(Below is an excerpt from a recent article published in a Spanish newspaper.)
You may be hoping to get pregnant, are pregnant, or know someone special who is pregnant. This is an extremely exciting period during which the body undergoes major changes, nurtures a precious life and prepares for a healthy delivery of a baby.
Research has shown that Acupuncture can be very beneficial during pregnancy and labor. According to the World Health Organization, Acupuncture is useful for nausea, vomiting and significantly reduces the duration of labor and labor pains. There is also strong evidence that Acupuncture helps with a breach birth.
The most common complaints pregnant women present to our clinic are:
Morning sickness
Recurrent miscarriage
Threatened miscarriage
Heartburn
Haemorrhoids
Oedema (fluid retention)
Sinus and mucosal congestion
Hypertension
Anxiety, depression
Insomnia
Musculoskeletal conditions
Constipation
Low back pain, sciatica, pubic symphysis pain etc.
ACUPUNCTURE DURING PREGNANCY
During the first trimester, the focus of the treatment is to reduce the likelihood of miscarriage and address any early pregnancy symptoms such as nausea, morning sickness and fatigue.
Acupuncture during the second semester aims to maintain the balance and address many of the common complaints of pregnancy mentioned above.
Acupuncture during the third trimester prepares the body for labour and delivery by relaxing and softening ligaments, aiding cervical dilation, nourishing the body’s ‘’Qi’’ and blood, as well as relieving any muscular pain or discomfort. This is also the time where Acupuncture is used to turn breach babies.
It is recommended to start this treatment as soon as you learn that the baby is in breach position (around 33-36 weeks)
During the entire pregnancy, special attention is given at diet and lifestyle.
ACUPUNCTURE FOR LABOR INDUCTION
Treatment for labour induction can be given any time after 38 weeks if there are no complications with the pregnancy.
SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Stress is something that can affect anyone at anytime.
Two members of the 386th Expeditionary Medical Group visited the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing to give an idea of one way to manage stress: acupuncture.
"Acupuncture, in Western medicine, is considered an alternative or complimentary medicine," said Col. Christian Hanley, a 386th Expeditionary Medical Group medical acupuncturist. "Acupuncture uses a single or series of needles to stimulate points along energy flow channels or meridians."
Hanely explained that the needles can be used with or without stimulation. The stimulation can be in the form of manipulation, electrical stimulation, heat or cold.
Hanley placed acupuncture needles in the hands, feet and scalp of all the attendees of the class.
Acupuncture can treat both acute and chronic pain, obesity through appetite suppression, tobacco addiction, anxiety disorders, hormonal disorders such as menopausal symptoms, allergy and sinus problems, rashes and can promote overall well-being, Hanley said.
"There are multiple types of acupuncture," Hanley said. "In addition to the meridian system that most people think of with points all over the body, there is also Chinese scalp acupuncture were needles are threaded just under the surface of the scalp to stimulate regions or stripes to effect pain, motor function, hearing, vision, balance and any number of issues.
"The Koreans have developed a hand acupuncture system and there are a few variations of ear acupuncture," continued Hanley. "Acupuncture points can also be stimulated with beads that are held in place with adhesive strips similar to tape or Band-Aids and with lasers."
Afterward, Master Sgt. Yvette Arce, from the 386th EMDG, talked about stress while members of the class felt the benefits of acupuncture.
"When you start to feel stressed think of it on a scale of zero through 10," Arce said. "It all depends on what you make of it."
Arce said some of the signs of stress include appetite changes, increased heart rate, tightness in the neck and shoulders and sweating.
"Understand that you do have control under any circumstance to be able to deal with issues," Arce said.
Each of the participants also left the class with something extra; a few semi-permanent needles in their ear that will fall out on their own within a week.
"Ear acupuncture, or auriculotherapy, is useful for the same types of things that other systems of acupuncture are," Hanley said. "It can also be used for appetite suppression, tobacco cessation, pain, lung problems, kidney and liver disease, headaches, dizziness and almost anything you can think of."
With a special interest in helping patients diagnosed with cancer, Rachel is the only acupuncturist in Iowa to complete integrative oncology education with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Last week, Acupuncture in Medicine (published by British Medical Journal | Journals) reported the following article:
December 8, 2011 — Acupuncture may help relieve the severe pain associated with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), according to the results of a pilot study published in Acupuncture in Medicine.
The major groups of drugs that induce CIPN include the taxanes, vinca alkaloids, and platinum compounds, Sven Schroeder, MD, from the HanseMerkur Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany, told Medscape Medical News.
"CIPN involves damage to the peripheral nervous system and can produce severe pain and gait impairment, and is often a reason for stopping chemotherapy with these agents," Dr. Schroeder said.
Data from other studies published in English-language journals on acupuncture as a symptomatic treatment for CIPN have been limited to a few case studies, but they have all reported an improvement in symptoms. Additionally, a Chinese study found that acupuncture was more effective than cobamamide for the treatment of sensory symptoms in paclitaxel-induced CIPN, he said.
"These findings are of special significance since peripheral neuropathy is otherwise almost untreatable, but seems to respond to treatment by acupuncture," Dr. Schroeder said.
In the current study, he and his team evaluated the therapeutic effect of acupuncture on CIPN as measured by changes in nerve conduction studies. The study population consisted of 11 patients who had developed symptoms of peripheral neuropathy during chemotherapy for a variety of cancers.
The acupuncture was performed on all patients by the same physician who had received more than 1000 hours of acupuncture training before participating in the trial and who had used acupuncture for 20 years.
Clinical examination showed that all the patients had a mixture of numbness on touch and nerve pain, and nerve conduction studies showed evidence of damage to the sural nerve.
The study found that acupuncture improved both the speed and the intensity of the nerve signaling in 83% of patients. These same patients also reported that their condition had improved.
"It has been shown that acupuncture may increase the blood flow in the limbs," he said, explaining how acupuncture might work in this condition. "Increased blood flow to the vasa nervorum and dependent capillary beds supplying the neurons may contribute to nerve repair with measurable improvement of axons or myelin sheaths."
His research team is planning a randomized, controlled trial, first in patients with diabetic neuropathy and next among those with CIPN, he said.
A study recently published in the journal Pediatrics concludes that treating kids with acupuncture is a common practice and generally safe, according to a new study.
“Like adults, acupuncture is very safe when applied to the children’s population,” said Jamie Starkey, an acupuncturist from the Cleveland Clinic, who did not take part in the study. “And so it basically mimics exactly what is seen in the adult population.”
Researchers at the University of Alberta studied data from different countries spanning 60 years. They looked at the association between needle acupuncture and the different adverse events in children.
Out of 279 adverse effects, 253 were mild, according to the researchers. (The other 25 adverse effects were likely related to sub-standard techniques.)Adverse effects included bruising, bleeding and worsening of symptoms after treatment.
“Any of the serious side effects that they found were definitely due in part to the clinician’s malpractice,” Starkey said. “So, it was certainly somebody who was not necessarily the most trained. The take-home message is that it is absolutely safe in both the adult and pediatric world, but you have to go to somebody who is trained.”
Our clinic offers treatments by one of the few Board Certified Acupuncturists in the Iowa City area Rachel received additional training in pediatrics that include numerous techniques beyond simply needling that is beneficial for this population. Youngsters have found relief at Health On Point for a variety of complaints including pain (chronic and acute), headaches, bedwetting, stress/anxiety and asthma.
We welcome any inquiries by phone, email, or in person!
An ancient therapy could prove effective at relieving a common side effect of cancer treatment, a new study shows.
According to Randomized controlled trial of acupuncture for prevention of radiation-induced xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Acupuncture was able to reduce dry mouth in people who were receiving radiation therapy to treat their head and neck cancers, reported researchers from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center.
Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, occurs when there is not enough saliva in the mouth.
"The medical implications are quite profound in terms of quality of life, because while chronic dry mouth may sound benign, it has a significant impact on sleeping, eating and speaking," study researcher Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., director of MD Anderson's Integrative Medicine Program, said in a statement. "Without saliva, there can be an increase in microbial growth, possible bone infection and irreversible nutritional deficits."
Researchers examined 86 people with nasopharyngeal carcinoma who were undergoing radiotherapy for their cancer. Forty of the patients received acupuncture three times a week while they received their radiotherapy over seven weeks, while 46 just had regular care.
Researchers monitored the study participants' saliva flow using a Xerostomia Questionnaire -- a score under 30 meant that dry mouth was mild or completely gone.
A month after all the study participants had finished their therapies, researchers found that 54.3 percent of the people who had acupuncture had a Xerostomia Questionnaire score of over 30, while 86.1 percent of people who didn't have acupuncture had a score of over 30.
And then six months after undergoing treatment, researchers found that just 24.1 percent of the people who had acupuncture had a score over 30, while 63.6 percent of the people who didn't had a score of over 30.
Researchers said more studies are needed to see why exactly acupuncture has these benefits.
In 2009, MD Anderson researchers had also found that acupuncture twice a week seemed to relieve dry mouth in cancer patients being treated with radiation therapy, ScienceDaily reported.
Previously, studies have shown that acupuncture can help relieve people experiencing chronic back pain. WebMD reported on a 2009 study showing that acupuncture was actually more effective than physical therapy and drugs at relieving this kind of pain.
If you or someone you love would benefit from these treatments, please contact us. Rachel is the only acupuncturist in Iowa with oncology training from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Once again, flu season is upon us. According to The World Health Organization, acupuncture is effective in preventing cold and flu as well as shortening the duration of a flu/cold if it is contracted.
But why?
Germs are everywhere. Viruses are everywhere. But most of us are not perpetually sick from them. The reason is because our bodies successfully fight the bacteria and viruses in order to keep us well. Problem occur when the body’s systems become too weak to kill the invading ailments.
Your body can be weakened by all sorts of factors; bad nutrition, lack of the nutrients, stress, smoking, sleep deprivation … the list can go on, and on. But, let’s look at stress. Every time you get stressed (in a traffic jam, over a project, at work, when your boss looks over your shoulder, when the kids are fighting, etc) your body produces hormones and chemicals that, in ages past, were used for a fight/flight response. In our culture, many people are constantly producing these chemicals, as our stressors are endless and constant. Sometimes, even what we use to de-stress causes production of these chemicals (TV, video games, etc).
As these chemicals are produced, some of the body’s elimination mechanisms are redirected from the fight against viruses and bacteria to deal with elimination of the stress chemicals. We produce so many of these chemicals that many are actually not eliminated and are taken to various points in the body’s muscle tissue for storage.
Your body is similar to your house, in many ways. You put books on a shelf, dirty clothes in a laundry basket, and underwear in a drawer. You have a place to hold the wine, a drawer for the silverware, and a fridge for the food. Your body also has storage spots where chemicals from various types of stress are placed if they’re not taken out with the trash (sweat, urine, fecal matter).
When those storage spots get full, they become ‘toxic’. Blood flow is slowed in the area, and toxin traffic jams begin. All of this weakens our body’s natural ability to fight invasions such as cold and flu viruses.
That’s where acupuncture/acupressure comes in. These practices assist the body in clearing out the traffic jams. As the toxic build-up of a spot is lessened or eliminated,through needles or pressure, the body’s energy flows (circulatory, nervous, and lymphatic systems) are stronger, and thus the person’s resistance to bacteria and virus is restored and strengthened.
Acupuncture/pressure is primarily about prevention. But it can also be used as treatment. As with any herbal remedy or pharmaceutical drug, the sooner you begin treatment of an ailment, the better. When you take a medication “at the first sign” of symptoms, you’ll get through it faster because you get it while it’s small. Likewise, if you get an acupuncture appointment when you first start to feel symptoms or feel run down, it will be more beneficial.
To get more information about acupuncture, the Iowa City/Coralville community doesn't have to go too far. Now through November 15th, Health On Point Acupuncture will be offering discounts on herbal remedies, neti pot and at home care items for flu season. People can learn first-hand from Rachel about more ways you can strengthen your immune system naturally to prevent cold/flu and ways to fight cold/flu naturally if you do contract it.
New research concludes that “acupuncture may function as a somatosensory-guided mind-body therapy.” The research compared MRI readings of real acupuncture with sham acupuncture (needle stimulation at non-acupuncture point locations) at acupuncture point P-6 (Neiguan, Inner Pass). The MRI imaging showed that true acupuncture yielded greater activity over sham acupuncture in the dorsomedial prefontal cortex of the brain. Real acupuncture produced significantly “greater activity in both cognitive/evaluative (posterior dmPFC) and emotional/interoceptive (anterior dmPFC) cortical regions” and the MRI results showed that true acupuncture “increased cognitive load.”
Recent criticisms concerning the effectiveness of acupuncture have focused on the ability of sham acupuncture to produce clinical results. However, MRI studies show that true acupuncture produces clinical results by different cortical mechanisms than sham acupuncture.
NIH researchers question the validity of sham acupuncture control groups. Dr. R. E. Harris’s (NIH researcher, Ann Arbor, Michigan) research was able to prove that although sham acupuncture and true acupuncture reduce pain in fibromyalgia patients, they “do it by different mechanisms.” Dr. Harris’s research showed that differing mechanisms by which the pain relief was achieved was measured at the molecular level. This suggests that sham acupuncture may superficially cause pain reduction but that it is not scientifically achieved by the same mechanisms as true acupuncture. Dr. Richard L. Nahin of the NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine states, “If you look at some of the data, what you find is that sham acupuncture and true acupuncture both produce some pain relief in whatever condition they’re looking at. But while both treatments turn on areas of the brain, they turn on different areas of the brain.”
References: Brain encoding of acupuncture sensation – coupling on-line rating with fMRI. V. Napadow, R.P. Dhond, J. Kim, L. LaCount, M. Vangel, R.E. Harris, N. Kettner, K. Park, F. Pfab. Neuroimage (2009) 47: 1055–65.
Florian Pfab, MD, PhD, Visiting Associate Professor, Dept. of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts.
Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur. Volume 54, Issue 3, 2011, Pages 32-33.
Contie, Defibaugh, Ewsichek, Latham and Wein. Understanding Acupuncture Time To Try It? NIH News in Health. February 2011.
Stacey Adams is expecting her first child in February. She credits fertility acupuncture.
After suffering through the pain and sadness of three miscarriages and spending around $20,000 on fertility treatments, WINK-TV news anchor Stacey Adams, 40, felt she had run out of options for ever having a child.
Then Adams turned to acupuncture. The research is mixed on whether and how acupuncture can improve fertility, but Adams said she saw results almost immediately after nearly giving up hope.
“I really had to readjust my life and my life story, thinking having a family just wasn’t going to happen for us,” Adams said tearfully.
The popular Florida journalist didn’t meet her husband, Tony Schall, until she was in her 30s and, after they married, they weren’t ready for a family right away. She was 37 when they started trying, with no luck. Both were tested, but doctors couldn’t find the source of the problem.
The couple decided to use an assisted reproductive technology called Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI. In all, they tried five IUI treatments. Adams got pregnant twice, but miscarried both times. She miscarried once prior to treatment.
“I was drained and out of hope,” Adams said.
That’s when Adams came across Huffman Wellness, an acupuncture and herbal center in Tampa, Fla. She read the story of a Tampa news anchor who had used acupuncture to help become pregnant, and decided she had nothing to lose. She contacted owner and practitioner Carolyn Huffman.
“I think the world of Stacey and she and I instantly connected,” Huffman said. “This was her last straw and her heart was fully on board.”
Huffman asked Adams to fill out an extensive questionnaire, trying to find out as much as she could about her fertility treatment history, health and eating habits. Huffman suggested Adams give up coffee, alcohol and processed foods and also limit dairy. She decided Adams would benefit from two acupuncture treatments a week while taking a variety of herbal and nutritional supplements such as Vitamin D and prenatal vitamins.
Acupuncture involves having small needles placed into specific parts of the body to trigger and activate the body’s “Qi,” or life energy. Adams had needles placed in her stomach, head, ears, calves, forearms and back. Huffman tailors the placement based on where a woman is in her monthly cycle and on patterns associated with traditional Chinese medicine. Huffman studied at the Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in St. Petersburg.
Adams said she instantly saw results. “I could see the physical manifestation of it. My periods, which had always been short in duration were longer and healthier looking,” she said.
For the next two months, Adams drove two hours to Tampa, underwent two hours of treatment followed by relaxation sessions and then started the two-hour drive home so she could go to work.
“Stacey was so committed, which helps tremendously. She gave it her best,” Huffman says.
Adams started the process in late March and, by May, she was pregnant. She got the news just two days after celebrating her 40th birthday. She’s now five months pregnant, expecting a little boy in February.
“I’m so excited, overwhelmed. I still have to pinch myself,” Adams said.
So how could acupuncture be related to fertility?
Huffman said it helps improve blood flow, reduce stress, regulate hormones and open up the pathway from the brain to the reproductive organs such as the ovaries. She said the acupuncture can be done alone or in combination with fertility treatments, such as IUI’s or in vitro fertilization and also aids in preparing the body for such treatments.
Alice Domar, a Ph.D. in health psychology, is the executive director of the Domar Center, a mind/body/ fertility program near Boston, Mass. The Domar Center focuses on combining relaxation with health programs by offering acupuncture, couples and nutrition counseling and yoga.
Domar, who herself studies infertility as part of her work as an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, said the jury is still out when it comes to linking fertility success with acupuncture.
“So why, you may ask, do I have six acupuncturists on staff? No one can prove it doesn’t work. In my opinion, it’s worth trying because it’s inexpensive, relatively non-invasive and it helps women relax and know they’re doing everything they can to help" have a baby, Domar said.
Domar said research on fertility acupuncture offers mixed reports. But she said she knows personally that acupuncture has worked for her in other ways. In December, she had back pain so intense she wanted to cry, she said. She turned to acupuncture and said she felt better after one 90-minute session.
“There’s something there,” she says.
Domar warns that people shouldn’t just use acupuncture, they should also go to a doctor to make sure nothing is wrong, such as blocked fallopian tubes. She said she discourages women from taking Chinese herbs. She said there hasn’t been enough research to make sure they’re safe.
Huffman said she asks women to choose whether or not they want to take herbs.
Women are routinely advised to consult with their obstetricians about taking vitamins, supplements, prescription and over-the-counter medications during pregnancy.
The cost of acupuncture treatments varies, but usually ranges from $80-$150. Adams says it was much cheaper than the IUI treatments she received which cost around $5,000 each.
In terms of how many babies have resulted from her work, Huffman said she hasn’t been able to keep track, but said success also comes in other forms, such as women having more regular or less painful periods.
“I’m so overjoyed for Stacey,” Huffman said. “This is exactly why I do this, to help women. It’s so rewarding.”
(The article above is a reprint from Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University)
Acupuncture is increasingly being used with cancer patients. Dr. Ting Bao, an assistant professor at the University of MarylandSchool of Medicine and faculty at Maryland's Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center and Center for Integrative Medicine, regularly used acupuncture to alleviate pain and treat side effects. Recently the Baltimore Sun published an interview in their Health & Wellness section. Below is an excerpt from that article. Note that I am the only acupuncturist in Iowa with formal training in oncology care and support for both cancer patients and their loved ones. My profound interest in this field led to my completion of Acupuncture Oncology training by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. If you think you or a loved one would benefit from acupuncture, please call or email us today.
Q: Are there studies on effectiveness of treating breast cancerpatients with acupuncture or any in the works? What symptoms of breast cancer and treatment could it help alleviate?
A: Yes, there have been several studies on the effect of acupuncture in helping breast cancer patients. The conditions that acupuncture was shown to help are chemotherapy-induced nausea, vomiting, tamoxifen-induced hot flashes, and aromatase inhibitor-induced joint pain and stiffness. A number of clinical trials have shown that acupuncture helped reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting. So far, there have been three randomized, controlled clinical trials showing that acupuncture significantly alleviates tamoxifen-induced hot flashes in breast cancer patients with minimal side effects. We recently finished a multi-center randomized, controlled trial assessing the effect of acupuncture in reducing aromatase inhibitor induced musculoskeletal symptoms. We are analyzing the data and will present the results soon.
Q: When should a patient expect relief and how long should it last?
A: It depends on the condition the patient is being treated for and the patient's state of health and stage of disease. Some conditions, such as chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting may only require one or two treatments, whereas chronic conditions such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (nerve pain) may take 4-8 treatments to see relief. Again, the duration of the treatment response, which may last from hours to weeks, depends on the condition being treated and on the patients themselves. In my acupuncture clinic, depending on the condition being treated, I usually start with once- or twice-weekly acupuncture treatments and then gradually adjust the frequency.
There has been a great deal of controversy over the effectiveness of acupuncture for pain related conditions. Can acupuncture stop shoulder pain? A randomized, blinded, patient-blinded, multi-center research report published its conclusions. Researchers at Ruhr-University Bochum (Orthopedic Surgery and Research) conclude that acupuncture is an effective alternative to conventional orthopedic treatments for chronic shoulder pain. The specifics of the results draw clear demarcations.
A total of 424 patients were studied in 31 orthopedist offices. Each received 15 treatments over a period of 6 weeks. The orthopedists were trained in acupuncture and administered the acupuncture treatments. Three groups were compared. The first group of patients received textbook acupuncture (verum acupuncture). The next group received non-relevant needle puncture (sham acupuncture). The final group received conventional orthopedic care. Results were tabulated immediately are the series of treatments and another follow-up was performed three months after completion of the acupuncture series of treatments.
Results showed greater range of motion including abduction and arm-above-head-test for the acupuncture group over the sham and orthopedic groups. Pain level reductions were also assessed.
Three Month Follow-Up
The verum acupuncture group had a 65 percent recovery rate. The sham acupuncture group had a 24 percent recovery rate, and the orthopedic group had a 37 percent recovery rate measured three months following the cessation of acupuncture care.
Immediate Follow-Up
The verum acupuncture group had a 68 percent recovery rate. The sham acupuncture group had a 40 percent recovery rate, and the orthopedic group had a 28 percent recovery rate measured immediately following the cessation of acupuncture care. In both cases, the patients receiving acupuncture demonstrated the most clinically significant recovery rates.
Contact Health On Point to receive acupuncture for your chronic shoulder pain. As the article indicates, our patients describe significant and lasting improvement when addressing shoulder and other joint pain.
With great enthusiasm (and some delay) I'm thrilled to introduce you to the newest member of our family. Asher Simon was born on June 20th. He entered the world at 7lbs 4oz and 20+ inches.
Parenting an infant has been a thrill these past few weeks, and Asher's assured me it's time to get out of the house to care for my patients later this month.
Stay tuned for email announcements and open phone lines....
The Boston Globe: Joan Woods is finally getting some relief.
In her Winthrop living room, she is silent in her pink, comfy chair. Just moments before, Daria Casinelli, a licensed acupuncturist, inserted 14 needles in Woods’ wrists, feet, and ears to help reduce the pain she feels in her feet and stomach, and to allow the 80-year-old former nurse to breathe easier.
After a few minutes, Woods opens her eyes, smiles, and sighs. “It’s hard to explain what peace this gives me," she says.
For the last four years, Woods has battled cancer with chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. A few months ago, doctors told her that the cancer had spread to her lungs. That’s when she decided to stop traditional treatment and enter hospice. In March, the doctors gave her six months to live, so she contacted All Care Hospice, based in Lynn. After explaining her symptoms and diagnosis, the hospice asked if she would be interested in a new program offering treatment from licensed acupuncturists.
Woods, who does not like to take pain medication, had previously seen an acupuncturist to treat her migraines and herniated discs, and remembered the experience as pleasant and calming. “When it was offered to me, I jumped at the chance," she says.
The program — which marks the first time a Massachusetts hospice has offered acupuncture to patients — began in April, after Dr. Lewis Hays, All Care’s medical director, met with officials from a local acupuncture school. As part of its postgraduate program, the school agreed to recruit working acupuncturists to treat hospice patients. Both organizations agreed that the free program had mutual benefits: The acupuncturists earn postgraduate credits and the patients are exposed to a treatment that doesn’t require drugs and can often bring immediate, temporary relief.
“It’s an idea whose time has come, absolutely," says Hays, who believes that acupuncture is effective in treating symptoms that many in hospice face, such as pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, and vomiting.
While acupuncture has been used for thousands of years in China and neighboring countries to treat pain and other symptoms, it is considered a complementary treatment in the United States, is rarely used in hospitals, and is not covered by most health insurance plans. For acupuncturists like Casinelli, the program already has been a learning experience. In addition to treating hospice patients weekly, she also is part of an interdisciplinary team — including a doctor, nurse, social worker, chaplain, and home health aide — that discusses how to best care for the patient
Despite the advances of modern medicine, one in five patients has symptoms that are unexplained and untreated, contributing to stress for both the provider and individual. Further, studies have shown that the cost of managing the treatment of a patient with medically unexplained symptoms can be twice that of a patient with a diagnosis.
In an effort to provide a solution, a UK research team performed a clinical randomized controlled study on the efficacy of acupuncture for the undiagnosed disorders. Included in the research design was a linked interview of each patient’s subjective opinion of the intervention.
Some 80 patients from GP practices across London were selected to have five-element acupuncture added to their usual care. The results of the research are published in the British Journal of General Practice. The study group was made up of 80 adults, 80 percent female with an average age of 50 years and from a variety of ethnic backgrounds who had consulted their GP at least eight times in the past year. Nearly 60 percent reported musculoskeletal health problems, of which almost two-thirds had been present for a year. The patients were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group. Eight acupuncturists administered individual five-element acupuncture to the acupuncture group immediately, up to 12 sessions over 26 weeks. The same numbers of treatments were made available to the control group after 26 weeks.
At 26 weeks the patients were asked to complete a number of questionnaires including the individualized health status questionnaire “Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile.” The acupuncture group registered a significantly improved overall score when compared with the control group. They also showed improved well-being but did not show any change in GP and other clinical visits or the number of medications they were taking. Between 26 and 52 weeks, the acupuncture group maintained their improvement and the control group, now receiving their acupuncture treatments, showed “catch up” improvement. Results from the associated qualitative study, which focused on the patients’ experiences, supported the quantitative work.
This tool identified that participating patients had a variety of longstanding symptoms and disability including chronic pain, fatigue and emotional problems which affected their ability to work, socialize and carry out everyday tasks.
Participating patients reported that their acupuncture consultations became increasingly valuable. They appreciated the amount of time they had with each acupuncturist and the interactive and holistic nature of the sessions – there was a sense that the practitioners were listening to their concerns and, via therapy, doing something positive about them.
This patient-centered orientation encouraged individuals to take an active role in their treatment, resulting in cognitive and behavioral lifestyle changes, such as a new self-awareness about what caused stress in their lives, and a subsequent ability to deal with stress more effectively; and taking their own initiatives based on advice from the acupuncturists about diet, exercise, relaxation and social activities.
Comments from participating patients included: “the energy is the main thing I have noticed. You know, yeah, it’s marvelous! Where I was going out and cutting my grass, now I’m going out and cutting my neighbor’s after because he’s elderly”; “I had to reduce my medication. That’s the big help actually, because medication was giving me more trouble…side effects”; and “It kind of boosts you, somehow or another.”
Dr. Charlotte Paterson, who managed the randomized control trial and the longitudinal study of patients’ experiences, commented: “Our research indicates that the addition of up to 12 five-element acupuncture consultations to the usual care experienced by the patients in the trial was feasible and acceptable and resulted in improved overall well-being that was sustained for up to a year.
“This is the first trial to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment to those with unexplained symptoms, and the next development will be to carry out a cost-effectiveness study with a longer follow-up period. While further studies are required, this particular study suggests that GPs may recommend a series of five-element acupuncture consultations to patients with unexplained symptoms as a safe and potentially effective intervention.”
She added: “Such intervention could not only result in potential resource savings for the (National Health Service), but would also improve the quality of life for a group of patients for whom traditional biomedicine has little in the way of effective diagnosis and treatment.”
Below is an excerpt from a news site local to the Philadelphia (PA) area, published earlier in the week. This spring as tilling and planting begins, and flowers are blooming, many members of our community suffer from allergies that can be debilitating. Congestion, watery eyes and fatigue are just a few symptoms patients describe. Fortunately, making an appointment at Health On Point means you'll receive not only acupuncture, but we will also discuss at home care to minimize suffering this spring and summer! You may bring home materials for sinus cleanse, herbal remedies, and handouts reviewing easy diet and lifestyle changes that will certainly improve quality of life during the season.
Aniko Foldi and Marty Rudolph said they have battled severe allergy symptoms for years with no relief.
"You name it, I have every kind of symptom," Aniko said.
"I have had surgery, I've gone to an allergist's office two times a week for shots," Marty said.
Both of them desperate for help they turned to acupuncture as a last resort and both said it worked.
"It absolutely mitigates the impact," Marty said.
"It's just amazing to me it's like a 100% improvement," said Aniko.
Dr. Marshall Sager in Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County practiced traditional medicine for years before becoming a certified acupuncturist. He said he's seen great success treating allergies with the ancient technique.
"If you believe that the body has an inherent ability to heal itself what acupuncture does is enhance that ability," said Dr. Sager.
But Dr. Edward Schulman, an allergist at Drexel University's College of Medicine, said there is no proof acupuncture can help allergy symptoms... But Dr. Schulman said there are very few risks for trying acupuncture. However, if you choose to do it, both he and acupuncturists said you should tell your doctor and try to work it into your overall therapy.
In an interesting article last week, Tara Parker-Pope (a NYTimes blogger) writes about stress and infertility. In particular she explores the role that stress reduction may play in improving a couple's ability to conceive.
“It’s not that it’s all in your mind,’’ Dr. Domar said. “If you’re really stressed out and depressed, the body seems to sense that’s not a good time to get pregnant. There’s something about practicing relaxation techniques or being with other women who understand what you’re going through, probably a combination of everything, that makes a difference. It isn’t just about relaxing.”
At Health On Point Acupuncture, we strive to treat the whole individual. Treatments supporting one's reproductive health not only underlying Western Medical diagnosis, but the individual well - this includes mental and emotional well-being. If you would like a consult with me, or to learn more about what our clinic offers, please contact us.
The International Journal of Clinical Medicine just published a research paper that considers acupuncture treatment to manage the side effects of prostate treatment. We've made the complete article available online for you here. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, and are undergoing treatment please call for a consult or to schedule your acupuncture treatments. (Keep in mind that my dad has been a practicing urologist since I was two years old - I feel very comfortable utilizing my skills as an acupuncturist to support complaints for men in particular.)
HealthDay News -- Acupuncture might help reduce the hot flashes that frequently affect prostate cancer patients while they're on hormone therapy, a small study suggests.
"Our study shows that physicians and patients have an additional treatment for something that affects many men undergoing prostate cancer treatment and actually has long-term benefits, as opposed to more side effects," said lead author Dr. Hani Ashamalla, a radiation oncologist at New York Methodist Hospital, in a news release from the American Society for Radiation Oncology.
Acupuncture, a popular form of alternative medicine, involves inserting ultra-thin needles into the skin.
"We are now designing a randomized clinical trial to further evaluate acupuncture after prostate cancer treatment," Ashamalla added.
Hormone therapy designed to reduce levels of testosterone in the body is one of the standard treatments for prostate cancer. However, about half of patients who undergo hormone therapy suffer from hot flashes similar to those that women experience during menopause.
"It is a definite nuisance. I've seen reports that upwards of 60 percent of men will get hot flashes," said Dr. Stephen Freedland, an associate professor of urology and pathology at Duke University, in an interview. "Usually it's mild and self-limiting and improves with time. But there are some men who really have it bad."
In the study, researchers followed 14 men who were taking hormone therapy for prostate cancer and suffered from hot flashes.
They received acupuncture twice a week for 30 minutes over four weeks. Their reported level of hot flashes dropped markedly.
The question is whether the acupuncture reduced the hot flashes or a placebo effect played a role, said Freedland, who's familiar with the study findings.
It's also possible, he said, that the symptoms went away on their own, which commonly happens to men on hormone therapy.
However, "clearly these men described getting better, and it happened over a very short period of time," he said. "The symptoms don't (normally) get better by that much that quickly."
The study, published in the April issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics, also found that acupuncture relieved the heart palpitations and anxiety often associated with hormone therapy for prostate cancer. You can download the article, including abstract, from our resources site.
This month, Daily Finance published an article about the affordability of acupuncture, and the importance coverage for acupuncture in the near future. Contact your local government official and remind them that "The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act, would ensure that those in need of care aren't forced to choose more expensive, invasive and risky treatments with a long list of side effects simply because acupuncture isn't covered."
A year after President Obama signed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act into law, many Americans are still struggling to get their insurance to cover basic medical treatments. A new report by Deloitte and Oxford Economics finds that consumers spent $363 billion dollars more for health-care goods and services in 2009 than official government statistics acknowledged -- a discrepancy of nearly 15%.
These out-of-pocket medical costs include "purchases that are outside of conventional therapies and treatments," as well as other products and services not covered by insurance programs and care for others. The finding joins a growing body of evidence that more Americans are exploring often less expensive alternatives to traditional Western medicine.
A 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which polled Americans about their use of so-called complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), estimated that 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture during the previous year. And in the five years leading up to the survey, the use of acupuncture -- the traditional Asian medical technique that involves the insertion of thin needles at skin-level, into key areas of the body -- had increased among U.S. adults by 0.3%, or about 1 million people.
Getting Coverage for Acupuncture
Acupuncture, once considered exotic in the U.S., has been around long enough to become federally regulated. Practitioners must use needles produced and manufacturedaccording to U.S. Food and Drug Administration standards, which require needles to "be sterile, nontoxic, and labeled for single use by qualified practitioners only."
Acupuncture has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of ailments, including chronic pain, depression, menstrual irregularities, infertility and weight loss.
While most employer-sponsored health plans cover may cover physicals, prescription drugs and mental health, only about half -- according to a 2004 Kaiser Family Foundation survey-- cover acupuncture, chiropractic care and other CAM treatments.
But insurance companies' reluctance to cover licensed acupuncture treatments may be changing. For the ninth straight year, Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) is introducing legislation that would add acupuncture to the list of services covered by Medicare and Federal Employees Health Benefits Program participants.
"Even though the National Institutes of Health has found acupuncture to be an effective treatment for a range of serious diseases and conditions, 52 million Medicare beneficiaries and federal employees have no guaranteed access to the treatment," Mike Morosi, Hinchey's press secretary, writes in an email. "Congressman Hinchey will soon reintroduce the The Federal Acupuncture Coverage Act, which would ensure that those in need of care aren't forced to choose more expensive, invasive and risky treatments with a long list of side effects simply because acupuncture isn't covered."
Pinpointing the Problems
Colorado lawmakers also are working on a measure that would make it easier for licensed acupuncturists to get insurance reimbursements. Many patients supposedly covered for acupuncture treatments are still turned down by their insurers, says state Sen. Lucía Guzmán, one of the bill's sponsors, who adds that the bill uncovered a disconnect between some carriers and their bureaucracies.
"Some of the insurance companies I spoke to were sort of dumbfounded," she says. "They said 'we cover that.' But then when we got into it, we found that once something gets to the billing department end of it, then it's like, 'no, the reason we didn't pay for that was because that was not a licensed [acupuncturist]...they're not included on this list of licensed persons."
Acupuncture treatments can vary in length, taking anywhere from several weeks to several months. But even insurance companies that cover acupuncture usually limit the number of annual visits their patients can make.
"There are some that give you [a limit of] 20 treatments per year," says Parago Jones, clinic director at the Colorado School of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Denver. "I think they're trying to placate a certain amount of their customers, giving a real basic [acupuncture coverage] -- like giving basic cable TV. It's kind of like, why even have it? I think an insurance carrier that only gives you 20 sessions per year isn't giving you much at all."
Jones recommends that consumers considering acupuncture educate themselves about their local practitioners and the available treatments. He also thinks there's a place in American health care for both Western medicine and legitimate, alternative treatments like acupuncture. "We're in that process of those two worlds slowly merging," he says, "and there's still a lot of trepidation -- at least from the Western side -- about what we do and what we know, and what's the best of this medicine."
A small study in the BMJ journal Acupuncture Medicine found that “acupuncture was effective in reducing menopausal complaints … and can be considered as an alternative therapy in the treatment of menopausal symptoms.”
The Turkish study randomly assigned 53 women to get either acupuncture(27) treatment for their symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes or to get fake or “sham” (26) acupuncture treatments.
The researchers found that overall symptoms “were significantly lower in the acupuncture group than the sham group.” Moreover, the severity of hot flashes was significantly decreased after treatment in acupuncture group.
As a result, the researchers concluded that “acupuncture was effective in reducing menopausal complaints when compared to sham acupuncture and can be considered as an alternative therapy in the treatment of menopausal symptoms.”
At Health On Point, women seeking an integrated approach to their health can turn to our clinic for acupuncture, lifestyle and nutritional counseling. We offer programs to support menopause, gynecologic health and a range of other physical and emotional health issues.
A recent article published on the About Kids Health resource website reviews interesting findings as well as interviews of youngsters and physicians alike who find acupuncture beneficial to the youngest members of our community. At Health On Point, I use specific pediatric techniques when supporting young and sensitive patients. We are able to address complaints ranging from developmental delays, stress, sports injuries to symptoms or discomfort resulting from complex neurological disorders. Call for a consultation or appointment today.
When teenager Andrew Pearce was first diagnosed with the immune system disorder Guillain-Barre syndrome, he could barely walk. He was in deep aching pain. His muscles were weak. At one point, he could not move anything in his body from his shoulders down. He went through a long series of therapies, including acupuncture, to help restore his muscle function. Acupuncture aided with his recovery by helping to stimulate the nerves and loosen the muscles in his knees.
Over the past several decades, people like Andrew have turned more and more to complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) such as acupuncture. In children with medical conditions such as arthritis, cancer, and cystic fibrosis, the use of CAMs is 30% to 70%. Acupuncture is a popular way of managing symptoms. It is among the CAM therapies most frequently recommended by family physicians. One-third of paediatric pain centres in the United States now offer acupuncture as part of their services. Physicians are recognizing the value of acupuncture as a helpful and valid treatment option.
In 2000, Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital established an acupuncture clinic in conjunction with the Michener Institute. Headed by Dr. Adam Chen, a licensed acupuncturist with over 30 years of clinical experience, Mount Sinai offers acupuncture to a wide variety of patients who live with chronic pain. About 10% of his patients are children. Working at Mount Sinai provides acupuncture practitioners and students with “a new perspective on the application of acupuncture and the role it can play when combined with modern medicine in a clinical setting,” says Dr. Chen...
Is acupuncture effective for chronic pain in children and teens?
A number of studies support the use of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic pain. One trial evaluated 47 young people aged five to 20 years who received acupuncture for various chronic pain conditions. Seventy per cent of patients and 59% of their parents found acupuncture helpful in relieving pain. The study also found that 67% of patients and 60% of parents thought the treatment experience was pleasant or positive.
Mild traumatic brain injury can be effectively treated with acupuncture, a new report published in the January issue of the Journal of Neurotrauma reveals.
Researchers from the University of Colorado studied the effect of an acupressure treatment which involved stimulating particular points on the body.
The treatment, known as Jin Shin, was studied on 38 volunteers, half of whom were placed in a control group which involved the same experts conducting the treatment on other points of the body that did not come under the treatment.
“We found that the study subjects with mild traumatic brain injury who were treated with acupressure showed improved cognitive function, scoring significantly better on tests of working memory when compared to the TBI subjects in the placebo control group”, lead researcher Professor Theresa Hernandez said.
Numerous studies have suggested that acupuncture may reduce pain, aches, tension or stress. Now, a report from the University of Gothenberg, Sweden, has determined that the ancient alternative remedy may partially treat women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).
A study published in the American Journal of Physiology – Endocrinology and Metabolism found that four months of acupuncture treatment combined with electrical stimulation reduced the levels of testosterone in women with PCOS by 25 percent.
The syndrome is the most common cause of infertility in women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The authors of the study estimated that PCOS affects 10 percent of women in the U.S. A hormone imbalance, the syndrome results in high levels of male hormones, particularly testosterone, making it difficult for a woman to conceive and causing side effects like obesity, acne and irregular menstruation.
The Swedish team found that a low-level electrical current run through acupuncture needles appeared to stimulate muscles in a way similar to exercise. Indeed, groups separately treated with exercise or acupuncture both experienced improvements in weight, testosterone levels, acne and menstrual regularity.
Full abstract (pdf format) available online here. At Health On Point we can support your fertility needs with acupuncture, lifestyle counseling and supplementation if needed. For additional information please call or email.
Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Friedbauer receives acupuncture
just prior to his flight to the States.
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — For the first time, doctors are testing acupuncture to treat injured troops in transit from Ramstein to the States.
The servicemembers are part of a study, looking at whether battlefield acupuncture — a procedure that involves placing tiny needles into troops’ ears — can be effectively used to control pain during an air evacuation.
Air Force Dr. (Col.) Richard Niemtzow, who developed the technique in 2001, said the needles would not replace painkillers during the flight, which lasts about seven hours. But he hopes the study will show that the acupuncture allows injured troops to take reduced doses of narcotics during the long flight to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland.
“We are approaching this in a safe and scientific manner. These people are not being taken advantage of because they are hurting,” he said. “We’re hoping that there is a benefit, but it may show that it is not useful.”
On a combat evacuation, where even the rattle of a flight can make broken bones much more painful, morphine and other opiate painkillers are typically given to injured troops. And as more troops return from the battlefield with pain, the military has seen a spike in the number of prescriptions for opiate painkillers. More troubling, abuse of painkillers is on the rise: About 22 percent of soldiers admitted misusing prescribed drugs, mostly painkillers, in a 12-month period, according to the results of a Pentagon survey released last year.
As a way to reduce the number of painkillers given to servicemembers, the military has turned to acupuncture as a potential alternative, using it to reduce long-term pain in veterans, as well as using Niemtzow’s technique to ease troops’ aches and strains downrange since 2009.
For this study, volunteers will be solicited prior to the evacuation. They will then be asked to fill out surveys about their pain symptoms before and during the flight.
Joan Walter, vice president of military medical research for the Samueli Institute in Alexandria, Va., said she expects to have about 60 to 70 participants during the 90-day study, which is being funded by the Air Force. Injuries to the servicemembers will likely include headaches, chronic muscular and skeletal pain, and broken limbs from roadside bomb attacks or motor vehicle accidents.
Niemtzow and his colleagues stressed that this study is not meant to prove acupuncture’s efficacy, something that is still debated among researchers and doctors, despite its 5,000-year history. The study is simply trying to determine whether troops feel that acupuncture is a benefit to them on the flight, as well as whether medical personnel can perform the procedure easily during an evacuation.
“We are asking in the environment of an aeromedical evacuation: Does this show promise?” he said. “Can this can be substituted in place of habit-forming medication or other medications with side effects? It’s a feasibility study.”
Small enough that they can be worn beneath headphones or a helmet, the needles are inserted into any of five points in the ear. Niemtzow hypothesizes that the ear acts as an intermediary when pain signals pass from the central nervous system to the brain, and those signals can be intercepted and manipulated by the needles to stop or lessen pain.
“We think that the insertion of the needles into the ear turns off the pain signal,” he said. “They still have the pathological condition, but there is a reduction in the perception of pain.”
At Ramstein’s Contingency Aeromedical Staging Facility, Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Friedbauer signed up to be one of the first servicemembers in the study. Army Lt. Col. Nancy Steele, head of nursing research for European Regional Medical Command, pricked his ears with several needles: some gold, others silver and platinum.
“I never thought I would go for earrings,” he said.
Friedbauer, of the Army National Guard’s 20th Special Forces Group, had been directing traffic at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan when a forklift, carrying 2,200 gallons of diesel fuel, slammed into his back — tearing his shoulder. Doctors said he would need to have rotator cuff surgery immediately, and he was now awaiting a flight home.
Minutes after being stuck with needles, Friedbauer raised his right arm.
“I was very skeptical,” he said. “But I can’t believe the difference. My shoulder and back feel better, and I have more movement in my arm.”
Another patient, Army Sgt. 1st Class Joseph Smith, of the 47th Ordnance Company, said his back pain, which made him wince every time he bent over, had greatly diminished after the acupuncture.
“This may,” he said, “be an enjoyable flight after all.”
A new clinical study examined acupuncture for treatment of chronic rhinitis. Rhinitis is nasal congestion usually accompanied with post-nasal drip. There is irritation and inflammation of nasal tissue. In western medicine, this is ascribed to a viral or bacterial infection (or other antigen such as pollen) that stimulates mucus production. The study examined a test group of 85 patients and notes that chronic rhinitis is due to "wind-cold or wind-heat obstructing lung Qi" (Chinese Medical diagnoses). These perspectives, both from Chinese medicine and allopathic medicine, are reconcilable in that wind-cold and wind-heat typically involve either a microbial infection or another antigen-antibody response.
If untreated, chronic rhinitis can last many years. Rhinitis can involve many complicated patterns such as epistaxis (nose bleeding), thick yellow or profuse white phlegm in the sinus and throat, coughing, insomnia, unclear thinking, difficulties with olfaction, dyspnea, asthma, and many other clinical complications.
Acupuncture Effective Rate
This recent clinical study had an effective rate of 96.5 percent with 61 persons obtaining total recovery, 21 with marked improvement, and 3 with no effect. To achieve the standard of total recovery, the resolution of all of the patient’s symptoms required resolution. Rhinoscopy and absence of symptomology was used to confirm the results. A two year follow-up confirmed total recovery. At a rate of one treatment per day, fifteen acupuncture sessions consisted of one course of treatment. The 96.5 percent effective rate was achieved after two courses of treatment (30 acupuncture appointments) unless total recovery was achieved prior to completion of the second course of acupuncture treatment.
For the full text of this clinical report, please contact us. If you or someone you know struggles with chronic sinus problems, including seasonal allergies, email Rachel!
.jpg)
