acupuncturist

 

Who says alternative medicine (acupuncture) is for quacks?

Following the decision of the FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration to regulate the use and practice of alternative medicine, there might just be hope for millions of alternative therapists who have repeatedly been ridiculed by the medical profession. Commonly referred to as "quack doctors", healers who practice unorthodox treatments may finally get the recognition they have been seeking for centuries.

The practice of alternative medicine has been around long before medical schools and hospitals. "What's funny is that alternative medicine has often been regarded as baseless and misleading by traditional doctors when it is, in fact, the real traditional medicine," says Dr. Joe Bankston of the Office of Alternative Medicine.

The National Library of Medicine classifies alternative medicine as "an unrelated group of non-orthodox therapeutic practices, often with explanatory systems that do not follow conventional biomedical explanations." These include, but are not limited to, the following disciplines: folk medicine, herbal medicine, diet fads, homeopathy, faith healing, new age healing, chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathy, massage, and music therapy.

Because these methods are unconventional and not thoroughly explained by scientific trials, the U.S. FDA had been hesitant in recognizing the legitimacy of these treatments. As a result, the practice has remained underground for decades, and patients have been resorting to shady deals in order to avail of drugs and services. Also, because alternative medicine has been shunned by the scientific community, the possibility of these therapies being studied further remained remote.

Prior to the FDA legislation, the Complementary Healthcare Consultative Forum started regulating the practice of alternative medicine by accrediting practitioners of alternative medicine, early last year. It also aimed to develop a more effective system of monitoring over the counter supplements 

Director of the Office of Complementary Medicine Dr. Fiona Cumming says more surveillance will be placed on the safety of herbal products, and a new advertising code drawn up to regulate claims made by manufacturers.

"We have been looking at ways to streamline the regulations of complementary medicines, delivering absolutely safe quality products for consumers, but allowing more timely access onto the market," she said.

What regulation can do

"Regulating alternative medicine may only be beneficial to patients and consumers, because this would give patients more options in choosing legitimate health care, not being limited to conventional treatments," says Oregon Representative Peter DeFazio. Rep. DeFazio pushed for the law which gave the National Institutes of Health's Office of Alternative Medicine the power to provide funding for independent research into alternative health care methods.

The formation of regulation policies will provide a new approval mechanism for natural medicinal products, in order to make potentially life-saving treatments more widely available to consumers, as opposed to the excessive limits on the availability of alternative medical treatments in the past.

With the growing acceptance of alternative medicine as a legitimate treatment for various conditions, the public can only expect a wider array of such medical products and services in the market. The patient will be able to select which kind of treatment he or she wants, without any fear of rejection or castigation by conventional practitioners. Although this is probably far from happening, it might not be long before you find alternative healers side-by-side with your physicians in the hospital.

acupuncture By Shakira Andrea Sison

Acupuncture and neck pain

A study has found that acupuncture not only helps to relieve pain but is a cost-effective way of doing so.

More than 3,400 patients suffering from neck pain were studied over a three-month period by scientists based at the Berlin Institute of Social Medicine. About half received acupuncture in addition to routine care.

The researchers, whose study is reported in the journal Pain, found that the extra cost of the acupuncture treatment resulted in health benefits that were great enough to make the treatment cost-effective.

“Acupuncture isn’t controversial any more,” said Claudia Witt, who led the project. “We’ve shown that it works.” She added that it was in no way comparable to other alternative therapies. ”

One in five people in Britain suffers from long-term pain and about half of these have taken time off work because of it. While acupuncture is provided in the majority of pain clinics in Britain, access to the treatment is limited.

Acupuncture and pain by Hannah Devlin from The Times

"Would you go to a blind acupuncturist?"

I only have two words for this: Toyohari Acupuncturists

Blind woman tries again for state acupuncture license

Associated Press

 

AUSTIN — A blind student of acupuncture is making a second request for a state license to practice the trade after being rejected last year because of her lack of vision.

 

The licensure committee of the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners was set to rehear Juliana Cumbo's request for a license today. She would be the first blind person to be issued a state license, board members said.

 

"I wanted to be more involved in health care … and I thought it was a perfect profession for a blind person," Cumbo said of her decision to pursue acupuncture, a method of diagnosing, treating and preventing illness by placing thin needles along specific points on the body.

 

The 31-year-old practices as a graduate intern in the student clinic of the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin. She has earned a master's degree in acupuncture and Oriental medicine and passed the national board exams.

 

"Juliana is an exemplary practitioner … and she is extremely talented," said Will Morris, president of the Austin academy. "I am proud to sign her diploma."

 

Meng-sheng Lin, the licensure committee chairwoman, said she's inclined to repeat her vote against Cumbo's application. She said Cumbo's case was the first time she had encountered the issue.

 

"I'm just trying to fulfill my duty to protect the public," said Lin, an acupuncturist in Dallas. "Would you go to a blind acupuncturist?"

 

Lin said acupuncture can lead to bleeding, which could be a problem if it went unnoticed and created a situation where the acupuncturist or patient could become contaminated.

 

Hoang Ho, a member of the acupuncture committee who also voted against Cumbo's license, said licensing Cumbo would be a liability for the board if something were to go wrong.

 

"You have to know exactly the point" to insert the needle, said Ho, who practices acupuncture in Kerrville and San Antonio. "There are a lot of blood vessels, and there can be injuries."

 

Cumbo, who said she also has a bachelor's degree in classical guitar, completed 3,218 hours of training in acupuncture. About a third of that was clinical experience in which she worked on 592 patients without any formal safety complaints, said Xiaotian Shen, the director of the Austin clinic and one of Cumbo's teachers.

 

Cumbo received extra hands-on training, and now she is better at finding acupuncture points than many students who can see, Morris said.

 

Shen said Cumbo was tested on a live model to pass the national boards.

 

Dr. Terry Rascoe, the acupuncture board's presiding officer, said the committee could approve Cumbo's request, reject it or ask the full board to consider it. The case could also go before a state administrative judge.

 

Cumbo's lawyer, David Cohen of Austin, said denying Cumbo a license "on the basis of her blindness alone" would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Acupuncture for stroke Sham-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial. Inclusion Criteria Patients of any age with a recent (<4 weeks) clinically or radiologically confirmed stroke (ischemic or hemorrhagic) were eligible for inclusion. Exclusion Criteria Patients with preexisting disabilities leading to modified Rankin scores of 3 or more, recent history of other serious diseases such as cancer or diseases transmissible by blood, fear of needling, stroke that had occurred under general anesthesia, history of previous acupuncture, or the likelihood of full recovery within 2 weeks. Patient Involvement: All patients were randomized to receive 12 sessions of either real or sham acupuncture during a 2-week period. Primary Outcome: The change in Barthel activities of daily living score from the beginning to the end of treatment. Secondary Outcome: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, motoricity index, quality of life (EQ-5D [EuroQoL–5 Dimensional form] and EQ-VAS [Euro-QoL–Visual Analog Scale]), Nottingham Extended ADL score, Ashworth scale for muscle spasticity, timed 10-m walk, 9-hole peg test, swallowing status (“safe” or “unsafe” swallow based on a bedside swallow screening test), and the patient’s blinding regarding treatment. Results: The improvements in the Barthel scores were 4 points (interquartile range [IQR], 0-8) vs 3 points (IQR, 0-7) in the real and sham acupuncture groups, respectively (P=.38). The secondary outcome measures also showed no significant effect of acupuncture. Acupuncture for stroke

Source of Information: Arch Intern Med. 2005;165:2026-2031.

Web Links and Publications: Acupuncture for subacute stroke rehabilitation: a sham-controlled, subject- and assessor-blind, randomized trial.

Can acupuncture be used to treat infertility?

Acupuncture, frequently combined with herbal medicine, has been used for centuries to treat some causes of infertility. For example, acupuncture and herbs will not work to address tubal adhesions which can occur as a result of pelvic inflammatory disease or endometriosis. However, in this situation, an individual could still benefit from acupuncture and herbs because of the potential effect of improved ovarian and follicular function. Additionally, it is shown that acupuncture can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.

When should acupuncture treatment begin?

Acupuncture is similar to physical therapy in that it is a process oriented method of medical intervention. It is better to do more than less. Patients are commonly treated for three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. This period of treatment seems to have a therapeutic effect.

In a study by Stener-Victorin et al from the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology Fertility Centre, Scandinavia and University of Gothenburg, women are encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer. Clinical observations from the Berkley Center for Reproductive Wellness suggest that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions. However, conception does sometimes occur when acupuncture and herbal medicines are used without traditional medical interventions.

What are the risks of using acupuncture?

There are minimal risks when using acupuncture for fertility treatment. A risk of miscarriage may develop if incorrect acupuncture points are used when a woman is pregnant. This is one reason why those wishing to include acupuncture in their treatment regimen should only be treated by an acupuncturist who specializes in treating fertility disorders. Acupuncture is not contraindicated for anyone regardless of their pathology or what medications they are taking.

What types of fertility patients typically get acupuncture?

Acupuncture can be used to treat any type of fertility disorder including spasmed tubes. (Spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture, though blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture). Acupuncture is often combined with herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with annovulatory cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.

 

Tongue diagnosis

 

 

 

Tongue diagnosis

 

 

 

 

Your tongue accurately reflects the state of your digestive system- from rectum to esophagus, including the stomach, small intestines, colon (large intestine), pancreas, spleen, liver and gall bladder. 

Imagine, you don't need a battery of tests to find out what part of your digestive tract is in stress. You can diagnosis the whole GI tract and corresponding organ integrity all in one easy view- just stick your tongue out and take a good look at it.

As a whole the tongue reflects the condition of the digestive system and the organs associated with blood, nutrient assimilation, and excretion. You can also see how 'hot' or how 'cold' your internal organs are. Therefore it has a high value as a diagnostic tool.  

Specific sections of the tongue mirror the condition of particular parts of the digestive system and the digestion related internal organs.

The following correspondences exist in this relationship:

A- the tip area reflects the rectum and the descending colon. B- the peripheral area reflects the large intestine. C- the middle region corresponds to the small intestine. D- the back edge region relates to the liver, gallbladder, duodenum, and pancreas. E- the near back region corresponds to the stomach. F- the back region ('the root of the tongue') reflects the esophagus. G- the underside of the tongue reflects the quality of blood and lymph circulation in each corresponding area.

 

 

Structural characteristics

 

 

 

Like each particular area of the body, the tongue can be used to evaluate one's overall condition.

Zetsu Shin as it is called in Japanese, is one of the most important forms of diagnosis used in Chinese medicine. Two main aspects are considered in tongue diagnosis.

First is the structure of the tongue. Is it wide or narrow, thick or thin, pointed or rounded? Such qualities convey information concerning the individual's basic constitution and overall strengths and weaknesses of body and mind.

Width:

• a wide tongue reflects an overall balanced physical and psychological disposition.

• a narrow tongue reflects a lack of physical adaptability with pronounced strengths and weaknesses. Mentally, thinking may be sharp but tend toward seeing a narrow view.

• a very wide tongue reflects a generally loose and expanded physical condition and a tendency toward more psychological concerns.

Tip:

• a rounded tip reflects a flexible yet firm physical and mental condition.

• a pointed tip reflects a tight, perhaps even rigid physical condition and an aggressive or even offensive mentality.

• a very wide tip reflects an overall weakness of the physical body and a flaccid or even "spaced out" mental condition.

• a divided tip reflects a tendency toward physical and mental imbalances with the possibility of sharp fluctuations in thinking and mood.

Thickness:

• a flat tongue reflects a balanced condition and the ability to flexibly adapt to circumstances.

• a thin tongue reflects a more mental orientation, with a tendency to be more gentle and easy going.

• a thick tongue reflects a more physical orientation, with the tendency to be assertive or even aggressive.

In comparison to structure, the condition of the tongue is influenced more by daily lifestyle and provides information about an individual's current state of health. Qualities to look for include:

Color:

• Dark red: indicates inflammation; lesions or ulceration; and sometimes a degeneration of the related organ.

• White: indicates stagnation of blood; fat and mucus deposits; or a weakness in the blood leading to such conditions as anemia.

• Yellow: indicates a disorder of the liver and gallbladder, resulting in an excess secretion of bile; deposits of animal fats, especially in the middle organs of the body; and possible inflammation.

• Blue or Purple: indicates stagnation of blood circulation and a serious weakening of the part of the digestive system that corresponds to the area of the tongue where the color appears.

The color on the underside of the tongue can also be used to determine the internal condition. In general, the colors and their indications listed above are the same, with the following exceptions:

• Blue or Green: In excess, either of these color reflect disorders in the blood vessels and in blood quality and circulation.

• Purple: In excess, this color reflects disorders of the lymphatic and circulatory system. It indicates a weakening of the immune ability and of the blood vessels.

Texture:

• a swollen or enlarged tongue: indicates a Jitsu, or full state.

• a shriveled or withered-looking tongue: indicates a Kyo, or empty state.

Movement:

• the flexibility of the tongue also reflects the condition of the digestive system. Characteristics to look for include:

  • a flexible, supple, smoothly moving tongue.

  • a stiff, tense, or inflexible tongue.

  • a loose or lolling tongue.

  • a tongue with a pronounced slant to the left or right when it is extended.

Pimples or projections of the tongue's surface indicate the discharge of fat, protein, and sugar. Where in the body this discharge is coming from can be determined by the specific area of the tongue on which it appears. You can find the correlation between the areas of the tongue and the digestive tract.

 

 

Tongue diagnosis 

Emergency Acupuncture

“Is there a doctor on board?” Was the urgent plea for help from the pilot of a Boeing 747 on an Air China flight from Beijing to Heathrow on Saturday, February 23, 2008.

Pupils from the Bishop Challoner School in south-east London were returning from a nine-day school trip to China when several of the students became critically ill from food poisoning picked up from their last meal in their hotel in Beijing. 

The students had become severely dehydrated and went into shock from relentless vomiting part way through the 11-hour flight.

Dr Wendong Qin, a doctor of Chinese medicine from Shandong province, came to the rescue.  There were no Western medicines on board to help the students, but Dr. Qin was able to utilize acupuncture points to relieve the symptoms that the teenagers were suffering from including stomach cramps, headaches and shock.

As more and more of the group became sick, the back of the aircraft was turned into a makeshift hospital.  Before he had treated the teenagers, Dr Qin said that the pilot had considered making an emergency landing at an alternative airfield, but afterwards felt confident enough to fly on to London.

"About four-and-a-half hours before we arrived in London, the pilot sent a message asking if there was a doctor on board. I went to see what was wrong and found many boys and girls suffering sickness and diarrhea accompanied by severe stomach pains and a high fever.” Dr. Qin said when interviewed.

"The aircraft did not have the necessary medicines so I decided to use traditional Chinese methods, including acupuncture. Unfortunately, I had no needles, as you are not permitted to carry sharp objects on an aircraft, so I used my fingers instead on the acupuncture points of the boys worst affected and the symptoms lessened.

"I treated each patient for 10 to 15 minutes and they felt much better, the sickness and diarrhea had stopped and the pain had gone."

Emergency Acupuncture Source: Arbroath Herald, February 2008

Course of acupuncture (akupunktur) may raise success of IVF treatment by 65%

Women who undergo IVF increase their chances of pregnancy if they are also treated with acupuncture, a new analysis suggests.

The benefits may be large — a 65 per cent increase in the chance of becoming pregnant, and a 91 per cent increase in the number of live births.

The results have emerged from a meta-analysis, a technique in which the results of many previous trials are pooled. A team led by Dr Eric Manheimer of the University of Maryland School of Medicine scanned medical literature for trials that attempted to measure the effect of acupuncture on IVF success.

They found 108 trials, but rejected all but seven because of defects of methodology — such as that acupuncture was not administered within a day of IVF or was used as a form of pain relief. The seven they retained, all published since 2002 and carried out in four Western countries, involved 1,366 women. In all the trials the women were given acupuncture immediately before or after the test-tube embryo was transferred to their wombs. All the acupuncture sessions lasted 25 to 30 minutes.

In British Medical Journal online, the team reports that almost all these trials reported positive findings. Taken together they showed a 65 per cent increase in establishment of pregnancy, an 87 per cent increase in continuing pregnancy, and a 91 per cent increase in live births.

All these results were statistically significant, measured by the criterion of odds of less than one in 20 of having come about by chance. But the team says that these figures overestimate the benefits, since success rates even without acupuncture are relatively high.

It is more realistic, the report says, to measure the results on a “number needed to treat” basis. This is the method that assesses how many women need to be treated to achieve a single extra pregnancy — and the answer is ten.

Even on this basis it is a striking result, especially as nobody has any idea why acupuncture (akupunktur) should be having this effect.

Professor Edzard Ernst of Peninsula Medical School in Plymouth said: “On the face of it these results sound fantastic. I would, however, be very cautious as much of the observed effect could be due to a placebo response. IVF may not seem to be ‘placebo-prone’ but it probably is: if women expect it to be helpful they are more relaxed which, in turn, would affect pregnancy rates.”

Success rates in IVF vary greatly from clinic to clinic, and the analysis found that where success rates were high the benefit of acupuncture (akupunktur)  was smaller and not statistically significant. That may mean that acupuncture  (akupunktur) was simply a “marker” for clinics where a lot of care is taken to see that women are calm and relaxed.

The team suggests that acupuncture (akupunktur) may influence the menstrual cycle, stimulate blood flow to the womb, or produce mood chemicals that reduce the stress response to IVF. Fra the Times.

Akupunktur og IVF. Det er vigtigt at vælge en akupunktør, der har erfaring imed barnløshed samt både akupunktur og IVF behandling så at dine IVF behandlinger forbederes og lever op til de forskelige udelandske forsøg.

Success of acupuncture and acupressure of the Pc 6 acupoint in the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum.

Habek D, Barbir A, Habek JC, Janculiak D, Bobić-Vuković M.

Clinical Hospital Osijek, Croatia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the antiemetic effect of acupuncture (AP) and acupressure (APr) of the Pc 6 acupoint in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). METHODS: A prospective, placebo-controlled trial included 36 pregnant women with HG. Two methods of acupuncture were used: bilateral manual AP of the Pc 6 (Neiguan) acupoint (group 1, n = 10) and bilateral APr of the Pc 6 acupoint (group 2, n = 11); furthermore, superficial intracutaneous placebo AP (group 3, n = and placebo APr (group 4, n = 7) was carried out. RESULTS: Anxiodepressive symptoms occurred in 9 pregnant women with HG from group 1, 8 women from group 2, 7 women from group 3, and 5 women from group 4 (p < 0.001). The average gestation age at the occurrence of HG symptoms and the beginning of treatment was 7 weeks in group 1 and 8 weeks in groups 2, 3, and 4. Four women from group 1 and 7 women from groups 2, 3, an 4 needed intravenous compensation of liquid and electrolytes. The antiemetic metoclopramide was given intravenously to 1 woman from group 1, 2 women from group 2, 6 women from group 3, and 4 women from group 4. Promethazine was given to 1 woman from group 2, 1 woman from group 3, and to 3 women from group 4. The efficiency of the HG treatment with AP of the point Pc 6 was 90%, with APr of the Pc 6 63.6%, with placebo AP 12.5%, and with placebo APr 0%. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture (p < 0.0001) and acupressure (p < 0.1) are effective, nonpharmacologic methods for the treatment of HG. acupuncture

Rejuvenation Facial Acupuncture
Everyone wants to have perfect skin, particularly minus wrinkles, laugh lines and loose skin. Now you can with natural acupuncture that has no side-effects and costs 1/10th that of a face lift. Even the famous have turned to natural Rejuvenation Facial Acupuncture, not only for treating and preventing wrinkles, but to take years off their skin and bring back the healthy glow of youth. Reportedly Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cher all turn to Facial Acupuncture weekly to keep their skin and their internal body health, perfect. Even though this is Facial Acupuncture, it really works on all the meridan points that pass through the face and head affecting all of the body health.

In Rejuvenation Facial Acupuncture the stimulation from the session brings blood to the face, which gives it a rosy glow that after a few sessions actually makes eyes brighten, the skin feels firmer, lips become plumper and blemishes vanish. Facial acupuncture stimulates the cells to lay down new collagen fibres under wrinkles, thereby filling them in. At the same time the needles relax muscles, which combats sagging in facial areas. The results are truly amazing.

Many clients have reported that their skin looks remarkably brighter and fresher, even after one session. One of our clients mentioned that at lunch following her first session, her companion wanted to know what she had been doing because her skin looked so amazing. So forget Botox and other potentially damaging treatments. Begin today and not only eliminate wrinkles, but headaches, fatigue and that craving for a cigarette all at the same time. Rejuvenation Facial Acupuncture,wrinkles

NHS to give back pain acupuncture

Back pain is exceedingly common Patients with persistent low back pain should be offered acupuncture, massages or exercises on the NHS, says guidance. It is the first time the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has explicitly backed the use of complementary therapies. The rationing watchdog said evidence suggests they help and will be cost effective if doctors stop providing less proven back services like X-rays. The move was welcomed by some charities and experts but criticised by others.

Low back pain is a very common problem affecting one in three adults in the UK each year, with an estimated 2.5 million people seeking help from their GP.

For many people the pain goes away in days or weeks. But for some, the pain can persist for a long time and become debilitating.

NICE says anyone whose pain persists for more than six weeks and up to a year should be given a choice of several treatments, because the evidence about which works best is uncertain.

Complementary therapies

In addition to painkillers and regular advice to stay active and carry on with normal activities as much as possible, patients, together with their doctor, can decide to opt one of three complementary treatments.

This includes up to eight exercise sessions or 10 sessions of acupuncture over 12 weeks, or a course of manual therapy, which includes up to nine sessions of spinal manipulation, mobilisation or massage.

Professor Peter Littlejohns, NICE Clinical and Public Health Director said NHS providers now had the opportunity to look at the services they provide and decide what changes are needed.

He said: "There is variation in current clinical practice, so this new NICE guideline means that for the first time we now have the means for a consistent national approach to managing low back pain.

"Importantly, patients whose pain is not improving should have access to a choice of different therapies including acupuncture, structured exercise and manual therapy."

Patients who fail to benefit from their first choice may be offered another of these options, he said.

If that doesn't work, they can try an intensive treatment programme combining exercise and psychological therapy.

Contentious

He said the costs to the NHS would be minimal - in the order of £77,000 - because they are offset by the savings in terms of reducing future disability and healthcare needs and moving away from treatments with little supportive evidence.

The guidelines, which apply to England and Wales, say doctors should no longer offer spinal x-rays or MRI scans or injections of therapeutic substances into the back for non-specific low back pain.

The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy welcomed the guidelines, as did Dr Dries Hettinga of the charity BackCare.

He said: "This offers a real choice for patients.

"This guideline will help patients understand what treatment and care can help them with their back pain and shows that there can be a positive outlook for treating this condition."

But others were critical of the recommendations.

Professor Edzard Ernst, an expert in complementary medicine at Peninsula Medical School, said he was surprised by the guidance and particularly by NICE's recommendation of spinal manipulation.

"It feels as though the panel was biased in favour of this approach thus over-rating its effectiveness and under-estimating its risks which can be considerable. In my view, a critical risk benefit analysis of the most reliable data fails to come out in favour of chiropractic.

"We must remember that no optimally effective treatment for back pain exists."