Needling Addiction

Having worked in in-patient psych facilities as a nurse, I often wanted to do a little community acupuncture while the patients were in group therapy. The big problem (especially in KY where we received and "F" for mental health) is insurance companies don't want to pay for the minimum proven therapies, let alone anything extra like acupuncture. 28-day programs are reserved for those with tri-care, those with MDs who want to milk every possible day out of Medicaid/Medicare benefits (whether the patient needs it or not), or the affluent. Luckily, there are some progressive thinkers who see acupuncture as a useful tool for fighting addiction and helping prevent relapse.

Acupuncture-based pilot program helps fight addictions
BY KELLI LACKETT

Mike Allen had tried to stop drinking before.

And he'd succeeded for a few months at a time. But he always went back to the bottle.

That was until he was arrested on a drug charge, served a short time in jail as part of a probation sentence and then started receiving acupuncture this spring while on probation.

Allen said the acupuncture helped with the physical symptoms of withdrawal and supplemented the work he was doing through recovery groups and counseling.

Allen was one of 30 clients of three agencies who received acupuncture as part of a voluntary pilot program started in March. Fort Collins licensed acupuncturist Abbye Silverstein treated the clients in the joint venture of Larimer County Community Corrections, the state 8th Judicial Probation Department and Larimer County Department of Human Services.

A high percentage of offenders who have been through the criminal justice system have substance abuse problems, said Les Rudner, probations supervisor for the state 8th Judicial Probation department.

"We were seeing offenders with substance abuse problems coming back through the system again and again. We were trying to look at what we could do that we weren't doing now to prevent present relapses. When I started doing the research, one thing that came up was acupuncture," Rudner said.

Research in other communities has shown that offenders who receive acupuncture as part of a recovery program were more likely to complete treatment for substance abuse. And there were lower re-arrest rates among those who received acupuncture in court-mandated programs.

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Mentor Spotlight

The word about acupuncture facelifts is getting around thanks to the New York Times, and two of my mentors, Mary Elizabeth Wakfield (Constitutional Facial Renewal) and Martha Lucus (Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture), are mentioned. This comes just in time for my post-holiday promotions and will make a good addition to in-office literature.

Skin Deep
Hold the Chemicals, Bring on the Needles
By NORA ISAACS
Published: December 13, 2007

JANE BECKER, a composer and solo pianist, celebrated her 50th birthday at the dermatologist, paying $1,500 for shots of Restylane and Botox. But three months later, their wrinkle-smoothing effects wore off. So, she turned to a less-artificial youth tonic: facial acupuncture.

Like many women who have tried acupuncture in pursuit of beauty, Ms. Becker hoped that having needles strategically inserted into her face would be cheaper and last longer than her birthday injections.

Ms. Becker, now 53, started with 10 sessions in five weeks ($1,000) and has gone for monthly maintenance since ($105 a session).

Acupuncture didn’t end up being much of a bargain, but it pays in other ways, she said.
“I can really see a difference in my face,” said Ms. Becker, who sees Steven Sonmore, a licensed acupuncturist in Minneapolis. “It looks younger, smoother, brighter and uplifted.”

Early adopters like Ms. Becker first spread word of the virtues of a so-called acupuncture face-lift. Then before the 2005 Academy Awards, a crew of facial acupuncturists descended on Soho House, a makeshift celebrity hangout in Los Angeles, and A-listers jumped at the chance to transform their skin from the inside out.

Now, thanks to more robust marketing, cosmetic acupuncture has caught the attention of more of the wrinkled public. Its holistic approach appeals in particular to women who want to slow signs of aging, but don’t want to undergo surgery or to inject chemicals.

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CEU/PDA Alert

I had a wonderful time at this year's Pacific Symposium in San Diego. Although I only went for the weekend portion, I have already implemented many of the principles I learned from Alex Tiberi, Kiiko Matsumoto, Effie Chow, and Mark Kastner. Yet between flight, hotel, food, rental car, and incidentals, I could have paid for a the next 10 years worth of CEU credits. Lately I have been doing the one hour CEUs by Bob Flaws from Blue Poppy which are excellent, but there is a new company that has also started offering courses for those of us who live in the (acupuncture) sticks. I have yet to participate, but I will provide an update and review when I take a class.

Acupuncture continuing education courses online are offered by the Healthcare Medicine Institute (HealthCMI) at https://www.healthcmi.com/ . Acupuncture courses can be downloaded instantly and an online quiz is provided so that acupuncturists may receive California CEU, Florida CE, and NCCAOM PDA credit towards acupuncture license renewal. All acupuncture classes are certified for continuing education credit in all states that license acupuncturists. HealthCMI is currently upgrading their open source code to make the online experience more accessible and looks forward to presenting an expanded offering of online classes. All courses feature a secure online payment system using Geotrust SSL encryption. "Online classroom technology continues to expand at an incredible rate. HealthCMI will present several new classes using these open source solutions. Participants can look forward to a more streamlined online experience for immediate access to medical educational courses," said Executive Director of the Healthcare Medicine Institute, Adam White, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. .

HealthCMI is pleased to announce several upcoming acupuncture continuing education courses online. "Acupuncture courses for continuing education credit provide important resources for clinical treatment to acupuncturists. The Healthcare Medicine Institute (HealthCMI) has contracted with professors from several acupuncture colleges and schools to provide high quality continuing education courses online. Our goal is to provide quality educational materials for licensed acupuncturists," said Adam White. "We expect our next course on the topic of pediatric disorders to be published shortly and several new courses will provide continuing education credits both for nurses and acupuncturists in all states that license acupuncture." HealthCMI plans to launch the nursing continuing education online department in early 2008 to complement its acupuncture continuing education department.

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New Study

Polycystic Ovary Disease/Syndrome seems to be cropping up more and more. It seems every one of my female clients having fertility issues have all been diagnosed with PCOS and the medications they are prescribing to aid it are less than friendly. Noe the University of Virginia is announcing a call for volunteers for a study to test the effectiveness of acupuncture on this growing disorder. Unfortunately, they are going with sham acupuncture as the control rather than no treatment, or doing a drug versus acupuncture study, but at least it is a beginning.

Acupuncture for PCOS

Stickin' It To Us

I came across this parody today that was marginally funny, although some of the other material on this site is downright hilarious. Have a laugh, check it out.

Acupuncture Proven to Relieve the Suffering of the Dead

Using the Needle After the Knife

Numerous articles came out today about the effects of decreasing the need for pain medicine following surgery. Of course, this came along with an onslaught of articles refuting the success of acupuncture for IVF, but I wanted to focus on the positive.

Studies find acupuncture cuts post-surgical pain
Tue Oct 16, 2007 5:35pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The use of acupuncture before and during surgery reduces patients' post-operative pain as well as the need for pain-killing medication, researchers said on Tuesday.

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina analyzed the results of 15 clinical trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture -- a practice that originated in China of inserting thin needles into specific body points.


They concluded that it is valuable for pain control in surgery patients.

The 15 trials showed that patients getting acupuncture before or during various types of
operations had significantly less pain afterward than patients who did not get acupuncture.
These patients also required less morphine or other opioid pain medication after surgery, which reduced the side effects like nausea and vomiting from these types of drugs, the researchers said.

In terms of pain-drug side effects, the acupuncture patients experienced 1.5 times lower rates of nausea, 1.6 times fewer reports of dizziness and 3.5 times fewer cases of urinary retention compared to the other patients, the study found.

These findings augment a growing body of evidence on the value of acupuncture in improving the surgical experience for patients, the researchers said.

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A Weekend with Mei Zen

Since I can never get enough CEU's, this past weekend I attended the Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture for the Face and I wanted to share a breakdown of the 2-day seminar.

The System: As I had to sign a releases that I cannot talk about specifics of treatment, I will leave the description general. As in other systems, Mei Zen includes a total body acupuncture treatment, uses the eight extraordinary point combinations, and is affiliated with a product line. What makes this system unique is that the same facial protocol is used on every patient and that it makes use of crossing and apex groups as described in the Huang Di Nei Jing. While I cannot disclose the points, I can tell you there are nearly 85 specialty needles in the face, all of which are inserted without a guide tube.

After watching the demo, I was surprised at the lack of "facial" as I typically incorporate masks and massage in my treatments, but the instructor states that is the practitioner's preference how much of this they want to incorporate in addition to the protocol. A wealth of nutritional, herbal, and marketing materials are provided which would be useful even if you did not want to practice cosmetic acupuncture.

Aside from cosmetic acupuncture, Mei Zen is about branding. At the seminar, T-shirts, hats, logo CDs, and cards were for sale, and Martha sponsors a Google group so the Mei Zen community has an open discussion forum. In order to be "certified" and listed on the main website, you must present cases and have your needling technique observed at a special certification seminar. This ensures standards of practice and is a good device for building further branding and loyalty. Above everything else, this is a well conceived business plan!

The Instructor: Martha Lucas is all knowledge and no fluff - her matter-of-fact method really gibes with my learning style. She had a strong foundation in her particular style of acupuncture and is an enthusiastic, articulate presenter. Her supervised practice was invaluable, she was open to knowledge offered by seminar participants, and she was humble enough to only answer questions she knew the answer to. She kept good control over the seminar in terms of ensuring everyone stayed on task, was able to give detailed, individualized feedback of needling technique, and demonstrated great respect and deference to her own teachers.

My only criticism is that she did make some disparaging and somewhat uninformed comments about "rival" facial acupuncture instructors and their techniques. I have never taken Virgina Doran's seminar, but I did participate in Mary Elizabeth Wakefield's and there are many similarities between the two systems. That being said, I am would love to attend her Pulse Seminar and Mei Zen system for weight loss, infertility and health issues should they ever be located nearby.

The Product: Lili Flora is the affiliated skin care line that uses all natural western herbal ingredients. I was able to pick the founder's brain about the products, but I would have liked for her to have had some presentation time during the seminar. There was no sales pressure to buy these products and in fact, if you are at all crafty and like to experiment, it would be easy to make most of them in your kitchen. I have been using some of the products at home and feel they are of good quality and smell wonderful.

I am glad I attended this seminar if only for the great nutritional/herbal information and marketing ideas presented. I think Mei Zen is a solid system, and while the apex and crossing points are a good theory, but honestly, threading works and is no more uncomfortable that the Mei Zen way if performed properly. Ultimately, it is my patients who decide what method they prefer. I hope to continue to study with Martha in the future as she is a dynamic, innovative, and practical instructor who provides good value and knowledge for your CEU dollar.

Stabbed in the Back

The proclamation that acupuncture significantly outperforms conventional medication and physical therapy was published on multiple sites this morning. The only downside to the research is that they found sham acupuncture works almost as well, upping the potential for "quackery."

Acupuncture better at treating low back pain than conventional therapy
From our ANI Correspondent

Washington, Sept 25: A new study has revealed that six months of acupuncture is more effective than conventional therapy for treating chronic low back pain.

The study conducted by researchers at the University of Regensburg found that both sham acupuncture and traditional Chinese verum acupuncture, seem effective in treating chronic pain.

"Low back pain is a common, impairing and disabling condition, often long-term, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of 70 percent to 85 percent," the authors wrote."

It is the second most common pain for which physician treatment is sought and a major reason for absenteeism and disability," they added.

Michael Haake, Ph.D., M.D., of the University of Regensburg, Bad Abbach, Germany, and colleagues conducted a randomized clinical trial involving 1,162 patients (average age 50) who had experienced chronic low back pain for an average of eight years.

"At six months, response rate was 47.6 percent in the verum acupuncture group, 44.2 percent in the sham acupuncture group and 27.4 percent in the conventional therapy group."

"The superiority of both forms of acupuncture suggests a common underlying mechanism that may act on pain generation, transmission of pain signals or processing of pain signals by the central nervous system and that is stronger than the action mechanism of conventional therapy," the authors said.

"Acupuncture gives physicians a promising and effective treatment option for chronic low back pain, with few adverse effects or contraindications. The improvements in all primary and secondary outcome measures were significant and lasted long after completion of treatment.," they added.

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From the Associated Press: Study: Acupuncture Works for Back Pain

Funny Tidbit

Okay, this is not stricly acupuncture related, but it is amusing and possibly something to consider when treating patients with implants.


Bee sting burst breast implant

A Taiwanese woman's breast implant was reportedly burst by a bee sting.

The 31-year-old woman, from Miaoli town, was wearing a low-cut dress while riding her motorcycle when her right breast was stung by a bee.

"My right breast disappeared in only two days," said the woman, who received the implant three years ago, according to Southern China City News.

Surgeon Zeng Dingchang says the saline implant is supposed to resist pressure of up to 200 kg, and said it was "very strange" for one to deflate because of a bee sting.

"She is very skinny, and the implant made the skin of her breast even thinner, and therefore easy to penetrate," he said.

The surgeon has now performed a replacement implanted operation - but warns that acupuncture or yoga could cause it to burst again.

Obituary of an Acupuncture Hero

I came across this lovely story and thought I would share.

Peter Wang, 88, acupuncturist who bridged cultures: A Life Story
Teacher, author helped Chinese newcomers settle in NE Ohio
Monday, August 27, 2007
Alana BaranickPlain Dealer Reporter

At his Chester Township acupuncture clinic, Peter C. Wang helped folks quit smoking, relieved their arthritis pain and immersed them in Chinese culture.

The former Gates Mills resident, who died July 26 at age 88, opened the clinic with his wife, Rose, in the late 1970s.

"[Acupuncture] was something you didn't talk about then," said Ann Volk, who was Wang's patient in the late 1980s. "It had not gained the status that it has today. He gave successful treatments for weight loss, smoking, drinking. I had a cyst on the back of my knee. He helped me immeasurably."

Wang, whose wife had been trained in acupuncture in Hong Kong, returned to his homeland around 1980 to take acupuncture courses given by traditional Chinese medical colleges and to receive certification. He found the political climate had changed dramatically since 1949 when Mao Tse-tung's Chinese Communist Party took power.

Wang, the son of a teacher, was born Wang Chieh in Shanxi, a province in northern China. He grew up in a rural area, where he learned horticulture, culinary arts and equestrian skills that had been handed down from his ancestors.

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A Sign of Things to Come?

As the country moves toward self-funded insurance while listening to presidential candidates debate the merits of everything from national healthcare to requiring all employers to provide coverage, it is hard to predict where intergrative modalities will fit in. But they say everything starts at the coasts and moves inland. As usual, California is at the forefront of advancing coverage, and therefore legitimacy, of acupuncture practice.

Bill would require insurance to cover acupuncture

By Hector Trujillo/Staff Writer

A bill requiring health-care service plans and health insurers to provide coverage for acupuncture under a group plan or policy is being considered in the Legislature.

Assembly Bill 54, introduced by Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton, creates new coverage requirements on health-care service plans and would impose state-mandated local programs.

"Every insurer issuing group health insurance shall provide coverage for expenses incurred as a result of treatment by holders of licenses under Section 4938 of the Business and Professional Code...,” according to the bill.

Section 4938 says any person other than a physician, surgeon, dentist or podiatrist who is not licensed and practices or supervises an acupuncture procedure involving the application of a needle is guilty of a misdemeanor.

“About 70 percent of insurers are currently offering acupuncture coverage in their plans,” said Janet Leach, a licensed acupuncturist. “It will make a huge difference with 100 percent of patients being covered.

“This bill will significantly affect the way acupuncturists are perceived in the medical profession,” added Leach, who has worked at the Five Cities Medical Building in Pismo Beach for the last seven years.

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Acupuncture for Weight Loss

While I give dietary recommendations to the majority of my clients, I do not do a lot of acupuncture for weight loss as a stand alone treatment. I advise patients to speak with a nutritionist, preferably holistic, to devise a solid meal and activity plan. Here is an article from the ShanghaiDaily.com that gives an informative break-down with some free dietary advise - I would skip the "downward purging" though!

TCM take on fat: Vent your spleen
By Zhang Qian 2007-8-15

If you want to fight fat the TCM way, you should eat foods to promote a healthy spleen — like Chinese pearl barley, known as Job's tears — and drink lots of Pu'er tea. Both are also diuretics, writes Zhang Qian.

A sun top, miniskirt and high-heel sandals - that's the outfit that catches men's attention and other girls' envy on the streets in summer. In order to show off their figures in skimpy clothes, girls started their weight-loss battles months ago, but it's never too late to lose weight.Drinking slimming tea (a laxative), staying on a diet, and going to the gym frequently are widely used weight-loss methods. But eating certain foods or being pierced by fine silver needles may also help you to get rid of excessive weight.

Most people believe that obesity results from eating too much, which is certainly true in most cases. But it fails to explain why some people gain weight even though they eat little and drink lots of water while others keep slim though they eat a big dinner every day.

"It is not simply the case that the more you eat, the more weight you gain," says Dr Zhang Zhongyi, deputy director of the Acupuncture Department of Yueyang Western and Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. "Whether your stomach and spleen work well plays a much more important role."

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the spleen, together with the stomach, digest and absorb nutrients (the spleen function in TCM differs from that in Western medicine). TCM holds that the spleen is responsible for sending the nutrients from the stomach to all the organs, and also for expelling excessive body fluid. If the spleen doesn't function well, excessive body fluid will collect and turn into fat.

Fat not only collects on muscles, destroying a nice figure, but also on organs and in the blood, which can cause health problems.

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What's In A Name?

There has been some debate lately on the name "alternative medicine." Much of the head-butting between Western and Eastern styles of practiced had diminished as more and more primary health care providers are suggesting massage, yoga, and acupuncture. "Complementary medicine" has been the preferred term over the past few years, however that does not tell the entire story either. The new title seems to be "integrated medicine" which doesn't make any one therapy primary and allows for a broad range of therapies to be considered legitimate. Guess I am going to have to change the wording in my website!

Integrating alternatives into Western medicine

AmyGillentine
August 10, 2007

Alternative medicine isn’t really “alternative” any more — in fact, the medical community isn’t even using that term.

Now it’s “integrated” medicine, and after years of being considered a fringe practice, treatments such as massage and acupuncture have found their way into mainstream medicine.

So why the name change?

“Years ago it was called alternative because it was Eastern vs. Western medicine and they knocked against each other often,” said Theresa O’Toole, associate administrator of rehabilitative services at Memorial Health System. “They use integrated because it’s part of the total treatment, not an alternative, but in tandem with other, more Western treatments.”

More than 60 percent of adults say they’ve tried some kind of integrated medicine, according to studies. And the number reaches 70 percent when surveying people who are 60 and older.

What is integrated medicine? According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, one of the National Institutes of Health sites, it’s everything from acupuncture to vitamin regimens to prayer.

The center released a study in 2004 that showed that as many as 62 percent of U.S. residents have used some sort of integrated medical treatment — with most saying that they include megavitamin therapy and prayer as part of their health programs.

READ MORE AT: http://www.thepbj.com/story.cfm?ID=10958

Dynamic Duo

Several years ago a Mexican friend and I were discussing acupuncture when the subject of cupping came up. He exclaimed "my mom did that to us on our backs when we were sick as kids - it's a Mexican thing!" It is also an Oriental Medicine "thing." Imagine - two toatally different cultures developing the same type of treatment oceans apart. Now there is a deeper cross-cultural sharing as acupuncture sweeps Mexico thanks to an educational exchange with Viet Nam.

Viet Nam, Mexico pin down acupuncture education deal
(31-07-2007)

HA NOI — Viet Nam and Mexico inked an agreement in Ha Noi yesterday to develop acupuncture education and exchange between the two countries.

The plan, which will see Viet Nam help train Mexican doctors in acupuncture and set up a drug rehabilitation centre in Zacatecas, was signed by Director of the National Hospital of Acupuncture Nghiem Huu Thanh and Rector of the Zacatecas Autonomous University, Mexico Alfredo Femat Banuelo.

Also on the agenda is an international conference aimed at bringing acupuncture to a wider audience and discussing techniques. The conference will be held for the first time in Zacatecas this November with the support of Viet Nam Acupuncture Association and the National Hospital of Acupuncture.

The contributions of the Viet Nam Acupuncture Centre in the Zacatecas Autonomous University pointed to the special relationship Viet Nam shares with Mexico, rector Banuelo said at the signing ceremony.

According to statistics from the National Hospital of Acupuncture, nearly 50 Vietnamese doctors have come to work in Mexico, providing acupuncture treatment for 12,000 Mexican patients so far. With the support of Vietnamese experts, 17 Mexican masters in acupuncture have been trained at Zacatecas University. — VNS

Teeter-Tottoring with Community Acupuncture

Lately there has been much buzz concerning community acupuncture as such clinics have been popping up all over the country. These clinics offer acupuncture on a sliding scale fee from between $15-$40 per session with treatment taking place in a group setting, These patients are typically placed in a recliner rather than on a table, and remain clothed as the majority of points used are distally located. According to the Community Acupuncture Network:

Acupuncture has been a community based medicine for most of its long history. In Asia, acupuncture has traditionally been practiced in group rather than individual settings. For acupuncture to be most effective, patients need to receive it frequently and regularly -- far more frequently and regularly than most insurance plans will pay for. As acupuncture has moved toward the mainstream, it has been forced into a paradigm of one-on-one treatments and high prices, which has decreased not only patient access but treatment efficacy.

While on one hand, this may be a cost efficient delivery model, the first thing that comes to mind is "what about HIPPA?!" Where is the patient confidentiality? I suppose this differs from clinic to clinic, but I can't help getting the image of the dryer section in a beauty salon with everyone knowing each other's business. The range of reactions to treatment, especially in those with mental/emotional issues, are not often things to be shared with strangers.

I am interested in the use of the word "efficacy" when they are cutting out a good number of acupuncture points and limiting available modalities. Sure, you can get great effect using the yuan primary, xi-cleft, and eight-extra meridian points, but you mostly eliminate Mu and Shu points as well as the local ashi for pains on the back and lower abdomen. What about moxa, plum blossom and cupping? Is there time for electro-stim or tui na? Is several affordable treatments lacking in completeness truly better than one full, private session?

Also, I wonder about the patient-client relationship. Much of the reason many of us go into alternative medicine is to have a more personal contact with our clients than many of us may have experienced with our primary health providers. This model sounds dangerously close to factory mill. It also increases the possibility of mistakes or accidents.

By providing lower cost service, are you still providing the same quality care that you would one-on-one or is the client, "getting what I paid for?" You are also undercutting other practitioners by providing a cheap service that does not represent the full spectrum of the medicine. It is up in the air whether this coveted "boost in awareness" of acupuncture will serve to bring the profession up or put it on the level of the corner trend market (remember the oxygen bar?). To put it another way, you don't see internists or GPs hanging out there shingle with an advertised price. Sliding scale fees in western medicine are typically done through organizations that verify employment and income. And no one I know has a very high opinion of the "stop and doc."

Lest you think I am totally dismissive, this style does have advantages, especially for new practitioners, in that you can see more patients and gain rapid assessment skills while honing your treatment style. You can see a broad range of people and conditions that may have otherwise not had access to treatment, potentially put new clients at ease by the casual atmosphere, and, pardon the bluntness, increase your income stream in a way traditional acupuncturists cannot accomplish. There are all kinds of things you can add, such as auricular acupuncture, foot cleanses, and massaging chairs, that would add to the experience and effectiveness. Just as cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to be a good adjunct to traditional psychotherapy, perhaps group acupuncture for people with similar ailments would have have an amplified effect.

An intriguing model would be to have a duel practice similar to the Western MD "group". Partnering with another acupuncturist(s) allows for a combination of both models thereby offering more options to your patients while having a few other professionals to consult with. Hmmmmm . . . .

I'm Back

It has been a couple of months since my last post and there has been quite a bit of news in the acupuncture world. More research and testimonials as to the effectiveness of Oriental Medicine, more worldwide and national coverage of local clinics and larger hospitals, more emergence of community acupuncture clinics that, depending on who you are talking to, undercut peers and undermine the profession or provide low-cost therapy to those who could otherwise not afford treatment, . . . more "asian medicine" clinics being busted for a phony prostitution front. Any way you look at it, acupuncture has been in the news while I have been away and I am ready to pick-up and resume inserting my 2 yuan. In the meantime, here are a couple of websites/blogs I have run into in the past few days. Enjoy!

http://thelantern.com.au/

http://www.classicformulas.com/

Old Friends, New Clinic

This morning I was pleased to read that a former instructor of mine teamed up with one of my old buddies to open an integrative health clinic. Steve Swart, infamous at IICM for being the most hard line didactic and clinical instructor (and I aced his final thank you very much), and Robert Campbell, who I remember even in his first year investigating suppliers for his future herbal pharmacy, have opened an impressive center for holistic healing in an area where "alternative medicine" has become an anachronistic term. I remember reading a statistic that there were more acupuncturists per capita in Santa Fe then there were in the major cities in China! At any rate, this pair will doubtless win over the competition.

Not-so-new healing center often a 'last resort'
By Cindy Bellinger For The New Mexican May 1, 2007

After a lot of renovation that included new walls, carpeting and the re-routing of electrical wiring, the Integrative Holistic Healing Center finally opened two years ago, and word is slowly getting around.

"We seem to be the last resort, though," said Robert Campbell, doctor of Oriental medicine and co-owner. "When people have tried every treatment in town for their health problems, they turn up here."

Steve Swart, who is also a doctor of Oriental medicine and a partner in the business, said that he doesn't see the work at the center as "alternative."

"We work with doctors of Western medicine to dovetail the treatments," he said.

That's what Nancy King finally did. She'd had leukemia, and when she began experiencing various symptoms, she knew it was coming back.

"I had a high fever and had some idea about what was happening," she said. "My oncologist knew about Steve and recommended that I go see him. (Swart) has really helped me find a level of management for my cancer."

Treatments offered at the Integrative Holistic Healing Center include acupuncture, biofeedback, neuromuscular therapy, massage and counseling. Swart and Campbell also have a hypnotherapist, herbalists, energy workers and those practiced in advanced levels of blood work on staff. Eight people, who work at the center on a contract basis, organize collective discussions when they feel a patient could benefit from several approaches.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/61017.html

Upcoming Battle

Great, the FDA got board again. I understand the need for regulation, but juice? How do they plan to enforce banning vegetables and stones? And Mr. McGreggor though Peter Rabbit was a nuisance!

The FDA is proposing stricter regulations for herbs, vitamins, vegetable juices and even “devices” such as massage oils, massage rocks, and acupuncture needles under a new guidance document up for review.

According to the document produced by the FDA, use of CAM therapies has risen substantially over the last few years, with one third of adults reporting using some form of CAM in the last year. Interestingly, the docket also reports that visits to CAM practitioners outnumber visits to primary care physicians each year.

The FDA claims that their regulations are simply a “guidance” as to what constitutes regulated CAM items. The CAM community disagrees. They see the defining of regulated items as an attempt to control the use of CAM within the United States—and possibly incorporate CAM devices and medicines into what some refer to as “Big Pharma,” the pharmaceutical industry.

The guidance document essentially defines any item used to treat, mitigate, cure or prevent a disease as regulated by the FDA. This means that if someone claims their vegetable juice helps cure cancer, the FDA then has the right to regulate that vegetable juice as a drug. It also means that if someone is using massage rocks as part of their therapy for a disease or disorder, those massage rocks are regulated as medical devices.

What impact does that have on the CAM practitioner and consumer? If something is regulated by the FDA as a drug or medical device, its use is restricted. People will no longer be able to legally grow or distribute herbs in their garden if those herbs are used for medicinal purposes or administer juice if that juice is said to have health benefits.

http://www.anxiety-and-depression-solutions.com/articles/news/FDA_alt_med_0407.php

Self Acupuncture and the Fractal Body

When I first read the title I thought of one of my former classmates yelling about "recycled qi!" I have done my share of self-treatments and given many lessons to patients on how to use self-acupressure. However, I believe no matter how great of an acupuncturist or massage therapist you are, there is nothing like having it done by a fellow professional.

The title nonwithstanding, Dr. Ye has developed a "fractal needle" system drawing on concepts from the Yellow Emperor's Classic and the use of one-needle treatments. A fractal is a repatative geometric figure within a structure. In acupuncture, you can think of the ear, hands, or feet being a fractal of the whole body. This is a bit on the esoteric side, so for a more complete description with case studies and treatment protocols, visit http://www.positivehealth.com/permit/Articles/Acupuncture/ye62.htm

If it works, it would be an excellent tool for patients who could benefit from more frequent treatments but are unable to afford or schedule them. As a main treatment, however, I am a little skeptical.

Self Acupuncture
Alien Sheng
April 15, 2007

Mention acupuncture and people tend to get images of an ancient Chinese man with a long, white beard and needles. The practice of self acupuncture puts this to rest.

When the idea of writing on the subject of self acupuncture was first considered, it created a feeling of outrage. It would appear that the idea that self acupuncture was possible seemed as idiotic and dangerous as offering a guide to self-brain surgery. It seemed to insult the entire idea of Traditional Chinese Medicine and lump it into a classification with other New Age self help treatments. The theories that provide the foundation for acupuncture are grounded in centuries of experimentation, study, and philosophical contemplation. To think that you could go to Wal-Mart and buy a copy of “Acupuncture for Dummies” was insulting.

This is not really wrong either. Acupuncture is not something that can be done by someone who does not have a great deal of training. On the other hand, it is not really a dangerous thing. If the needles used are at least sterile, and the insertion points are clean, there is not a lot of harm that can be done by an amateur. There is not a lot of good that can be done either.

There is a legitimate form of self acupuncture, however. It was developed a few years ago by a Dr. Zu De Ye while he was at the University of Arizona. It has since spread and is being offered in clinics in several countries. It is founded on a theory known as the “fractal theory.” This theory was developed using the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, but taking some of them a step further. To understand exactly how it works, one must be able to accept the concept that the Universe is made up of parts that are microcosms of the whole.

For example, the human body is a microcosm of the Universe itself. The forces that are at play in the Universe are also at play inside the human body. When the human body is out of harmony with this cosmic oneness, illness occurs. When the body is in harmony, wellness occurs. The fractal theory takes this a step further. Parts of the body can also represent the whole. This idea is behind such things as ear acupuncture where the ear is seen as representing a human form curled into a fetal position. It also appears in Korean Hand acupuncture where all of the points and Meridians of the body are located in the hand.

The fully developed fractal theory has led to the discovery of certain points on the human body that are actually microcosms of entire organ systems. Results can be obtained by stimulation of these points with very small needles. It involves only one needle placed in certain very specific and easily located key points on the body. Dr. Ye’s treatment regime has allowed patients to practice this form of self acupuncture. The needles are small, and the points in safe locations, so the danger is minimal. The advantages of self acupuncture is that no practitioner is needed for the treatments and time and money are saved. Although much more research needs to be done here, there is some indication that the self acupuncture following principles of fractal theory might one day become another tool in the healer’s arsenal.

Job Opening, Please!

The success of this hospital based holistic program makes me want to start my own business proposal. I think one of the misconceptions about CAM practitioners is that we all believe "it's my way or the highway." Granted, there are some who do shun all things western medicine, but the vast majority believe intergrating as many modalities as possible to bring about health and wellbeing is the preferred method of practice.

Acupuncture meets antibiotics: Mercy Hospital supplements traditional care with holistic treatments
Miami Herald, The (KRT) - Mar. 27, 2007

Mar. 27--Two years ago, Ivan Toirac was admitted to Mercy Hospital in a coma following a drug overdose.

"All the doctors told us he was going to die, or was going to be like a vegetable for the rest of his life," recalled his father, Arturo Toirac.

Then Patty Hutchison began working with the hospital's doctors. Founder of Mercy's holistic care program, she began acupuncture therapy on him.

"The first thing that happened was his kidneys, which were totally closed according to the doctors, opened up," Arturo says. "My son is alive, talking to us and recognizes us."

"Patty, she's all right," adds Ivan, his voice labored but clear.

And while Hutchison is the first to acknowledge Toirac's treatment was -- and still is -- a group effort, she is at the forefront of a new era in medicine, blending Western conventions with Eastern alternative methodology under one hospital roof. Indeed, U.S. hospitals offering some form of complementary alternative medicine grew from 7.7 percent in 1998 to 18.3 percent in 2004, according to the American Hospital Association's 2005 survey of hospitals, the most current survey year.

What makes Mercy's program unusual is that Hutchison practices on site, integrating her primary treatments -- acupuncture, homeopathy and cupping -- with that of the hospital's 700 doctors.

"There is not just one way of doing things . . . we integrate," Hutchison says. "If you need an antibiotic, that is fine. But after you take the antibiotic, there are probiotics to put the intestinal flora back in so you don't catch something else."

The medical community is starting to take notice.

"It's growing because our medical knowledge only takes us so far," says Dr. Hugo Gonzalez, chief medical officer for Sister Emmanuel Hospital, a Coconut Grove facility that treats long-term care patients, in stays of 25 days or more. "Holistic offers an additional way to help people."

The University of Miami's medical school, for example, has provided alternative medical care through its Complementary Medicine Program for a decade. The program is housed in a building on the grounds of the Jackson Memorial Hospital campus.

"It's an important program for patients," says Dr. Pascal Goldschmidt, dean of the UM's Miller School of Medicine.

Hutchison, who faced initial resistance before Mercy administrators green-lighted an in-patient program in 2005, has a therapy room on the first floor of the Coconut Grove hospital. There are two cots, New Age music floating from a desktop stereo, and a multicolored lamp sending a mist lazily toward the ceiling. The colors are used for therapy: orange, for instance, is effective as an antidepressant, she notes, while switching the lamp from Tang orange to a more mellow yellow and bold blue.

Hutchison works on a wide variety of patients, from cancer survivors to those suffering from stiff necks, lower back pain and mental health issues.

"With the patient population I work with . . . cancer therapy . . . Patty works on relaxation and to ease nausea and some of the vomiting," says registered nurse Karen Stephenson, oncology clinical specialist coordinator at Mercy.

Hutchison says she has treated approximately 300 patients since 2005. Each patient is visited an average of five times. Doctors are coming along, too. "It's tough to accept something new; most doctors are not educated about this in medical school. I would like to see it grow. It's a good tool to have here," Stephenson says.

Teaching hospitals, such as UM's medical school, now require courses in complementary alternative medicine (CAM). In fact, 78 percent of medical schools required courses in CAM in 2004, up from 26 percent in 2001, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
Some studies on acupuncture have shown promise. A 2005 study by the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that Chinese-style acupuncture -- which Hutchison practices -- had a "statistically significant effect" on easing chronic lower back pain in the short term. A Mayo Clinic study in 2006 found acupuncture reduces the symptoms of fibromyalgia, characterized by chronic musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, joint stiffness and sleep disturbance.
There is no evidence, however, that acupuncture can be directly linked to bringing someone like Ivan Toirac out of a coma, says substance abuse expert Dr. Lauren Williams, assistant professor of psychiatry for the University of Miami.

"Acupuncture has been used in the treatment of addiction, but it's always been an adjunct to psychosocial programs. Proponents say acupuncture works for them, but it's not mainstream
and not a stand-alone treatment by any means," Williams says.

Goldschmidt, the UM medical school dean, urges caution when weighing conventional medicine with alternative therapies.

"There is specific management of a heart attack to save a life. There's little room in that treatment for integrative medicine or holistic to be a part of that intervention," he said. "When I was at Duke we conducted a study on various approaches to patients with heart attacks. . . . Music, massage, etc. In general, it didn't really improve the acute treatment of heart attacks. There's no replacement for that."

That's the point of programs like Mercy's.

"Cancer, in particular, is a multidisciplinary disease," says Dr. Jorge Antunez De Mayolo, a hematologist oncologist at Mercy. "It requires multiple medical specialties to handle each aspect. Patty does Oriental medicines, helps with massage, acupuncture, the control of pain. Physical therapists help us keep patients ambulatory. Nutritionists regulate caloric intake to help patients overcome the side effects of medicines. Psychologists help with coping. None of us has a predominant role."

New Information for the Conciarge

We all know spas have been expanding to include acupuncture services, but now hotels are starting to get into the game. And believe it or not, the treatment rates are decent and the hotels are not grossing a large profit of their customers! If you ever wanted to break in to hospitality, you may want to use this piece in your sales pitch.

'Sticking' Your Guests for Profit
3/19/2007 5:09:46 PMBy David Wilkening

Highly competitive hoteliers looking for the next new innovative service might consider acupuncture. While the 5,000-year-old practice has been around a long time, it’s certainly far from commonplace, but some hotels are seeing green by sticking it to their guests.

The reaction when it was offered recently at the Spencer Hotel in Chautauqua, New York, was all positive, says owner Helen Edginton. She decided to introduce it after her personal experience.

“I was having some pain in my legs and toe and I used it. It worked fine,” she says. “It’s great for arthritis or for any kind of pain. You can also do it as a face lift. They’ve had quite a lot of success with that.”

Acupuncture may be best known as a surgical anesthetic but the hotel variety is perhaps more inclined to be cosmetic, though in some cases it offers relief from a variety of illnesses. Edginton says the acupuncture she offers through a licensed therapist is “fast, luxurious and painless.”

Read More

Newsletter

I received an interesting e-mail today from a place calling themselves "the International Institute of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture." The headlines were:
1 - Eliminate a headache in 15 seconds
2 - An alternative to the Acupuncture needles
3 - Special tuition offered by our International Institute
4 - General notes

I did a quick browse and skimed the headache article, read the theory that underwire bras are pressing on the YangMing merdian which "accumulates energy in the breast, and becomes, with time, a stagnation and accumulation of the energy CHI. This could very well be an important cause of Breast-Cancer." Then there were several "teasers" on subjects including obesity, infertility and a piece on magnetic, needle free acupuncture. Nothing much came up a Google search of the founder of these methods, Prof. Jin Ke Yu.

You have to become a member of their organization before you are allowed to sign up for their classes. Included in the membership is a newsletter and, well, a newsletter with all kinds of "exclusive" information. No indication on class delivery method, but the company is based in Beijing. See what you think.

http://www.magneticacupuncture.com/Newsletter.htm

Runner's World

While I do not identify myself as a runner, I have managed to put away a few small races and even a mini-marathon. Needless to say, I have had my share of knee pain and ankle twists. When I sprained my ankle several years ago in a canyon, I had it lanced and cupped and within two days it was like it never happened. I have also seen my share of plantar faciitis in practice and have to admit I always feel like a bully when I administer treatment - having needles placed in your heel no matter how thin they are is uncomfortable. While most of us see patients at the chronic stage of the disease, it is a joy to be able to treat at the onset of injury. For athletes, this is especially true as it gets them back in training all the faster.

Can Acupuncture Heel an Injury?

When one of our staff members developed plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the layer of tissue that supports the arch of the foot), she sought treatment from a podiatrist and physical therapist, and iced, rested, and stretched the area. Despite her efforts, the pain continued. So she decided it was time for an alternative therapy-acupuncture.

She went to four sessions with neurologist, certified acupuncturist, and runner Robert Roeshman, M.D., of Allentown, Pennsylvania. During each appointment, Dr. Roeshman inserted 15 to 30 thin, pliable needles into her calves and feet. She felt some initial discomfort, but as she grew more comfortable with the process, the pain subsided. He next attached an electrical-stimulation device to a few of the needles. After 30 minutes, he detached the machine, removed the needles, and voil?Our runner felt better-much better.

"After the second session, I went running, and there was absolutely no pain in my heel." There are constant electrical charges flowing through the body, says Dr. Roeshman. The needles are placed in acupuncture points where there is decreased electrical activity. By generating an electric flow between these points, the brain is stimulated to release endorphins and trigger the immune system to help injuries heal. If done when an injury is "fresh," acupuncture can significantly reduce recovery time, he says. "An ankle sprain that would normally take seven to 14 days to heal could be better in one to three days."

Pretty Inside, Pretty Outside

salesmanship has never been my strong point which is why facial acupuncture can be such a great marketing tool. People may shout "placebo" when a friend tells them their depression/pain/allergies are better with acupuncture, but they can't dismiss the effects when they see the results for themselves. Just one treatment can bring back a healthy, youthful glow, diminish a few of the deeper face lines, and provide a noticeable lift. Not only do you get a "qi lift," but you also get an acupuncture treatment that works on the constitutional level. Take that, spa facial!

Facial Acupuncture Said To Help Aging Process

Seema MathurReporting

(CBS 42) AUSTIN

Wrinkles and loose skin are a part of aging for most. But, can some well placed needles slow that aging process?

Experts say acupuncture has been around for about 5,000 years. While it's most known for promoting general health, practitioners will tell you its beauty secrets are an added benefit.

Christina Lacour, 38, began noticing signs of aging about two years ago.“I'm seeing lines around my forehead,” Lacour said. Lacour says plastic surgery or filler injections are not for her. So, instead she's going for a more natural approach--acupuncture.

First, needles are put in specific points in the feet called meridian points. These represent certain organs.“Sagging and droopy eyelids are often caused by weak digestive system,” acupuncturist Masako Wado said.

Once a good flow of energy or chi is circulating around the body, hair-thin needles are placed on the scalp and neck to lift the skin.Smaller needles are put in fine wrinkle lines. The trauma is suppose to cause collagen production and create a smoother appearance.“It gives the firm look and it brings more glow on the skin,” Wado said.

About an hour later, Lacour likes what she sees in the mirror.“The well being of that person will reflect on the skin,” Wado said.

Acupuncturists say it takes about 10 treatments for best results. But one treatment has made a believer out of Lacour.

Acupuncturists say, with booster treatments, results can last for a few years. There can be bruising and you want to make sure you are going to a licensed and experienced acupuncturist. The prices ranges from $150 to $200.

New Pennsylvania Law

When I was practicing in Texas, we had a similar law that required a patient has been referred to an acupuncturist. One of the sneaky ways that I was told by the local board to get around this was to have a separate form where the patient gave the name and address of their PHP, verified they had seen an MD for the condition, and was referred by the physician to get acupuncture. Since most patients see acupuncturists after they exhaust all other possibilities, it was never a problem. Last time I checked, neither acupuncture, chiropractor, or naturopathy were extensively covered in med school, yet we had to be given "permission" while chiropractors and naturopaths were allowed to practice unencumbered. At least in Pennsylvania, the scales are beginning to balance.

PA Law Change Makes Alternative Medicine Easier to Obtain
Pennsylvania - Senate Bill 1235, eliminates the requirement for patients to obtain both a written referral and their last physical exam results to keep on file with their acupuncturist to take effect on January 28, 2007

January 24, 2007 - Backed by both Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate, "[S.B.1235] takes away a tremendous burden to our patients, who often waited weeks to procure a referral while their ailments were left untreated," Steven Mavros, Licensed Acupuncturist and representative of the Association for Professional Acupuncture stated.

Since a patient cannot be denied access to their own medical records [HIPAA], this means that the power to choose acupuncture as a complimentary therapy is now in the hands of the patient.

The original 1986 bill required acupuncturists to obtain physician referrals before providing treatment. Now, patients can come in for same day treatment with no paperwork in hand. Treatment may take place for up to 60 days without any diagnosis or referral.Governor Edward Rendell signed S.B.1235 into law on November 30, 2006.

Feel Good Acupuncture, located at 301 Montour Boulevard in Bloomsburg provides acupuncture and herbal services. "It will be a pleasure to be able to take patients for same-day visits. It's very frustrating to turn away a patient that is in pain, because they did not know that they needed to have a referral prior to treatment."

Points for Plants

Wow - better botany through acupuncture - who would have thought?

Researcher patents use of acupuncture on plants

LONG-TERM PROJECT: Hsiao Gui-wen spent eight years drawing up a comprehensive map of plant acupuncture points and another seven years perfecting the treatment By Chung Li-hua
STAFF REPORTERS Sunday, Jan 07, 2007, Page 2

Can acupuncture be used on plants?

After experimenting for 15 years, Hsiao Gui-wen (蕭貴文), a researcher of Chinese medicine, has uncovered the acupuncture points on plants.

When applied to fruit-bearing plants such as peach and apple trees, acupuncture not only advanced the harvest time by a month and a half, but also decreased damage by blight.

The technique has been patented, and many interested businesses now are in negotiation for the rights to use the technology.

Hsiao originally ran a chiropractic clinic in Yonghe. After he witnessed ginger lilies change color upon absorbing dyes, he toyed with the idea that plants may have acupuncture points like humans.

Read More

New Year, New Face . . . Sort of

In Louisville, there are at least two new plastic surgery offices opening near my practice in addition to the several "botox beauty boutiques" that promise to smooth out any flaw you can think of with laser, syringe, or scalpel. Acupuncture facials can be a hard sell - people who are considering botox or face lifts are probably not going to embrace acupuncture because the results are too slow. The occasional Hollywood personality testimonial may bring some of these people in, but the majority are going to be existing clients or those who would not try anything more invasive than Oil of Olay. Here is some help in bringing that awareness.

Put a New Face on the New Year
Written by Staff
Friday, 05 January 2007

Okay, that may be a bit extreme, but with all of the natural and less invasion alternatives to plastic surgery now offered inn the Denver area, it might not be as impossible as it sounds. If you’ve been looking for a way to rejuvenate and start the year with confidence, you may be ready for an overall overhaul. There are ways to get the fresh glowing skin you are seeking without spending exorbitant amounts of money or committing to invasive plastic surgery. An easy first step is a consultation with a dermatologist and/or an acupuncturist.

Cosmetic acupuncture has been around for centuries. In the early Chinese dynasties, treatments were reserved for the wealthy, though luckily today it is available for common folks like us, and both men and women alike. Cosmetic acupuncture can eliminate fine lines and wrinkles and diminishes deeper lines. Sagging skin lifts and develops a healthy glow. rhytids (lines between the eyes) can completely disappear. Puffy eyes and sagging lids improve noticeably. Rosacea has diminished in most patients and acne becomes less of a problem. Women report that makeup slides on smoothly and less moisturizer is needed. Men have reported noticeable differences in “smile lines” and sagging jowels. Men also love the treatment because it is subtle and gradual.

Read More

Acupuncture on Children

Just from my brief time during clinicals at Kosair Children's Hospital, I had the chance to see children undergo nurmerous types of therapies. By and large, they adapt well even if it does involve needles. I know men in their 50's who refuse to take their own blood sugerbecause they are afraid of the "stick" while a 7-year old will say "look what I can do" and lancet their fingers without a problem. It is not a far reach to believe that kids could embrace acupuncture . . . especially if it means less "yucky medicine."

Dec 26, 2006 3:32 pm US/Eastern
Using Acupuncture To Help Children Heal
Dr. Mallika Marshall Reporting
(CBS4) BOSTON

Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healing. Now local doctors are using it to help treat children.

Sandra Kean suffers from migraines as well as severe abdominal pain as a result of a condition called ulcerative colitis. In addition to having surgery, she comes to Children's Hospital Boston for regular acupuncture treatments to help relieve her pain. "I would be doubled over, uncomfortable and crying, and then after I went to acupuncture, I was more relaxed and calm and the side effects were basically gone."

"After a week or two, we weren't getting any more complaining about her abdominal pain or her back pain," said Sandra's mother Roseanne.

Children's started offering patients acupuncture as a complementary therapy in 2000.

"Lots of kids will be saying to us, 'I don't want needles,' however; after careful explanation and demonstration, kids to very well with acupuncture," said Dr. Yuan-Chi Lin of Children's Hospital Boston.

Doctors have used acupuncture to help hundreds of patients, ranging from teenagers like Sandra to the tiniest of babies."I have done acupuncture for premature infants to decrease their anxiety when they are in the intensive care unit," said Dr. Lin.

Dr. Lin has conducted studies which have shown that children who suffered from headaches, stomach aches and other chronic pain, felt less pain, missed less school and were able to sleep better after receiving acupuncture treatments for a year.

BUSTED!

Having seen more than a few examples of insurance fraud in the hospital (some doctors bribe patients with free samples of medications and then don't see them, but bill for an office visit!), it is gratifying to see people get busted. I am all for lower health care costs, and this kind of behavior is one of the major elements that keep driving it up. It is disappointing to think that an acupuncturist would be engaged in this kind fraud, but if they are guilty, then I hope the government will be able to recap its losses.

2 acupuncturists charged with fraud
3:52 PM December 20, 2006
Star report

Two Carmel residents have been charged with health care fraud, U.S. Attorney Susan W. Brooks announced today.

Wei Chen Yang, 44, and Horng Shao, 40, were charged following an investigation by the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Court filings allege that Yang and Shao ran the Yang Health Center in Carmel, and provided primarily acupuncture services to control pain and for other purposes. Few health care insurers cover acupuncture treatments.

Brooks said the pair fraudulently billed Medicare, the federal health care program for the elderly, and private insurers, such as Anthem and United Health Care, approximately $187,000 for the acupuncture services as chiropractic services that were covered by the insurers when they knew that acupuncture services were not covered or paid for by the insurers.

Yang and Shao, who could not be reached for comment, face a maximum possible prison sentence of 10 years and a maximum possible fine of $250,000. An initial hearing will be scheduled before a U.S. magistrate in Indianapolis.

Copyright 2006 IndyStar.com. All rights reserved

Care can be pricey

The other day, one of my patients commented to me, "acupuncture is covered in Canada, it stinks that we don't get that." Cost often keeps people away - I have received several "Thanks, bye" from potential patients inquiring about fees. While some insurance, health savings, and flex-spending plans help defray the cost, acupuncturists are largely cash and carry.

Monday, 12/18/06

Integrated care more mainstream, but many patients still foot the bill
By JOY BUCHANAN Staff Writer

Just because people like integrated medical care, that doesn't mean insurance will cover it. Most people using complementary therapies pay out of their own pockets, and prices vary widely.

"My patients are consistently frustrated that the things they do with me are not covered by insurance," said Dr. Stephen Reisman, owner of Mind-Body Medical Center in Nashville. He does not accept insurance because reimbursements are unreliable and paperwork is costly, he says. "We cannot possibly do that and stay in business. The unfortunate thing about my practice is that it's not always accessible to people with lower incomes. They can't afford to pay out of pocket." A new patient visit with Reisman lasts an hour and costs $225. Follow-up visits are $145.

Dr. Dainia Baugh of the Nima Holistic Wellness Center said insurance is integrative medicine's biggest challenge. "Insurance companies may cover a visit if the doctor's plan for the patient is traditional, but if it doesn't follow strict insurance guidelines, then they may not pay for the visit," she said. "It's one of those things they are not willing to do."

Mohit Ghose, spokesman for America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry group, said that is not entirely true. "There is widespread coverage for different therapies," he said. "We can cover anything you want us to cover provided there is medical evidence to back it up."

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061218/FEATURES04/612180372

Complementary medicines are useless . . .

and dangerous, says Britain's foremost expert
By BARBARA ROWLANDS Last updated at 08:53am on 12th December 2006

at least acupuncture isn't dismissed . . . totally.

A lot of complementary medicine is ineffective, and some positively dangerous. Meanwhile, alternative treatments that promise to cure cancer 'are downright irresponsible, if not criminal'.

These are the views not of an old-school doctor dismissive of alternative therapies, but of Professor Edzard Ernst, Britain's first professor of complementary medicine and, you would have assumed, its greatest champion.

Acupuncture gets the thumbs up. It's good for pain, particularly back pain, though it has nothing to do with mysterious energy flows, as many therapists claim. 'Acupuncture works in a physical way: it's nothing to do with yin and yang,' he says.

Herbal medicines - though not all of them - also pass muster because their success in treating a number of specific conditions has been demonstrated.

But most therapies don't come up to scientific scratch. In a series of articles for the trade publication Independent Nurse, reprinted on the publishers' website healthcarerepublic.com, he gives most the thumbs down.

Practitioners accuse Professor Ernst of trying to shoehorn therapies which are individually tailored to the patient into the straitjacket of a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial - the gold standard for conventional medicine.

In such a trial, a drug and a placebo pill are distributed at random to selected patients. Neither patient nor scientist knows who gets what. The code is broken only at the end and the results analysed.

Practitioners question how a treatment such as homeopathy or acupuncture, which treats the 'whole' person not just the symptom, can be subjected to such a study.

Ernst concedes that the 'bog-standard' randomised clinical trial is sometimes not completely suited to a number of treatments, but says he and his team work hard to find new ways of testing different therapies.

There are ways of doing clinical trials,' he says, 'where you can have the full spectrum of individu-alisation, holism and so on. You need to think a bit more - it's a challenge.'



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=422017&in_page_id=1774&in_a_source=

My Patient Speech

One of the frustrating things about "selling" acupuncture to clients is that it does not work as quickly as taking a Lortab - you have to be patient and diligent in the treatment to see long lasting results. The good (and bad) news in complementary medicine is that people typically come to us as a last resort and willing to do almost anything for relief. Back pain is always in the top 3 of reasons why people come to see me. The inevitable question "how long until I see results" typically arises during the initial phone conversation, and it would seem that my "speech" mimics that of the one below.

Thursday, December 7, 2006
Alternative Medicine: Acupuncture treats low back pain

Low back pain is one of the most common health complaints in the country today, and acupuncture can be a very effective method of treatment. Typically, several acupuncture treatments are required to get rid of the problem, depending upon the length of time the problem has persisted, its severity, patient age and any complicating factors.

In Chinese medicine, pain is the result of a blockage to the flow of energy or blood. Once the normal flow of energy and blood is re-established with acupuncture, pain disappears. A trained acupuncturist has a variety of methods and tools to use to achieve this goal.

In the case of low back pain typically the acupuncturist first identifies the specific blocked acupuncture channels. Acupuncture is commonly applied to the site of the pain and at sites away from the pain that lie along the same channel. The needles usually are retained in the body for 20-30 minutes, after which they are removed and disposed of.

Frequently, relief is experienced right away, though any degree of results can be felt at that time. After a course of several visits, usually four to six if the case is uncomplicated, the problem is frequently resolved or diminished to the extent that acupuncture is no longer needed. When the problem is chronic and has persisted for months or years, it may take longer to resolve.

Before treatment, make sure the acupuncturist is licensed and experienced with your condition.
--Andrew McIntyre, Bastyr Center for Natural Health

Acupuncture Point Standardization

From a scholastic standpoint, it means there will be less controversy over point location questions on the national exams, especially with non-TCM trained acupuncturists. From a research perspective, standardizing conflicting acupuncture point location was essential to decrease the amount of limitations in a study. From a practitioner standpoint, I just hope the CEU class I will doubtless be required to take will be someplace tropical.

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2006
WHO CONFAB FINDS AGREEMENT
Acupuncture point standard nailed down
By YUKIKO MAEDA
Kyodo News

Acupuncturists from Japan, China and South Korea ironed out long-standing differences over the precise location of acu-points during a recent conference held under the auspices of the World Health Organization.

With the successful results of the conference on the international standardization of acu-points -- or "tsubo" as they are known in Japan -- the practitioners hope that acupuncture and moxibustion will become more popular in the United States and Europe.

Acupuncture is believed to have originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. It was introduced to Japan via the Korean Peninsula during the sixth century.

There are 361 acu-points in the human body. In 1989, the WHO standardized their international names.

But there was no agreement concerning their precise location until participants reached an agreement at the WHO conference held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2.

While Japan, China and South Korea each boast a long history of administering acupuncture and moxibustion, the location of 92 acu-points differed slightly among the three countries.

Read More

Everyone is a acupuncturist

I hope none of our politicians are getting any ideas from this . . .

Angry Chinese acupuncturists declare war over bill
Updated Thu. Nov. 23 2006 7:23 PM ET
Canadian Press

TORONTO -- Furious Chinese acupuncturists are threatening to mobilize half-a-million people against Ontario's Liberal government over legislation making their profession self-regulating.

The bill, which passed unanimously on Thursday, entrenches "quackery'' and puts the public at risk, critics said.

"Bill 50 discriminates against the Chinese medicine profession and against the Chinese community and is a second head tax,'' said Stephen Liu, co-chairman of the Canadian Society of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture.

"We will fight to the last.''

The reference to the hated tax once imposed on Chinese immigrants indicates the depth of anger over the legislation among many of Ontario's 3,000 practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine.

Critics say they find it offensive that the law allows other groups of health professionals -- such as physiotherapists, massage therapists or chiropractors -- to continue using acupuncture under standards set by their own regulating bodies.

Liu said Chinese acupuncturists opposed to the legislation will call on their patients, their families, friends, relatives and members of their churches -- 500,000 people in all -- to fight the Liberal party in next year's provincial election.

Dr. Stanley Shyu, a Chinese-trained doctor of traditional medicine who has practised in Canada for 32 years, said it's ludicrous to allow others to perform acupuncture without rigorous training.
Doing so waters down a profession that can cure a wide range of ailments when done by properly trained experts, but harms patients when done improperly, he said.

"You don't let laymen stick needles in people and call it acupuncture,'' Shyu said.

"That's called needling.''

Health Minister George Smitherman, who introduced the bill almost a year ago, acknowledged divisions over the legislation.

However, he said there was no reason to stop other medical professionals from performing acupuncture.

"Each of those colleges will be looking to work together in terms of making sure that there is a consensus that the standard is consistent and appropriate,'' Smitherman said.

Proponents say the college that will regulate the profession when it's up and running, likely in about two years, will set high standards, protect the public, and enhance the overall credibility of the profession.

Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia along with close to 50 American states already regulate Chinese medicine.

Critics also railed against the legislation because practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine would no longer be able to prescribe and dispense herbal formulas and compounds.

Naturopaths could get the exclusive right to do so, even though they might have less training.

"Where is the fairness in this?'' said Marylou Lombardi, president of the Ontario Association of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Opposition Leader John Tory said he supported the legislation because it at least imposes a regulatory framework.

"We're hopeful that as the college is set up that some of the issues that have not been adequately addressed might be addressed at that time,'' Tory said.

Basketball and Acupuncture

For all you sports fans . . .

Pacers' Harrington says he's healed

By Mark Montieth
mark.montieth@indystar.com

Indiana Pacers forward Al Harrington pronounced himself ready for tonight's game with Milwaukee, thanks to an acupuncture treatment.

Harrington, the Pacers' leading scorer (19.2) had missed Saturday's victory at Milwaukee and Monday's practice with back spasms.

Harrington had described himself as 70 percent recovered on Monday, but upgraded himself following Tuesday morning's practice at Conseco Fieldhouse.

"I'm 100 (percent) now," he said. "I'm ready to go."

Pacers' center David Harrison said an MRI on his left shoulder Monday revealed no serious injury.

"Nothing's torn," he said. "They're saying I'll be back pretty soon."

Not relevant, but . . .

My fiance and I started a blog about the fun and frustrations of getting married. If you want a laugh, check it out at:

http://gettingmarried.wordpress.com/

What part of the tiger is in tiger balm?

None. (Of course)

I remember the contorversy over killing animals for their horns or their bile when I was in school. I don't remember ever coming across any of it. In fact, in our herbal pharmacy, the only animal specimes we would bag up and boil were things like cicada molting (Chan Tui), dried worms (Di Long), and my personal favorite, flying squril feces (Wu Ling Zhi). Yum yum.

Wile we are an ocean away from this scandle, it is probably only a matter of time before the next question out a patrients mouth after "what do you do with your needles?" will be, "is there any trafficed endangered specias in this formula?."

Chinese medicine interest threatens rare species
By Matthew Jones Fri Nov 17, 12:35 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Britons are embracing traditional Chinese medicine and unwittingly fuelling a $10 billion illegal trade in the world's most endangered species, police said.

The market in London for products made from tiger bone, rhino horn and bear bile has grown to such an extent that a special police taskforce is trying to stamp it out.

"We cannot expect the international trade to stop while it continues here in London," Janet Williams, London's deputy assistant police commissioner, told a news conference on Friday.

Rare breeds have been decimated, not just because of demand from China but also Westerners wanting alternative treatments.

Since 1970, about 98 percent of the world's black rhino have been killed for their horns -- largely to supply the Chinese medicine trade. And fewer than 5,000 tigers are estimated to be left in the wild, compared with 100,000 in 1990.

The Metropolitan Police launched Operation Charm in 1995 to tackle the trade, and since then have seized over 30,000 endangered species items, most destined for Chinese medicine.

But it is an uphill battle.

Read more

Familiarity Breeds Contempt

I remember Dr. Huo, one of my TCM instructors, telling me that when his son was sick he reached for antibiotics because it was to hard to force a cranky, ill child to drink cherry-flavored cough syrup let alone an herbal decoction. I also remember Dr. Zhong taking 45 minutes to describe the ingredients and uses of a particular herbal formula by describing the plot of a popular Chinese opera complete with periodic singing. Dr. Hou was all for intergrating into Western society and owned all of the latest technologies while Dr. Zhong intended to return to his home village and still spoke of "Great Leader Chairmen Mao" as though he would walk in the room any moment.

I always enjoyed speaking to my various instructors about what China was like, what they thought about America, and how things have changed since moving here. Some wanted to chase the American dream, others found out that what they had in China was what they wanted all along.

I find it interesting that decades after Mao snubbed all things western (publicly, not personally of course) and encouraged the use of TCM, many in the Chinese medical and scientific community are rejecting their heritage and doubting its effectiveness. TCM had been used successfully in hospitals in China for generations alongside western therapies but now they are suspect and "untrustworthy." Once again, even if it worked, you can't believe it worked without someone independently verifying it worked.

But then, Phizer doesn't finance large studies to investigate the effectiveness of Yin Qiao.


Chinese turning away from traditional remedies
Monday November 13, 2006
From the nzherald

BEIJING - In the West, demand for traditional Chinese medicine just goes on growing, however it's the Chinese who are taking a great big acupuncture needle and trying to prick this bubble.

More and more of them are rejecting their ancient remedies in favour of Western medicine. A proposal to remove from the Chinese health care system traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has divided public opinion and outraged the Government which backs its use.

The controversy was sparked by an online petition proposing that only Western-style healthcare be available in China's hospitals. Behind it is Professor Zhang Gongyao, who describes TCM, practised in China for 4000 years, as "untrustworthy" and "pseudo-science".

At stake is an industry last year worth £5.2 billion ($15 billion).

Schizophrenia, or Phlegm Misting the Heart Orifice?

As both a nurse and an acupuncturist, I specialize in the treatment of people with mental health conditions. I have always been fascinated by the western medical pathologies and the colorful descriptions of the TCM diagnosis. Unfortunately, most people know very little about what an Axis One or Axis Two disorder really means and there is a huge stigma on those who have psychiatric disorders. Just the other day I was relating a story about a patient and was asked "well if they know they are crazy, why can't they just stop being crazy?" I responded with, "if you know you have cancer, can you just stop having cancer?"

The treatment of mental illnesses must be holistic to be successful. Gone are the days of the asylum where nurses and doctors routinely kept patients drugged or threw them in quiet rooms in four point restraints for hours on end. In a hospital setting today, patients are provided with a therapist social worker to talk to, group processing therapy, art and activity therapy, and dietary education in addition to medication. In some settings, yoga and guided imagery sessions are available as well. There are outside groups such as depression anonymous, caregiver support, and codependency. So where does acupuncture fit into the picture?

I am, as always, an integrationist. In someone who as severe bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, western medication is nearly always in order. As one of my Chinese professors said "all window of sky points are on or near neck - when patient has crazy, they not let you put needles there." Certainly for these cases, acupuncture can be utilized as an adjunct, especially to combat some of there more unpleasant side effects like weight gain. By contrast, those with Axis Two/personality disorders, require cognitive behavioral therapy more then medication. When receptive, this population reacts most beneficially to complementary therapies.

In my practice, I see many people with anxiety and depression. In many cases, the anxiety and depression are a symptom of a root pathology, such as chronic pain, and not the primary imbalance. Some are on western medication and others want a "natural" approach. In western medicine, if you have depression or Bipolar Disorder, more than likely you will be given an SSRI of some sort and possibly and anti anxiety medication. In Chinese Medicine, you may be given herbs to reconnect heart and kidney Qi, tonify spleen Qi and heart blood, or subdue liver fire. There is no standard treatment because there is no diagnosis that can be made independent of the individual. And there come the difficulty in "proving" the effectiveness of acupuncture for mental health disorders in a research setting . . . again.

Challenges in Determining Effectiveness of Acupuncture
Western research models may be inappropriate for verifying traditional Chinese medicine treatment for depression.
By Simon Miller, Epoch Times U.K. Staff

Depression and anxiety are seen, from a TCM perspective, as both emotional/psychological and physiological in nature, resulting from imbalanced energy effecting physical and mental health. Acupuncture claims to be effective in preventing and relieving various health problems through the correction of imbalanced energy. It is a holistic approach that, it is claimed, gives patients a more optimistic assessment of their problems and has few side effects.

There are a number of conceptual problems with carrying out acupuncture research. Staebler et el (1994) describes how conventional medical research looks for a "constellation of symptoms" and tries to apply one diagnostic label and one standard treatment. Acupuncture, however, is based on the whole-person approach. It takes into consideration the constitution of the person as well as the present disposition, by paying attention to the continuously changing equilibrium of life energy due to external and internal factors such as trauma, diet, climate and social conditions.

In daily practice, an acupuncturist would design treatment according to the specific needs of the individual patient. Attempts are made to establish the causative factors, and every case of depression and anxiety has some variation requiring different strength and location of needling. This presents another challenge in experimental research: test-retest reliability can be problematic as different therapists use slightly different techniques that vary according to the idiosyncratic nature of the individual's condition.

There are further problems for researchers. The use of one diagnostic label and one standard treatment would seem to be inappropriate in most cases of depression and anxiety. There are issues to be addressed of whether conditions are assessed according to Western diagnosis or TCM diagnosis, and which model is used to measure outcomes. The researcher could use conventional Western medical indices or incorporate TCM specific measures such as pulse and tongue diagnosis.

Read More

Para Local Media

Even though it is a few hours away, the more professional exposure acupuncturists can garner in the local media, the better for the region in general. I must admit though, I like to take a peek into other people's practices and see not only how they do business, but also how they answer questions like "what exactly do the needles do?" or "how does acupuncture work?" Personally, the more ways of answereing the same questions I have in my memory the better. Not only does that let you tailor patient education accordingly, but it keeps you from getting tired of listening to your own speeches!

A Pinpoint Cure Acupuncture offers area residents an ancient alternative to modern meds
By ALYSSA HARVEY, The Daily News
Monday, October 30, 2006 11:20 AM CST

A little more than three years ago, David Mefford felt physically ill.

“I had lots of problems,” the Bowling Green man said. “I never felt well.”Then he heard about Dr. Barbara Mikicki and her husband, licensed acupuncturist Mick Mikicki, who practice the ancient Chinese procedure that places fine needles in specific parts of the body to treat certain health problems. They're part of the Center for Integrative Medicine Acupuncture and Natural Health in Clarksville, with branches in Paducah and now Bowling Green.

“I started seeing her because she helped my sister with back pain,” he said. “After a couple of treatments, I felt better than I have in 40 years. I see her once a month to help keep my system functioning.

He urged J.V. Case of Bowling Green to try acupuncture 2 1/2 years ago.

“I have deteriorated nerves in my legs and feet,” Case said. “I go once a month.”

Read More

Top 12 Conditions

I received this information as a part of a Continuing Education opportunity which was a poor disguise for a product promotion, but the list is valid, nonetheless.

The Top 12 Conditions Patients Seek Acupuncture For

1. Orthopedics/Pain Management

2. Facial Rejuvenation/Anti-Aging

3. Fibromyalgia

4. Peripheral Neuropathy

5. Respiratory disorders

6. Hypertension

7. Headache

8. Depression

9. Chronic Fatigue

10. Digestive Disorders

11. Constipation

12. Gall Stones/Kidney Stones