 by admin
Source: Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-sacks/how-to-meditate-for-little-bits-of-stress-free-living_b_8930770.html
We are all so busy, our lives spilling over with our “to do lists,” family commitments, and work. There will always be something else to do or another distraction.
Start by committing to a daily meditation practice of at least five minutes, and you’ll start to see positive changes in your life. Over time, each day’s meditation adds up and equals more stress-free moments. Recent research suggests the benefits of meditation are numerous and can alleviate stress, anxiety, and lack of focus, plus offer increased creativity, better relationships, positivity, and longevity. It can even help you manifest more of what you want in your life.
That said, meditation has become a buzzword, and there’s a lot of misconception about meditation. True, some meditation practices do ask you to be in a crossed legged position and for a certain amount of time twice a day, while some suggest a teacher guide you, but these are not required to experience meditation and its benefits.
Essentially, meditation is the practice of concentrating on a single point of focus. An easy first step is to sit comfortably, with your spine tall and your hands on your knees. Focus on your breath or on a word or phrase known as a mantra — use something that speaks to you, such as peace, love, or compassion.
Don’t expect to clear your mind completely. See any distracting thoughts, acknowledge them, and don’t judge them. Just let them float away as you continue to focus on the present moment by bringing your attention back to your breath or mantra. Then, start to set a positive intention, such as: I will be patient with my self and other’s today.
Over time, meditation has reduced stress and anxiety in my own life. I have more compassion for myself as well as others, which is one of the reasons I was inspired to become a meditation teacher and share what I’ve learned.
Meditation is best practiced first thing in the morning, but can benefit you anytime you need it. As long as you are able to safely close your eyes and be still, you can meditate anywhere. Work up to 10, 15 20 minutes from that initial five minutes. If you’re stressed out and on the way to work, or an important meeting, that’s a perfect time to practice (as long as you aren’t the one driving). You’ll arrive ready to face any challenge – focused and energized. It all adds up!
January 21, 2016 by admin
Source: Health CMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1585-acupuncture-alleviates-neck-pain-increases-motion
Acupuncture relieves neck pain and improves range of motion. Chen et al. find acupuncture effective in alleviating cervical spondylosis, a painful disorder caused by intervertebral disc degeneration. Zeng et al. conclude that acupuncture alleviates cervical spondylosis and radiculopathy. The data demonstrates that acupuncture is more effective than NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs). Zhou et al. find acupuncture effective for the alleviation of pain after surgery to the cervical spine. Li et al. conclude that acupuncture plus herbal medicine is effective for the relief of spasmodic torticollis, a disorder wherein the head becomes turned to one side, often due to painful muscle spasms. Liu et al. find acupuncture plus herbs effective for the relief of neck and shoulder pain.
January 15, 2016 by admin
Source: AcuTake
http://acutakehealth.com/16-ways-acupuncture-can-light-up-your-2016
Acupuncture can help you live better in 2016—and in ways you may not expect.
1. It will make you more grateful.
The driving idea behind acupuncture is that we’re already in possession of everything we need to be well. Acupuncture does not add or subtract anything. Rather, it prompts the body to do what it already knows how to do. It reminds you that you have the power to heal yourself. That’s something to be thankful for.
2. It will lower your stress levels.
Acupuncture is well known for its ability to lower stress. It takes the edge off by removing you from the perpetual state of sympathetic dominance in which so many of us find ourselves. By mellowing out the nervous system, acupuncture helps you feel less affected by and better equipped to manage the stressful aspects of life.
3. It will help you put down your phone.
Acupuncture is all about nuance and subtlety. It sharpens your senses and requires you to get in touch with how you’re feeling, physically and emotionally. So much of our addiction to our phones is about our uneasiness with quiet and solitude—what will we discover if we don’t distract ourselves? Acupuncture inspires us to want to listen in the quiet, to pay attention to the things we’ve gotten used to blocking out. For acupuncture-inspired tips to stop compulsive phone checking, go here.
4. It will strengthen your immune system.
Acupuncture strengthens natural resistance to disease. Forget endorphins. Forget improved blood circulation. Forget placebo. This is how acupuncture works, by bolstering your reserve and equipping you to fight off pathogens. Acupuncture strengthens the immune system so that you can avoid illness rather than dealing with it after it happens.
5. It will make you more self-aware.
Acupuncture looks at how root imbalances affect the whole system. This means that when one thing is out of whack, it can affect you in multiple ways. By thinking of yourself as a complex, interconnected system, it becomes easier to understand why you might be feeling unwell. Acupuncture broadens your awareness of the things that can potentially influence your physical and emotional health.
6. It will make you more compassionate.
When you understand yourself better, through self-awareness, you become better at cultivating compassion for others. You’re not the only one who’s a mishmash of interconnected organs and meridians that can at any moment become out of balance, resulting in unexpected reactions. Acupuncture reminds us that we’re all interconnected—through our environment and the energies that we put out into the world.
7. It will make you look younger.
Acupuncture strengthens your five most essential organ systems—Kidney, Spleen, Liver, Lung, and Heart—so that you are systemically healthier. This can not only make you feel younger, by improving your energy levels, but it can actually prevent physical signs of aging. For details on how acupuncture helps you look younger, go here.
8. It will improve your skin.
If your battle against aging has mainly to do with your skin, you may have considered cosmetic acupuncture. Cosmetic acupuncture, or facial rejuvenation acupuncture, gets a lot of press—celebrities swear by it. Some acupuncturists are basing their entire practices on it. Indeed, natural alternatives to Botox and prescription acne medications are in high demand, and acupuncture is emerging as a leading solution.
9. It will decrease your pain.
When people think about acupuncture and what it can help with, pain is usually the first thing that comes to mind. But acupuncture’s ability to reduce pain goes beyond the physical benefits such as improved blood flow and the release of pain-relieving endorphins and serotonin. There is a significant emotional component to pain as well, especially pain that is chronic. Treating pain effectively—that is, treating it in a way that addresses the root causes—requires approaching it holistically. Acupuncture excels at this.
10. It will give you a flatter stomach.
Acupuncture offers a whole new take on why many people suffer from bloating, as well as reflux, constipation, and other digestive disorders. The paired Spleen and Stomach are the main organs associated with digestion. This refers to the digestion of food as well as the digestion of thought. From an acupuncture perspective, over thinking, like over eating, can lead to bloating and digestive discomfort. Acupuncture offers a new perspective on bloating and digestive disorders. For self-care tips to stop bloating, go here.
11. It will help you sleep better.
Insomnia is stubborn. Tons of people have it—it’s one of the most common complaints seen by acupuncturists—but for many different reasons. Because acupuncture looks at each patient as an individual, regular treatments can be highly effective for people who haven’t found relief in sleep medications or other one-size-fits-all solutions. For some acupuncture-inspired self-care advice from acupuncturists on how to get rid of insomnia, go here.
12. It will boost your energy.
Although it’s common to find yourself in “acu land”—a somewhat dazed, blissfully relaxed state—during and immediately following acupuncture treatment, the after effect is usually increased energy. Many people report having more energy in the hours, days and even weeks after an acupuncture treatment. You may notice that you’re avoiding that post-lunch coma, feeling more motivated to hit the gym, or just sensing a little extra spring in your step.
13. It will make you more patient.
Our go-go-go society and the technology we’ve come to rely on has acclimated us to quick fixes. It perpetuates the “I want it now” mentality that dominates most of our worlds. This creates chronic impatience. Acupuncture, because it works but rarely overnight, can help us combat this. Acupuncture is an ongoing process that requires an investment of time and a willingness to let go of our desire for instant gratification. It will make you a more patient person.
14. It will improve your sex life.
The multifaceted nature of sexuality means that many systems throughout the body play a role, and seemingly unrelated symptoms or habits can influence whether someone has a fulfilling sex life. Acupuncturists, because they are trained to view their patients holistically, are experts at making these connections and restoring balance so that you’re able to fully experience and enjoy sex. To learn more about how acupuncture can improve your sex life, go here.
15. It will make you more open minded.
Acupuncture, although becoming more widely used, is still not the norm. Most doctors, as well as some family, friends and colleagues, regard mainstream medicine as the only acceptable form of healthcare. Acupuncture requires you to think about health in entirely new ways because it turns mainstream medical tenets on their head. It will remind you that there are multiple ways of seeing the world—and that “popular” doesn’t always equal “right.”
16. It will teach you how to take care of yourself and your family.
Acupuncture is the basis for acupressure, which is a wonderful self-care tool for keeping yourself and your loved ones healthy. Nothing beats routine acupuncture treatments, but for preventive care and in between acupuncture sessions, acupressure can work wonders.
January 15, 2016 by admin
Source: New Channel 10
http://www.newschannel10.com/story/30973188/voices-in-america-to-develop-a-new-segment-on-acupuncture-with-host-james-earl-jones-for-public-television
“Voices In America”, a show hosted by multi-award winning actor of stage and screen James Earl Jones (Star Wars, Field of Dreams,) will feature a new segment about acupuncture.
The first recorded use of acupuncture occurred in 100BC in China. Since then, it has become one of the core treatments in traditional Chinese medicine. Scientifically speaking, the medical community is still debated whether or not its use has any medical benefits. Studies have been largely inconclusive and are hard to implement.
Despite this, millions of people around the world go through with the process on a yearly basis, claiming health benefits ranging from improved circulation to a cure for cancer. Join “Voices In America” with James Earl Jones as the show explores the world of this ancient practice.
Voices In America is an award-winning production that is distributed to Public Television Stations around the country. It is an independent production that is not affiliated with APT or PBS.
January 12, 2016 by admin
Source: Health CMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1578-acupuncture-alleviates-migraines
Acupuncture and cupping are effective for migraine relief. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers tested two acupuncture protocols. One of the acupuncture protocols achieved a 100% total effective rate with an 88.6% complete recovery rate. This involved a combination of acupuncture and cupping. Another protocol, using only acupuncture, achieved a 94.3% total effective rate with a 62% complete recovery rate. The superior positive patient outcomes achieved in the acupuncture plus cupping protocol were achieved using a set of specialized acupuncture points.
Migraines are headaches of moderate to severe intensity that are unilateral or throbbing. Attacks range from several hours to several days per migraine. Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to sound and light, auras, flashes of light, and blind spots are often concomitant. According to the Mayo Clinic staff, “Clinical trials have found that acupuncture may be helpful for headache pain.”
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers tested seventy patients with migraines. They were randomized into two groups of equal size. Both groups received acupuncture at the following acupoints:
Taiyang, extra point
Touwei, ST8
Yintang, extra point
Baihui, DU20
Fengchi, GB20
Waiguan, TB5
Taichong, LV3
Sanyinjiao, SP6
Zhongfeng, LV4
Taixi, KD3
Zusanli, ST36
Yinlingquan, SP9
In addition, group one received an extra acupuncture point—Shanzhong (CV17). Group one also received cupping for five minutes on back-shu (beishu) acupoints following the acupuncture procedure. Acupuncture was applied to both groups twice per week for eight continuous weeks. Needle retention time for all treatments was twenty minutes and manual reinforcing and reducing techniques were applied.
The total effective rate included all significantly effective clinical results. The recovery rate was calculated based on patients having no migraines and migraine related symptoms for two months. The 100% total effective rate combined with the a 88.6% recovery rate demonstrates that acupuncture plus cupping is an effective modality for the relief of migraines.
The increase in efficacy between the two groups is limited to two variables—the addition of CV17 and cupping. Additional research is needed to determine the level of clinical support each variable provides. The research is warranted given the jump from a 62% recovery rate to an 88.6% recovery rate between the two study groups. Migraines are often severe and debilitating. This research demonstrates that acupuncture is an important treatment option for migraine sufferers.
Acupuncture is not currently available in the USA through the Medicare system despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating its effectiveness. The US Congress and the federal bureaucracy are responsible for treatment options within the Medicare system. The issue is not foreign to our leaders.
President Barak Obama conducted a town hall meeting in St. Louis (Missouri) on March 29, 2009. An acupuncturist at the meeting stated that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Wold Health Organization (WHO) have “discovered through their studies that alternative medicine is often more cost-effective and very effective.” President Obama replied that “it is pretty well documented through scientific studies that acupuncture, for example, can be very helpful in relieving certain things like migraines and other ailments—or at least as effective as more intrusive interventions.”
Jonathan Blum (Deputy Administrator and Director, Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) notes that acupuncturists are not defined as providers in Medicare regulations and the Social Security Act does not include licensed acupuncturists as physicians. An act of Congress is required to address these concerns. There is another way for inclusion of acupuncture into the Medicare system by the Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Blum stipulates that exclusion of acupuncture from the Medicare system is based on CMS National Coverage Determinations (NCDs), which are policies that determine rules and guidelines for Medicare coverage. Blum notes that all acupuncture NCDs deny Medicare coverage. The most recent acupuncture NCD was in 2004. Since that time, a large body of research has been published demonstrating the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of many conditions, including migraines. An NCD recognizing the research will help many patients suffering from migraines gain access to the care needed for elimination of this disorder through the Medicare system.
References:
Jin SS, Du YZ, Han L, Liao C & Gu WL. (2015). Observations on the Efficacy of Acupuncture at Point Shanzhong (CV17) plus Cupping on Back-Shu Points in Treating Migraine. Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture and Moxibustion. 34(3).
Yu S, Liu R, Zhao G, et al. The prevalence and burden of primary headaches in China: a population-based door-to-door survey [J]. Headache, 2012, 52(4):582-591.
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2016, 01, 08) Alternative Medicine, mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/basics/alternative-medicine/con-20026358.
Source: Nevada Appeal
http://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/local/19989663-113/natural-living-weight-loss-for-the-new-year
Over two-thirds of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, 64.1 percent of them women and 72.3 percent of them men. The percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate, with 1 out of 3 kids now considered overweight or obese. Risk Factors for overweight and obesity include the following:
Type 2 diabetes; Coronary heart disease; High LDL (“bad”) cholesterol; Stroke; Hypertension; Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease; Gallbladder disease; Osteoarthritis; Sleep apnea and other breathing problems; Cancer (breast, colorectal, endometrial and kidney to name a few); Complications of pregnancy; Menstrual irregularities.
With most fad diets out there not promising long-term results many people find themselves yo-yo dieting with drastic ups and downs in body weight. Some find no matter what diet they’ve tried their weight doesn’t budge.
A growing body of research supports the use of acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) in weight loss. A study published in The Journal of Medical Acupuncture found participants receiving acupuncture lost more than three times more weight than the control group. A study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia found 95 percent of the participants receiving electro-stimulation on acupuncture points reported appetite suppression. The results showed the acupuncture group was more likely to experience a reduced appetite and to lose weight than the control group.
From a TCM perspective, the acupuncture points, foods and herbs that are chosen to assist with weight loss directly influence the energy of the spleen and liver systems to treat the root imbalances that are causing the weight gain. So when a patient comes in for treatment, the acupuncturist does a complete evaluation of body systems, stress, nutrition and exercise to determine a successful treatment plan for the patient.
From a Western perspective, acupuncture and TCM have been shown to have an effect on the function of the nervous system, endocrine system, digestive system, food cravings and metabolism. All of which can help to energize the body, maximize the absorption of nutrients, regulate elimination, control overeating, suppress the appetite and reduce anxiety.
The treatment plan will vary depending upon the patient and the severity of the obesity, however typically one can expect to be scheduled one to two times per week for 8-12 weeks. Typically the treatments include a combination of auricular (ear) and body acupuncture, ear tacks or pellets to leave on in-between treatments, herbs and supplements, breathing exercises, food and lifestyle recommendations and nutritional cleanses.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine are powerful tools for healthy weight loss by themselves or as a supportive treatment in conjunction with other weight management programs. Most patients will find with weight loss certain disease processes they have experienced will cease and in most cases can decrease or discontinue the use of medications and pharmaceuticals.
There are so many reasons to lose weight; feel healthy again, spend less money on medications, watch your grandkids grow up, fit into that sexy dress you’ve had in your closet for five years, hike that trail you’ve always wanted to with your son or daughter … do I need to go on?
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Meridian Healing
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4161 El Camino Way, Suite A Palo Alto, CA
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