The Wall Street Journal Talks About Acupuncture

That bastion of conservative journalism, The Wall Street Journal, has a wonderful article on acupuncture. It is a good piece and there are some interesting pictures. Here are a few highlights.

"Acupuncture does have real effects on the human body, which scientists are documenting using high-tech tools. Neuroimaging studies show that it seems to calm areas of the brain that register pain and activate those involved in rest and recuperation. Doppler ultrasound shows that acupuncture increases blood flow in treated areas. Thermal imaging shows that it can make inflammation subside."

"Scientists are also finding parallels between the ancient concepts and modern anatomy. Many of the 365 acupuncture points correspond to nerve bundles or muscle trigger points. Several meridians track major arteries and nerves. "If people have a heart attack, the pain will radiate up across the chest and down the left arm. That's where the heart meridian goes," says Peter Dorsher, a specialist in pain management and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. "Gallbladder pain will radiate to the right upper shoulder, just where the gallbladder meridian goes."

I strongly suggest that you read the rest of the article by clicking here.......

Chicago First Lady Maggie Daley Speaks At New Cancer Center - That Provides Acupuncture

Chicago first lady Maggie Daley appeared at the opening of a cancer center in Chicago named after her and gave a warm talk. The Maggie Daley Center is part of Prentice hospital.

"The care center's "healing boutique" offers wig and prosthesis fittings, hats and makeup consultation, where patients can look at their options in front of a vanity mirror. Table massage, acupuncture and psychological therapy are also provided."

Mrs. Daley has been dealing with breast cancer for 7 years. In her talk, she spoke about being grateful for receiving kindness during these years. To read more about the new cancer center click here.

5 Acupuncture Studies That Show Needles Boost Fertility

I regularly treat patients to improve their fertility. Some are undergoing IVF or IUI treatments and some are not. Wherever you are in your attempts to get pregnant Chinese Medicine can help. Below are some relevant studies on the benefits of acupuncture for fertility.

Acupuncture in IVF Linked to Lower Miscarriage and Ectopic Rates

Women who receive acupuncture during the stimulation phase of an in vitro fertilization cycle and again immediately after embryo transfer have a higher live-birth rate than do controls, according to the first acupuncture study with this end point. "Other studies have looked at pregnancy rates, but what is really important is whether or not there is a baby," said Paul C. Magarelli, M.D., who reported his findings at the annual meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. The retrospective study included 131 women who were undergoing standard in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). All of these women were considered good prognosis candidates for IVF/ICSI and were given the choice of having acupuncture.

To read more click here

Acupuncture Improves Sperm Quality

A study published in the July 2005 issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility found that acupuncture helped infertile men by apparently helping improve sperm quality in their semen.

to read more click here

British Medical Journal Reports that Acupuncture increased the chances of Pregnancy with IVF by 65%

In the February 2008 issue of the British Medical Journal, it was reported that acupuncture increased the chances of pregnancy in IVF treatments by 65%.

The remarkable success rate occurred across seven acupuncture trials involving 1,366 women in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Acupuncture was delivered either just before or just after embryo transfer - the moment when the embryo fertilized in the laboratory must attach itself to the wall of the womb to establish a pregnancy.

to read more click here

Acupuncture Delivers Healthy Results

In Vancouver on May 18, 2007, Dr. Paul Magarelli, an infertility physician at the Reproductive Medicine & Fertility Center, and Diane Cridennda, an acupuncturist at East Winds, both centers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, presented their research results which were published in Infertility and Sterility in April, 2007. This is one of several studies the two have completed

What were their results?

*Acupuncture does not cause harm to fertility or negatively interfere with an IVF outcome.

*Acupuncture can statistically improve the live birth rate from IVF to between 10-15%.

*Acupuncture reduces the number of ectopic pregnancies in an IVF setting. The acupuncture protocol (minimum of 9 treatments using set points) did not affect egg quality BUT it did improve the host. Therefore, it seemed to improve factors affecting implanation rather the egg quality itself.

*The mechanism by which acupuncture improves implantation and live birth rates results from acupuncture's ability to regulate the body's hormone levels (particularly prolactin and cortisol) to mimic these hormone levels in a natural cycle.

to read more click here

British Study Shows Good Results Combining Acupuncture and IVF

A study showing that acupuncture can help women having IVF to conceive has gotten good coverage in the United Kingdom. Here are the highlights……

Women who underwent the ancient Chinese treatment during IVF treatment increased their chances of having a baby from one in five to one in three, ( from 20% to 33%) according to the major scientific study

to read more click here

Happy Earth Day!

This Sunday - Learn How To Grow An Urban Garden - For Free!

From: workingwellresources blog
By: Sue Shekut, Owner, Working Well Massage, Certified Wellness Coach, ASCM Personal Trainer

Thinking about growing some of your own vegetables or herbs but not sure how to start? This Saturday, Appetite for Balance, a Chicago holistic nutrition group, and We Farm, is sponsoring the first a FREE Sunday in a series of Urban Gardening and Organic Nutrition classes. The First Party is on April 25th and they will be teaching about garden mapping, seeding and easy sprouting. Walk away with tools on how to do it yourself and why is is good for your health and your pocket book! RSVP here .

Last Year's Urban Farming Party Pics

All parties will be loaded with give-a-way(s), gardening tips, food demos, holistic nutrition, hands-on workshops, sustainable food/beverage, and FUN in the sun! So, grab a friend (or two) and join Appetite for Balance for a Sunday afternoon of digging and chewing!

Invite details:

Check out the Appetite for Balance blog here.

Anger and The Element of Wood

Angry?

We all get angry sometimes, right? I certainly can get furious and I'm sure many of you have plenty of angry moments. It hurts to feel angry and it is often treated as an unacceptable emotion. But, Traditional Chinese Medicine has a different view of anger.

Classical Five Element Chinese Medicine theory says that each of each of the five elements has a particular emotion related to it. The emotion of the Wood Element is Anger. The Wood element is connected to the emotion of anger. The Wood element is also the element of Spring, making it appropriate to think about now.

Wood exemplifies the energy of growth, change, and pushing through It is a very active energy that allows for a lot of movement and progress, both internally and externally. In Spring, we may have more energy to get moving on projects, hence the classic “spring cleaning.” It is a good time of year to work on any blockages. We want to get things moving so we can have access to all that great energy. Spring is a time of action, change and rebirth.

On the other side, when thwarted or constrained, wood is also the energy of frustration, anger and stress. Like the Wood element, anger can make us hard and unbendable - like the tree that snaps in a strong wind instead of swaying

So what can we learn from the Wood element? The key here is flexibility. If we hold ourselves too rigidly, we will break and crumble. If we are too loose and wobbly, like a badly rooted tree, there is no growth and real potential for change. So, the healthy balance is to remain flexible but engaged. Because the Wood element exemplifies the energy of growth, it is also about vision, planning and decision making, essential for creative change. Try to be assertive (not angry), flexible (not rigid), and remain engaged with our eyes on the important people and projects in our life.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, elements are also associated with body organs. The Wood element represents the liver and the gall bladder. The liver function is considered to be the grand architect for our vision of the future. The liver is the center of strategic planning. President Obama is a great example of the wood element at it's best. The Gall Bladder is thought to be the center of our ability to make decisions and judge wisely. From the functions of the liver and the gall bladder, we can plan and choose – we combine new future possibilities with the wisdom of the past and, as a result, are able to see the clear and appropriate course to take.

Taxes Are Due Today!

[On completing tax returns].This is too difficult for a mathematician. It takes a philosopher

-- Albert Einstein

Acupuncture is Effective for Crohn's Disease

From Acufinder.com

By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

In a study published in the journal, Digestion, acupuncture was found effective for treating Crohn's disease.

Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease which involves chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. The main symptoms of Crohn's disease are abdominal pain, fever, fatigue and persistent, watery diarrhea. Symptoms range from mild to severe, and can come and go with periods of flare-ups.

In this German study, 51 patients with mild to moderately active Crohn's disease had a decrease in disease activity after receiving 10 sessions of acupuncture. Study members also showed an improvement in general well-being and reported an improvement in quality of life.

Source: Joos S, Brinkhaus B, Maluche C, Maupai N, Kohnen R, Kraehmer N, Hahn EG, Schuppan D. Acupuncture and moxibustion in the treatment of active Crohn's disease: a randomized controlled study. Digestion. 2004;69(3):131-9.

Spring Into Action With Chinese Medicine

Chinese Medicine in the Spring

Posted by Amy Chitwood Burslem from the Portland Acupuncture Blog

Spring is back , and even though it’s (still) raining here in the great Northwest, it’s time to at least start acting like summer is on it’s way! Spring cleaning season is a great time to clean out your closets, prepare for the potential summer abundance from our gardens by caring for the soil and planning gardens, and everything else that’s been put off due to winter weather. Get outside and enjoy the vitamin D when the sun shines for a few minutes!

Here are some posts from acupuncture blogs around the US with tips on a healthy spring, and just a little inspiration to get you motivated.

Lynn Jaffee, LAc of the Acupuncture Twin Cities Blog gives us ten easy ways to improve our health this spring, including eating more green vegetables, getting your eyes checked, and making time to stretch and exercise.

Lorne Brown of Acubalance wrote a great post with stories of hope for couples and women dealing with fertility. There are touching stories of people who are discovering the amazing effects of acupuncture. Even when the immediate results aren’t what you expected- often patients will begin treatment for fertility, then suddenly their cramps disappear, energy and digestion improve, and they are sleeping better. The body needs to find a balance first, and these are all signs that the body is working towards balance of the mind and body.

Adam Kuby, the artist in residence for the Portland Acupuncture Project, continues with the project to heal the city of Portland by inserting needles throughout the city in the most needed places. Read about the history of the project and Mr. Kuby’s vision here. More needles are sure to be popping up all over Bridgetown!

to read the original the post click here

Connect With Me On Facebook and Twitter

Celebrities Love Acupuncture!

From: Acufinder.com

Everywhere you turn; there are stories about celebrities getting acupuncture.

Supermodel, Elle Macpherson, recently said in an interview with UK tabloid, News of the World, “I have acupuncture regularly and I see a Chinese doctor who treats most common ailments with herbs.”

When asked how she maintained her health and well being, Elle answered, “I do choose to look after my body from a Chinese medicine perspective, which promotes and maintains wellness rather than treats illness.”

Elle is not the only celebrity that seems to have become “star-struck” with this traditional form of health care that is touted as being able to treat everything from anxiety to a torn rotator cuff. Gwyneth Paltrow, a longtime advocate of the benefits of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, once said that having acupuncture had guided her to a “new level” in life, helping her to find love with her husband and giving her the strength to cope with the death of her father. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Gwyneth Paltrow said, “I have been a big fan of Chinese medicine for a long time because it works.”

So what other celebrities are up for being a voluntary pin-cushion? Dr. Maoshing Ni, an acupuncturist in Santa Monica lists Jim Carrey and Helen Hunt as two of his many famous clients. In a testimonial, Jim Carrey said “Undergoing [acupuncture] treatments with Dr. Mao at [his acupuncture clinic] and following his nutritional advice has led to a marked change in my physical vitality and my general state of well-being.”

Celebrities have embraced acupuncture so whole-heartedly that they even schedule regular acupuncture treatments for their pets. Sarah Michelle Gellar of Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, has been spotted in Los Angeles taking her pampered pooch, Tyson, in for his acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture is becoming more and more respected by conventional medicine, so much so that there were acupuncturists on-site for the athletes at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.

How it Works

Is there any evidence to back up this rapid growth in the popularity of acupuncture? Besides the 2000 years of clinical evidence, there are a multitude of studies to substantiate that acupuncture has a measurable affect on the body. One study on how acupuncture works to relieve pain, published in the Journal of NeuroImage, used brain imaging technology to prove that acupuncture affects the brain’s long-term ability to regulate pain. In the study, researchers were able to show that acupuncture increased the binding availability to opioid receptors in the brain in much the same way that opioid painkillers, such as morphine, codeine and other medications, are thought to work

The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared acupuncture effective for more than 200 other conditions including, respiratory, eye and mouth, gastro-intestinal, neurological and muscular disorders. Because of acupuncture’s ability to speed the healing process, bring down swelling and inflammation, relieve pain, and help to restore normal range of motion, it is especially effective at treating musculo-skeletal disorders.

“The purpose of acupuncture is to trigger your body's innate ability to self heal. “ Says licensed acupuncturist, Diane Joswick, L.Ac.

“When someone comes in for treatment, we take all of their symptoms into account and aim at balancing the energy within the body to optimize health. Treatments are tailored for the individual. That is why it is important to talk with an acupuncturist to see how acupuncture will be able to help your specific and unique case.”

Dental Patients Are Calmed By Acupuncture

The LA Times is on point again! The paper recently reported on a new study about acupuncture, here it is.

Acupuncture can calm anxious dental patients, study finds

"If you’re the type who gets anxious about visiting the dentist, you might think the last thing you’d want would be a bunch of extra needles. Apparently, you’d be wrong.

A small study being published in Tuesday’s edition of the journal Acupuncture in Medicine found that dentists who administered acupuncture to their nervous patients succeeded in calming their fears. That allowed all 20 subjects to complete their necessary dental exams and treatment. Without acupuncture, only six of the patients were able to get even partial treatment.

The patients in the study initially scored an average of 26.5 on the Beck Anxiety Index (a score above 26 indicates “severe anxiety”). Five minutes after acupuncture, their average anxiety score dropped to 11.5."

to read the rest of the article click here

Happy Easter!

Sandra Bullock Gets Acupuncture 3 Times A Week!

Do you feel bad for Sandra Bullock? I sure do! With all the gossip and negative press surrounding her marriage these days it made me smile to see a recent report on the website Showbizspy.com about something more positive. Guess what that was???? An article on Sandra's "sharp new beauty regime" Acupuncture!

“Sandra gets the treatment three times a week whether she’s at home on or on set” a source revealed. “It’s in her contract that studios have to pay for it!”

To read the entire article click here.

I love it! I hope Sandra keeps up her regular sessions while going through this tough time. I'm sure acupuncture could offer her some much needed stress relief.