One of the major limitations with most acupuncture research is the small sample size - so many of the studies just meet the minimum 30 participants to make the study statistically significant. Fortunately, there is no shortage of people suffering with neck pain and willing to volunteer. Here is a quick survey study of recent research findings.
From The Scotsman Wed 19 July 2006
Study proves acupuncture can aid neck pain and stiffness
ACUPUNCTURE is effective in helping people suffering neck pain, a review of evidence has concluded.
Some sceptics have claimed any benefit from using the technique is down to a patient's expectation that the treatment will work - a placebo effect.
Now a group of researchers has analysed ten trials, with a total of 661 patients, which investigated whether acupuncture alleviated neck pain.
It is estimated that between 26 per cent and 71 per cent of adults suffer neck pain or stiffness.
The Canadian researchers said that in many cases, pain could last for months.
The review found that overall, people who received acupuncture reported better pain relief immediately after treatment than those who received dummy treatments, such as laser methods with the machines switched off, or acupuncture with the needles inserted in the wrong places.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Today, Its Official!
I post a lot about this, but I cannot help but be excited over the validation of my profession in this state . . . especially since we, thankfully, are not the last one to pass a regulatory law!
Acupuncture now regulated health care in Kentucky
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Thousands of years after the Chinese invented the procedure and three decades after states first began overseeing its practice, Kentucky is making acupuncture a regulated form of medical care.
Beginning next year acupuncturists in Kentucky who want to practice the art of sticking hairlike needles into various pressure points around the body to relieve pain will have to be certified.
The law - which Gov. Ernie Fletcher signed on April 26 - went into effect on Saturday.
The regulations will require acupuncturists who want to practice in Kentucky to pass a national certification program from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. They must also receive 1,800 hours of education from an accredited acupuncture training program.
Non-certified acupuncturists who are already working in the state have until July 1, 2007 to meet the requirements.
For Dr. Maureen Flannery, who runs an acupuncture practice in Berea, the new law validates her belief that the practice is a legitimate form of medicine.
"This was a long time coming," Flannery said. "I think it's important for consumers and practitioners to know who is trained when they're accessing care. Before this, there was no way for people to judge who was well trained."
Nancy Butler of Lexington began receiving acupuncture to recover from a rotator cuff injury and became such a fan that she's allowed her dog to go under the needles. She said the law will open the practice to people who previously may have been reluctant to try it.
"It's just really important for people to have access to something inexpensive that could help them terrifically," she said. "It's a form of healing that for thousands of years has worked."
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure - which monitors the practices of medical doctors and physicians' assistants - will oversee the practice of acupuncturists. An eight-member advisory committee will meet with the board regularly to keep it updated.
There are 18 acupuncturists currently working in Kentucky according to the certification commission. However, the new guidelines could lure more practitioners to the state.
"It's becoming more mainstream," said Kathleen Fluhart, a nationally credited acupuncturist. "It makes us be more acknowledged and recognized."
Acupuncture now regulated health care in Kentucky
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. - Thousands of years after the Chinese invented the procedure and three decades after states first began overseeing its practice, Kentucky is making acupuncture a regulated form of medical care.
Beginning next year acupuncturists in Kentucky who want to practice the art of sticking hairlike needles into various pressure points around the body to relieve pain will have to be certified.
The law - which Gov. Ernie Fletcher signed on April 26 - went into effect on Saturday.
The regulations will require acupuncturists who want to practice in Kentucky to pass a national certification program from the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. They must also receive 1,800 hours of education from an accredited acupuncture training program.
Non-certified acupuncturists who are already working in the state have until July 1, 2007 to meet the requirements.
For Dr. Maureen Flannery, who runs an acupuncture practice in Berea, the new law validates her belief that the practice is a legitimate form of medicine.
"This was a long time coming," Flannery said. "I think it's important for consumers and practitioners to know who is trained when they're accessing care. Before this, there was no way for people to judge who was well trained."
Nancy Butler of Lexington began receiving acupuncture to recover from a rotator cuff injury and became such a fan that she's allowed her dog to go under the needles. She said the law will open the practice to people who previously may have been reluctant to try it.
"It's just really important for people to have access to something inexpensive that could help them terrifically," she said. "It's a form of healing that for thousands of years has worked."
The Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure - which monitors the practices of medical doctors and physicians' assistants - will oversee the practice of acupuncturists. An eight-member advisory committee will meet with the board regularly to keep it updated.
There are 18 acupuncturists currently working in Kentucky according to the certification commission. However, the new guidelines could lure more practitioners to the state.
"It's becoming more mainstream," said Kathleen Fluhart, a nationally credited acupuncturist. "It makes us be more acknowledged and recognized."
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Verification Optional
I was ordering from an acupuncture supply company today and I was bothered by something during check-out. Unlike many herbal suppliers, such as Crane Herbs or Kan, several distributors of needle, moxabustion, and Electro Therapy products, including Acu-Market and Lhasa OMS, do not require license verification before allowing you to buy. I merely had to check boxes stating that I legally met the criteria to purchase such products, but there was no process to ensure I was who I claimed to be. By making professional products easily available to the public, it can encourage quack practitioners and lead to dangerous experimentation, particularly with those companies that sell herbal formulas. Of course they have the usual "hold-harmless-no-medical-claims-intended-the-herbs-are-just-food-supplements" disclaimers, but the open access still seems odd.
I have to remind myself of all the other "herbal" products on the market that any laymen can self-prescribe while standing in the natural section of their local grocery store, then pick-up a box of lacnets at the pharmacy. I must also admit, however, the side pet peeve is that there is no "practitioner pricing" on these sites and I have to pay the same for Tiger Balm as everyone else. But truly, my concern is more about the right tools in the right hands. I understand that mail-order companies are in the business of making money, but there should be some sort of license verification process before they will ship things like acupuncture needles, plum blossom hammers, and direct moxibustion - it keeps the profession honest.
I have to remind myself of all the other "herbal" products on the market that any laymen can self-prescribe while standing in the natural section of their local grocery store, then pick-up a box of lacnets at the pharmacy. I must also admit, however, the side pet peeve is that there is no "practitioner pricing" on these sites and I have to pay the same for Tiger Balm as everyone else. But truly, my concern is more about the right tools in the right hands. I understand that mail-order companies are in the business of making money, but there should be some sort of license verification process before they will ship things like acupuncture needles, plum blossom hammers, and direct moxibustion - it keeps the profession honest.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
Cupping with Fire
Since my first lesson, I have been a big fan of fire cupping. It is powerful, dramatic, and can leave marks that may have friends lifting eyebrows and inquiring if everything is okay at home. While most of the press dedicated to cupping focuses on it's use for pain management, I have to interject it is a first-rate modality for preventing the progression of a cold. At the first sniffle or scratch in the throat, I reach for the plum-blossom hammer, my fire cups, some Po sum On oil and my jade Gua Sha stone. These tools can knock out a wind-cold invasion before it has a chance to knock the client out. Not to mention, it feels really good. I have found that while they can be cumbersome, glass cupping is the most versatile as you can perform multiple techniques that are impossible with plastic suction and, unlike bamboo styles, you are able to see the strength and effectiveness of the suction during the treatment. It was brought to my attention several years ago that cupping is not exclusive to China and has been practiced in Mexico for centuries as well; the article below also reports its use in the Middle East. Fire away!
Cupping runneth over By LEIGH WOOSLEY
Alternative treatment for pain is drawing attention
Bearing marks on your back bigger than silver dollars may not seem all that healing, but it is for many people who have taken to Chinese fire cupping, an ancient, though somewhat offbeat, practice that supposedly releases toxins that cause aches, pains and irregularity in the body.
It's often an alternative or an addition to traditional acupuncture treatment and commonly is used to treat soreness, stiffness, pain and breathing problems such as bronchitis. It's used for other ailments, as well.
Here's how cupping is done. Glass, bell-shaped cups are heated, usually with an open flame to remove all the oxygen. The flame is swirled around the cup and immediately put on the body.
As the cup cools, it creates a sort of vacuum that sucks the skin into the cup. This suction causes blood vessels to expand and is supposed to release toxins from beneath the skin so they can be excreted from the body.
The cup stays on the skin for five to 15 minutes and leaves behind obvious red marks that can last a couple of weeks.
Read more
Cupping runneth over By LEIGH WOOSLEY
Alternative treatment for pain is drawing attention
Bearing marks on your back bigger than silver dollars may not seem all that healing, but it is for many people who have taken to Chinese fire cupping, an ancient, though somewhat offbeat, practice that supposedly releases toxins that cause aches, pains and irregularity in the body.
It's often an alternative or an addition to traditional acupuncture treatment and commonly is used to treat soreness, stiffness, pain and breathing problems such as bronchitis. It's used for other ailments, as well.
Here's how cupping is done. Glass, bell-shaped cups are heated, usually with an open flame to remove all the oxygen. The flame is swirled around the cup and immediately put on the body.
As the cup cools, it creates a sort of vacuum that sucks the skin into the cup. This suction causes blood vessels to expand and is supposed to release toxins from beneath the skin so they can be excreted from the body.
The cup stays on the skin for five to 15 minutes and leaves behind obvious red marks that can last a couple of weeks.
Read more
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
And the Research Continues
From the Boston Channel
Acupuncture may help knee pain more than taking anti-inflammatory drugs, according to new researchers.
Researchers studied 1,000 patients with osteoarthritis in the knee. Twenty-nine percent of those who had medication and physical therapy for six weeks reported less pain, compared to 53 percent of those who had acupuncture reporting less pain.
Fifty-one percent of those who had a placebo form of acupuncture also said their pain had decreased. It's possible, experts said, that just thinking a treatment may work will actually alleviate pain.
From the Annals of Internal Medicine
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition in which changes in the knee joints lead to pain. Treatments include drugs to decrease pain and inflammation; weight loss, if needed; physical therapy; and exercise. Unfortunately, these treatments do not always help and some have side effects. Consequently, many people with knee osteoarthritis seek alternative treatments, such as acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment that involves putting special needles into specific points on the body to treat medical conditions. Mainstream medicine is increasingly recognizing acupuncture as an effective treatment for some disorders. Past studies about acupuncture for osteoarthritis have had inconsistent results.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
To find out whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis.
Who was studied?
1007 patients with osteoarthritis knee pain for at least 6 months.
How was the study done?
The researchers assigned patients to receive either 10 sessions of traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA), 10 sessions of sham acupuncture, or 10 doctor visits without acupuncture over 6 weeks. Traditional Chinese acupuncture was "real" acupuncture according to Chinese protocols that specify the location and depth of needle placement in the treatment of knee pain. Sham acupuncture was "fake" acupuncture in which the acupuncturist placed the needles at a shallow depth in places other than the TCA points. Patients in all 3 groups could receive 6 physical therapy treatments and could take anti-inflammatory medications as needed up to a certain amount. The researchers compared changes in patients' pain after 26 weeks.
What did the researchers find?
After 26 weeks, patients in the TCA and sham acupuncture groups had greater improvement in pain than those in the no acupuncture group. Surprisingly, the changes in pain were not different in the TCA and sham acupuncture groups. However, patients in the TCA group reported higher satisfaction with treatment than those in the sham acupuncture group, but both acupuncture groups reported higher satisfaction than the no acupuncture group. Of note, patients in both acupuncture groups had more contact with health care providers during the study than did those in the no acupuncture group.
What were the limitations of the study?
Patients knew whether they were getting acupuncture. The researchers did not monitor whether the acupuncturists were following the TCA and sham protocols exactly as the study plan specified.
What are the implications of the study?
Compared with patients with knee osteoarthritis treated with physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs alone, patients who also received TCA or sham acupuncture had improvements in pain at 26 weeks. Surprisingly, the researchers found no difference in pain reduction between real and fake acupuncture. Several potential explanations are possible. First, because of psychological effects, patients who know they are getting special types of treatment report feeling better regardless of whether the treatment really works. Second, patients who received acupuncture had more intense contact with health care providers, which could explain why they felt better. Third, sticking needles into the body may have a physical effect on pain, regardless of whether the needles are placed according to TCA principles.
Acupuncture may help knee pain more than taking anti-inflammatory drugs, according to new researchers.
Researchers studied 1,000 patients with osteoarthritis in the knee. Twenty-nine percent of those who had medication and physical therapy for six weeks reported less pain, compared to 53 percent of those who had acupuncture reporting less pain.
Fifty-one percent of those who had a placebo form of acupuncture also said their pain had decreased. It's possible, experts said, that just thinking a treatment may work will actually alleviate pain.
From the Annals of Internal Medicine
What is the problem and what is known about it so far?
Knee osteoarthritis is a common condition in which changes in the knee joints lead to pain. Treatments include drugs to decrease pain and inflammation; weight loss, if needed; physical therapy; and exercise. Unfortunately, these treatments do not always help and some have side effects. Consequently, many people with knee osteoarthritis seek alternative treatments, such as acupuncture. Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese treatment that involves putting special needles into specific points on the body to treat medical conditions. Mainstream medicine is increasingly recognizing acupuncture as an effective treatment for some disorders. Past studies about acupuncture for osteoarthritis have had inconsistent results.
Why did the researchers do this particular study?
To find out whether acupuncture is an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis.
Who was studied?
1007 patients with osteoarthritis knee pain for at least 6 months.
How was the study done?
The researchers assigned patients to receive either 10 sessions of traditional Chinese acupuncture (TCA), 10 sessions of sham acupuncture, or 10 doctor visits without acupuncture over 6 weeks. Traditional Chinese acupuncture was "real" acupuncture according to Chinese protocols that specify the location and depth of needle placement in the treatment of knee pain. Sham acupuncture was "fake" acupuncture in which the acupuncturist placed the needles at a shallow depth in places other than the TCA points. Patients in all 3 groups could receive 6 physical therapy treatments and could take anti-inflammatory medications as needed up to a certain amount. The researchers compared changes in patients' pain after 26 weeks.
What did the researchers find?
After 26 weeks, patients in the TCA and sham acupuncture groups had greater improvement in pain than those in the no acupuncture group. Surprisingly, the changes in pain were not different in the TCA and sham acupuncture groups. However, patients in the TCA group reported higher satisfaction with treatment than those in the sham acupuncture group, but both acupuncture groups reported higher satisfaction than the no acupuncture group. Of note, patients in both acupuncture groups had more contact with health care providers during the study than did those in the no acupuncture group.
What were the limitations of the study?
Patients knew whether they were getting acupuncture. The researchers did not monitor whether the acupuncturists were following the TCA and sham protocols exactly as the study plan specified.
What are the implications of the study?
Compared with patients with knee osteoarthritis treated with physical therapy and anti-inflammatory drugs alone, patients who also received TCA or sham acupuncture had improvements in pain at 26 weeks. Surprisingly, the researchers found no difference in pain reduction between real and fake acupuncture. Several potential explanations are possible. First, because of psychological effects, patients who know they are getting special types of treatment report feeling better regardless of whether the treatment really works. Second, patients who received acupuncture had more intense contact with health care providers, which could explain why they felt better. Third, sticking needles into the body may have a physical effect on pain, regardless of whether the needles are placed according to TCA principles.
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Data Bits 2
For those that believe if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it must be a random coincidence, here are some objective findings.
ACUPUNCTURE AND MIGRAINE: A NEW CONCLUSIVE STUDY
Literary search and editing by Francine L. Comtois, sec. trés. of the ACDM
Acupuncture would help to relieve the chronic headaches, migraine in particular. Such are the conclusions of a clinical study, carried out in England and in Wales, which was published in British Medical Journal. The study was made with an aim of evaluating if acupuncture could be rather effective, in the case of the headaches, to be integrated into the free care of the system of public health in England.
For 12 months, the researchers followed 401 patients suffering from chronic headaches, mainly of migraines. These patients had been divided randomly in two groups: one received up to 12 treatments of acupuncture for three months, while the others (which were used as reference group) were treated by a usual medication. The gravity of the headaches among patients of the two groups was measured, after 3 and 12 months; the researchers also evaluated, every three months, the need to take drugs or to consult a doctor.
After 12 months, the results showed that the headaches had decreased more in the group treated by acupuncture (reduction of 34%) that in the group which received a medication (reduction of 16%). The patients, who belonged to the group treated by acupuncture, counted on average 22 days fewer headaches per year. Compared with the reference group, they, during this period, had used 15% less drugs, makes 25% less medical visits and taken 15% less sick leave.
The researchers thus concluded from it that acupuncture produces beneficial and persistent effects among patients suffering from chronic headaches, especially from migraines. These conclusions were however criticized, in particular by famous Dr. Edzard Ernst, of the Laing Pulpit of complementary medicines at the Peninsula Medical School of the university of Exeter in England. According to him, being given the methodology of the study, the waitings of the patients could influence the effects allotted to the treatments of acupuncture.
ACUPUNCTURE AND MIGRAINE: A NEW CONCLUSIVE STUDY
Literary search and editing by Francine L. Comtois, sec. trés. of the ACDM
Acupuncture would help to relieve the chronic headaches, migraine in particular. Such are the conclusions of a clinical study, carried out in England and in Wales, which was published in British Medical Journal. The study was made with an aim of evaluating if acupuncture could be rather effective, in the case of the headaches, to be integrated into the free care of the system of public health in England.
For 12 months, the researchers followed 401 patients suffering from chronic headaches, mainly of migraines. These patients had been divided randomly in two groups: one received up to 12 treatments of acupuncture for three months, while the others (which were used as reference group) were treated by a usual medication. The gravity of the headaches among patients of the two groups was measured, after 3 and 12 months; the researchers also evaluated, every three months, the need to take drugs or to consult a doctor.
After 12 months, the results showed that the headaches had decreased more in the group treated by acupuncture (reduction of 34%) that in the group which received a medication (reduction of 16%). The patients, who belonged to the group treated by acupuncture, counted on average 22 days fewer headaches per year. Compared with the reference group, they, during this period, had used 15% less drugs, makes 25% less medical visits and taken 15% less sick leave.
The researchers thus concluded from it that acupuncture produces beneficial and persistent effects among patients suffering from chronic headaches, especially from migraines. These conclusions were however criticized, in particular by famous Dr. Edzard Ernst, of the Laing Pulpit of complementary medicines at the Peninsula Medical School of the university of Exeter in England. According to him, being given the methodology of the study, the waitings of the patients could influence the effects allotted to the treatments of acupuncture.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Chinese Herbal Therapy
One of the more amusing points that many conforming MDs make is that herbal therapies do not work and any improvement in condition is a mere coincidence stemmed from the disease running its course. How quickly they forget the Foxglove-Digitalis connection or, more recently, Eli Lilly's use of tropical periwinkle in the development of the anti-cancer drugs Velban and Oncovin. Often times it seems that nothing is ever effective until it can be patented for profit (as a side note, I recently learned that the reason a lot of drugs are coming out with extended-release versions because the patent has run out and it is a method to continue having people buy the name-brand). It also seems many resort to amusing derogatory sound-bites rather than genuine research and a treatment of their own. Despite their claims of voodoo and kitchen witchery, the naysayers will always have a problem convincing those who have personal empirical evidence that Chinese Medicine works.
CHINESE MEDICINE GAINING RESPECTABILITY IN WEST FDA support for testing of botanical drugs helps boost credibility of ancient herbal treatments
Suzanne B. Thompson, Eugenia Chien, Special to The Chronicle
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Weary and frightened after 10 years of fighting a losing battle against bronchitis, Sheila Cohen turned two years ago to traditional Chinese medicine. A practitioner from the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF prescribed herbal pills and teas, as well as deep tissue massage, to boost the 58-year-old's immune system.
Since then, Cohen has been gaining the upper hand on her fight against her chronic problem. Her bronchitis used to flare up at least monthly; now it strikes every eight weeks or so. "That's an accomplishment, and we're going to keep pushing to make (the period between relapses) longer," said Cohen, a San Francisco resident.
UCSF, Kaiser Permanente and Stanford University Medical Center are among a growing number of medical institutions that offer traditional Chinese approaches such as acupuncture, tai chi chuan and meditation as evidence mounts of their effectiveness. Hundreds of studies show clinically significant results with these treatments, including a 2002 review from Harvard Medical School that concluded that acupuncture can safely ease chronic pain as well as nausea caused by chemotherapy and pregnancy. A 2004 Tufts-New England Medical Center review of 47 studies on tai chi found the Chinese discipline of meditative movements promoted cardiovascular fitness in people with chronic conditions.
Studies like these have persuaded medical directors at hospitals to introduce traditional Chinese medicine treatments to their patient services.
"What we have to look at is safety and effectiveness and then integrate it into the system," said Dr. Harley Goldberg, a physician who directs the complementary and alternative medicine program for Kaiser's Northern California division.
One-fifth of the nation's hospitals offered complementary medical services in 2004, more than double the number in 1998, according to the American Hospital Association. Complementary medicine combines the therapies and philosophies of conventional medicine with those of alternative medicines. Influencing this trend is the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, which was founded in 1999 to facilitate the integration of alternative medicine into American institutions and now includes 32 member medical centers, such as Harvard and Columbia universities.
"The cynics say this is all voodoo medicine, and it's placebo," said Dr. Bradly Jacobs, an internist at UCSF's Osher Center. "In my opinion, this is based on empirical experience of what's worked for millennia. There's something to be said for that."
Read more
CHINESE MEDICINE GAINING RESPECTABILITY IN WEST FDA support for testing of botanical drugs helps boost credibility of ancient herbal treatments
Suzanne B. Thompson, Eugenia Chien, Special to The Chronicle
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Weary and frightened after 10 years of fighting a losing battle against bronchitis, Sheila Cohen turned two years ago to traditional Chinese medicine. A practitioner from the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine at UCSF prescribed herbal pills and teas, as well as deep tissue massage, to boost the 58-year-old's immune system.
Since then, Cohen has been gaining the upper hand on her fight against her chronic problem. Her bronchitis used to flare up at least monthly; now it strikes every eight weeks or so. "That's an accomplishment, and we're going to keep pushing to make (the period between relapses) longer," said Cohen, a San Francisco resident.
UCSF, Kaiser Permanente and Stanford University Medical Center are among a growing number of medical institutions that offer traditional Chinese approaches such as acupuncture, tai chi chuan and meditation as evidence mounts of their effectiveness. Hundreds of studies show clinically significant results with these treatments, including a 2002 review from Harvard Medical School that concluded that acupuncture can safely ease chronic pain as well as nausea caused by chemotherapy and pregnancy. A 2004 Tufts-New England Medical Center review of 47 studies on tai chi found the Chinese discipline of meditative movements promoted cardiovascular fitness in people with chronic conditions.
Studies like these have persuaded medical directors at hospitals to introduce traditional Chinese medicine treatments to their patient services.
"What we have to look at is safety and effectiveness and then integrate it into the system," said Dr. Harley Goldberg, a physician who directs the complementary and alternative medicine program for Kaiser's Northern California division.
One-fifth of the nation's hospitals offered complementary medical services in 2004, more than double the number in 1998, according to the American Hospital Association. Complementary medicine combines the therapies and philosophies of conventional medicine with those of alternative medicines. Influencing this trend is the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine, which was founded in 1999 to facilitate the integration of alternative medicine into American institutions and now includes 32 member medical centers, such as Harvard and Columbia universities.
"The cynics say this is all voodoo medicine, and it's placebo," said Dr. Bradly Jacobs, an internist at UCSF's Osher Center. "In my opinion, this is based on empirical experience of what's worked for millennia. There's something to be said for that."
Read more
Friday, June 23, 2006
All But the Qualified
When I was in TCM school, there was a western medical doctor a couple of semesters ahead of me. This gentlemen had come to New Mexico from the Northeast and left his private surgery practice because he felt that in order to be an acupuncturist, he needed to go to a real school and obtain real certification. I admired that because he could have fobbed off with a 200 hour course and billed an outrageous amount for a substandard acupuncture treatment. He knew that anything doing was worth doing right. The trouble is, many people believe in cutting corners and in TCM that results in what I would consider practicing outside the scope of your license and endangering patient safety.
I am not a chiropractor and although I did learn how to do adjustments during the course of my training, I feel that it is inappropriate and a dangerous liability for me to utilize those skills. Yet somehow there is the feeling among chiropractors that because they were trained to manipulate the body that they are somehow qualified to perform acupuncture. They are now canvassing to allow acupuncture to become a part of their scope of practice.The two systems are totally different and a 300 hour course does not cut it. Does this mean massage therapists, nurses, physical therapists, and physican assistants are going to lobby next? This is money grubbing, plain and simple. I fear that our profession will become so compromised that all but the qualified will be able to have a practice.
In the meantime, the AAOM has created a letter stating their position on the matter that can be sent to state and local representatives. I cannot say it enough - I believe that in order for our profession to be truly recognized and respected, there needs to be one national standard: graduation from an accredited school of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and NCCAOM certification. Whether you are a practitioner or a patron, I would urge all to click on the Legislative Advocacy Submittal Form below to help ensure the safety and standards of the TCM profession.
Chiropractic Community Attempts to Expand Scope of Practice
Chiropractic Community Attempts to Expand Scope of Practice
June 22 2006
Greetings Members and Colleagues:
As you may or may not be aware, across the U. S., the Chiropractic Community is attempting to expand Chiropractric Scope of Practice with legislative campaigns for 300 hour programs. Following, please find AAOM's position paper on this matter. Once you have read this position, we request you forward this to your legislative representative.
How to Submit: We have written an introduction for you, which you may change if you like. Our advocacy system does not allow you to attach a document, so the position paper we have written has been placed beneath the introduction that will be sent by you. Please note that based upon the contact information you provide, the advocacy system will automatically submit your position to your designated legislator by name, so please do not address your legislator's name in the context of your communication.
Legislative Advocacy Submittal Form:Chiropractic Scope of Practice on Acupuncture Advocacy Campaign
I am not a chiropractor and although I did learn how to do adjustments during the course of my training, I feel that it is inappropriate and a dangerous liability for me to utilize those skills. Yet somehow there is the feeling among chiropractors that because they were trained to manipulate the body that they are somehow qualified to perform acupuncture. They are now canvassing to allow acupuncture to become a part of their scope of practice.The two systems are totally different and a 300 hour course does not cut it. Does this mean massage therapists, nurses, physical therapists, and physican assistants are going to lobby next? This is money grubbing, plain and simple. I fear that our profession will become so compromised that all but the qualified will be able to have a practice.
In the meantime, the AAOM has created a letter stating their position on the matter that can be sent to state and local representatives. I cannot say it enough - I believe that in order for our profession to be truly recognized and respected, there needs to be one national standard: graduation from an accredited school of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and NCCAOM certification. Whether you are a practitioner or a patron, I would urge all to click on the Legislative Advocacy Submittal Form below to help ensure the safety and standards of the TCM profession.
Chiropractic Community Attempts to Expand Scope of Practice
Chiropractic Community Attempts to Expand Scope of Practice
June 22 2006
Greetings Members and Colleagues:
As you may or may not be aware, across the U. S., the Chiropractic Community is attempting to expand Chiropractric Scope of Practice with legislative campaigns for 300 hour programs. Following, please find AAOM's position paper on this matter. Once you have read this position, we request you forward this to your legislative representative.
How to Submit: We have written an introduction for you, which you may change if you like. Our advocacy system does not allow you to attach a document, so the position paper we have written has been placed beneath the introduction that will be sent by you. Please note that based upon the contact information you provide, the advocacy system will automatically submit your position to your designated legislator by name, so please do not address your legislator's name in the context of your communication.
Legislative Advocacy Submittal Form:Chiropractic Scope of Practice on Acupuncture Advocacy Campaign
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Sick? Enjoy Your Illness!
When I would get sick as a child, my only prescriptions were fluid, rest, and a little day-time TV. I came to believe that getting sick periodically was good for you and to this day I steer clear of flu shots and anything with the suffix -cillin. A couple of years ago I was sitting in on a lecture by one of the state's leading endochronoligists where she posed the theory that autoimmune diseases were on the rise because the industrialized countries were too clean, and too vaccinated. She believed that the immune system would essentially get bored and attack itself if there was nothing else available. These attacks could come in the form of random new allergies or in the more debilitating diseases such as Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Naturally, her theory stuck a cord with me not only professionally, but personally. While acupuncture and Oriental Medicine may not cure or reverse these diseases, it is a helpful modality in slowing the progression and relieving the symptoms.
`Too Clean' Environments Have A Price
By WILLIAM HATHAWAY, Courant Staff Writer
Acupuncture Relief
Acupuncture reduces symptoms of fibromyalgia, researchers report in the June issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Fibromyalgia is a chronic, debilitating disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. There is no known cure, and treatment is often difficult.
Mayo Clinic researchers used acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatment on 50 fibryomyalgia patients. They found that symptoms in patients who received acupuncture substantially improved compared with subjects who got sham treatments.
"The results of the study convince me there is something more than the placebo effect to acupuncture," said Dr. David Martin, a Mayo anesthesiologist and author of the study.The value of acupuncture in the treatment of fibromyalgia has been controversial. In two other studies, one found acupuncture to be effective, while another found it offered no pain relief.
Read more
`Too Clean' Environments Have A Price
By WILLIAM HATHAWAY, Courant Staff Writer
Acupuncture Relief
Acupuncture reduces symptoms of fibromyalgia, researchers report in the June issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Fibromyalgia is a chronic, debilitating disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain and fatigue. There is no known cure, and treatment is often difficult.
Mayo Clinic researchers used acupuncture or sham acupuncture treatment on 50 fibryomyalgia patients. They found that symptoms in patients who received acupuncture substantially improved compared with subjects who got sham treatments.
"The results of the study convince me there is something more than the placebo effect to acupuncture," said Dr. David Martin, a Mayo anesthesiologist and author of the study.The value of acupuncture in the treatment of fibromyalgia has been controversial. In two other studies, one found acupuncture to be effective, while another found it offered no pain relief.
Read more
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Beneath the Surface
I have a standard speech I give clients that see me for acupuncture treatments. I provide my condensed version of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, theory an explanation of Qi and what it is suppose to feel like, the type of needles I use and how they are disposed of, and expectation of treatment success. While most practitioners have their own routine, I believe it is always helpful to see how others describe the basics.
Acupuncture can relieve pain and abate the symptoms of illnesses, proponents say.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/18/06BY BOBBI SEIDELSTAFF WRITER
For a long time, Stefanie Hay was in constant pain any time she tried to eat.
The Aberdeen teen, 18, had been to numerous medical doctors, her gall bladder had been removed, and she was told to take pain medication, says her mother, Rhonda Hay.
That changed in March 2005, when Stefanie's mom brought her to see acupuncturist Heather L. Poole in Middletown.
"Pretty much immediately when I came here, and she (Poole) put in the needles, I was out of pain," says Stefanie of her treatments, which are continuing. "I feel a lot better. She takes the pain away, and it's improving my digestion, too."
"I hadn't seen Stefanie be happy before that in two years, since before the digestive problems started," says Rhonda Hay, 46. "I knew nothing about acupuncture. But I have a friend whose daughter has epilepsy and very bad migraines. She took her daughter to an acupuncturist, and it got rid of the headaches and reduced the seizures.
"She highly recommended it to us. I never dreamed acupuncture would work this way," she says, adding that she then began treatments.
"My sinuses cleared up. I was on Claritin and don't take it anymore," Rhonda Hay says.
None of this surprises Poole.
"We have proven scientifically through research that acupuncture has a profound effect on the immune system, the endocrine system and the central nervous system," says Poole, 37, whose practice, Ancient Arts Acupuncture, is on Newman Springs Road in the Lincroft section.
"Acupuncture is the oldest professional medicine that exists — more than 3,500 years old — with over a quarter of the world's population using it as a primary modality," says Poole, who has a master's degree in acupuncture, is nationally board-certified and is licensed in New Jersey, Colorado and New York state.
The treatment involves using new, sterile, very tiny needles to stimulate specific areas of the body to promote good health or treat illness.
"The needles are inserted along 14 meridians, or channels, in the body that hold the qi — pronounced "chee' — the vital energy that animates us. The meridians have areas where the qi pools, and those are the acupuncture points," Poole says, holding up a fine needle that looks far thinner than a strand of human hair. "When the qi flows freely in your body, you have good health. When the qi is blocked, you have pain, or your qi will stagnate and manifest as illness in the body. With our needles, we unblock, increase or modulate qi."
Read more
Acupuncture can relieve pain and abate the symptoms of illnesses, proponents say.
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/18/06BY BOBBI SEIDELSTAFF WRITER
For a long time, Stefanie Hay was in constant pain any time she tried to eat.
The Aberdeen teen, 18, had been to numerous medical doctors, her gall bladder had been removed, and she was told to take pain medication, says her mother, Rhonda Hay.
That changed in March 2005, when Stefanie's mom brought her to see acupuncturist Heather L. Poole in Middletown.
"Pretty much immediately when I came here, and she (Poole) put in the needles, I was out of pain," says Stefanie of her treatments, which are continuing. "I feel a lot better. She takes the pain away, and it's improving my digestion, too."
"I hadn't seen Stefanie be happy before that in two years, since before the digestive problems started," says Rhonda Hay, 46. "I knew nothing about acupuncture. But I have a friend whose daughter has epilepsy and very bad migraines. She took her daughter to an acupuncturist, and it got rid of the headaches and reduced the seizures.
"She highly recommended it to us. I never dreamed acupuncture would work this way," she says, adding that she then began treatments.
"My sinuses cleared up. I was on Claritin and don't take it anymore," Rhonda Hay says.
None of this surprises Poole.
"We have proven scientifically through research that acupuncture has a profound effect on the immune system, the endocrine system and the central nervous system," says Poole, 37, whose practice, Ancient Arts Acupuncture, is on Newman Springs Road in the Lincroft section.
"Acupuncture is the oldest professional medicine that exists — more than 3,500 years old — with over a quarter of the world's population using it as a primary modality," says Poole, who has a master's degree in acupuncture, is nationally board-certified and is licensed in New Jersey, Colorado and New York state.
The treatment involves using new, sterile, very tiny needles to stimulate specific areas of the body to promote good health or treat illness.
"The needles are inserted along 14 meridians, or channels, in the body that hold the qi — pronounced "chee' — the vital energy that animates us. The meridians have areas where the qi pools, and those are the acupuncture points," Poole says, holding up a fine needle that looks far thinner than a strand of human hair. "When the qi flows freely in your body, you have good health. When the qi is blocked, you have pain, or your qi will stagnate and manifest as illness in the body. With our needles, we unblock, increase or modulate qi."
Read more
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Local Spotlight
I am always happy to see an article on alternative medicine on the front page, but when two fellow acupuncturists who have poured their energy and drive into making the Kentucky acupuncture law a reality, I am ecstatic. I had at least three clients tell me about this piece before I saw it for myself so I have high hopes that this kind of press will broaden awareness and bring people in the door.
Alternative healing Acceptance grows for nontraditional treatment
By Laura Ungar
Danielle Weakland lounged on a recliner as acupuncturist Jeffrey Russell stuck tiny needles into her arms, legs and left ear.
The ancient Chinese treatment is supposed to correct the flow of "qi," or vital energy. Weakland said she hopes it regulates her menstrual cycle, just as it relieved digestive and gallbladder problems in the past. "It's worked wonders," the 27-year-old Louisvillian said.
OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1');
Despite such endorsements, acupuncture has been unregulated in Kentucky -- until now.
In mid-July, a new state law will require acupuncturists to meet national standards for education and certification, which critics and proponents alike say will bring the practice more into the mainstream. The law is the latest example of a growing trend to lend legitimacy to all sorts of nontraditional medical practices.
More hospitals and physicians across Kentucky and the nation offer "alternative" or "complementary" medicine alongside traditional services.
Read more
Alternative healing Acceptance grows for nontraditional treatment
By Laura Ungar
Danielle Weakland lounged on a recliner as acupuncturist Jeffrey Russell stuck tiny needles into her arms, legs and left ear.
The ancient Chinese treatment is supposed to correct the flow of "qi," or vital energy. Weakland said she hopes it regulates her menstrual cycle, just as it relieved digestive and gallbladder problems in the past. "It's worked wonders," the 27-year-old Louisvillian said.
OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1');
Despite such endorsements, acupuncture has been unregulated in Kentucky -- until now.
In mid-July, a new state law will require acupuncturists to meet national standards for education and certification, which critics and proponents alike say will bring the practice more into the mainstream. The law is the latest example of a growing trend to lend legitimacy to all sorts of nontraditional medical practices.
More hospitals and physicians across Kentucky and the nation offer "alternative" or "complementary" medicine alongside traditional services.
Read more
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Broad Spectrum Collaboration
With all of the methods of pain management out there, acupuncturist are often "the last hope." While it is a gratifying challenge to help someone who has had years of long-standing pain issues, there is something fullfilling about hepling someone at the early onset. One of the best ways to reach people with potentially crippling diseases such as MS, Lyme Disease, or chronic fatigue is if more forward thinking doctors suggest acupuncture and other alternative therapies to their patients. When healers work together, the patient always wins.
Acupuncturist focuses on healing mind and body
By Susan Tuz
THE NEWS-TIMES
At age 20, Kelly McGarvey barely had the energy to get through the day. She had to drop out of college and was in chronic pain.
The symptoms had been mounting for over 10 years and McGarvey felt she had lost control of her life.
It was at this time that McGarvey started to see a new medical doctor, and he diagnosed her with chronic Lyme disease. He also recommended that she receive an alternative course of treatment in conjunction with what he could do for her.
McGarvey started a course of acupuncture and herbal treatments administered by Samantha Jacobs, of Ridgefield Acupuncture LLC.
"I came to Sam and she helped me with my problems," McGarvey said. "That was two years ago. Sam helped point me in the right direction. She controlled the inflammation, the pain of Lyme related arthritis. I now have a better range of motion. I sleep better and the chronic fatigue is gone. I've gotten my life back."
Read more
Acupuncturist focuses on healing mind and body
By Susan Tuz
THE NEWS-TIMES
At age 20, Kelly McGarvey barely had the energy to get through the day. She had to drop out of college and was in chronic pain.
The symptoms had been mounting for over 10 years and McGarvey felt she had lost control of her life.
It was at this time that McGarvey started to see a new medical doctor, and he diagnosed her with chronic Lyme disease. He also recommended that she receive an alternative course of treatment in conjunction with what he could do for her.
McGarvey started a course of acupuncture and herbal treatments administered by Samantha Jacobs, of Ridgefield Acupuncture LLC.
"I came to Sam and she helped me with my problems," McGarvey said. "That was two years ago. Sam helped point me in the right direction. She controlled the inflammation, the pain of Lyme related arthritis. I now have a better range of motion. I sleep better and the chronic fatigue is gone. I've gotten my life back."
Read more
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Acupuncture spans culture divide
One of the things that many of us have a hard time with is patience. We are a culture in which instant gratification is not fast enough, and when it comes to healthcare, people want results . . . yesterday. Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine is not the instant miracle. While I have had some "eureka" clients who report and physically demonstrate vast improvement as soon as they get off the table, the majority take a few treatments to truly notice a difference. The good news is, since the majority of my clients come to me as a last resort after trying MDs, massage therapists, and chiropractors, they are willing to put in a little more time to see a change. This is a nice story that exemplifies how a little patience can have a lifelong impact.
BENNINGTON — On a cold and dreary day in 1997 in Moldova, Marc Williams woke without the use of his right arm.
Three days earlier, the Akron, Ohio, native felt a tingling sensation that began in his pinky. Over the next few days it spread to his shoulder and eventually became full-blown paralysis of the limb.
At that point, Williams had spent two years in the crumbling former Soviet Republic teaching locals to speak English through the Peace Corps. The village of Cainari had begun to feel like home, but serious illness in a foreign land would scare even the most world-weary traveler.
The weeks went by and every doctor he saw was puzzled by his condition.
"It was just a dead limb," he said. "It was very scary."
He made plans to return to the U.S. and seek the care of specialist. While making his way around the village, saying his good-byes to the impoverished people he was trying to help, suddenly help came to him.
A Soviet trained neurologist and acupuncturist named Natasha found out why Williams was leaving and approached him, asking him to live with her and her husband Octavian until he got better. She said she could treat him with acupuncture. Williams had his doubts. "I didn't really believe that anything was going to happen," he said.
Williams had four days before he was meant to return to the U.S. and figured that one last shot at healing was better than dragging his seemingly dead arm back with him across the Atlantic Ocean. Staying with Natasha and Octavian was the only thing that made sense at the time.
The first treatment yielded no results in terms of his mobility, but he said it provided a deep relaxation. By the third day, Williams woke up, lifted his arm and made a fist. His right arm had been restored to full health. Natasha had really done it.
He canceled the return trip and stayed in Moldova teaching for another year. The experience provided an awakening for Williams, who had planned on going into environmental law after his stint in the Peace Corps. When he came back to the U.S. he attended acupuncturist school and hasn't looked back since.
"Acupuncture is really a miracle to me," Williams said Wednesday at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, where he performs acupuncture once a week at the integrative therapies department.
Read more
BENNINGTON — On a cold and dreary day in 1997 in Moldova, Marc Williams woke without the use of his right arm.
Three days earlier, the Akron, Ohio, native felt a tingling sensation that began in his pinky. Over the next few days it spread to his shoulder and eventually became full-blown paralysis of the limb.
At that point, Williams had spent two years in the crumbling former Soviet Republic teaching locals to speak English through the Peace Corps. The village of Cainari had begun to feel like home, but serious illness in a foreign land would scare even the most world-weary traveler.
The weeks went by and every doctor he saw was puzzled by his condition.
"It was just a dead limb," he said. "It was very scary."
He made plans to return to the U.S. and seek the care of specialist. While making his way around the village, saying his good-byes to the impoverished people he was trying to help, suddenly help came to him.
A Soviet trained neurologist and acupuncturist named Natasha found out why Williams was leaving and approached him, asking him to live with her and her husband Octavian until he got better. She said she could treat him with acupuncture. Williams had his doubts. "I didn't really believe that anything was going to happen," he said.
Williams had four days before he was meant to return to the U.S. and figured that one last shot at healing was better than dragging his seemingly dead arm back with him across the Atlantic Ocean. Staying with Natasha and Octavian was the only thing that made sense at the time.
The first treatment yielded no results in terms of his mobility, but he said it provided a deep relaxation. By the third day, Williams woke up, lifted his arm and made a fist. His right arm had been restored to full health. Natasha had really done it.
He canceled the return trip and stayed in Moldova teaching for another year. The experience provided an awakening for Williams, who had planned on going into environmental law after his stint in the Peace Corps. When he came back to the U.S. he attended acupuncturist school and hasn't looked back since.
"Acupuncture is really a miracle to me," Williams said Wednesday at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, where he performs acupuncture once a week at the integrative therapies department.
Read more
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Scandal!
Well, maybe not a huge scandal, but copyright infringement is not something to dismiss. It is amazing to me that people would think in these times that an author would not find out you stole and retranslated his work, but even in the world of alternative medicine, some people are without scruples.
Vietnam facial acupuncture publication violates copyright abroad
A book of facial acupuncture researched by a Vietnamese scientist and published under his name in Vietnam 22 years ago was found recently to have violated copyright in three countries abroad.
Methods in Facial Acupuncture and Gland Therapy (Dien Chan - dieu khien lieu phap) was written by Bui Quoc Chau and published in 1984 by the Minh Hai newspaper.
The publication was recently translated, re-printed, and published in France, Spain and Germany, which is where the problems arose.
The publication was recently translated, re-printed, and published in France, Spain and Germany, which is where the problems arose.
According to the author Chau, his book was initially translated into French and published illegally in 2000 by Switzerland’s publishing house Jouvence under title ‘Le Dien Cham – Une étonnante méthode Vietnamienne de réflexologie faciale’.
The book was undersigned by a French Marie France Muller and Le Quang Nhuan, Chau’s former student in Vietnam, without Chau’s consent.
In 2002, the book was translated from French into Spanish by the two ‘co-authors’ and published by Océano Ambar publishing house and in 2005, the book continued to be translated into German and published in Spain.
Chau said the latter books copied most of the content of his original book, thus he is claiming copyright compensation and a change in the undersigning of the books to his name.
Chau said that in a similar incident in 2004, one of his students plagiarized his unique book of facial acupuncture and translated it into Chinese to be published it in Taiwan.
The student was discovered and had to repay him money for copyright and reprint the book under the author’s name.
Source: Tuoi Tre – Translated by Minh Phat
Vietnam facial acupuncture publication violates copyright abroad
A book of facial acupuncture researched by a Vietnamese scientist and published under his name in Vietnam 22 years ago was found recently to have violated copyright in three countries abroad.
Methods in Facial Acupuncture and Gland Therapy (Dien Chan - dieu khien lieu phap) was written by Bui Quoc Chau and published in 1984 by the Minh Hai newspaper.
The publication was recently translated, re-printed, and published in France, Spain and Germany, which is where the problems arose.
The publication was recently translated, re-printed, and published in France, Spain and Germany, which is where the problems arose.
According to the author Chau, his book was initially translated into French and published illegally in 2000 by Switzerland’s publishing house Jouvence under title ‘Le Dien Cham – Une étonnante méthode Vietnamienne de réflexologie faciale’.
The book was undersigned by a French Marie France Muller and Le Quang Nhuan, Chau’s former student in Vietnam, without Chau’s consent.
In 2002, the book was translated from French into Spanish by the two ‘co-authors’ and published by Océano Ambar publishing house and in 2005, the book continued to be translated into German and published in Spain.
Chau said the latter books copied most of the content of his original book, thus he is claiming copyright compensation and a change in the undersigning of the books to his name.
Chau said that in a similar incident in 2004, one of his students plagiarized his unique book of facial acupuncture and translated it into Chinese to be published it in Taiwan.
The student was discovered and had to repay him money for copyright and reprint the book under the author’s name.
Source: Tuoi Tre – Translated by Minh Phat
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Get the Dynasty look
When I was in school, I was trained in how to perform acupuncture facelifts, although the professionally accepted description these days if acupuncture facial rejuvenation. I have begun to get more inquires about this in my practice and I have to say they one of those procedures that are a lot of fun to deliver. The results do not look like a surgical facelift, but then, who wants to spend $30,000 for surgery to have it look like you had surgery? This is a great alternative and nearly everyone I have treated has seen visible and lasting results.
Acupuncture 'facelifts' given to Chinese empresses are now available here, as Charmian Evans reports
The wrinkles say it all - we're getting older. More and more of us don't like what we see in the mirror and are turning back the clock by a variety of methods. Botox injections and facelifts are on the increase, but now there is a method that doesn't involve toxic treatments or surgery.
The acupuncture "facelift" is the latest option. Unlike many other treatments, it has been in use for thousands of years. Cosmetic acupuncture was performed on the Empress (and Emperor's concubines) back in the Sung Dynasty, around 960AD. For centuries the Chinese have known that nourishing the inner body will ensure the face is radiant.
Sharon Yelland has seen the effects acupuncture can have. A qualified nurse and midwife, she trained mainly in China. Back in England, she and two colleagues set up one of the first NHS acupuncture clinics for pregnant women, attracting the interest of Prince Charles, who presented them with a joint award from the Foundation for Integrated Medicine.
Read more
Acupuncture 'facelifts' given to Chinese empresses are now available here, as Charmian Evans reports
The wrinkles say it all - we're getting older. More and more of us don't like what we see in the mirror and are turning back the clock by a variety of methods. Botox injections and facelifts are on the increase, but now there is a method that doesn't involve toxic treatments or surgery.
The acupuncture "facelift" is the latest option. Unlike many other treatments, it has been in use for thousands of years. Cosmetic acupuncture was performed on the Empress (and Emperor's concubines) back in the Sung Dynasty, around 960AD. For centuries the Chinese have known that nourishing the inner body will ensure the face is radiant.
Sharon Yelland has seen the effects acupuncture can have. A qualified nurse and midwife, she trained mainly in China. Back in England, she and two colleagues set up one of the first NHS acupuncture clinics for pregnant women, attracting the interest of Prince Charles, who presented them with a joint award from the Foundation for Integrated Medicine.
Read more
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Patients with Four Legs
Because veterinary acupuncture is almost exclusively limited to Doctors of Veterinary Medicine, my personal experience with equine acupuncture has been limited to observational training. Both the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society (IVAS) and its affiliate organization The American academy of Veterinary Acupuncture(AAVA) have done a wonderful job providing continuing educations for veterinarians who want to practice Oriental Medicine techniques. They have nearly 100 members, all DVMs, with the highest number of practitioners in CA, VA, KY, and NJ. Continuing education classes very, but I was delighted to find that the Chi Institute (www.tcvm.com) takes their education seriously and offers both basic and Master's level course work for those interested in certifying. Who knows - maybe one day there will be an "Official Acupuncturist of the Kentucky Derby."
A Stick in Time
by: Marcia King
June 2006 Article # 7004
Your reining horse isn't sinking as deeply into his hocks as he used to. Your hunter refuses jumps that should be no big deal. Your dressage horse isn't bending properly. Your endurance horse flinches when he's saddled up. It's an old story: Acute or chronic pain that hinders a horse's performance. The traditional treatment usually involves anti-inflammatories coupled with rest or exercise modification. But in the last 30-some years, acupuncture has emerged as an increasingly important component in keeping the performance horse performing.
Lameness is the most common for which acupuncture is used, so acupuncture lends itself quite well for keeping the performance horse sound. "Depending on the individual case, I usually use acupuncture as an adjunct or additional therapy for chronic problems," says Rathgeber. "But I also use acupuncture as a drug-free alternative for pain or discomfort in both acute and chronic cases for shows or if an owner does not want to use drugs. Some horses are very sensitive to anti-inflammatory agents; they don't experience side effects with acupuncture."
Acupuncture is still perceived by some as a last ditch effort, but that appears to be changing. "Recent experience has proven acupuncture to be very helpful in improving the health and performance of the equine athlete in areas where Western medical choices are lacking or unavailable due to medication restrictions," Luckenbill stresses. "Today, acupuncture is a widely used modality in equine sports medicine. Whether used as a stand-alone therapy or in conjunction with other treatment options, acupuncture is gaining in popularity as an integral part of the total health care approach to performance-related soreness."
Read more
A Stick in Time
by: Marcia King
June 2006 Article # 7004
Your reining horse isn't sinking as deeply into his hocks as he used to. Your hunter refuses jumps that should be no big deal. Your dressage horse isn't bending properly. Your endurance horse flinches when he's saddled up. It's an old story: Acute or chronic pain that hinders a horse's performance. The traditional treatment usually involves anti-inflammatories coupled with rest or exercise modification. But in the last 30-some years, acupuncture has emerged as an increasingly important component in keeping the performance horse performing.
Lameness is the most common for which acupuncture is used, so acupuncture lends itself quite well for keeping the performance horse sound. "Depending on the individual case, I usually use acupuncture as an adjunct or additional therapy for chronic problems," says Rathgeber. "But I also use acupuncture as a drug-free alternative for pain or discomfort in both acute and chronic cases for shows or if an owner does not want to use drugs. Some horses are very sensitive to anti-inflammatory agents; they don't experience side effects with acupuncture."
Acupuncture is still perceived by some as a last ditch effort, but that appears to be changing. "Recent experience has proven acupuncture to be very helpful in improving the health and performance of the equine athlete in areas where Western medical choices are lacking or unavailable due to medication restrictions," Luckenbill stresses. "Today, acupuncture is a widely used modality in equine sports medicine. Whether used as a stand-alone therapy or in conjunction with other treatment options, acupuncture is gaining in popularity as an integral part of the total health care approach to performance-related soreness."
Read more
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
"My Chi"
The New York College of Health Professions has obtained the patent for a line of sports apparel aimed at allowing the athlete to administer self-acupressure during play. I suppose this is not unlike sending a patient home with ear seeds and having them press on them several times a day, but I am having trouble envisioning a football team bending over in a time-out huddle rubbing on themselves to get a boost of energy for the big play or a golfer massaging Shenmen (Heart 7) through his specially patented gloves. I will admit, the commentary would be awfully amusing and I cannot wait to see who is going to be the first to sponsor it.
SYOSSET, NY (PRWEB) May 24, 2006 -- New York College of Health Professions announced today that it has received an exclusive license on a patented, new line of clothing and accessories that provide the benefits of acupressure to specific points when in contact with the body. This product line is so easy to use that it can be self administrated by the wearer during sports activities.
Acupuncture and Acupressure have been used for thousands of years and are well known in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Both have been shown to produce chemicals in the body that allow a person to either relax or become energized. "We now have the ability to apply this to lines of clothing," says Donald Spector, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York College of Health Professions, and well-known inventor. "While the application in sports is obvious, these clothing and accessories can also be used to reduce motion sickness, help in weight reduction and assist in smoking cessation," says Spector. The means of attaining the natural drug release is by putting small seeds in the right places. When the consumer presses on these points they are basically practicing the most basic technique of Acupressure. "We are not going to say that this is as effective as our licensed professionals that the College trains to become practitioners of Acupuncture or Acupressure," says Lisa Pamintuan, "but there should be a noticeable effect in many cases."
"Imagine it's the ninth inning, the score tied, you are one run up but bases are loaded with no outs. I wouldn't want to be the pitcher," says Lisa Pamintuan, who years ago played at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and is now President of New York College, the 25-year-old pioneering institution of Holistic Health (http://www.nycollege.edu/). "However, hopefully, our baseball cap will make situations like this a little easier. All athletes look for ways to enhance their performance, whether on the field or the tennis court. I wish I had worn this line of clothing when I was playing at Wimbledon as a 16-year-old. I would have been able to press the acupressure points in the clothing, like my sweatbands, and I would have been able to be either energized when I was tired, or relaxed when it was a tight match."
Read more
Pet Peeve PS: I know there is no real Pin Yin standard, but I always learned it as "Qi" not "Chi"
SYOSSET, NY (PRWEB) May 24, 2006 -- New York College of Health Professions announced today that it has received an exclusive license on a patented, new line of clothing and accessories that provide the benefits of acupressure to specific points when in contact with the body. This product line is so easy to use that it can be self administrated by the wearer during sports activities.
Acupuncture and Acupressure have been used for thousands of years and are well known in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Both have been shown to produce chemicals in the body that allow a person to either relax or become energized. "We now have the ability to apply this to lines of clothing," says Donald Spector, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of New York College of Health Professions, and well-known inventor. "While the application in sports is obvious, these clothing and accessories can also be used to reduce motion sickness, help in weight reduction and assist in smoking cessation," says Spector. The means of attaining the natural drug release is by putting small seeds in the right places. When the consumer presses on these points they are basically practicing the most basic technique of Acupressure. "We are not going to say that this is as effective as our licensed professionals that the College trains to become practitioners of Acupuncture or Acupressure," says Lisa Pamintuan, "but there should be a noticeable effect in many cases."
"Imagine it's the ninth inning, the score tied, you are one run up but bases are loaded with no outs. I wouldn't want to be the pitcher," says Lisa Pamintuan, who years ago played at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and is now President of New York College, the 25-year-old pioneering institution of Holistic Health (http://www.nycollege.edu/). "However, hopefully, our baseball cap will make situations like this a little easier. All athletes look for ways to enhance their performance, whether on the field or the tennis court. I wish I had worn this line of clothing when I was playing at Wimbledon as a 16-year-old. I would have been able to press the acupressure points in the clothing, like my sweatbands, and I would have been able to be either energized when I was tired, or relaxed when it was a tight match."
Read more
Pet Peeve PS: I know there is no real Pin Yin standard, but I always learned it as "Qi" not "Chi"
Friday, May 26, 2006
Different care could aid NHS – therapists
Across the pond, practitioners in the UK have many of the same woes we do - battling the skeptics and the critics. Oriental Medicine is not a system of healing that lends itself to traditional research methods and as a result, most of the studies out there are small with plenty of limitations that fuel traditionalist criticisms. Thankfully, there are competent, educated practitioners like Nina Wilson who defend the wrote and tired attacks our profession.
Published on 26/05/2006
Healing hands: Nina Wilson believes that complementary therapies could save the NHS money By Pamela McGowan
Health reporter
THERAPISTS have defended their profession after a group of leading UK doctors this week labelled complementary medicine as "bogus" and "unproven."
The critics urged NHS trusts to stop using treatments such as homeopathy and Reiki because of a lack of evidence that it does any good.
But west Cumbrian therapist Nina Wilson, who practices oriental body balance and acupuncture, has hit back at the comments.
She said she has seen how acupuncture can help to heal people who have had no luck with western practices.
This includes back and neck problems, muscle strains and repetitive strain injuries, which often results in patients having to undergo surgery if seen by western doctors, she said.
Miss Wilson, who is based in Whitehaven, added that it is hard to carry out controlled, clinical tests into treatments like acupuncture because unlike western techniques, it does not focus solely on a specific problem and it varies with every individual.
But she said that in China it is used alongside conventional medicines in hospitals and some patients choose it as an anaesthetic when having major operations.
She believes the UK government could actually save money if it were to make complementary medicines available on the NHS, alongside existing treatments.
"I treat a lot of people who have been able to go back to work after being off with long-term injuries. That saves money," she said.
The criticism of alternative practices was made in a letter written by 13 medics and sent to 476 health trusts.
In north Cumbria, the primary care trusts do not directly fund any such treatments. However a spokeswoman told the News & Star that if a doctor or physiotherapist was trained to carry out a procedure such as acupuncture and decided to use it, it would be covered.
Carlisle Reiki teacher and hypnotherapist, Marion Dunlop, has also worked as a nurse and believes the two approaches can work together in harmony.
She said billions of pounds have been spent on research into western medicine. However, complementary therapies have not had that investment to prove or disprove their effectiveness.
"I would argue that just because the scientific evidence isn't there it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," she said. "People existed for thousands and thousands of years before we had western medicine and survived."
But she added: "I am not knocking western medicine. We always view ourselves as complimentary."
Published on 26/05/2006
Healing hands: Nina Wilson believes that complementary therapies could save the NHS money By Pamela McGowan
Health reporter
THERAPISTS have defended their profession after a group of leading UK doctors this week labelled complementary medicine as "bogus" and "unproven."
The critics urged NHS trusts to stop using treatments such as homeopathy and Reiki because of a lack of evidence that it does any good.
But west Cumbrian therapist Nina Wilson, who practices oriental body balance and acupuncture, has hit back at the comments.
She said she has seen how acupuncture can help to heal people who have had no luck with western practices.
This includes back and neck problems, muscle strains and repetitive strain injuries, which often results in patients having to undergo surgery if seen by western doctors, she said.
Miss Wilson, who is based in Whitehaven, added that it is hard to carry out controlled, clinical tests into treatments like acupuncture because unlike western techniques, it does not focus solely on a specific problem and it varies with every individual.
But she said that in China it is used alongside conventional medicines in hospitals and some patients choose it as an anaesthetic when having major operations.
She believes the UK government could actually save money if it were to make complementary medicines available on the NHS, alongside existing treatments.
"I treat a lot of people who have been able to go back to work after being off with long-term injuries. That saves money," she said.
The criticism of alternative practices was made in a letter written by 13 medics and sent to 476 health trusts.
In north Cumbria, the primary care trusts do not directly fund any such treatments. However a spokeswoman told the News & Star that if a doctor or physiotherapist was trained to carry out a procedure such as acupuncture and decided to use it, it would be covered.
Carlisle Reiki teacher and hypnotherapist, Marion Dunlop, has also worked as a nurse and believes the two approaches can work together in harmony.
She said billions of pounds have been spent on research into western medicine. However, complementary therapies have not had that investment to prove or disprove their effectiveness.
"I would argue that just because the scientific evidence isn't there it doesn't mean it doesn't exist," she said. "People existed for thousands and thousands of years before we had western medicine and survived."
But she added: "I am not knocking western medicine. We always view ourselves as complimentary."
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Press Release
This is the full press release from the NCCAOM concerning the bill in Kentucky. I muct share this quote from the article as it sums up what I believe most professionally trained Oriental Medicine practitioners feel:
As of today, there are still six states, including Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming that have no regulatory laws for the practice of acupuncture. In most of these states, only physicians and osteopaths, often with little or no formal education in acupuncture, are allowed to practice. As a result, healthcare consumers in these states may not experience the full efficacy of acupuncture treatment. In addition, the healthcare consumer is potentially placed at risk for treatment received from an unqualified individual who claims to be an acupuncturist.
Read more
As of today, there are still six states, including Alabama, Mississippi, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Wyoming that have no regulatory laws for the practice of acupuncture. In most of these states, only physicians and osteopaths, often with little or no formal education in acupuncture, are allowed to practice. As a result, healthcare consumers in these states may not experience the full efficacy of acupuncture treatment. In addition, the healthcare consumer is potentially placed at risk for treatment received from an unqualified individual who claims to be an acupuncturist.
Read more
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
Needle Works: Obtaining Qi
“The most important thing in acupuncture is the arrival of Qi” – Ling Shu Chapter One
Here is a little back-to-the-basics guide for obtaining, moving, and maintaining Qi sensation. The name of the techniques come from the text Acupuncture and Moxibustion: A Guide to Clinical Practice. I find that it helps to go over these introductory texts periodically to maintain skills and to keep from growing complacent with our own patterns in practice.
Qi should feel like:
aching, numbness, tingling, itching, brief coolness/heat, pressure, heaviness, twitching, electric shock (aka tongue on a 9-volt battery – I have about a 60% acknowledge rate on this analogy). Qi should travel along the meridian pathway, may differ in intensity on the opposite side, and will arrive more slowly or feel less intense where energy is deficient.
Techniques
Waiting for qi by:
Probe for qi by bringing the deeply inserted needle to the epidermis, re-angle, push back into the body, and repeat until Qi is obtained.
Massaging the meridian with thumb or forefinger
Pushing using the fingertips around the acupuncture point
Flick the hand of the needle with the third finger
Bird peck by lifting and thrusting the needle rapidly with small amplitude
Vibrate using lifting and thrusting extremely fast a’la electric stimulator
If all else fails – relocate the needle.
Move qi after obtaining qi by:
Lifting and thrusting
Rotate in one direction slowly to avoid tangling muscle fibers
Swing and scratch by holding the needle and swinging it 45 degrees back and forth like a pendulum then scratch the handle of the needle down to reinforce and upward to reduce
Crank and shake by pushing needle to the maximum depth, withdraw to the muscle level, then bend the needle to 45 degrees and “crank” 3 times around, then swing back and forth – this is a reducing technique
Block the by placing the thumb on the opposite side of the meridian that the qi is intended to travel
Flying away involves rotating the needle 45 degrees once and releasing the handle quickly to reinforce or reduce.
Maintaining Qi by:
Cock the crossbow by grasping the needle and bending the needle backward
Bend the needle forward and perform flying away
Here is a little back-to-the-basics guide for obtaining, moving, and maintaining Qi sensation. The name of the techniques come from the text Acupuncture and Moxibustion: A Guide to Clinical Practice. I find that it helps to go over these introductory texts periodically to maintain skills and to keep from growing complacent with our own patterns in practice.
Qi should feel like:
aching, numbness, tingling, itching, brief coolness/heat, pressure, heaviness, twitching, electric shock (aka tongue on a 9-volt battery – I have about a 60% acknowledge rate on this analogy). Qi should travel along the meridian pathway, may differ in intensity on the opposite side, and will arrive more slowly or feel less intense where energy is deficient.
Techniques
Waiting for qi by:
Probe for qi by bringing the deeply inserted needle to the epidermis, re-angle, push back into the body, and repeat until Qi is obtained.
Massaging the meridian with thumb or forefinger
Pushing using the fingertips around the acupuncture point
Flick the hand of the needle with the third finger
Bird peck by lifting and thrusting the needle rapidly with small amplitude
Vibrate using lifting and thrusting extremely fast a’la electric stimulator
If all else fails – relocate the needle.
Move qi after obtaining qi by:
Lifting and thrusting
Rotate in one direction slowly to avoid tangling muscle fibers
Swing and scratch by holding the needle and swinging it 45 degrees back and forth like a pendulum then scratch the handle of the needle down to reinforce and upward to reduce
Crank and shake by pushing needle to the maximum depth, withdraw to the muscle level, then bend the needle to 45 degrees and “crank” 3 times around, then swing back and forth – this is a reducing technique
Block the by placing the thumb on the opposite side of the meridian that the qi is intended to travel
Flying away involves rotating the needle 45 degrees once and releasing the handle quickly to reinforce or reduce.
Maintaining Qi by:
Cock the crossbow by grasping the needle and bending the needle backward
Bend the needle forward and perform flying away
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