Acupuncture

Acupuncture Reduces Treatment Side-Effects in Breast Cancer Patients

Here's another study showing the benefits of acupuncture in supporting breast cancer patients in comparison to those on drug therapy. The chemo drugs typically cause hot flashes for women being treated for breast cancer. To address the hot flashes, the women are given another drug, Venlafaxine (Effexor) which also has side effects. So Dr. Eleanor Walker and her team decided to study acupuncture's effect in treating hot flashes for breast cancer patients.The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that the acupuncture and drug group had similar results in reduction of symptoms (mainly hot flashes and depression are noted here) during treatment. But the post treatment follow-up is where it gets interesting. The drug patients symptoms returned within two weeks from when they stopped taking…

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Study Shows Yoga Practice Reduces Inflamation Associated with Age Related Diseases

Those who have been following by blog know that I am a yogini: a female yogi, or yoga practitioner. As such, this study demonstrating the benefits of yoga in reducing inflammation, stress and aging caught my eye. I thought others would find it interesting, too. This study looked at yoga, but i believe similar results and benefits would be found with tai qi and qi gong (literally 'qi work' or energy work/cultivation: yoga is a qi gong exercise). I recently ran across some old "Yoga Journal" articles showing the benefits of restorative yoga for chronic illness, AIDS and auto immune disorders. Restorative yoga are relaxation poses requiring little to no muscle work, so that one lies in the pose for an extended period of time (5-10min. The…

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How Chinese Medicine Treats Autoimmune Disorders

Here's an interesting paper written by a CA practitioner about how Chinese Medicine addresses autoimmune disorders, particularly chemical sensitivities. KBAutoimmune Disorders, Multiple Chemical Sensitivitiesand Chinese Medicineby Matt Van Benschoten, O.M.D., L.Ac.https://elotus.org/lotus_2010/downloads/articles/2010/article_02_0107_Matt_Final.html____________________________________________________________________About the AuthorDr. Van Benschoten is a graduate of the California Acupuncture College of Los Angeles, with 28 years of clinical, research, and teaching experience in acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, and medical Qi Gong. He is the author of more than fifty papers on acupoint diagnostic methods, chronic fatigue syndrome, AIDS, autoimmune disease, breast cancer, mercury toxicity, and indoor mold exposure. His clinical practice focuses on multi-drug resistant infections, immune dysfunction, and environmental illness.

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Study Shows Acupuncture as Effective as Drugs for Carpel Tunnel Syndrome

A study published in May 2009 in The Clinical Journal of Pain compared acupuncture to the steroid drug prednisone for treatment of pain in carpal tunnel syndrome. The study concluded that:"Short-term acupuncture treatment is as effective as short-term low-dose prednisolone for mild-to-moderate CTS. For those who do have an intolerance or contraindication for oral steroid or for those who do not opt for early surgery, acupuncture treatment provides an alternative choice."This is big for a western medical study to recommend acupuncture as an effective alternative to drug therapy. For the symptoms of night time awakening due to pain and for motor function, the acupuncture group had better results. I've included an abstract of the article below.Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a repetitive use injury, commonly caused by excessive…

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Stanford Research Study Shows Acupuncture Reduces Hot Flashes

Here's a study published a few years ago by a Stanford researcher showing the benefits of acupuncture for hot flashes. The study followed patients for seven weeks of treatment. In Chinese Medicine we treat in courses: a clinical course of treatment being 10-12 visits or weeks of herbal medicine. I have found in clinic that the first course of treatment tends to be 10-15 visits. In that amount of time I can usually get mild or acute symptoms resolved, and more chronic symptoms reduced and under control. Inexplicably this study tracked patients for only 7 visits. I'm sure the results would have dramatically increased had the patients continued treatment for a full course, or longer.I have noticed that studies usually show a lower percentage effectiveness than what…

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Studies Show Acupuncture More Effective than Drugs for Headaches

In a December 2008 two doctors from the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke University Medical Center published the results of their systematic review of 25 studies on the use of acupuncture for treatment of headaches in Anesthesia and Analgesia. The authors concluded that acupuncture is more effective than drug therapy in relieving headaches. Here's a short NY Time's piece on their work. KB

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Study Shows How Acupuncture Stops Pain

This article from the Medicine.net website discusses a western scientific study designed to explain acupuncture's pain relieving effect. It's a quick, interesting read. I would offer the caveat that no acupuncturist would recommend using morphine or other opiates after treatment, a conclusion a quoted researcher mistakenly draws from the study findings. It is validating to see western studies that scientifically verify acupuncture's results. KBImaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture WorksSOURCE: University of Michigan Medical School, news release, August 2009

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Chinese Medicine Explained in Video

A couple of lovely young ladies who are recent grads from my acupuncture college, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) and now fellow North Carolinians have put together this thoughtfully written & produced video, called School Me, to explain about Chinese Medicine's history & theory, including herbal medicine, and the educational level of a Licensed Acupuncturist. It's a 30min video, but I'm sure those interested in learning more about the topic will find it complete and interesting. KBhttp://www.vimeo.com/5403390

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Obama on Acupuncture

Here's the reply from Obama to a question by an acupuncturist inquiring about whether alternative medicine is on the table to be included in the new health care plan:http://www.enewspf.com/index.php?option=com_content&view;=article&id;=7209:remarks-by-president-obama-in-arnold-missouri-town-hall-april-29-2009&catid;=88888983:latest-national-news&Itemid;=88889930Q I'm a licensed acupuncturist and licensed massage therapist in Florissant. And so --THE PRESIDENT: I could use one right now. (Laughter.) My back is stiff. I've been working hard.Q I'll be happy to help you. (Laughter.) And this kind of fits into what you were just talking about as far as health care. I'm wondering, as a practitioner of Oriental medicine, knowing that the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization has discovered through their studies that alternative medicine often is more cost-effective and very effective, how will alternative medicine fit in your new health care…

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Excerpts from Washington Post article about Acupuncture Efficacy

The following is an excerpt from an article in the Washington Post about acupuncture. These are comments from doctors and patients about their experiences with acupuncture. KB By Ellen Edwards Washington Post Staff WriterTuesday, March 17, 2009; Page HE04 ') ; // --> lternative Medicine Millions Embrace Acupuncture, Despite Thin Evidence A study found that 3.1 million adults and 150,000 children used acupuncture in 2007 for such ailments as headache, back pain and insomnia. (By Dominic Bracco Ii For The Washington Post) . . . Brian Berman, director of the University of Maryland center, came to acupuncture after feeling that something was missing in his practice of family medicine. "I was well trained with acute problems such as an asthma attack, trauma, heart attack," he said. "But…

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