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September 16, 2015 by admin
Source: NewsMax
http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/acupuncture-heart-blood-flow/2015/09/12/id/691231/
Acupuncture, a traditional Chinese medicine practiced for more than 2,000 years, has been shown to improve blood flow and heart health.
Often used to treat pain – and that’s everything from migraine headaches to chronic heel pain – the practice of inserting tiny needles under the skin to stimulate nerves and muscles has also been shown to improve blood flow in a variety of organs.
In 2012, Prevention magazine called acupuncture the “newest weapon in the fight against high blood pressure,” an ironic statement considering how long acupuncture has been a standard treatment in China. But plenty of research in the past few decades has pointed to positive effects from this therapy that was once considered too “out there” for most Westerners.
Prevention pointed out that research has found that weekly acupuncture treatments can drop systolic blood pressure by up to 20 points, a result equivalent to some of the medications given for high blood pressure. Cardiologist Dr. John Longhurst said stimulating acupuncture points released neurotransmitters that affected areas of the brain that regulate the cardiovascular system.
Another study at Peking University Shenzhen Hospitalfound that needling two acupuncture points improved blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease, the Healthcare Medicine Institute reported.
CHD is caused by plaque build-up on artery walls, which can narrow the arteries and lead to restricted blood flow. HMI said the researchers found that both groups of patients tested, one using acupuncture and the other given nitroglycerine tablets, showed improved blood flow in specific heart areas.
A 2001 study at UCLA, highlighted on WebMD, found that acupuncture showed benefits for even the sickest of heart failure patients. In looking at patients in severe heart failure, which for most people means their heart can’t pump enough blood through their bodies to maintain health, researchers found that while blood pressure and heart rate were unaffected by acupuncture, the sympathetic nerve activation was significantly reduced. That’s important for cardiac patients.
“Advanced heart failure patients often have two or three times more sympathetic nerve activity than normal individuals,” study leader Holly R. Middlekauff, MD, was quoted by WebMD from a news release. “It has been shown that the greater this activity is, the worse the outlook for the patient, so reducing it could be crucial.”
Although limited studies have shown positive effects of acupuncture, some in science still believe the treatment isn’t effective and should be used with caution. In 2011, researchers took on the task of looking through published acupuncture studies to try to make sense of the oftentimes contradictory results, Science-Based Medicine reported.
The result was a report that the usefulness of acupuncture is questionable, and the researchers also raised questions about whether it is actually a harmless procedure, SBM said.
September 10, 2015 by admin
Source: Health CMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1520-acupuncture-and-herbs-stop-ankle-pain-and-restore-motility
Acupuncture and herbs are effective for the treatment of ankle injuries. Researchers from the Nanning Hospital of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) investigated the efficacy of warm needle acupuncture combined with external herbal compresses for the treatment of sports related ankle injuries. The research team also investigated the efficacy of electroacupuncture for the treatment of ankle injuries. Warm needle acupuncture combined with herbal compresses achieved a 95% total effective rate and electroacupuncture achieved a 76.7% total effective rate for the treatment of ankle injuries.
A total of 120 patients with sports related ankle injuries participated in the randomized controlled study. Both electroacupuncture and warm needle acupuncture patients were treated five days per week. Assessments were made after week one and week four of the treatment regimen.
Warm needle acupuncture was applied to the following acupoints:
Ah Shi
SP6 (Sanyinjiao, 3 Yin Intersection)
SP5 (Shangqiu, Shang Mound)
KD2 (Rangu, Blazing Valley)
GB34 (Yanglingquan, Yang Mound Spring)
GB41 (Zulinqi, Foot Governor of Tears)
BL62 (Shenmai, Extending Vessel)
LV3 (Taichong, Great Rushing)
Additional acupoints were added based on the type of injury. For ankle sprains on the medial side, the following acupoints were added:
BL60 (Kunlun, Kunlun Mountains)
GB40 (Qiuxu, Mound of Ruins)
For ankle sprains on the lateral side, the following acupoints were added:
KD3 (Taixi, Supreme Stream)
KD6 (Zhaohai, Shining Sea)
For the procedure, patients relaxed in a supine position. Acupuncture needles of a 1.5” or 1” length were initially inserted into acupoints located in areas of the greatest pain due to the ankle injury. Lifting, thrusting, and twisting techniques were applied. The acupuncture needles were lifted to the superficial level and reinserted for additional lifting, thrusting, and twisting technique applications until all four directions received the manual acupuncture stimulation. Manual acupuncture techniques were applied to elicit the deqi response.
Warm needle technique was achieved using 1 cm moxa pieces that were attached to the needles and subsequently ignited. Total treatment time per acupuncture session was thirty minutes and one acupuncture treatment was applied per day. For the electroacupuncture group, similar acupoints were needled. The ankles and achilles tendons are shown.
The herbal compress was called the meridian vitalization and numbness removal formula (Huo Luo Zhi Bi). The herbal compress consisted of the following herbs:
Sheng Di Huang, 20 g
Rou Cong Rong, 20 g
Bai Ji Tiang, 15 g
Du Zhong, 12 g
Liang Mian Zhen, 15 g
Gu Sui Bu, 12 g
Shen Jin Cao, 15 g
Wei Ling Xian, 12 g
Shi Da Gong Lao Ye, 12 g
Chuan Xiong, 15 g
Qiang Huo, 10 g
Zhi Cao Wu, 10 g
Xu Duan, 15 g
Ma Qian Zi, 4 g
Hong Hua, 15 g
Zhi Chuan Wu, 10 g
Fu Zi, 6 g
Ji Xue Teng, 15 g
Xi Xin, 4 g
Xue Jie, 10 g
The herbs were combined in raw powder form and were then submerged into a 50% alcohol solution for two weeks. During application of the warm needle technique, the herbs were applied to the ankles. Cotton was dipped into the alcohol solution and dabbed onto the ankles. Simultaneously, a TDP heat lamp was focused on the ankles.
Improvements were measured in relation to reductions in ankle pain and swelling. Additionally, progress was documented by improvements in walking abilities. Warm needle acupuncture combined with herbal compresses outperformed electroacupuncture with a 95% total effective rate compared with a 76.7% total effective rate. Both forms of acupuncture proved safe and effective for the treatment of sports related ankle injuries.
The researchers noted that Li et al. had demonstrated the efficaciousness of distal acupuncture combined with acupressure as an effective tool for the treatment of ankle injuries in prior research. The results showed that acupuncture relieved pain and swelling while simultaneously improving range of motion. The new research at the Nanning Hospital of TCM is consistent with the findings of Li et al.
September 6, 2015 by admin
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.”
September 6, 2015 by admin
Source: Go Local PDX
http://www.golocalpdx.com/health/10-reasons-you-should-be-getting-acupuncture
1. It’s utterly relaxing.
We’re starting here for two reasons: it’s true, and it speaks to people’s biggest fear about acupuncture — the needles. How can having someone poke you with needles possibly be relaxing? It just so happens that those teeny tiny hair-thin needles can release endorphins, making you feel happy and relaxed. Many of my patients fall asleep during their treatments because they are so relaxed. Yes, it is true that some types of acupuncture or some parts of your treatment may be a bit intense, but intense just like sometimes a deep tissue massage is intense. The majority of the time, people don’t want to leave because they feel so peaceful at the end of their treatments.
2. It leads to faster recovery times.
If you are into sports, acupuncture should be a regular part of your fitness routine. For athletes, acupuncture is sometimes the secret in their faster-than-expected recovery times when injured. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the area of injury and speeds healing of tissues, so the sooner after an injury you get treated, likely the better your outcomes. Many people routinely come in before and after big races or events because it helps them prepare their bodies before, and then helps the sore stiff muscles after.
3. It improves blood flow.
I mentioned above that acupuncture improves blood flow to help speed injury recovery. This is true, whether it be a sports injury, a work injury, an overuse injury (like tendonitis) or an auto accident injury.
The other important aspect to this is that it helps improve blood flow to your organs, and specifically to your uterus. This is of huge importance for women who have fertility issues due to improper or low blood flow to the ovaries or the uterus. The techniques used to achieve better blood flow to reproductive organs can be used on someone who is attempting to conceive naturally or someone who is undergoing IVF. Fertility clinics frequently refer to acupuncturists to correct this issue.
4. It can help you quit your bad habits.
Acupuncture is fairly well known at dealing with addiction, and is in fact used in many inpatient recovery centers as part of a treatment plan. It can also be used to help you quit smoking or to help with overeating. It is also great at helping reduce the duration and intensity of discontinuation symptoms for patients who are (with their doctor’s support and guidance) attempting to stop taking SSRI’s or other medications with difficult withdrawals.
5. It can get rid of your headaches.
Acupuncture can be used to treat tension headaches, migraines, hormonal headaches, chronic headaches and acute headaches. In fact, about 90% of the time if someone walks into my office with a headache, the headache will be gone by the time they leave. You may need a course of treatment for chronic headaches, but it does not have the negative side effects of those pain relievers you pop, and acupuncture’s effects are long-lasting.
6. It can help you get pregnant.
As mentioned in #3, one way acupuncture can help get you pregnant is by increasing blood flow to the uterus. If you see an acupuncturist who specializes in fertility, you will find that they can help with all manner of fertility issues, from PCOS to endometriosis to unexplained infertility. They can also help with male-factor infertility (which is thought to be responsible for about half of all fertility issues).
If you are planning to undergo IVF, make sure you have an acupuncturist as part of your team. Research shows that having acupuncture right before and right after an IVF procedure can improve outcomes by 40-60%. The evidence is compelling enough that all of the major reproductive clinics in Portland make it possible for your acupuncturist to be onsite for your procedure.
7. It can help you get through the winter.
Acupuncture is a great choice for dealing with the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). In the Pacific Northwest, this can be somewhat of an epidemic during a long rainy winter. This year, El Nino promises to make that happen, so start early — find an acupuncturist now so that you can start preparing for the gray. Acupuncture, although relaxing, can also help increase your overall energy, improve your immunity, and will help you release those feel-good endorphins. Acupuncturists are also good at treating non-seasonal depression.
8. It can treat your chronic pain.
Arthritis? Fibromyalgia? Lingering pain from an accident or high school football injury? Acupuncture could be the answer for you. Much research has been done showing the efficacy of acupuncture in regards to pain management, and the outcomes are positive. Clinically I have seen 80 year-olds who were told their only option was surgery be able to avoid surgery and manage their pain with acupuncture. I have seen people with carpal tunnel from their computer job not only be able to work without pain, but also go back to playing piano and guitar when they aren’t at work. The pain relieving aspect of acupuncture is one of the best documented (and often insurance-approved) uses of acupuncture.
9. It can help you have a smoother period.
If you have irregular periods, painful periods, terrible PMS, migraines with your period — all of these things can be well-treated with acupuncture. Your acupuncturist can target certain times of your menstrual cycle that will best change the aspects of your period that are out of harmony.
10. It works.
Does acupuncture work for everyone 100% of the time? No. But neither does Ibuprofen or knee surgery or any other medical therapy. The truth is that acupuncture works for most people and can help many issues. It is a great stand-alone therapy, and also works in combination with care that you are already receiving from an MD, ND, PT or DC. In fact, a large percentage of my patients come to me as a direct referral from their MD, OB-Gyn, or chiropractor, and we see greater recovery rates and faster healing when we work together. Acupuncture is also used often in combination with all of the other therapies that Chinese Medicine has to offer: herbs, diet, meditation.
The beauty of acupuncture is that it is holistic – meaning it treats the whole person, and it is individualized – meaning your treatment is designed especially for you. This is one of the reasons it works so well. An acupuncturist treats YOU, not your disease or ailment. Go ahead — find yourself a licensed acupuncturist and get started on the road to feeling better.
Source: HealthCMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1517-acupuncture-relieves-constipation
Acupuncture Relieves Constipation
on 19 August 2015.
Acupuncture is effective for relieving slow transit constipation (STC). Slow transit refers to the slow passage of feces through the large intestine. Acupoint ST25, Tianshu, and CV12, Zhongwan. STC is a type of functional constipation that is present in approximately 15 to 30% of constipated individuals and is characterized by strained bowel movements with lumpy or hard stools. STC involves fewer than three bowel movements per week and is accompanied by a sensation of incomplete evacuation. There may be concomitant abdominal pain, nausea, and low appetite. The incidence of STC increases with age.
In a meta-analysis, researchers document that acupuncture, electroacupuncture, and moxibustion are effective treatment modalities for STC. The single most frequently used acupuncture point for the treatment of STC across all of the studies demonstrating that acupuncture is effective is Tianshu (ST25, Heaven’s Pivot). This acupoint is located bilaterally on the abdomen, 2 cun lateral to the navel. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) principles, this is the Front-Mu acupoint of the large intestine. Traditional functions for this acupoint include regulating the intestines, spleen, and stomach. In addition, ST25 resolves dampness, damp-heat, qi stagnation, and blood stasis. Given the traditional functions, it is no surprise to find ST25 is in common use for the resolution of STC.
Traditional indications for the use of ST25 lend insight as to why many researchers investigated its efficacy for the treatment of STC. Indications include the treatment of diarrhea, constipation, undigested food, edema, dysuria, intestinal abscesses, abdominal pain, abdominal distention, and dysmenorrhea. The overall TCM principle garnered by the researchers was that ST25 dredges Qi in the large intestine to restore transit functionality.
The meta-analysis revealed additional acupoints in common use across multiple studies for the treatment of slow transit constipation:
Alternate view of ST25 and CV12.
ST36, Zusanli
CV6, Qihai
CV4, Guanyuan
CV12, Zhongwan
BL20, Pishu
BL25, Dachangshu
SP15, Daheng
SJ6, Zhigou
ST37, Shangjuxu
LI4, Hegu
LI11, Quchi
BL21, Weishu
Individual studies in the meta-analysis showed high effective rates. For example, Guo et al. documented a 92.5% total effective rate for acupuncture. The acupuncture protocol evaluated by Guo et al. was a set of two alternating acupuncture point prescriptions. The first set of acupoints was:
ST25, Tianshu
SP14, Fujie
ST36, Zusanli
ST37, Shangjuxu
SJ6, Zhigou
The second set of acupoints was:
BL25, Dachangshu
BL35, Huiyang
BL39, Weiyang
EX-B9, Yaoqi
Zhao et al. documented similar results. Acupuncture for the treatment of slow transit constipation achieved a 92.6% total effective rate. Acupuncture points were applied based on differential diagnoses. The research involved the use of the following acupoints:
ST25, Tianshu
ST37, Shangjuxu
BL25, Dachangyu
SJ6, Zhigou
EX-B9, Yaoqi
MUE29, Erbai
ST36, Zusanli
LI4, Hegu
LI11, Quchi
CV12, Zhongwan
CV6, Qihai
BL20, Pishu
BL21, Weishu
KD18, Shiguan
KD6, Zhaohai
Similar findings were consistent across several modalities including manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture, embedding acupuncture, and warm needle moxibustion. For example, Liu et al. had a total effective rate of 94.4% in their investigation using the following acupoints:
ST25, Tianshu
SP15, Daheng
ST28, Shuidao
ST29, Guilai
Many more studies and acupuncture styles were investigated in the meta-analysis. Consistently, they demonstrated a very high total effective rate. The researchers concluded that acupuncture is a reasonable and effective treatment option for the treatment of slow transit constipation.
Source: Web MD
http://www.webmd.com/breast-cancer/news/20150825/acupuncture-best-for-hot-flashes-in-breast-cancer-survivors-study
Treating Breast Cancer Survivors’ Hot Flashes
Needles beat pills for treating hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, according to a new trial that compared acupuncture, “sham” acupuncture, the medication gabapentin and a placebo pill.
Interestingly, sham acupuncture came in second place for effectiveness, the researchers said.
Furthermore, the effects of acupuncture were “significant and enduring for hot flashes while gabapentin’s effect only happened when a patient was taking the medication,” said study first author Dr. Jun Mao, an associate professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
The study was published Aug. 24 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Mao and his colleagues tested the treatments in 120 women who were breast cancer survivors. The women were enduring hot flashes at least twice a day.
Thirty women each received real acupuncture that also included a bit of an electric buzz or the inactive placebo pill, 32 women got sham acupuncture, and 28 women received gabapentin (Neurontin). The drug is typically used to treat seizures and nerve pain.
The women documented their hot flashes in diaries, noting frequency and severity, for 8 weeks of treatment, and then continued to keep track of their hot flashes up to 24 weeks total. The investigators used a hot flash score to see how much frequency and severity changed from when the study started to what the women reported at 8, 12 and 24 weeks.
Acupuncture had the greatest effect on overall hot flash scores at 8 weeks, when all interventions ended, followed by sham acupuncture and then gabapentin. At 24 weeks, 16 weeks after treatments ended, acupuncture was still associated with the greatest reduction in hot flashes. But even those who had sham acupuncture or placebo pills had steeper drops in hot flash scores at 24 weeks than those who took gabapentin.
Source: Hartford Courant
http://www.courant.com/health/hc-chit-acupuncture-pregnancy-0821-20150820-story.html
For Maria Coplit, the decision to use traditional and laser acupuncture to complement her high-tech fertility treatments seemed a “no brainer,” especially after experiencing the toll of multiple miscarriages while trying to have a second child.
“We decided to empower ourselves as much as possible,” said Coplit, who gave birth to a daughter through in vitro fertilization (IVF) at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut. “Acupuncture helped create a calming environment, even if it was just having a blissful hour to myself where I wasn’t stressing out about the world or raising a toddler at home.”
Coplit, of Westport, is among many women and couples who are turning to the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture to supplement the assisted reproductive technology that helps infertile couples to become parents.
Although proponents concede that acupuncture alone won’t lead to pregnancy in complex fertility cases, they say it is an effective complement to traditional treatment.
“More women and couples are seeking a holistic approach to fertility treatment that takes into account the mind-body connection,” said Dr. Joshua Hurwitz, a reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Medicine Associates, which has four offices in Fairfield County. The practice offers advanced fertility options as well as acupuncture, yoga, nutrition guidance and support groups.
Acupuncture involves the painless placement of ultrathin needles into strategic points on the body. Used for thousands of years by Eastern practitioners, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the body’s own healing mechanism by balancing Qi (pronounced chee) — a form of energy that flows throughout the body. Proponents believe a blocked Qi can impact physical and emotional well-being.
Growing scientific evidence shows acupuncture may improve a woman’s chance of conceiving when performed in conjunction with assisted reproductive techniques, including medication, artificial insemination and IVF, which involves the transfer of an embryo to the uterus.
Fertility experts took note of the ancient technique after a 2002 study of 160 women found that adding acupuncture to IVF treatment increased pregnancy rates by 42.5 percent compared with 26.3 percent for those who did not have acupuncture.
The use of laser acupuncture performed before and after embryo transfer during an IVF cycle improved a woman’s chance of implantation by up to 15 percent, according to a 2009 study of 1,000 people by Reproductive Medicine Associates. Laser acupuncture — which uses infrared light energy instead of needles — is gaining popularity in the United States after years of use in Europe.
“The study results are exciting because they provide additional support showing that acupuncture has a direct effect on improving fertility,” said Amy Matton, a licensed acupuncturist with Reproductive Medicine Associates. “Laser acupuncture is a viable alternative for people who may have a fear of needles and haven’t been willing to try acupuncture in the past.”
Nurturing Environment
Acupuncture can help regulate menstrual cycles, trigger ovulation, reduce stress, improve blood flow to the pelvic area and uterine lining and reduce the side effects of medications associated with assisted reproductive technology, experts said. Acupuncturists also treat women with fertility problems, such as a lack of ovulation, who choose not to pursue modern medical options.
A licensed acupuncturist and founder of Healing Ways Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in Manchester and Wethersfield, Edwin Brown treats women who are using assisted reproductive technology and others who are looking to conceive without technological interventions.
Acupuncture can trigger the release of hormones that are considered a “crucial step to achieving pregnancy,” Brown said. “We know that increasing the fitness of the uterine wall is important for embryo implantation. The chance of conception and carrying a baby to term are reduced if the uterine lining is not healthy and thick enough. Acupuncture also enhances the body’s immune system, which can increase a woman’s responsiveness to fertility drugs and therapies.”
Using acupuncture to restore the body’s natural balance increases the flow of nutrients and oxygen-rich blood to cells, said Sal Amadeo, a licensed acupuncturist and co-founder of the Amadeus Center for Health & Healing in New Haven.
“Think of your body when you haven’t had enough sleep, food or sunshine. You don’t feel fully alive,” he said. “The same things happen to cells, which make up every part of our body. The most important part of acupuncture is making sure that the cells are nourished.”
Amadeo has been assisting women with fertility issues for more than two decades. But despite the growing evidence of acupuncture’s effectiveness, skeptics remain and consumers are frustrated because many insurance plans don’t cover acupuncture for infertility, he said.
“The traditional medical community that relies only on scientific methods is having a tough time accepting acupuncture,” he said. “Acupuncture is one of the most popular and expanding types of medicine we have. Yet many people still refer to this as sham medicine.”
Optimizing Health
Hurwitz said more medical experts are beginning to recognize the value of acupuncture. Although scientific studies must be viewed with a “critical eye, even the most ardent scientists agree there’s something we cannot exactly quantify [about acupuncture], even if the benefit is just having the patient feel like they are in control,” he said.
As a complement to traditional treatment, acupuncture can help optimize physical and mental well-being, he said.
“It’s important to improve your overall health and wellness before and during fertility treatment and pregnancy,” Hurwitz said. “Women and couples don’t just want to conceive. They want a healthy pregnancy and baby.”
Source: Medical News Today
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/298376.php
The single-blind trial, conducted at the University of California-Irvine (UCI), is the first scientific confirmation that the ancient Chinese medical technique is beneficial for patients with mild to moderate hypertension.
In the journal Medical Acupuncture, the team describes finding how electroacupuncture can lower blood pressure for up to 6 weeks in patients with hypertension.
Electroacupuncture is a form of acupuncture that applies low-intensity electrical pulses through needles inserted at specific points on the body.
The researchers say their findings suggest that with regular use, electroacupuncture could help people manage their blood pressure and reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke in the longer term.
Senior author John Longhurst, a cardiologist and UCI professor of medicine, says the clinical study comes after nearly 10 years of bench research into the effect of acupuncture on high blood pressure. He adds:
“By using Western scientific rigor to validate an ancient Eastern therapy, we feel we have integrated Chinese and Western medicine and provided a beneficial guideline for treating a disease that affects millions in the US.”
70% of treated patients experienced noticeable drop in blood pressure. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are about 70 million American adults (29%) with high blood pressure – only about half of whom have the condition under control.
High blood pressure costs the US some $46 billion a year. This figure covers health care services, medications and absence from work.
For their study, Prof. Longhurst and colleagues recruited 65 patients with hypertension who were not taking any drugs to treat their condition. Each patient was randomly assigned to one of two groups.
Both groups were treated with electroacupuncture, except that one group (the treatment group) had it applied to both sides of the inner wrists and slightly below each knee (acupoints thought to reduce blood pressure), and the other group had it applied to other acupoints along the forearm and lower leg (the control group).
The trial was a single-blind trial. That means the practitioners giving the treatment knew which patients were in the treatment group and which were in the control group, but the patients did not.
The results showed that 70% of the 33 patients in the treatment group experienced a noticeable drop in blood pressure. On average, the reduction was 6-8 mm/Hg for systolic blood pressure and 4 mm/Hg for diastolic blood pressure.
Systolic (when the heart contracts) is the higher, and diastolic (when the heart rests between beats) is the lower number in blood pressure readings.
The researchers say these improvements persisted for 6 weeks after treatment.
The treatment group also showed significant drops – 41% on average – in blood concentration of norepinephrine (also called noradrenaline), a hormone that constricts blood vessels and increases blood pressure and blood sugar.
The treatment group also showed a 67% drop in renin – an enzyme released in the kidneys that helps control blood pressure – and a 22% drop in a hormone that regulates electrolytes (aldosterone).
There were no significant blood pressure changes in the 32 patients in the control group.
Prof. Longhurst notes that while the reductions in blood pressure seen in the treatment group were not large – most ranged between 4 mm/Hg and 13 mm/Hg – they were clinically significant and suggest the treatment could be especially useful for people in their 60s and older with high systolic blood pressure. He concludes:
“Because electroacupuncture decreases both peak and average systolic blood pressure over 24 hours, this therapy may decrease the risk for stroke, peripheral artery disease, heart failure and myocardial infarction in hypertensive patients.”
Source: Men’s Health
http://www.menshealth.com/health/5-ways-acupuncture-can-fix-your-health-problems
For weeks, Nathan Suver had a serious pain in the neck. It was a recurring problem, related to a back injury, and nothing made it go away. Until, that is, his doctor jabbed him with pins. “He did it as part of a routine visit,” recalls Suver, a 35-year-old software developer from Southington, Connecticut. “He has acupuncture training. He just said, ‘This will help with the pain,’ and stuck 10 little needles in me. He first put one in my neck, and then one in my wrist. It felt like lightning shooting through my body from my neck to my wrist. But it was actually only slightly uncomfortable.”
The treatment was worth that slight discomfort, because Suver’s pain went away. A week later, he bragged about the success on Facebook. “What’s even more amazing is that while I was convinced it wouldn’t work, it did anyway,” he wrote. “So much for the placebo effect.”
Acupuncture, from an Eastern perspective, is all about energy and its flow through your body. If that flow is blocked, the thinking goes, pain or illness results. By gently tapping as many as 20 thin needles into your body at strategic points, acupuncturists try to reestablish the flow. That’s a compelling but not necessarily convincing explanation. So Western medicine is working to understand the mechanisms of acupuncture. “There are many details we still don’t understand, but essentially, acupuncture seems to stimulate specific muscles and nerves, activating changes that reduce pain and symptoms and promote healing,” says Kwokming James Cheng, M.D., whose June review in Acupuncture in Medicine aimed to identify the precise neurological significance of common “acupoints” areas targeted in acupuncture.
How acupuncture works may be unclear, but the benefits stick out. Research shows that this ancient therapy can be an effective treatment for a wide variety of ailments, from back pain and sciatica to headaches, nausea, and asthma. We consulted experts and recent studies to find out which conditions seem to benefit most from acupuncture. If you’re struggling with one of the following ailments, you might consider going under the needle.
Acupuncture for Headaches
Stick a Pin in . . . Headaches
For most men, popping an aspirin can thwart the occasional skull attack. If headaches become intense or unremitting, though, OTC therapy may not keep them at bay—while the pins-and-needles approach might. Acupuncture taps directly into recent research theorizing that tension headaches—the most common kind—are not caused by muscles alone. Neurochemicals associated with mood and emotional well-being, such as nitric oxide and serotonin, may also play a role. “The needles appear to send signals to the brain to adjust the levels of these neurochemicals,” says Dr. Cheng.
Science says: If your headaches tend to rebound or linger for days, some deft needling can help reduce the frequency of their intrusions into your life. “Acupuncture is a preventive treatment to reduce headache frequency and intensity,” says Klaus Linde, M.D., a complementary-medicine researcher at Technical University Munich, in Germany. In a recent review of 11 studies on people with frequent tension headaches, Dr. Linde found that nearly half of patients who had acupuncture reported a 50 percent decrease in the number of days they had headaches, compared with a 16 percent drop in study participants who received painkillers and other routine care instead.
Acupuncture for Gastrointestinal Problems
Stick a Pin in . . . Gastrointestinal Problems
Saverio Mancina couldn’t eat a thing. “I had severe cramping and diarrhea constantly,” the Boston marketing exec says of his digestive troubles of 3 years ago. No prescription drugs helped, and tests for parasites and celiac disease came back negative. In addition to altering his diet and exercise regimen, he also turned to acupuncture. After three sessions, his symptoms nearly vanished.
When Mancina had acupuncture, his practitioner poked not just in his torso but also in his arms and legs. Acupuncturists insert needles into seemingly unrelated parts of your body because they believe there are local points—areas from where the pain radiates—and distal points, which correspond to remote areas of your body. The Western explanation: “Your extremities have more nerve endings than your abdomen, so poking them can trigger a stronger response than a needle near your stomach can,” says Dr. Cheng.
Science says: Acupuncture’s ability to combat basic stress may be a key part of its effectiveness with gastrointestinal disorders, says Tony Chon, M.D., chairman of the acupuncture practice at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “We know there’s a strong link between stress and some GI symptoms, including indigestion,” Dr. Chon says, “and acupuncture has been used for centuries for relief and treatment.”
For upper-GI problems, acupuncture can beat antacids by a mile. In a 2007 University of Arizona study, people with chronic heartburn who didn’t respond to prescription antacids underwent twice-weekly acupuncture. Their symptoms improved far more than thoAcuse of people who took a double dose of the drug. Their chest pain decreased 82 percent, heartburn dropped 83 percent, and acid reflux fell 77 percent. Researchers speculate that the needle treatments prompt a decrease in stomach acid and speed up digestion, so less acid backs up into the esophagus. “It also seems to reduce pain perception in the esoph agus,” says study coauthor Ronnie Fass, M.D.
Acupuncture for Sports Injuries
Stick a Pin in . . . Sports Injuries
Many injured athletes use acupuncture for relief. When he was playing in the NFL, former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber turned to it frequently for his muscle strains. “It helps your body recover from injury faster,” says Marianne Fuenmayor, MSLAc, chairwoman of the acupuncture department at the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, in New York City. One theory, according to Dr. Cheng, is that your body may respond to the needles by further increasing the flow of oxygenated blood to the injured area, which helps speed the healing process.
Science says: You should see your doctor if you’re injured, but if he or she says you don’t need any treatment beyond rest, then ask if it’s okay to go to an acupuncturist to help manage the pain or discomfort. “I’ve used it very effectively to treat ankle sprains, muscle soreness, tennis elbow, and tendinitis,” says John Cianca, M.D., a rehabilitation specialist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the president of the American Road Race Medical Society.
This year, a Johns Hopkins study found that people with chronic tendinitis or arthritis who had 20-minute acupuncture sessions twice a week for 6 weeks had less pain and disability than people who only thought they were receiving acupuncture (the needles didn’t penetrate the skin). Additionally, a 2008 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that participants who were jabbed for muscle soreness 24 and 48 hours after they exercised to exhaustion reported significantly less pain than people who didn’t receive the treatment.
Acupuncture for Anxiety and Depression
Stick a Pin in . . . Anxiety and Depression
A little setback—say, your team falling behind in the playoffs—can trigger mild anxiety. A big bummer—losing your job, for example—can cause serious depression. In either case, acupuncture can help. “In the recent recession, I’ve been treating a lot of men who are under stress,” says Nicholas Zimet, a licensed acupuncturist with Prime Meridian Acupuncture, in Minneapolis. “After treatment, they feel more relaxed and able to deal with the pressures of life.” Why the mental boost? When needles enter your earlobes, hands, or feet, Dr. Cheng says, your brain releases neuro transmitters and other chemicals that affect stress and mood.
Science says: A recent study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that depressed patients with severe anxiety can benefit from acupuncture. The study, which paired acupuncture with the medication fluoxetine (a generic form of Prozac) also reported benefits for patients who couldn’t tolerate the side effects commonly caused by the medication, including decreased sex drive, difficulty maintaining erections, and delayed ejaculation. Not a bad tradeoff.
Acupuncture for Back Pain
Stick a Pin in . . . Back Pain
Treating back pain is by far the most common reason people turn to acupuncture. “It simply works much better than any of the pills we prescribe,” says Dr. Cheng. Just as with sports injuries, the needles seem to increase bloodflow to muscles and tissues. (Sometimes the practitioners will also run electric current through the needles. Physical therapists have been using electrical stimulation for years to promote healing, and Dr. Cheng says the needles help the current travel deeper into the muscles.)
Science says: A University of Michigan study this year backed up Dr. Cheng’s assessment. The researchers used brain imaging to see how needling the skin affects the brain’s ability to control pain. “Acupuncture seems to help pain receptors in the brain bind more easily to opioids such as endorphins, our body’s natural painkiller,” says Richard Harris, Ph.D., coauthor of the study. It also helps the receptors bind to painkilling drugs such as codeine or morphine. And the better those work, the less you hurt.
If you decide to give acupuncture a try, look for a licensed or a medical acupuncturist. States issue the licenses (which may require certification), and most use examination results from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. (Search its database at nccaom.org.) A licensed, NCCAOM-certified acupuncturist has graduated from an accredited school and passed NCCAOM’s exam, and has at least 1,800 hours of training. Medical acupuncturists (DABMA or FAAMA) are board-certified physicians who’ve had training approved by the American Board of Medical Acupuncture. Search for one at medicalacupuncture.org.
Source: Health CMi
http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1512-acupuncture-frees-movement-from-sports-injuries
Acupuncture and herbs restore motility for patients with motor impairments due to sports injuries. Researchers from the Physical Education Institute at Zhengzhou University investigated the effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) style acupuncture and herbs on amateur and professional athletes suffering from motor impairments due to the demands of physical training. Areas of the neck, back, and limbs were investigated. The researchers concluded that restoration of motility is significant as a result of applying acupuncture and herbs. However, an additive effect was discovered by combining acupuncture and herbs into a therapeutic regimen. The combination therapy produced superior patient outcomes.
Participants in the study suffered from physical motility limitations. Head and neck impairments accounted for 42% of the patients. Upper limb impairments comprised 24.6% and lower limb impairments accounted for 85.4% of participants. Acute physical limitations accounted for 85.4% of participants and 14.6% were patients with chronic motility impairments.
The total effective rate was calculated from a combination of patients in three categories of improvement: cured, effective, and improved. Patients rated as cured had freer movements of the limbs without any limitations and were able to participate in normal physical training. Patients in the effective category had complete resolution of soreness at the affected regions and movement was free and without limitation at lower levels of physically demanding activity. Improved patients had reduced pain levels and patients were able to perform simple exercises.
The total effective rate for the acupuncture only group was 70%. The herbal medicine group achieved a 62% total effective rate. A group receiving both acupuncture and herbal medicine achieved a total effective rate of 84.4%. The researchers concluded that acupuncture combined with herbs is highly effective for the treatment of physical activity induced motility impairments. The combined therapeutic approach is more effective than either treatment modality as a standalone procedure.
Many of the herbs used in the study were selected for their ability to nourish the liver, kidneys, spleen, and stomach. Another major treatment principle was promoting blood circulation. The herbal medicine given to the participants included Gou Qi Zi, Shan Yao, Di Long, DangGui, and related herbs. A decoction was taken once per day by participants for a total of 30 times.
Acupuncture was applied to areas locally at the limbs with 0.30 mm X 40 mm needles. The knee region of the lower limbs were impaired. Distal acupoints were also added. Needle retention time was 20 minutes per session. Treatment was given once per day with a grand total of 30 treatments per participant. Acupoints used in the study included:
Yang Xi (LI5)
He Gu (LI4)
Zhou San Li (LI10)
Liang Qiu (ST34)
The research was published in the Bulletin of Science and Technology. This type of research has been conducted in hospitals and universities throughout the world, including the US.
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