Pinpoint: The Acupuncture Tip Sheet
Alternative Insurance
Over the past decade (and billions of dollars later), acupuncture has steadily gained popularity with the American mainstream-- so much that health insurance companies, employers, and even some HMOs are now providing alternative therapy coverage. Read here to see who really benefits--- corporations or the people?
In other news:
Homeless Help
Just in time for winter, a Phoenix based acupuncture school is providing free acupuncture services for the local homeless population, addressing health concerns from cold to addiction. The program focuses primarily on ear acupuncture, which commonly treats various musculoskeletal, psychological, neurological, and cardiac health problems.
Moxybustion Busts Body Aches
Moxybustion, an ancient Chinese therapy that is often used as a supplement to acupuncture, utilizes ground mugwort that is processed into a cigar shaped stick. Practioners then burn the stick near or on specific acupuncture points. The therapy is often used to treat indigestion, shortness of breath, fatigue, menstrual pain, and body aches. Though moxibustion centers are gaining popularity in China, specialists do not hold medical licenses.
There Can Be Gain-- Without Pain.
New York acupuncturist Nicholas Steadman has developed a way for the needle-phobic to enjoy the benefits of acupuncture: laser acupuncture. Cold laser or low level laser technology is already treating elite athletes and the military for pain relief and injuries, and patients can't feel a thing.
Steadman suggests that laser acupuncture may be more effective than regular acupuncture, since the patient is unable to tell if the laser is on or not, which allows for clean double-blind placebo controlled studies.
So far, clinical trials have showed laser acupuncture producing positive benefits for children with headaches as well.
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Placebo: Just Like the Real Thing
Researchers have discovered that acupuncture and placebo (noninsertive) acupuncture have similar benefits in effectively treating chronic back pain, and both methods are superior to typical pain treatment.
Still, there is controversy over the efficacy of acupuncture, as some believe that all acupuncture (real, simulated, or sham) are placebo effects.
Listen Up!
What to Expect When You're Expecting? Most mothers-to-be know that back and pelvic muscle pain are part of the pregnancy process. But they probably didn't expect to ease their aches through ear acupuncture. Researchers at Yale University found that women who had acupuncture needles held in place at three pressure points on their ear reported significant reductions in muscle pain.
Oh! So that's how it works...
At last, researchers have come up with a scientific explanation for how acupuncture works. Professor Morry Silberstein of Curtin University of Technology theorizes that acupuncture needles inserted into skin disrupt the branching point of nerves called c-fibres, which transmit low-grade sensory information over long distances.
While the exact role c-fibres play in the nervous system is not clear, Silbertein believes that the nerve network maintains states of wakefulness and, when disrupted, numbs our sensitivity to pain.
Kids Like Needles
A new clinical study finds that acupuncture is highly accepted by pediatric patients and their parents, and is successful in treating critically ill children with acute pain.
Acute pain in hospitalized children remains a significant issue, since they are often treated with opioids or other drugs with negative side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and respiratory depression. Currently, one-third of university affiliated pediatric pain management services use nonpharmacologic treatments like acupuncture for chronic pain management in children.
AcuFestival!
You know something's become a big trend when you can put "fest" behind it. For fans of acupuncture and holistic living, check out the first ever AcuFest in Miami, FL. Not only can you reserve acupuncture sessions, but you can also enjoy wine tastings, organic cooking lessons, yoga and meditation classes, andmedical qui gong.
If Kate Can Quit, So Can You
Say goodbye to the patch! Smokers who want to quit are turning to acupuncture to cure their addiction. Supermodel Kate Moss is even a fan. Acupuncture, which helps regulate body systems and employs natural patterns, can minimize or eliminate typical withdrawal symptoms like insomnia, jitters, cravings, and irritability. Acupuncturists also prescribe natural supplements and herbs, exercises, and dietary recommendations to patients.
In Other News:
Acu-pet-ssure?
If you love acupuncture, why not let your pet have a try? In Salem, Oregon, a new vet clinic offers a holistic approach to healing furry friends, using modern medicine supplemented by acupuncture and herbal therapies. The clinic, which feels more like a comfortable home with fluffy couches than a sterile hospital, uses heated exam tables and offers herbs, massage, and natural food diets among their treatments.
Pinpoint Your Stress
In an economic crisis, the first thing to go (besides cash) is your peace of mind, which is why wellness and acupuncture clinics are seeing more and more patients suffering from job loss anxiety. Naturally, these fears can manifest in your body. Lucky for us, some clinics are now offering sliding scale methods of payment, to help assuage both physical and financial pains
Help for Hormones
Sure, any kind of needle typically evokes images of unimaginable pain, but acupuncture aims to do the opposite. While the Chinese practice has a healthy international following, critics are still reluctant to acknowledge its efficacy. However, current research is becoming more open-minded toward this ancient tradition. A recent Swedish study suggests that acupuncture may help relieve polycystic ovarian syndrome, an endocrine disorder with symptoms that include irregular periods and infertility. It found, along with exercise, that acupuncture helped regulate menstruation and decrease testosterone levels. Maybe now, you might be willing to give needles a shot?
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Going Under the Needle
For those of us searching for a new alternative to invasive cosmetic surgery, there is an ancient answer. Martha Lucas, M.D. is an author and co-founder of Mei Zen Cosmetic Acupuncture, a specialized method of acupuncture in which needles are inserted into a patient's face to improve skin quality. Her safe, non-invasive and natural procedure may be the ideal anti-aging medicine, as it not only improves blood flow and collagen, but also has limited negative side effects. Though branding of Cosmetic Acupuncture in the west is fairly recent, the technique has been used for centuries by emperors in China.
Antidepressants Got You Down?
The greatest combinations: peanut butter and jelly, Ranch and Tabasco, antidepressants and acupuncture? Perhaps. A new Chinese study compared treatments for patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. The study found that taking low-dose antidepressants supplemented by regular acupuncture treatments was just as effective as taking a higher (recommended) dosage. Additionally, researchers found that acupuncture reduced antidepressant side effects and anxiety in patients.
A Worthy Pain-Management Partner
Acupuncture has long been known to lessen chronic pain, but the mechanics have not been well understood. So it's big news that University of Michigan researchers have used brain imaging to prove that, post-pricking, the binding ability of opioid receptors was enhanced. It's likely that pain medication works more efficiently when used in tandem with acupuncture, a finding which has promising implications for the treatment of conditions such as fibromyalgia; the study's subjects were women suffering from the disorder.
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Wake Up Happy
A physician at the Duke University Medical Center uses acupuncture to reduce debilitating side effects of general anesthesia. Patients treated before and during surgery feel better afterwards and recover more quickly. Another benefit--and a cost-effective one--is that these patients often need fewer pain-killing drugs both during the procedures and post-op.
A Better Birth Experience
Childbirth can be more manageable with acupuncture. A recent European study compared the use of acupuncture via transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) with traditional analgesics during delivery. Pain levels and duration of labor were comparable in both groups, and the women in the TENS group used significantly fewer pharmacological and invasive methods. Their newborns performed better on the health-assessing Apgar test, too.
Aesthetic Acupuncture
Several acupuncturists are now offering "acupuncture face lifts." Markedly different to a real face lift, these cosmetic acupuncture sessions focuses on meridians (channels through which chi, or life force, flows) which either begin or end at the face. This process reduces fine lines and wrinkles and improves your complexion. It also reduces puffiness, improves muscle tone, enhances circulation, and generally, gives your face a more relaxed, younger look. A complete cosmetic acupuncture program generally lasts 10 weeks, but many patients have observed results after just four sessions.
In other news:
Let the Chi flow in Chi-Town
A regular participant of the Chicago Marathon contracted plantar fasciitis, which is an inflammation of the tissue supporting the arch of the foot. After just one session of acupuncture, the patient felt rejuvenated and healed and ready to run again.
Oceanic Acupuncture
Cruise ships have always been lavish and luxurious, but recently, they've also become healthy-for your body, mind, and even your feng shui. Celebrity, a worldwide cruise line, is now providing doctors of oriental medicine on every boat. Acupuncture sessions are offered to all customers, helping to ease stress. (Perhaps the acupuncture eases the stress of paying for the vacation.)
'Cruz-ing through the Downturn
Last year, the Santa Cruz Integrative Medicine and Chi Center opened its doors. It didn't turn out to be an ideal time to start a new business, though. However, the center is not only surviving the harsh economic climate-it's flourishing thanks to its environmental conservation efforts and affordability: The facility utilizes a sun-tunnel system instead of electric lights and group acupuncture sessions are offered weekly for as little as $20.
Acupuncture Air Conditioning
A recent study shows that acupuncture may provide long-term relief to hot flashes experienced by breast cancer patients. Currently available treatments are problematic: Steroids cause patients to gain weight, and the most commonly used treatment, an antidepressant called Effexor, often causes unwanted side-effects such as sexual dysfunction and nausea. In the study, those who received acupuncture experienced no side effects. And frequent hot flashes returned after an average of fourteen weeks for acupuncture patients, compared to just two weeks for those treated with Effexor.
In other news:
Pin Deal: St. Vincent's Catholic Medical Center in New York City is now offering acupuncture sessions. Relaxing and therapeutic, these sessions are also FREE.
Diabetic Aid: Recent research has shown that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes. Acupuncture has been found to help regulate blood sugar, improve blood circulation, and increase insulin production in diabetes patients. Acupuncture may also help alleviate common diabetes symptoms, such as constant thirst and fatigue.
Healthy Co-op: Elicia Faul's new "Community Acupuncture" program is less expensive because it allows the acupuncturist to
see multiple patients at once.
Growing Pains
The National Institutes of Health report that 150,000 kids in America use acupuncture, and a form of the practice could bring relief to pre-school patients. Four-and-a-half-year-old Riley Chang, previously a sufferer of intense headaches and stomach pain, is now receiving the benefits of acupressure—a form of acupuncture, which, rather than puncturing the skin with needles, applies pressure at those same critical points discovered 3,000 years ago. Riley's physician, Dr. Anjana Kundu, who works in the Complementary Medicine department at Seattle Children's Hospital, explained her treatment decision for Riley's severe pain: The acupressure regimen has not been implemented in lieu of regular treatment. Instead, it's a complement to medication. Riley's mother notes that being pain-free has enabled her son to get back to all of his normal activities.
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Getting "As" in Acupuncture
On June 8th, 91 students graduated from the Tai Sophia Institute in Maryland, which specializes in academic wellness programs. Of the 91 graduates, 57 completed the acupuncture program.
Catupuncture
Researchers have recently utilized acupuncture to treat a cat suffering from limb paralysis.
Weapons of Mass Pain Relief
The United States Air Force has recently approved battlefield acupuncture training for many of its physicians. The trainees will be deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to administer complementary treatments to regular chronic pain remedies.
Open Discussion: Oprah
According to Deepak Chopra, scientific medicine has fallen woefully short when it comes to the exploration of new and alternative treatment. Despite countless studies proving the benefits of alternative medicine, scientific practitioners throughout the nation continue to belittle these achievements. Many believe that subjectivity has no place in science, even though a mountain of evidence now exists which illustrates the efficacy of subjectivity in various fields, such as cancer treatment. Talk show giant Oprah has recently aired multiple shows concerning health, hosting an ongoing discussion of the increasing shortsightedness of current official medicine. Oprah believes that two critical areas of health care--wellness and prevention--are the two aspects of medicine which require the most improvement. Followers of this movement like to refer to health care as "sick care," since patients only receive treatment once they become injured or sick.
In other news:
SHAQupuncture
It seems "The Big Cactus" is not without needles of his own. Shaquille O'Neal, starting center for the Phoenix Suns, once led the Los Angeles Lakers to three consecutive championships (2000-2002). His secret to success has been revealed: Shaq has recently become one of the few NBA players to disclose their usage of acupuncture, along with others stars such as Dywane Wade of the Miami Heat, and Jason Kidd of the Dallas Mavericks.
Altruistic Acupuncture
Oak Tree Healers, a Southern Californian acupuncture clinic, is now offering $25, 1-hour acupuncture sessions from which $5 of every treatment will be donated to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.
Mother's Digest
Acupuncture can help mothers-to-be with the all-too-common discomfort of indigestion, a recent study shows.
