Veteran Uses Acupuncture To Get Healthy

A hopeful story recently appeared in The journal Times.com from Wisconsin. It described a veteran who became addicted to drugs after his duty in Viet Nam. Finally, 25 years ago, he entered a Veteran’s Hospital Stress Unit where he was treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was somewhat helpful.

Recently, he turned to acupuncture after seeing a flier at the veterans center. Two local acupuncturists were offering free treatments to Vets. “Why not?” he figured. The first thing he noticed was that he could sleep better. The second thing he said he noticed was that whenever he missed a treatment, he found himself seeking out the acupuncturist. "It happened at the right time in my life to kind of get me healthier than I've been, I think, ever," he said.

To read the entire article click here

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have much to be thankful for.

Happy Holidays!

Chinese Medicine May Provide Help Against The H1N1 Virus

By: Cathy Margolin L.A.c.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is used by more than 3 billion people in the world.As temperatures begin to drop and winter approaches the seasonal flu and H1N1 cases begin to spread. There may be another alternative to Tamiflu & flu vaccines to battle the virus.

Hong Kong based Rorric Bio-Technology Ltd. believes it may be able to offer a less invasive cure to H1N1 using Chinese Medicine. The Chairman of R&B Dr. Chow Ching-Fung says, “This formula is effective in two ways. First it combats and eliminates the virus. Second, it boosts the immune system, helping the patient to become stronger. Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of being proven to have fewer side effects, as it uses herbal ingredients. But western medicine contains a mixture of chemicals from the manufacturing process. So the risks are higher.”

The formula is made of up 21 Chinese herbs. Dr. Chow says he has prescribed the formula to 100 patients suspected of contracting taking H1N1 and they have fully recovered after taking the formula. It’s currently in a powder form, but Dr. Chow says there may be a pill version in the future. Tests at the Wu Han Institute of Virology show that the formula is not only effective on H1N1 but also against other mutated forms of influenza A. Tests continue on 300 patients. If successful it will be the first Chinese Herbal prescription drug to cure H1N1.

Video interview of Dr. Chow on Chinese herbal formula for H1N1 flu watch here. 3 min.

* The Chinese Herbs used in the formula weren't disclosed, maybe because it's still in testing phase.

Cathy Margolin is a Licensed Acupuncturist in CA. She specializes in Chinese Herbs and her company PACHerbs.com caries high potency herbal products.

Ginkgo May Offer Protection Against Radiation

More good news about the positive effects of Chinese Herbs! In this article from The Chinese Medicine Times Attilio reports on a new study which shows that an Antioxidant in Ginkgo may protect cells from radiation damage.

"According to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the Ginkgo biloba (G. biloba) is one of the oldest types of trees in the world. Ginkgo herbal treatments have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years to treat a host of ills including asthma, bronchitis, fatigue, and tinnitus (ringing or roaring sounds in the ears). Now 21st century scientists may have discovered yet another Ginkgo-based therapy.

According to a study just published in the International Journal of Low Radiation, antioxidant extracts of the leaves of the G. biloba tree may protect cells in the human body from radiation damage. The discovery could offer a way to protect cancer patients from side effects produced by radiotherapy. G. biloba might also offer protection from medical tests that involve radiation, such as X-rays.

Chang-Mo Kang of the Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences in Taegu and colleagues have been investigating well-known herbal remedies to see what actual medicinal effects they may have. They specifically decided to study extracts made from G. biloba leaves because these substances are known to contain several antioxidant compounds, called ginkgolides and bilobalides, that are thought to protect cells in the body from damage caused by free radicals and other reactive oxidizing species. Free radicals are generated by the body's normal metabolism and are also produced in excess as a result of certain diseases and from exposure to pollution or radiation. If left unchecked, they can damage proteins and DNA and even kill cells.

Dr. Kang and his research team collected human white blood cells, known as lymphocytes, from healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 50. Then they treated half of these cells in the lab with a G. biloba extract. The other half of the cells were used as a control group and exposed to only a salt solution. Next, both sets of white blood cells were treated with gamma radiation from radioactive cesium.

The scientists used a light microscope to measure how many lymphocytes were undergoing programmed cell death, known as apoptosis, caused by the exposure to radiation. They found a significant increase in apoptosis in the untreated cells but the lymphocytes treated with G. biloba extract tended to be protected from the radiation. In all, about a third of the untreated cells underwent apoptosis compared with only one in twenty of the Ginkgo treated cells.

In a statement to the media, the researchers noted that other studies using laboratory mice have also demonstrated a similar protective effect when Ginkgo was used to shield the animals against radiation poisoning. The results of the latest research suggest that the G. biloba extracts actually neutralize the free radicals and oxidizing agents produced in the cells by radiation -- and that appears to prevent the cells from undergoing apoptosis.

As NaturalNews reported recently, other research has found evidence Ginkgo biloba extract may reduce brain damage after a stroke by about 50 percent (http://www.naturalnews.com/025981.html) and it may also be a natural memory booster (http://www.naturalnews.com/025722_d...). NCCAM is currently funding numerous studies on Ginkgo for asthma, symptoms of multiple sclerosis, vascular function (intermittent claudication), cognitive decline, sexual dysfunction due to antidepressants, and insulin resistance."

Reference:
"Protective effect of Ginkgo biloba against radiation-induced cellular damage in human peripheral lymphocytes and murine spleen cells", International Journal of Low Radiation, 2009, 6, 209-218.

Source: http://www.naturalnews.com/027469_gi...on_damage.html

Attilio D'Alberto Editor
Chinese Medicine Times
attilio@chinesemedicinetimes.com

To see the original post click here

I Love This Quote, What Do You Think?

"Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake"

Napoleon Bonaparte 1769-1821

I love this quote because it has a Taoist philosophy behind it. Though I doubt Napoleon knew that. This saying is the perfect example of how inaction and stillness often work in our favor. What do you think?

“Why Do I Have To Get Acupuncture Treatment So Often?”

New patients sometimes ask me, “Why do I have to come to acupuncture so often?” It is a particularly relevant question in a society like ours where doctors are visited to ‘fix’ a broken part but play very little role in keeping us healthy. Traditional Chinese Medicine has a different philosophy as well as a different practice.

Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Cupping are healing and they do a wonderful job of repairing you, but my philosophy is not that you are broken, but that you are out of balance. In Chinese Medicine, the onset of serious or uncomfortable symptoms indicates that you’ve been unhealthy and out of balance prior to your uncomfortable symptom – maybe for a long time!

To answer the original question, “Why do I have to come to acupuncture appointments so often?” I have explained that my goal is to return you to a healthy state of being, where symptoms don't return. This takes time. Your body has work to do to reclaim and sustain health. Think of it as similar to taking a course of antibiotics regularly for a period of time in order to kill the infection; one strong pill is not enough to last. Acupuncture often will give you relief quickly, sometimes immediately, but to sustain the results, you need treatments over time.

The number of acupuncture treatments needed depends on you and on the length of time that your problem has existed. If your difficulty has bothered you for years, you will need a good deal more treatment than someone else who wrenched their back last week. In the latter case, maybe only a couple of treatments are needed. It will depend on the extent of the imbalance and how quickly their body responds. Even then, treatments are still more effective when you have them closer together. The most effective way to use acupuncture is to start with appointments that are scheduled close together and slow them down as you feel the results.

Here is a common example: a patient who has suffered from intense sciatica for 4 months might start treatment at 2 appointments per week. Often, this patient will feel relief after 1 or 2 sessions but needs to continue coming in 2 times a week for the first 2-4 weeks. After that, as the relief continues, we reduce appointments to 1 time per week, moving to alternate weeks and continuing to taper off sessions as the pain is lessened and the pain relief lasts longer and longer until it is hopefully gone for good.

An Oatmeal Recipe To Keep You Warm And Healthy

Hey Folks, here is a wonderful winter recipe from from South Loop Acupuncture.

OATMEAL TERI STYLE

Good quality oatmeal (I usually use rolled oats or a combination of rolled w/ flax seeds)
Rice milk
Walnuts
Dried cranberries or goji berries
Honey

Walnuts are good for the brain. They are high in omega3 and contain good fats. They can improve brain function as well. The honey is a nice moistening agent for the intestines. Like goji berries cranberries are very good for the blood.

Follow the directions on the package for cooking instructions. I usually make mine stove top in an old iron pan. (Yes you do actually absorb iron from a pan when you are cooking from it. So if you are anemic it can help add more iron to your diet). I add in the goji berries and walnuts while cooking it to soften them a bit.

Key points

* When ever taking flaxseed be sure to grind up the seed, or to take the oil. Seeds are not digested by the body very easily. Therefore, you want to break them down before you consume them.

* You can not cook with flax seed oil! You must keep it in the refrigerator!

* Eat for the season. Food grows during certain times of year for a reason. They offer the nutrients that you need for that particular season. During the fall and winter months be sure to eat warm foods and not raw. In order to digest raw foods your body needs to bring it down to body temperature. If it is cold outside and you are eating cold foods your body has to work twice as hard. So if you must eat chocolate during the winter exchange the chocolate ice cream for some chocolate cake.

Enjoy!

Are There Risks Associated With Acupuncture?

People often ask me if there are risks or side effects associated with Acupuncture and I am happy to tell them that problems are rare. It's a good question and I understand why people ask. It might be counter-intuitive to voluntarily allow someone to stick needles in your body. But, Acupuncture is very safe and I went to graduate school for four years to learn how to to stick you with needles. Just be sure to always work with an experienced trusted TCM practitioner. Below is another helpful article from acufinder.com which thoroughly addresses this question.

By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

Are there risks or side effects to acupuncture?

Usually not. Acupuncture is a very safe method of encouraging the body to promote natural healing and improve function.

Done properly, acupuncture rarely causes serious side effects. Many people feel a brief stinging sensation, like a pinprick, during insertion of the needles. Others experience a dull ache around the needle after it goes in.

Other problems documented by researchers resulted from mistakes made by the acupuncturists. For example, some have failed to refer their patients for other kinds of treatment that might be more effective for their illness. Others have spread serious infections by using needles that weren't sterile. A handful have injured patients by pushing a needle into a vital organ such as a lung. But overall, as the National Institutes of Health recently concluded, acupuncturists have an extremely good safety record.

A side effect that may happen is the original symptoms worsening for a few days after an acupuncture treatment. Sometimes other general changes in appetite, sleep, bowel or urination patterns, or emotional state may be triggered. These should not cause concern, as they are simply indications that the acupuncture is starting to work. My teacher explained it to me like this: Acupuncture is smoothing out blocked Qi (energy) that is stuck in areas of your body. When a garden hose gets a kink in it, the water stops flowing. When you straighten the hose, the built up pressure makes the water burst out in the beginning. This is what can happen when you first have acupuncture.

It is also common with the first one or two treatments to have a sensation of deep relaxation or even mild disorientation immediately following the treatment. These effects should wear off within 24-48 hours.

Please discuss what you have been experiencing with your acupuncturist. Your comfort is a priority. The more you communicate with the practitioner, the more he or she will be able to help you.

A few people have reported more serious reactions, such as dizziness, sweatiness, or nausea, according to a November 1999 issue of the Archives of Family Medicine. There have even been some cases reported where patients lost consciousness. However, these problems usually clear up on their own within a few minutes, without lasting harm to the patient.

While Acupuncture is an extremely safe form of physical medicine, here are some rarely seen contraindications and risks.

Precautions & Contraindications:

1. It is contraindicated to needle the abdomen and lumbosacral areas of pregnant women
2. Avoid blood vessels to prevent bleeding
3. Points on the chest and back should be carefully needled to avoid injury to organs

Risks: (Some of the risks mentioned below are EXTREMELY RARE!)

1. Bruising
2. Fainting
3. Muscle Spasms
4. Bleeding
5. Nerve Damage
6. Punctured Lung
7. Accidental Injury to organs (Brain, Spinal Cord, Heart, Liver, Spleen, Kidney)

New Study Reveals Ginseng is Anti-Inflammatory and Boosts The Immune System

Ginseng is a very commonly known and used herb in Chinese Medicine. Here is an interesting article on some new research that has shown even more benefits to this ancient wonder herb.

Ginseng: Nature's Anti-inflammatory?

From ScienceDaily (May 14, 2009) — Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the immunological effects of ginseng. Researchers have now shown that the herb, much used in traditional Chinese and other Asian medicine, has anti-inflammatory effects.

Allan Lau led a team of researchers from the University of Hong Kong who identified seven ginseng constituents, ginsenosides, which showed immune-suppressive effects. He said, "The anti-inflammatory role of ginseng may be due to the combined effects of these ginsenosides, targeting different levels of immunological activity, and so contributing to the diverse actions of ginseng in humans".

The scientists treated human immune cells with different extracts of ginseng. They found that of the nine ginsenosides they identified, seven could selectively inhibit expression of the inflammatory gene CXCL-10. Lau concludes, "Further studies will be needed to examine the potential beneficial effects of ginsenosides in the management of acute and chronic inflammatory diseases in humans".

Uniquely, the researchers were able to holistically test the ginseng extract's immune effects by using sophisticated purification technologies to identify individual constituents and define their bioactivity using genomics and bioactivity assays. After that, they reconstituted them back into a whole extract with definable individual ginsenosides for re-confirmation of effects. This potentially opens up a vigorous methodology to study medicinal herbs with state-of-the-art technologies.

---

Journal reference:

1. Davy CW Lee, Cindy LH Yang, Stanley CC Chik, James CB Li, Jian-hui Rong, Godfrey CF Chan and Allan SY Lau. Bioactivity-guided identification and cell signaling technology to delineate the immunomodulatory effects of Panax ginseng on human promonocytic U937 cells. Journal of Translational Medicine, (in press)

Adapted from materials provided by Journal of Translational Medicine, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Born To Be Wild?

"Born to be wild - live to outgrow it."

Lao Tzu

A Chinese philosopher from the sixth century. Author of the “Tao-Te Ching and known as the father of Taoism

What Does It Mean To Forgive?

Here is another thoughtful post from one of my favorite writers (and mother) Dr. Linda Edelstein.

In preparation for leading a Yom Kippur discussion at the synagogue, I spent several months reading about the topic – How to Forgive. I started with the Buddhists, read some biblical material I received from an Orthodox Rabbi, and wound up with the folks who are most comfortable for me, the psychologists.

I found a researcher at Stanford, Professor Fred Luskin, who has been studying forgiveness for a couple of decades, and his conclusions resonated with me. Here is my understanding of how we create grudges and how we can forgive.

To begin, it is important to recognize that forgiveness is NOT condoning, NOT forgetting, NOT excusing, NOT denying feelings or bad behavior. Forgiveness is NOT reconciling with the offender.

Forgiveness is Not for the other person – Forgiveness is for you. Forgiveness provides peace; it is about taking back your power; it is about taking responsibility for how you feel; it is about becoming heroes rather than victims; it is one important choice to make about how you live.

We develop a grudge because we:

1. take exaggerated offence
2. blame the offender for how we feel
3. create a grievance story that we tell and retell

In this way, the person who offended you grows in power and importance; you become smaller.

You get into a more peaceful place by undoing the 3 components listed above:

Instead of exaggerating personal offence, > Find the impersonal

Instead of revisiting the past, > Know that the past can’t be changed

Instead of dwelling on the bad > Concentrate on the good

When you are stuck in disappointment > Limit dwelling on those thoughts

Instead of blaming the offender for feelings > Make a plan to improve your life

Instead of repeating the old story > Learn a new story with you as the hero,
not as the victim

Instead of negative emotions > Refocus emotion on being grateful

Instead of hanging on to legitimate hurts > Mourn your disappointments and move forward

Forgiving does not mean forgetting. It does not mean that whatever happened was your fault. Forgiveness means that you seek peace for yourself; you will gain freedom by letting go of past grievances; you will be in charge of how you feel and behave today; you will not repeat old ways that didn’t work; and you will create your own life, not allow yourself to be dictated to by past people or events.

To read more posts by Dr. Edelstein click here

What Foods Can Help You Beat The Flu?

Concern over getting the flu has been rampant since H1N1 came out. This information, from acufinder.com, gives some great food suggestions that can reduce your chances of catching the flu. Check it out...

The Anti-Flu Diet
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

A study, published by The American Physiological Society found that mice were significantly less likely to contract flu when given quercetin, a powerful anti-oxidant found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. According to the study's authors, the research also indicated that high consumption of quercetin resulted in catching fewer colds. So, what are the best quercetin rich foods that you can load up on? Quercetin is found in red onions, grapes, blueberries, tea, broccoli and red wine. Red onions are one of the best quercetin rich foods as they have approximately four times the quercetin of most other produce. Eat them raw or cooked.

Source: American Journal of Physiology