Sunday, November 29, 2009

Cupping Massage

A few months ago I ran across this massage technique while looking over the menu of services at Canyon Ranch Spa Club in Las Vegas. After a bit of googling, I came across the website and decided to pick up the DVD from Lhasa OMS along with a few new cupping sets.

The technique is adapted for body workers and uses much lighter suction than TCM cupping. The theory is that the lighter suction stimulates the lymph system to loosen adhesions and pull stuck fluid into the lymph system where it is easier to eliminate. I started utilizing massage cupping in my practice and found it is great to help loosen up the body before doing traditional cupping techniques. It is not as effective for those with significant stagnation, but it is great for those with mild blockages who also need a little detoxification and TLC.

I just had this done last week and found it wonderfully relaxing on areas of mild tension, but in the parts that need a lot of work, I was yearning a bit for some strong stationary cupping. If I could have followed it up with some acupuncture, it would have been perfect - I even fell asleep a bit during the treatment.

I contacted the founder and encouraged her to get certified as an NCCAOM CEU provider. The system is easy to learn and a great addition to practices that focus on the individual patient.


Tuesday, November 03, 2009

H1N1 Updates

I found this snippet about Chinese Medicine and H1N1 prevention/treatment, but the article also has some good stuff about other CAM therapies. I have been doing monthly acupuncture "flu shot" treatments on a lot of my patients using a blend of acupuncture and herbal therapies and so far, no flu!

Holistic treatments boost defense against H1N1
By Laura LaDue, LAc
from WillametteLive, Section
Wellness
Posted on Sat Oct 31, 2009 at 10:17:14 PM PDT

This flu season, H1N1 is particularly prevalent. In addition to being a nasty virus, it carries with it a lot of cultural baggage in the form of fears and misconceptions.

Like seasonal flu, H1N1 is spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea. It is possible to be infected and have respiratory symptoms without a fever.

Most people who have been sick with 2009 H1N1 virus have recovered without needing medical treatment. However, hospitalizations and deaths from infection with this virus have occurred. You should seek urgent medical care if you experience severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, or persistent vomiting.

How does Chinese medicine prevent and treat the H1N1 virus?

From the perspective of Chinese medicine, swine flu is not so different from other types of flu and can most certainly be prevented and treated by means of Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicines for H1N1 do not attack the virus. Rather, they try to remove those internal conditions in the body that enable the virus to take hold and multiply. "There is no medicine to directly kill the virus. A virus is like a seed: it needs things like temperature and water to grow," Dr. Xu Wenbing, Chairman of the Hope Institute of Chinese Medicine in Beijing, said. "When you take away these conditions, the body will cure itself."

Acupuncture helps by bringing the body back into balance, making it more resistant to potential invading viruses. There are specific acupuncture points for boosting the immune system, including points for increasing your white blood cell count. If one is already ill, acupuncture can speed recovery and lessen the symptoms of illness.

Read More

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Comprehensive Military PTSD Treatment Programs

I wanted to sneak this in here because after walking around the polytrauma unit in the VA this week, my aspirations to use my nurse practitioner and acupuncture skills in this population grew exponentially. The Louisville VA is one of the best in the country - the staff is always smiling and polite and the hospital itself is holding up well when they could have let it go to pot since plans are in the works for a new facility. The time may be ripe for a proposal, especially since it is a growing trend.

Acupuncture Today
November, 2009, Vol. 10, Issue 11

Comprehensive Military PTSD Treatment Programs

By Joe C. Chang, MAOM, Dipl. OM, LAc

So far, there are four comprehensive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat stress treatment programs in the U.S. Army that have incorporated different CAM approaches in their treatment programs.

Many of these comprehensive programs started as a result of the Ft. Bliss Restoration and Resilience Center, near El Paso, Texas. This integrative approach treats many of the symptoms of PTSD that are not addressed through the standard mental health protocols that included cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. The Ft. Bliss program incorporated medical massage, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, marital/family therapy and Reiki with standard treatment protocols . Additionally, soldiers go through a daily 45-minute "power walk" and play water polo three times a week.

At the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program at Ft. Hood (near Killeen, Texas), their intensive, combat-stress three-week program focuses on the reduction of hyperarousal and reactivity. Reducing these core symptoms of combat stress and posttraumatic stress disorder allows other treatments to be more effective. The program includes group counseling, biofeedback, individual counseling and alternative therapies (massage, acupuncture, yoga and Reiki).

Read More

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Hallelujah, Proof Is Here!

Some said they did not believe in bacteria until they saw it under a microscope. Later others doubted the atom until the advent of the electron microscope. Now, we have the chance to prove meridians exist through light conduction studies. Can proof og Qi be far behind? We shall see!


New scientific breakthrough proves why acupuncture works

New groundbreaking research shows that the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin disrupts the branching point of nerves called C fibres. These C fibres transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances by using Merkel cells as intermediaries. Dr. Morry Silberstein of the Curtin University of Technology will publish his research in the Journal of Theoretical Biology later this year.

Dr. Silberstein mentions that they have known, for some time, that the acupuncture points show lower electrical resistance than other nearby areas of the skin. His research specifically pinpoints that the C fibres actually branch exactly at acupuncture points. Scientists don’t know exactly what role C fibres play in the nervous system, but Dr. Silverstein theorizes that the bundle of nerves exists to maintain arousal or wakefulness. The insertion of the acupuncture needle disrupts this circuit and numbs our sensitivity to pain.”

Russian researchers in 1991 at The Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Novosibirsk, USSR, in a research project lasting several years, discovered how the human body conducts light. They found that the light conducting ability of the human body exists only along the meridians, and can enter and exit only along the acupuncture points. Dr. Kaznachejew, a professor of physics said:

“This seems to prove that we have a light transferal system in our body somewhat likeoptical fiber. It appears that the light can even travel when the light canal is bent, or totally twisted. The light appears to be reflected from the inner surface, appearing to go in some sort of zigzag track. You can explain this through traditional electromagnetic light theory as it is used in optical fiber communications.”

This finding has been confirmed by a 1992 study in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a 2005 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine where moxibustion and infrared thermography were used to trace meridian pathways.


Read More

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Acupuncture for Caesarean Prevention and Healthy Delivery

Given the generous litigation latitude in Kentucky that is driving competent OBGYNs out of the state and preventing Midwifes from practicing in it at all, I doubt we will see acupuncturists in the hospital delivery room here anytime soon. With an unpublished C-section rate of 40% in one of our area hospitals and a total disdain for natural childbirth from many staff members (I have actually heard comments such as "there is nothing natural about natural childbirth" and "you have to push harder, I don't have all day"), I abhor having to tell moms to be that I can't help them out with pain management on the special day. With hope, there will be more advocates like Debra Betts who can help women have safe, healthy childbirth without having to go under the knife.

Oct 09, 2009 03:30 ET

Studies Show That Acupuncture Decreases Caesarean Rates

Acubalance Wellness Centre of Vancouver presents Debra Betts, an international expert, educator and author of the Essential Acupuncture for Pregnancy and Childbirth.


There are more and more studies showing that acupuncture can decrease the rates of caesarean delivery. This fits right into the new campaign launched by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) to 'normalize' childbirth and reduce Canada's soaring caesarean section rate."

The SOGC claims 20% fewer caesarean sections could be performed if doctors and hospitals followed guidelines aimed at lowering unnecessary surgeries and if women had support during labour.

Studies have shown that women receiving prebirth acupuncture compared to a control group had:

- An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their first baby this was a 43% reduction)

- A 31% reduction in the epidural rate

- A 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery

Breech birth, where the baby is delivering bottom-first rather than head first, is one area under scrutiny by the SOGC. They say that women should have an option to deliver vaginally with a breech presentation rather than have an automatic caesarean delivery. Moxibustion, an ancient Chinese treatment that involves heating acupuncture points with the Chinese herb called mugwort, has been used to turn breech babies for centuries. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that, at 35 weeks gestation, 75.4% of the babies in the intervention group (whose mothers had received moxibustion) had changed to a head-down position versus 47.7% in the control group.

According to Betts, acupuncture during pregnancy helps numerous conditions, including: nausea, high blood pressure, back pain and cervical ripening (which helps shorten labour), and can naturally induce labour.

One thing that Betts is particularly excited about teaching is acupressure for pain management during labour. "We know that if women can manage their pain there is less drugs, less intervention and far fewer C sections." says Betts. "What's important is that these acupressure points are easy to use, can be used at the beginning of labour by the support people, and that there are consistent effects. From my own clinical followup, 86% used it successfully in labour to significantly reduce their pain."

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Acupuncture Use in the United States

I have often joked that it takes 18 months for someone who says they are interested in trying acupuncture to actually go through with it. Unfortunately this is often after an occasional stiffness and twinge in the back has tuned into a chronic and severe pain both limiting mobility and requiring hydrocodone four times a day. The following was published a couple of years ago but I find the data relevant in my practice. I am certainly getting more physician referrals as they hear their patients tell them about success with musculoskeletal pain. Natural seems to be in. With the surge of natural prescription medications like Loveza (omega-3s) and Florastore (probiotic), I am waiting for shan zha and chuan xiong to be marketed by Pfizer!

Acupuncture use in the United States: findings from the National Health Interview Survey.

Institute for Holistic Healing Studies, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA. aburke@sfsu.edu

OBJECTIVE: Acupuncture has become an important provider-based complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) treatment. To improve understanding of its role in personal health care, an analysis of national data was conducted to examine user sociodemographics, conditions treated, and the relationship of use with conventional Western medical care.

DESIGN: A nationally representative cross-sectional survey.

SETTING: The 2002 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), conducted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one-thousand and forty-four (31,044) adults who completed the NHIS Sample Adult Core.

OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was recent use of acupuncture, defined as use within the previous 12 months.

RESULTS: In the 2002 NHIS sample, 4.1% of the respondents reported lifetime use, and 1.1% (representing 2.13 million Americans) reported recent use of acupuncture. Recent use (n = 327) was positively associated with being an Asian female, living in the West or Northeast, having poorer self-reported health status, a higher level of education, and being an ex-smoker. Among recent users, the most typical treatment regimen was two to four treatments (34.5%), with musculoskeletal complaints being the most frequently reported conditions, led by back pain (34.0%). Reports of perceived benefit were generally high. Respondents indicated that acupuncture was used both as an alternative and as a complementary therapy. A reasonable number also reported being referred to acupuncture by a conventional medical professional (25.3%). The cross-sectional nature of the data precluded analysis of transitions in health care use (between conventional and CAM treatments) over time.

CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of acupuncture was somewhat lower than expected given its significant national and international recognition and its visibility in the media. This may in part be a function of provider availability and cultural factors.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Fibromyalgia: Traditional vs Sham Acupuncture Success

In the past year there have been several studies that confirm acupuncture is more effective for back pain than the typical lortab, physical therapy, epidural, and surgery regimen touted by western pain management specialists. The studies included a fake or "sham" acupuncture treatment group along with a real or "traditional" acupuncture treatment group. The problem with these designs was the lack of studies comparing traditional and sham acupuncture. When the results of the studies showed statistically insignificant difference in effectiveness, the conclusions make the reader think all you have to do is stick some needles randomly in your back, not necessarily by a qualified acupuncturist, and the placebo effect will take over from there. The following abstract was pulled from Pub Med and discusses the short and long term effects of traditional acupuncture on pain receptors in the brain for fibromyalgia.

Traditional Chinese acupuncture and placebo (sham) acupuncture are differentiated by their effects on mu-opioid receptors (MORs).

Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. reharris@med.umich.edu

Controversy remains regarding the mechanisms of acupuncture analgesia. A prevailing theory, largely unproven in humans, is that it involves the activation of endogenous opioid antinociceptive systems and mu-opioid receptors (MORs). This is also a neurotransmitter system that mediates the effects of placebo-induced analgesia. This overlap in potential mechanisms may explain the lack of differentiation between traditional acupuncture and either non-traditional or sham acupuncture in multiple controlled clinical trials. We compared both short- and long-term effects of traditional Chinese acupuncture (TA) versus sham acupuncture (SA) treatment on in vivo MOR binding availability in chronic pain patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM). Patients were randomized to receive either TA or SA treatment over the course of 4 weeks. Positron emission tomography (PET) with (11)C-carfentanil was performed once during the first treatment session and then repeated a month later following the eighth treatment. Acupuncture therapy evoked short-term increases in MOR binding potential, in multiple pain and sensory processing regions including the cingulate (dorsal and subgenual), insula, caudate, thalamus, and amygdala. Acupuncture therapy also evoked long-term increases in MOR binding potential in some of the same structures including the cingulate (dorsal and perigenual), caudate, and amygdala. These short- and long-term effects were absent in the sham group where small reductions were observed, an effect more consistent with previous placebo PET studies. Long-term increases in MOR BP following TA were also associated with greater reductions in clinical pain. These findings suggest that divergent MOR processes may mediate clinically relevant analgesic effects for acupuncture and sham acupuncture.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Boost your immunity and fight off the flu before it fights you!

With concern over the effectiveness and availability of the H1N1 and influenza immunizations, the best treatment to combat these viruses is prevention. Throughout the flu season, September-March, Jing Acupuncture is offering $25 acupuncture sessions designed to help keep you healthy through the fall and winter. It is the perfect introduction for those curious to learn about the benefits of acupuncture and for acupuncture veterans to have a mini-treatment added on to a regular session.

Don't forget to follow these tips:

Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands with soap and water, especially after coughing and sneezing. Alcohol based hand cleaners are also effective but can be a bit harsh to the skin. Bath and Body Works has an excellent alcohol-free spray hand sanitizer that I love.

Practice respiratory etiquette by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; germs are spread this way.

Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. A fever is a temperature that is equal to or greater than 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Look for signs of a fever if the person feels very warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering. Remember, if there is no fever, there is no flu!

Stay home if you have flu or flu like symptoms for at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever; this should be determined without the use of fever reducing medications (medications that contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen). This is hard for a lot of people who feel they need to "fight through it," but taking the day off and getting good rest, hydration, and nourishment will not only speed your recovery, but will keep you from spreading your illness to friends, family, and colleges.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Acupuncture and Cancer

A couple of new studies have appeared concerning the effect of acupuncture treatment on breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and side effects of radiation or chemotherapy treatment. I am happy more of the studies are looking not just at sham acupuncture vs. real acupuncture vs. no acupuncture, but actually looking at the longevity of the therapies used. Here are a couple of abstracts:

Breast Cancer; New breast cancer research from J. Hervik and colleagues discussed

In a prospective, controlled trial, 59 women suffering from hot flashes following breast cancer surgery and adjuvant oestrogen-antagonist treatment (Tamoxifen) were randomized to either 10 weeks of traditional Chinese acupuncture or shamacupuncture (SA). Mean number of hot flashes at day and night were recorded prior to treatment, during the treatment period as well as during the 12 weeks following treatment. A validated health score (Kupperman index) was conducted at baseline, at the end of the treatment period and at 12 weeks following treatment. During the treatment period mean number of hot flashes at day and night was significantly reduced by 50 and almost 60%, respectively from baseline in the acupuncture group, and was further reduced by 30% both at day and night during the next 12 weeks. In the sham acupuncture group a significant reduction of 25% in hot flashes at day was seen during treatment, but was reversed during the following 12 weeks. The researchers concluded: "This treatment effect seems to coincide with a general health improvement measured with the validated Kupperman index."

Hervik and colleagues published the results of their research in Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (Acupuncture for the treatment of hot flashes in breast cancer patients, a randomized, controlled trial. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 2009;116(2):311-316).


Ovarian Cancer; New ovarian cancer research from W.D. Lu and colleagues discussed

A standardized acupuncture protocol was employed with manual and electrostimulation. The frequency of treatment was 2-3 times per week for a total of 10 sessions, starting 1 week before the second cycle of chemotherapy. The setting was two outpatient academic centers for patients with cancer. Twenty-one (21) newly diagnosed and recurrent ovarian cancer patients were the subjects. WBC count, ANC, and plasma granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) were assessed weekly. The median leukocyte value in the acupuncture arm at the first day of the third cycle of chemotherapy was significantly higher than in the control arm after adjusting for baseline value (8600 cells/mu L, range: 4800 12,000 versus 4400 cell/mu L, range: 2300-10,000) (p=0.046). The incidence of grade 2-4 leukopenia was less in the acupuncture arm than in the sham arm (30% versus 90%; p=0.02). However, the median leukocyte nadir, neutrophil nadir, and recovering ANC were all higher but not statistically significantly different (p=0.116-0.16), after adjusting for baseline differences. The researchers concluded: "A larger trial is warranted to more definitively determine the efficacy of acupuncture on clinically important outcomes of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.."

Lu and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine (Acupuncture for Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia in Patients with Gynecologic Malignancies: A Pilot Randomized, Sham-Controlled Clinical Trial. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2009;15(7):745-753).

Saturday, August 15, 2009

OT: Husband's Book is Available for Pre-Order!!!

Sometimes I need to discuss life beyond Acupuncture News:

When I met my husband, he had just come back from Iraq and started falling into the PTSD patterns of behavior including lots of eating and drinking to "feed the soul hole." He was one of the most influential military bloggers while he was over there and loved being a solider but when he came back he lost himself.

One of his therapies on the road to recovery was to put the experience in writing. After a few years of trying to find a publisher and hearing "the Iraq market is saturated" or "it isn't political, you have to make it more anti-war/Bush" or "not enough combat and pro-military content," the book is finally going to come out this year in November. I am so proud of this story and his coming out about his experiences with PTSD which will hopefully show that average guys in stressful situations are allowed to ask for help when things fall apart.

Here is some more about the book and the publisher:
hellgatepress.com/display_book.php?id=84

It is defiantly a feel good memoir that provides insight into a soldier's experience sans political ramblings one way or another. So for readers on your Christmas list . . . .

Friday, July 24, 2009

Acupuncture and PCOS

PCOS seems to be one of the culprits of infertility these days, not to mention a major risk factor for other serious diseases including insulin resistance, heart disease, and obesity. Even with all of the big time fertility drugs out there, many women put their bodies through a lot of hormonal fluctuations only to wind up getting IVF. Often twice. A small pilot study shows acupuncture and exercise are promising for decreasing the sympathetic nerve activity which is a hallmark of PCOS.

Acupuncture and exercise may bring some relief to the one in 10 women of childbearing age who suffer from a common endocrine disease called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Women with the condition have elevated levels of androgen hormones—including testosterone—and often develop ovarian cysts, irregular menstrual cycles and infertility. A key feature of the disease is an increase in the high muscle sympathetic nerve activity. This regular constricting of blood vessels, which normally occurs during the body's fight or flight response to danger, can increase a woman's chances of developing diabetes and high blood pressure or having a heart attack or stroke.

"The findings that low-frequency electro-acupuncture and exercise decrease sympathetic nerve activity in women with PCOS indicates a possible alternative non-pharmacologic approach to reduce cardiovascular risk in these patients," researcher Elisabet Stener-Victorin of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, said in a news release


Saturday, July 11, 2009

Jing is On Twitter!

I decided twitter was more fun than Facebook, so feel free "Tweet" me.

The 2-D communication is starting to get out of hand though.  One of my clients believes we are going to completely loose the ability to communicate with each other in person and that we all need to get Miss Manners to re-write the rules of etiquette. 

News updates lately have been more of the same. Acupuncture is still good for back pain, chemo side effects, your pets, and combined with exercise for PCOS. I have been reading several "show me the proof" blogs from a lot of folks who have never tried acupuncture and would decry the existence of DNA if they could go back 60 years. In the meantime acupuncturists are trying to lobby for inclusion in national healthcare coverage which should make my practice quite interesting should it go through. As I am up to my neck in my practice, teaching, and preceptorship I am out of time for organizational activity.  

I just know some good research will be up any day now!

Monday, July 06, 2009

Honor Flight Network

Honor Flight is an organization dedicated to helping every single veteran in America, willing and able to get on a plane or a bus, visit THEIR memorial. Since America felt it was important to build a memorial to the service and the ultimate sacrifice of her veterans, the Honor Flight Network believes it's equally important that they actually get to visit and experience their memorial.

 

Honor Flight will continue do whatever it takes to fulfill the dreams of our veterans and, very importantly, our senior heroes travel absolutely free. With the continued support of grateful Americans, by the end of the 2009 flying season in November, HFN will have transported more than 42,165 veterans of World War II, Korea and Viet Nam to see the memorials built to honor their suffering and sacrifice to keep this great nation free. Check out their website at http://honorflight.org and the Bluegrass chapter at http://honorflightbluegrass.org

 

In celebration of Independence Day, Jing Acupuncture will donate 10% of all July sales to the Honor Flight Network. We are generally open by appointment only, but you can visit anytime during the day on Mondays and Thurdays. Whether you are interested in acupuncture, herbal therapy, or health gifts including herbal teas, books, or pain relieving liniments, stop in and get healthy while giving back!

Monday, June 22, 2009

Facebook

Okay, so I am giving this a shot, not because I want to, but because it is easier to update hours and news myself rather then get my web guy to do it for me.  


So for the latest on Jing AOM, check out:

Monday, May 11, 2009

Acupuncture for Marriage

This topic hits on a personal level as it deals with vets and increasing divorce rates. A lot of returning soldiers come back with PTSD, and despite an excellent effort on the part of our military to beef of psychiatric services, many soldiers are going undiagnosed and untreated. The idea that men are supposed to "be men and get over it" runs deep in our culture and we are not raised how to behave and react to trauma that won't go away. Fort Hood recently opened a stress reduction center that includes acupuncture to help both soldier and family beep body and mind together. Can you say "government contract?"

Read More

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Career day demonstrator sticks students without school, parent permission

A couple of years ago I was doing an acupuncture demonstration at a high school and some of the kids asked me to "stick them." Being litigiously paranoid, I told them I couldn't do it without parental permission, even though some of the student were 18. I figured it was better to be a stick-in-the mud than sued. 

Good thing too.  

For career day in Yorktown Elementary School, an acupuncturist demonstrated on student volunteers in view of a teacher and now there is an uproar. In my opinion, she was not providing medical treatment (a shallow insertion in a random point is hardly medical treatment - more like "this is how you put on a bandage), so it seems to be a gray area in the school rules. I think the amount of hoopla is excessive. It does go to show you have to be vigilant about informed consent even with volunteers during a demonstration. 


Read the story

UPDATE

Now the parents are outraged about their children getting "treatments." I think some of these parents are getting outraged for the sake of getting outraged.  In the video, they are showing a full blown treatment with e-stim, not a single demonstration point as was done at career day. If an MD gave advice to the class on exercise and diet, would that constitute treatment without informed consent? If a PT had the kids do range of motion exercises, would that have sparked the same reaction about lack of permission? I agree with the other acupuncturist in the story that this kind of pulicity makes other acupuncturists look bad, but I think it is more because of how it is being covered rather than what was done. I hope this does not go before the state board of acupuncture, but if it does, I hope the acupuncturist stresses that she did not perform a treatment and therefor did not need MD referral. 

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Pediatrics; Alternative Therapies Can Be Safe, Effective for Children

Ahh, there is nothing like having access to research before it is published. Or in this case, lets call it a position statement. I have been working with more children and adolescents lately, especially with pain and ADHD, so it is refreshing to have a bigwig support acupuncture as a safe and viable therapy.

2009 APR 24 - ( NewsRx.com) -- Today, more children than ever are being treated with complementary and alternative therapies. Recent studies indicate that about 30 percent of healthy children and up to 50 percent of children with chronic disease are using some kind of alternative therapy (see also Pediatrics).

"There is a huge place for complementary and alternative medicine in pediatrics," says Dolores Mendelow, M.D., clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan Medical School.

Complementary and alternative therapies are becoming a more prevalent treatment for children. If individuals follow the directions of their physicians, these treatments are a safe and effective way to get and stay healthy, Mendelow says.

While certain types of complementary and alternative therapies are safe for children, there are many therapies that could potentially be dangerous. Mendelow notes that parents should always consult their children's pediatrician before beginning any new treatment.

Alternative therapies can be successful against many illnesses - including the common cold or skin rashes - when over-the-counter medications do not have immediate success. For instance, honey can be used for coughs related to the common cold - just not for children less than one year of age.

"In terms of complementary medicine, we're using acupuncture, dietary supplementation and herbal or botanical therapies," Mendelow says

Sunday, January 11, 2009

Doctoral Degree

I am already in a quandary about the recent edict that came down from the AACN stating that they were adopting the clinical doctorate as an entry to advanced practice nursing. I swallowed it am and planning on getting it since the idea of being grandfathered in makes me only slightly more nauseous than the idea of yet another several thousand dollars I will spend on superfluous higher education. And I keep telling myself that professional parity in a hospital setting is important and it will likely lead to more practice autonomy on a national level.

I have maintained for quite a while that the DAOM is even more ridiculous when you consider we have yet to adopt the same licensing standards as other allied health professions, most practitioners are in private practice so there is no employment or parity advantage, and the federal government won't grant loans for this experience of paying a lot of money to an institution so you can write papers and have supervised clinical hours outside of your own practice.  It is more important to have the master's level education in acupuncture and Oriental Medicine standardized with a single, nationally recognized designation.  I have been on about this in several previous posts, so I will leave it at that. But I would add that as of yet, there is no advantage to a DAOM other than bragging rights to call yourself a "doctor" and still have people say, "now what do all those initials after your name mean?" 

More power to the practitioners who have achieved the DAOM, it is just not for me as it stands right now. I investigated several programs for myself and saw very little difference between the offered educational experience and intense self-study along with finding a mentor in the specialty area of interest. 

But this is for news, not my own opinion.  Funny that this comes from the community acupuncture network, a practice style I have said my peace about before.

Community Acupuncture Network Votes "No" on New Doctorate Degree for Acupuncture
by Larry Gatti 
Sunday Jan 11th, 2009 8:16 AM

The board of directors for the Community Acupuncture Network (CAN) has voted unanimously to oppose a new doctorate degree for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine on the grounds that such a move would be detrimental to practitioners, patients and the profession. Due to its large membership, the vote represents a significant hurdle for professional consensus for the ACAOM to renew its review and finalization of standards for a first-professional doctorate in acupuncture and in Oriental medicine.