Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine represent a holistic method of health care
that has been around for over 3,000 years. From a western scientific
perspective, however, Acupuncture is not fully understood so here in the
West, many are still trying to validate and accept this ancient healing art.
In the past several months some very interesting studies and news stories
have been coming out showing the increased popularity and acceptance of
Acupuncture and also validating its effectiveness. Today I want to share
some of that news with you to celebrate Acupuncture's increased visibility
and share some valuable info along the way.
Child Acupressure at Seattle Children's Hospital
This story ran last month on King 5 News in Seattle. At Seattle
Children's Hospital, Acupuncture and Acupressure are commonly used as
adjunct therapies for a wide range of disorders, yet this story focused on
four and a half year old Riley who suffered from severe headaches and
stomach aches. After only two treatments his results were dramatic - all
smiles on the pain chart. His mom feels empowered that she has a natural
method to help him with his pain and Riley can now play and live his early
life pain free. In Chinese Medicine there is a subset of acupressure
treatment called Pediatric Tuina that is especially effective for
children under 6 but can be used on children up to age 12. After a few
treatments with a practitioner, parents can often learn the basics of this
technique to provide care at home as well. For more information and a video
of the news story, click HERE.
Acupuncture Effective Treatment for Headache
In 2001 a Cochrane Review published an article about Acupuncture for
migraines and at the beginning of this year, they updated the review looking
at more recent research reporting on tension headaches specifically. This
review focused on studies comparing basic care (pain killers) to basic care
+ Acupuncture and basic care + "sham" Acupuncture. The review showed that
patients receiving basic care plus Acupuncture reported an average 50%
reduction in the number of headache days experienced during the trial period
vs. 16% reduction for basic care alone. Basic care plus "sham" acupuncture
also performed better than basic care alone. Therefore, patients receiving
both the sham and real acupuncture treatments showed significant improvement
over basic care alone. A similar study was also completed in Germany at
the end of last year - the largest study of its kind - stating in the end
that "treatment with additional acupuncture resulted in a clinically
relevant and persistent benefit." For more information on the theory behind
Chinese Medicine treatment for headache and migraine, click HERE.
Acupuncture and Exercise Bring Relief for Women with Polycystic Ovarian
Syndrome (PCOS)
Another exciting study was released just this week by the American
Physiological Society showing electro-acupuncture and exercise to create
measurable improvement in menstrual regularity and in decreasing sympathetic
nerve response (fight or flight) which plays a role in insulin resistance,
cardiovascular disease, infertility and obesity in women with PCOS. The
study was small, but significant as it represented the first study of its
kind comparing electro-acupuncture and exercise to control (no treatment)
for this disorder. PCOS is also increasingly common affecting approximately
10% of US women of reproductive age. Current basic western medical care
usually involves a combination of hormone therapy and anti-diabetic drugs
and the validation of Chinese Medicine + exercise as an effective
alternative is welcome news for many sufferers. In Traditional Chinese
Medicine, PCOS is most commonly treated with a combination of Acupuncture,
diet and herbal therapies. For more information about the Chinese Medicine
theory behind treating PCOS click HERE.
A Note about Acupuncture Research
As Western Acupuncture research continues to become more common, it is
important to note that there is good research and bad research, and also
that the media often takes research to strange places skewing the actual
findings of the studies. Next month I am going discuss these issues a
little more fully - including some of the basic methods of "sham"
Acupuncture and why they do and do not work. So please enjoy the
information above and stay tuned for an interesting discussion next month!
Lastly - Quick Tip for Eating Cool this Summer
In case you couldn't guess, Summer according to the Chinese Medicine theory
of the seasons, is the time of full Yang or Heat. During this full Yang
time, indigestion can easily occur so increasing the amount of cooling foods
- foods that energetically help you clear heat, reduce toxins and generate
body fluids - are recommended. In general, cooling foods are towards the
green end of the spectrum - cucumbers, broccoli, watercress. Seafood is
also cooling and most meats, red meat in particular, are warm in nature.
At the end of this message is a good starting list of fruits and vegetables to help your
body stay healthy and cool during the hot summer months. If you have a hard
time getting enough fruits and vegetables into you diet, especially organic
ones which are always recommended, consider a service like Spud! Organic
Produce Delivery. A quick trip to their website and you can have an
abundant, organic bin of fantastic local fruits and vegetables delivered to
your door at a price noticeably below purchasing organic produce at Whole
Foods or New Seasons. Furthermore, if you enter the code CR-1005173 you
can $25 off. I use it and can't imagine being without it anymore and I'm
really excited they've made this offer available for me to share with you.
That's the News
Thanks for tuning in and have a wonderful 4th of July. If you have
vacation planned I hope you have a wonderful time, and if you haven't been
in for a while now is a great time soak up some health and wellness along
with the sun. Book online anytime or call at (503)445-8888 ext. 1.
Also, don't forget that our new LMT - Jamaica Stevens - is still offering a
$40 one hour Swedish Massage new patient special to current All Ways Well
patients. You can book that online or call (503)445-8888 ext. 4 if you'd
like to check out Jamaica's services. If you book online please note "$40
special"
in the Notes section when you book and enjoy!
Best wishes for a happy healthy summer - Rebecca
Some Summer Foods to Keep Cool:
* Watermelon
* Apricot
* Cantaloupe
* Lemon
* Peach
* Orange
* Asparagus
* Sprouts
* Bamboo
* Bok choy
* Broccoli
* Chinese cabbage
* Corn
* Cucumber
* White mushroom
* Snow peas
* Spinach
* Summer squash
* Watercress
* Seaweed
* Mung means
* Cilantro
* Mint
* Dill
