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Debilitating foot or heal pain limits many of us - regardless of age or activity level. One thing is for certain, while there are numerous regimens for this (read more below), our experience at Health On Point demonstrates that acupuncture is an incredibly successful option for treatment. With the warming weather, many of us are increasing our activity. Should you or someone you know suffer from food or heal pain, please call our clinic to schedule an appointment!
Recent research indicates acupuncture is an effective and safe treatment for heel pain. Heel pain is a common foot condition often characterized by intense pain, especially when placing weight onto the foot. Pain on the back of the heel often indicates achilles tendinitis and pain on the underside of the heel often indicates plantar fasciitis.
One of the most common causes of heel pain, plantar fasciitis involves pain and inflammation of the band of tissue running across the bottom of the foot. New research indicates that acupuncture is effective for plantar fasciitis, achilles tendinitis and many other forms of heel pain.
Biomedical approaches to heel pain treatment include behavioral therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroid injections, small needle knife therapy, block therapy, shockwave therapy and surgery. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) historical records document success in the treatment of heel pain using acupuncture. This new scientific investigation confirms the historical data.
The researchers from Guangzhou Dongsheng Hospital and Guangzhou Social Welfare House examined 19 separate clinical investigations and discovered that 16 of the 19 studies made extensive use of ahshi ("trigger point") acupuncture points to achieve optimal patient outcomes. In one investigation carried out by Xu Xuemeng et al., 66 patients were randomly divided into an acupuncture group and a control group. The acupuncture group received filiform acupuncture needle method treatment and the control group received injections and local blocking therapy. The results were assessed six months following the treatment. The acupuncture group achieved an effective rate of 97% and the drug therapy group had only a 76% effective rate.
Based on the 19 reviewed studies that were performed in the past five years, the researchers conclude that acupuncture is safer, easier to apply, and more effective than conventional treatments for heel pain.
World Renowned Inventor, Donald Spector, Develops Patent For Wireless Electric Acupuncture Patches. Patch Will Increase Muscle Performance in Addition to Alleviating Pain Resolved by Acupuncture Needles
Many patients at Health On Point know the benefits not only of treatment while in clinic, but between sessions at home. When appropriate, we send patients home with adhesive patches with pointy studs on the underside, that continuously exert pressure on acupuncture points when applied to the skin. This new invention, in contrast, uses an electrical current to provide stimulation – and it only does so when instructed. This could be through direct finger contact on the patch, by wireless remote control, or even via a schedule that is programmed into a chip within the patch.
Donald Spector, a well-known serial entrepreneur inventor, has filed a groundbreaking patent on wireless acupuncture patches. The patches will cause electrical stimulation, either directly or by remote control, to specific acupuncture points and muscles. This stimulation will increase the muscle performance, as well as reducing lactic acid buildup and consequently reducing fatigue.
Spector stated, "While the patch provides benefits to athletes, it can also be used by patients suffering from pain and other ailments, for which acupuncture has been effective."
Dr. Mohammad Hashemipour, MD, PhD, Dean of Academic Affairs and former Olympic Team doctor, believes the new wireless electric acupuncture patch technology can reduce muscle fatigue and subsequently enhance muscle performance.
"Patients often forget or do not use acupuncture in a consistent way," stated Hashemipour. "While duplicating the advantages of leads that are temporarily connected to a patient, these patches can be left on for a prolonged period of time, including between visitations to an acupuncture specialist, during which time the chips can be programmed to stimulate at predetermined times or when needed."
There has yet to be a formal ruling on whether these patches, which may enhance sports performance, will be regulated by boxing commissions, team sports, individual sports or doping commissions. Based on current Olympic regulations, Hashemipour feels it will not be banned.
"Even though these patches will provide a significant advantage in muscle strength and endurance, I do not believe they should be outlawed under doping regulations. There are no drugs involved, except by the release of the wearer's own natural chemicals and neurotransmitters. While acupuncture has been used in the Far East for thousands of years, this patent simply makes it possible for an athlete to use electrical stimulation - often cumbersome - as a self-contained patch that can be made as a disposable product," added Hashemipour.
"The remote control aspect is extremely interesting in sports," stated Pamintaun, "The coach can stimulate muscle when the player is between periods or on the bench, between games, or a boxer is between rounds or in a time of inactivity. These can also be used on different muscles and muscle groups that are stimulated during different parts of a game, like serving in tennis versus receiving. Just as our whole world is changing with microchips, even the traditions of thousands of years can become part of the computer age."
Acupuncture makes another strong showing at the Olympic Games. Dr. Bret Moldenhauer, an acupuncturist from Chattanooga (Tennessee), will travel to the Olympics with world class runner and Team USA Olympian, Dee Dee Trotter. As her personal acupuncturist, he brought his acupuncture equipment to the track and treated Dee Dee Trotter on the spot during training. In pole vaulting, Team USA Olympian Jeremy Scott sailed through Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon. Acupuncture is included in his regime of care for the treatment of his knee.
Another acupuncturist is returning to the Olympics as a competitor! The London Olympics will be Amy Acuff’s fifth time on the USA Olympic team. A licensed acupuncturist in Austin, Texas; she attributes some of her long-term success in the sport of high jump to acupuncture. She notes that high jump is an injury-prone sport and that acupuncture is successful in the prevention and recovery from injuries.
Team USA isn’t the only Olympic team to benefit from acupuncture. The South Korean Olympic team has a successful history using acupuncture. Volleyball player Kim Yeon-koung notes that acupuncture boosts her performance capabilities. Men’s handball player Park Jung-geu notes that acupuncture provides rapid recoveries from sporting injuries.
Here in Iowa City, many of our patients utilized services at Health On Point to prepare themselves for the RAGBRAI which started on Sunday. Whether you're cycling or supporting local riders - everyone deserves a break and some rejuvenation. Come on by - specials are available for Ragbrai participants!
A case study was published earlier this month in a peer-reviewed journal based in Brazil. In this particular paper, researchers note that acupuncture causes improvements in exercise capacity. This case history highlights “the original combination of acupuncture points, in association with moxibustion, appeared capacity of a healthy, sedentary patient.”
The subject of the investigation was a 30 year old male who received a 1 hour acupuncture treatment, once per day, for ten consecutive days. Tests were performed using standard cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise evaluations. The researchers mention that in a prior study published in the Chinese Medicine Journal, acupuncture was shown to decrease both resting heart rate and carbon dioxide production. This case history measured additional improvements in exercise capacity, prompting a call for a follow-up investigation to determine optimal acupuncture points for athletic enhancement.
Above is a chart from the original case study. At Health On Point, we have extensive experience working with athletes, weekend joggers, or those hoping to motivate and get off the couch. If you or someone you know needs a boost, let them know that acupuncture is available six (6) days a week at our clinic. Call or email to schedule your appointment today!
Members of the U.S. archery team traveled to Guadalajara, Mexico, last month for the Pan American Championships and a chance to represent the U.S. at the 2012 Olympic games in London. But they aren't the only ones with London in sight. Their athletic trainer, Jody Murray of Brookfield, has similar high hopes, saying her dream is to make it to the 2012 games as well. "I'm very patriotic and I love sporting events," Murray said. "Combining the two things is great." Murray, the owner and sole practitioner of Acupuncture Therapy, will travel with the team and help them relieve their physical pain and stress. She traveled with some of the same team members to Shanghai, China, in August for the Archery World Cup. She stayed out on the field with them all day, and after dinner they would come to her room and she would treat them with acupuncture. "A lot of them have back issues from repeatedly holding the same posture (as they pull the arrows back to shoot them)," Murray said. "Plus stress, traveling, jet lag. I relieved them from whatever they needed." Murray is one of only a handful of people in the United States who has an athletic training license and acupuncture license. She is the only Olympic athletic trainer with acupuncture credentials, she said. "Acupuncture is beneficial to Olympic athletes because it has no side effects," Murray said. "They're constantly being tested for drugs, and they won't have to worry about failing. And it relaxes the muscles and promotes tissue healing." Murray's work is a great step forward for the acupuncture profession, said Jonathan Lavelle, another acupuncturist in Brookfield. "Sports medicine acupuncture is important because of the extreme stress that the athletes place on their bodies," Lavelle said. The U.S. team pays for Murray's travel and expenses, but otherwise she does not get paid for her services, and she has to shut down her office while she is gone. But for her, it's worth it. "I do it because I love working with athletes and the opportunity to work with the highest caliber of athletes is my gold medal," Murray said.
 At Health On Point, we often work with athletes and dancers from the University of Iowa - and the results are astounding! College athletes aren't alone in finding relief from acupuncture... Boston Red Sox RP Hideki Okajima will undergo a few rounds of acupuncture before rejoining the team next week, according to ESPNBoston.com's Joe McDonald. Manager Terry Francona said Okajima would need a minimum of a week to 10 days before he is ready to return. Felix Doubront, who was recalled to take Okajima's place on the roster, will be moved to the bullpen for the rest of the season. Read more about Okajima here.
A study from the University of Heidelberg in Germany has shown that acupuncture can improve exercise tolerance for people with congestive heart failure. The abstract for "Acupuncture improves exercise tolerance of patients with heart failure: a placebo-controlled pilot study" is available online. The Chicago Examiner also highlights this paper in their article here. More importantly, you can learn more about how I integrate Acupuncture and Oriental medicine with Western medicine to improve health outcomes.
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