Acupuncture Increases Blood Flow to the Brain

Acupuncture increases blood flow to the brain without raising arterial blood pressure or pulse rate. A new study, recently published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine  reports that  using acupuncture to increase blood flow to the brain has good implications for the treatment of  dizziness, hypertension, hypotension, deficient memory, ear ringing (tinnitus), headaches, diminished vision, windstroke, and syncope.  The researchers used acupoint GV20 (DU20, Hundred Meetings, Baihui) and measured increases in blood flow velocity.  This may explain, in part, how acupuncture, specifically GV 20, is effective in reducing headaches.  The study was small, so more work needs to be done but it provides hope for the myriad of head related problems.

Hyung-sik Byeon, Sang-kwan Moon, Seong-uk Park, Woo-sang Jung, Jung-mi Park, Chang-nam Ko, Ki-ho Cho, Young-suk Kim and Hyung-sup Bae. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. March 2011, 17(3): 219-224.

Yale Study: Acupuncture Reduced Hot Flashes By 30%

A Yale University/University of Pittsburg study of women with hot flashes brought on by conventional breast cancer treatment reveals that women who received acupuncture had a 30% reduction in hot flashes. You can read more about the randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial  by clicking here.

Acupuncture Could Help If There Was An Alien Invasion ;)

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, I am a Star Trek fan. As a matter of fact, I am a fan of good science fiction wherever I find it. Recently I have been watching the show, Falling Skies. In this morbid fictional reality, Earth has been dominated for some time by Aliens called ‘skitters’ and Noah Wyle of ER fame leads the resistance.

So I started thinking, a character (played by a very good looking actor of course) who had experience in acupuncture would be so much more helpful in these alien invasion types of situations. He could carry tons of needles – they are certainly more portable than heavy medical equipment and, when aliens are chasing you, you need to be able to move quickly in order to reach your fellow resistance patriots who are injured and need help. Acupuncture is very effective for pain relief and often quicker than pain killers (which would probably be at a premium during an invasion:)). Anybody have Noah’s email?

There are still people who would argue that using acupuncture is as foreign as experiencing an alien invasion – Chinese medicine remains that strange to them. But we are seeing acupuncture and other ‘alternative’ treatments used more frequently today for soldiers in all branches of the armed forces, particularly those suffering with pain and PTSD.

How Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Treats Autoimmune Disorders

By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM
From: Acufinder.com 

Autoimmune diseases are a group of disorders in which the immune system attacks the body and destroys or alters tissues. There are more than eighty serious chronic illnesses in this category including rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, thyroid disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, pernicious anemia, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis and Guillain–Barré syndrome. According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA) twenty percent of the population suffers from autoimmune disorders. Each disease appears uncommon on an individual basis but, as a group, the disorders make up the fourth-largest cause of disability among women.

Due to the complexity of treating autoimmune disorders, integrative medicine solutions including acupuncture and Oriental medicine have received much attention as successful therapies in their treatment particularly for use in providing pain relief, regulating the immune system, managing symptoms and improving overall quality of life.

What Causes Autoimmune Disease?

Under normal conditions, an immune response cannot be triggered against the cells of one's own body. In certain cases, however, immune cells make a mistake and attack the very cells that they are meant to protect. This can lead to a variety of autoimmune diseases which encompass a broad category of over 100 diseases in which the person's immune system attacks his or her own tissue. The exact mechanisms causing these changes are not completely understood, but bacteria, viruses, toxins, and some drugs may play a role in triggering an autoimmune process in someone who already has a genetic (inherited) predisposition to develop such a disorder. It is theorized that the inflammation initiated by these agents, toxic or infectious, somehow provokes in the body a "sensitization" (autoimmune reaction) in the involved tissues.

As the disease develops vague symptoms start to appear, such as joint and muscle pain, general muscle weakness, possible rashes or low-grade fever, trouble concentrating, or weight loss. The following symptoms may point toward something being wrong: numbness and tingling in hands and feet, dry eyes, hair loss, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or repeated miscarriages can also be caused by an autoimmune response.
 
How Acupuncture Treats Autoimmune Disorders

According to Oriental medicine, autoimmune disorders occur when there is imbalance within the body. Imbalance can come from an excess or deficiency of yin and yang that disrupts the flow of qi, or vital energy, through the body. Acupuncture is used to help the body restore balance, treating the root of the disorder, while specifically addressing the symptoms that are unique to each individual.

Clinical research has shown that acupuncture causes physical responses in nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and parts of the brain. These responses can cause the body to release proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions. It is proposed that, by these actions, acupuncture affects blood pressure, body temperature and the immune system.

In addition to acupuncture, your treatment program to manage your autoimmune disorder may involve a combination of therapies including stress reducing exercises, moderate physical activity, herbal medicine, nutritional support and bodywork.

Acupuncture Works For Stress Relief

Let me introduce you to a great blogger who writes very helpful posts. Lynn Jaffee is a licensed acupuncturist and author. I have followed many of her posts on Acupuncture Health Insights. I am in strong agreement with many of her explanations and ways of thinking about Chinese Medicine.  This particular post - Why Acupuncture Works For Stress - provides a clear explanation of the effectiveness of acupuncture for stress relief.

Here's a taste - "Before trying acupuncture, especially for something like stress, most people want to know exactly how some needles stuck in your body can actually help them feel less stressed out and better able to cope.  This is a fair question, and can be answered on a couple of levels.

First, according to Chinese medicine, stress causes your energy to become blocked.  While you may think that talking about energy is the stuff of mood rings, Earth shoes, and beaded curtains, remember that every cell in your body produces energy.  Adherents to Chinese medicine simply believe that this energy moves throughout your body in pathways.  When you become ill or have uncomfortable symptoms, it’s because your energy is either not flowing smoothly or it has become depleted.  In the case of stress, you feel seriously uptight and tense, and this is because your energy has become blocked."

"From a Western biomedical standpoint, research indicates that acupuncture affects your brain chemistry in a positive way.  Researchers have found that one benefit of acupuncture is that it raises the level of endorphins, those feel-good chemicals, in your brain.  This explains the mellow feeling many patients experience after an acupuncture treatment.  The feeling can last for hours, and the effect of a treatment may last days or even weeks.  Frequently, my patients tell me that after their treatment, the people, events, or circumstances that normally put them over the top just don’t seem to matter that much."

*You can read the rest here 
 

Cupping Keeps Dancers Dancing

As many of you know, cupping is an effective treatment commonly used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Cupping involves placing sterile cups (they often look like a glass jelly jar) on the appropriate areas of your skin and suctioning out the air to create a vacuum. The underlying tissue becomes raised, or sucked, partway into the cup. This stimulates blood flow, lymph, and Qi to the affected area and throughout the body.

In this article, the author describes various injuries that plague dancers and how cupping can alleviate those problems.  Worth reading for anyone who wants to learn more.

Keeping Dancers on Their Feet ~ By Ronda Wimmer, PhD, MS, LAc

Hey Honey

When bees feast on flowers, the process of making honey begins. The flower nectar mixes with enzymes in the bees' saliva and turns it into honey. Then, the bees carry the honey back to the hive where they deposit it into the cells of the hive's walls. 

Honey has many health benefits, especially if it is raw. Raw honey can be used topically and is anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-fungal.  Honey contains anti-oxidants (the darker the honey, the higher anti-oxidant content). As far back as Cleopatra, honey was used directly on skin to help sooth skin, clear skin disorders and encourage the growth of healthy tissue. You might enjoy trying raw honey as a face mask.

In Chinese Medicine, honey is known as Feng Mi and is often used in combination with other herbs. Honey is sweet and moderate in nature. Honey is beneficial to ease a sore throat, cough or bronchitis.

When choosing honey, organic raw honey that has not been pasteurized, clarified or filtered is your best choice. Remember that the darker the color, the deeper the flavor and in TCM, the darker honey is also better for nourishing blood because it has a warming action.

Navy Needles

Stress disorders (some are very severe) are exploding in our servicemen and women.  Away from home in totally unfamiliar situations for long stretches, exposed to deadly situations, and confused by unknown cultures, women and men who serve in the armed forces are predictably likely candidates for psychological problems.  Unfortunately, the is still a stigma in the military about seeking counseling.  This article reports on a Navy psychiatrist who helps people by using acupuncture.  his motto is, "Come for the needles, stay for the therapy."  For all of you who are interested, read..... Navy psychiatrist uses acupuncture to open veterans to healing body and mind.

Have A Happy July 4th Weekend!