Acupuncture Blog

So when one of my clients mentioned to me that Martha Stewart had received acupuncture on her show and it was a positive exhibition, I like to forward them on to my readers! Oprah also received acupuncture on her show but couldn’t handle more than 2-3 needles without getting squirmish! I guess her ear piercing experience traumatized her to needles! Check out the address listed below and believe what you may…

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/acupuncture-treatment

As my experience is increasing in the area of infertility as an acupuncturist, I found this article to be very positive! Please take a moment to read the article!
Infertility and Acupuncture:
http://tinyurl.com/acupuncture-infertility

So, as most of you may already know, I am an Occupational Therapist turned acupuncturist-herbalist. I love being an OT and I love practicing my new ancient medicine also! But as I read the February 2008 Advance Magazine for OT’s, I found Jay Goodman’s article on “Getting The Point: My Experience With Acupuncture”, I found myself reaching into the corner to grab my soapbox!
Let’s start with the magazine itself. Advance is a professional magazine that really has come to educationally support OT’s and the use of alternative treatments since we as OT’s are holistic in thinking anyhow. It’s a perfect combination! So, I am a bit confused as to why Advance chose to publish Mr. Goodman’s article. Perhaps it is in the name of “publishing the other side of the story”.
Mr. Goodman’s beliefs are clearly based in the Western-medical approach of explaining health/injury and how the body works. There were a few flaws with his article though. First, acupuncture is explained exceptionally well within it’s own theoretical context and we have been successful at treating/healing many ailments for thousands of years within that context. We only recently have been trying to fit the ancient medical art into the Western medical construct that is strongly based in the findings of evidence-based research. But this has not proven easy or capable of fitting nicely into a double blind, gold standard study format without challenges. But it is not for lack of trying and the NIH recognizes the need for research as noted by the sheer increase in the number of grants that have been awarded to research facilities for acupuncture in the past few years.
Mr. Goodman also failed to site any research findings to support his “theory”, just basic medical knowledge that doesn’t fully explain how acupuncture works. So, for him to say at the end of his article what “injuries” acupuncture “might” be good for is a slap in the face of all acupuncturists, OT’s, and PT’s who “might” think of making a referral or have found relief from receiving acupuncture. Please, Mr. Goodman, I won’t make recommendations about who should receive PT treatments if you refrain from making recommendations about what “might” be good for acupuncture.
Now, I put my soapbox back in it’s corner…

Check this link out to read Mr. Goodman’s article in it’s entirety.

So what does WBZ 1030, the Marlborough Wellness Center, and the University of Maryland Medical School all have in common? They all have great research findings and information on improving infertility rates with the use of acupuncture!

“…Acupuncture has been used in China for centuries to regulate the female reproductive system. So researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the VU University Amsterdam set out to determine whether acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves the rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation.

They reviewed seven trials involving 1,366 women undergoing in vitro fertilisation. The trials compared acupuncture, administered within one day of the embryo transfer procedure, with sham acupuncture or no additional treatment.

The overall quality of the trials was good and included a broad selection of women at various ages and with different causes and durations of infertility.

Complementing the embryo transfer process with acupuncture increased the odds of pregnancy by 65% compared to sham acupuncture or no additional treatment. In absolute terms, this means that 10 women would need to be treated with acupuncture to bring about one additional pregnancy.”
Check out this link for a more detailed report of the research analysis.
And this link for the detailed WBZ 1030 report!

Please call the Center if you are looking to enhance your odds! We do tailor our treatments to this population!

I am sure my husband and I were probably the only people up this morning listening to Radio Health Journal on WEEI at 6am but when he mentioned they were doing a sound bit on acupuncture, I had to log in and listen. Mr. R. Barker Bausell was the feature speaker on “snake oil science” and how complementary alternative medicine (CAM)/acupuncture is exactly that. He stated that acupuncture is only a placebo effect and that no argument or research has disproven that sufficiently in the eyes of the Western Medical community. Up next on the show were three other gentlemen who were quick to explain the many reasons why CAM/acupuncture is not all about placebo. The NIH has designated many millions of dollars to universities and NESA to research this exact issue. What has been found from the current research has been interesting. Dr. Langevin at UNH is demonstrating the connective tissue responses to acupuncture, the Harvard Osher Institute and NESA are researching sham acupuncture and it’s validity, and the use of the PET scan is demonstrating target response areas of the brain after acupuncture has been done in the foot. Slowly but surely, acupuncture is honestly trying to fit into the double-blind study frame of research but it is difficult to do this flawlessly due to the true energetic nature of the medicine itself. The bottom line is this: If you feel acupuncture is working for you and your pain situation, then continue to do so. You are not alone. Many of us out there are finding acupuncture beneficial as it releases the body’s natural endorphins to decrease our pain so we don’t have to turn to opiates and other possibly harmful solutions. If for no other reason, licensed acupuncturists are holistic in thinking and enjoy looking at the body as a whole to solve the main complaint at hand. Give acupuncture a try and I think you will find the same thing millions of others have found: it works.

How fabulous is this that this article was in the Sunday Globe?! Please take a moment and check it out!
Boston Globe Article about Dr. Langevin

I was reading an article written by Mr. Gregg St. Clair, BA, MSTOM, LAc regarding toxins in our bodies and how people wonder where cancer comes from when they live healthy lives that got me thinking. We’ve heard this before as practitioners…”But I exercise and eat all the right foods, how can this happen to me?” If one takes a moment to think of all the toxins that are in our water, our soil, our food (perfect example is the e coli outbreak in the water irrigation system and spinach), our homes, our air/environment, and our modern medical system pharmaceuticals…it is no wonder we find ourselves growing abnormal cellular structures. Healthy, organic food choices and honest lifestyle changes are the best route to clean health. An old adage in Chinese medicine is “A superior physician treats disease before it arises” to which we truly believe. Acupuncture and alternative medicine is a great addition to establishing a healthier life. Preventative medicine will always be the smarter route and insurances are starting to see them being the cheaper route also. It is important to note that although acupuncturists can not treat cancer, we can focus on the nausea, the weakened immune system, depression and other issues that may plague the system.

As the chill settles in the air and the inevitable approach of winter is occurring, flus and colds are running rampant through our workplaces and homes. This means sick calls and loss of valuable work time and income for many of us. Some of you may simply bear with the symptoms and work through them with over-the-counter antihistimines and cold medications. I know when some take the cold/flu medications, they are either dead asleep in the middle of their day, excessively drier than a bone in their sinus passages, or wide awake in the wee hours of the morning! All of us respond differently to the basic over-the-counter medicines but patent Chinese herbal medicines work wonders and taking the proactive approach before the cold/flu season starts is always the best!
Contact your friendly Traditional Chinese medical practitioner (acupuncturist/herbalist) in the beginning of September to schedule your well-visits before the cold/flu season starts. There are so many great acupuncture treatments to boost the immune system and assist the Lungs in maintaining their strength to fight. Patent herbal medicines are usually side effect- free and work well for boosting immunity and treating common symptoms associated with cold/flus.
But what about the pre-cold/flu feelings? The slightly scratchy throat, the kind of runny nose, and the minor general achiness you are currently experiencing can be boosted out of your body with 1-2 acupuncture treatments. Don’t try to work through it thinking, “oh, it will go away…It’s not really a cold/flu.” Call your acupuncturist and make an appointment as soon as you start to feel the initial symptoms and you will not regret it. You’ll be back to work faster than if you “just rode it out”. And although for some, returning to work is not a great as it sounds, staying at home miserable definitely is not anyone’s idea of fun. Be proactive and call your acupuncturist/herbalist today for further information.

Anxiety is one of the most common complaints I see in my practice. The Chinese believed it is due to an unrested Spirit or Shen disturbance due to a possible variety of conditions in the body. Do you find yourself losing sleep because you wake up with a racing mind? Are you unable to initially fall asleep because your anxious thoughts keep you from relaxing? Perhaps you actually do fall asleep but wake feeling tired and unrested and your anxiety seems to have doubled two-fold overnight? Is the anxiety interrupting your work capabilities? Difficulty feeling like you are “on top of your game”? Feel like your shoulders are permanently attached to your earlobes from the stress the anxiety is causing? You are not alone!

Acupuncture and Herbs can help! Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners focus on calming the spirit and treating the true root of the problem. It is believed that if we treat the root, the branches will fall into their correct place in the tree. The symptoms that are experienced will fall away and the anxiety will become controlled once more. This process does take time and can be complicated by life and hormonal shifts so be ready for possible ups-and-downs during your treatment duration. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment on this blog or ask your Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. And of course, if you feel you need immediate Western medical attention for your anxiety, please contact your primary care physician.

Being an Occupational Therapist that works at a top orthopedic hospital in Boston, I have found that many patients have had acupuncture prior to surgery and found great relief. I have also found many patients have had acupuncture after surgery and found their pain decreased and their physical healing to be expediated. Many research studies are demonstrating again and again that acupuncture on osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee have yielded positive results. The use of electroacupuncture as well as TENS (transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation) have been found to greatly reduce OA-induced knee pain (Ng, MM; J A;tern Complement Med, 2003 Oct; 9(5): 641-9) and was found to have no loss of benefit after one month (Tukmachi, E; Acupunct Med. 2004 Mar; 22(1): 14-22).
So in Layman’s terms, what does this mean? This means that if you are suffering from any characteristic arthritis pain in the knee (as well as the hip and other joints too) that may be interrupting your daily activities, acupuncture with adjunctive therapies (electroacupuncture, etc.) may be the answer before heading straight to the surgical unit. Many hospitals have acupuncturists on staff so don’t be afraid to ask your doctor/surgeon. Please consult your medical doctor first as to how far your arthritis has progressed and if surgery is medically pressing. Or you can send me a comment and I will answer any questions you may have!