Recently in acceptance Category

Kelsey Dixon, a NYCTCM graduating acupuncture student, wrote on how she will contribute to the future of Chinese medicine in an American culture which is so different from the Taoist principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

" The TCM that exists in the United States of America is, in some ways, childlike, having progressed past the novelty of its infantile stages and the tremendous growth of early childhood, and now entering its adolescence, and the struggle to blossom to its fullest potential while maintaining its roots. It is an old and sacred medicine reborn within a young and eager culture- a culture still, sometimes awkwardly, undecided as to how to approach and integrate this strange new paradigm. At times, the impending pressure upon becoming a practitioner of this healing art can seem intense..."
"Reviewing the words of wisdom from the 'sages' of both ancient Chinese culture and contemporary American culture, the irony of TCM in America is obvious. In TCM, we have a paradigm of health based on a worldview that holds passivity and acceptance, and harmony within a greater whole, in highest esteem. The American Dream, on the other hand, is fundamentally about individuals distinguishing themselves, about challenging the status quo and seeing the way things ought to be rather than the way things are. "

read the complete article at NYCTCM blog page..

The Benefits of Acupuncture for Cancer Patients

Those coping with cancer and other forms of disease often look to acupuncture and other alternative therapies to provide relief for pain, stress and anxiety. Practiced as early as the Stone Age, acupuncture has been a source of relief for numerous conditions for thousands of years. The exact way the technique was discovered or developed is not well-understood, but one legend claims that Chinese soldiers receiving arrow wounds in battle reported relief from pain in other body parts, which inspired further research.

Acupuncture

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) defines acupuncture as the "application of stimulation such as needling, moxibustion, cupping, and acupressure on specific sites of the body known as acupuncture points." They report that acupuncture may work by inducing physical response in nerve cells, the pituitary gland and certain parts of the brain.

Some notable conditions that acupuncture has been known to treat include allergies, gastrointestinal conditions, back pain, migraines and infertility. Some proponents of modern Western medicine continue to doubt the effects of acupuncture, but a growing body of scientific evidence has prompted many medical professionals to consider the benefits of this treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) published a scientific review of controlled clinical trials on acupuncture in 2003, and concluded it was an effective method of treatment for 28 conditions. Some of the listed conditions include adverse reactions to radiotherapy or chemotherapy, depression, hypertension, nausea and vomiting, and postoperative pain. They also found evidence that suggests acupuncture could be effective for several dozen more conditions, including abdominal pain, cancer pain, insomnia and whooping cough. Due to the relief of symptoms associated with cancer, breast, colon and mesothelioma cancer patients, among others, have turned to acupuncture for relief of their cancer symptoms and side effects.

Acupuncture and Cancer

Acupuncture can be used as an additional and complimentary treatment for the side effects that cancer patients experience, such as overall pain and nausea (caused by other cancer treatments like chemotherapy). NCI reports that clinical studies of acupuncture as a treatment for cancer show that acupuncture can reduce vomiting and nausea caused by chemotherapy. They also found that acupuncture may improve the immune system, helping cancer patients to fight their condition and its side effects.

The physical responses acupuncture can induce in nerve cells, the pituitary gland and parts of the brain can cause the body to release hormones, proteins and certain brain chemicals that affect a range of bodily functions. Through this response, it is proposed that acupuncture can affect blood pressure and body temperature, enhance immune system function, and prompts the body to release natural pain killers (such as endorphins).

Considered a natural form of treatment, acupuncture can help to treat side effects of cancers that are caused by exposure to natural, environmental forces, such as UV rays, radon or the toxic mineral asbestos. Clinical research currently suggests that a number of cancers are caused by exposure to environmental forces in those who happen to be genetically predisposed. A notable example includes skin cancer, but other lesser-known cancers, including the rare cancer mesothelioma, are also caused by exposure to environmental toxins. Asbestos exposure is one of the only mesothelioma causes and it is even linked to ovarian and prostate cancer. Patients coping with the symptoms and side effects of these cancers have reported relief after receiving acupuncture.

Though the benefits of acupuncture are still questioned by some medical professionals, numerous cancer patients have attested to the healing effects of this age-old treatment approach. Acupuncture, along with other forms of alternative medicine such as massage, meditation and yoga, have certainly gained support from countless cancer patients, and clinical trials continue to provide scientific evidence of the benefits of this treatment.

Jonah Ewell, an acupuncture student, talks to his father about the swine flu H1N1 virus and the Chinese Medicine perspective. Please read the whole article on Everyday Health blog:

Swine Flu, Concerned Parents, Western Medicine and Chinese Medicine

Its very informative on both the Western and TCM viewpoint on disease.

"In the framework of Chinese medicine, it's unimportant what exact microbe or virus is causing you problems. Western science and medicine is reductionist, always looking for that ONE THING that they can point to and say is the cause of illness. When you find the exact bacteria or virus, all you have to do is kill it, or remove it, or block it, or any of the other things Western medicine does. This is a relatively recent development, hinging on the invention of advanced microscopes. Thanks to these instruments, we have made incredible advances in being able to look at and detect these small microbes and viruses, which has helped the world deal with serious health problems. However, as we are seeing, looking for the one microbe and trying to eliminate it is a textbook case of missing the forest for the trees.

What causes disease? Why do some people get sick and others don't? If the swine flu was really so contagious, why haven't more people become sick and died? According to what I've heard on the radio and read in the newspapers, less than 10% of people with swine flu have died. Over 90% recover. Think of fruit in a basket. If you leave it for awhile, you might find that one piece of fruit has mold on it. Another piece of fruit, sitting right next to it and even touching it, cheek-by-jowl, is unaffected. Why is that?"

"NCCAOM Promotes National Acupuncture Recognition August, 2008: The NCCAOM is working with the CCAOM, AAAOM, FAOMRA, ACAOM, and the NAF to have "acupuncturist" listed as a distinct profession by the US Dept. of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Currently, "acupuncture" is only listed as a treatment modality technique under the professions of nursing and chiropractic. 

Other than this listing for chiropractors and registered nurses, there is no other recognition for acupuncture in the bureau's listings.  This clerical oversight hampers the progress of acupuncture in the US.  Inclusion of "acupuncturist" as a distinct profession will facilitate improvements with insurance reimbursements and possibly the institution of Medicare coverage.  This will also help to create legal protections for the profession regarding the use of medicinal herbs. 

The NIH (National Institutes of Health) will also provide direct funding for grant research once the listing is created.  As it stands today, the NIH cannot provide direct funding due to this oversight.  The work of the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), CCAOM (Council of Colleges for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), AAAOM (American Association for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), FAOMRA (Federation of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Regulatory Agencies), ACAOM  (Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine), and the NAF (National Acupuncture Foundation) may also assist with the creation of a federal loan forgiveness program for licensed acupuncturists."

It would be great if acupuncture was more widely covered by health insurance.

The Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR) at Boston Medical Center recently treated many of the large number of Tibetan refugee monks who fled violent religious persecution. These individuals arrived in Boston suffering from symptoms of traumatic stress, interfering with their meditative practice. The monks were diagnosed by their traditional healers as having srog-rLung, a life-wind imbalance. Recognizing that barriers exist between western and eastern medicine, the BCRHHR researched and implemented its own complementary therapy options to heal them. These findings appear online in the March issue of Mental Health, Religion and Culture...

According to the researchers, in order to provide complimentary therapy for the monks, eastern and western medicine needed to be integrated to properly address both conditions.

... Ancient Tibetan Bon tradition of yogic practice was used to induce the mind into a relaxed state necessary to purify oneself through motion. This yogic practice combines movement of the body and controlled breath with movements of the mind to bring mental stability and offers an alternative to the monks' inability to eliminate invasive thoughts. Another therapy that was used is singing bowl therapy--a form of music therapy, as sound has a direct connection to the heart, which aligns with srog-rLung experienced by the monks...

"This research and treatment involving patients accustomed only to traditional medicine, presented an opportunity for the acceptance of non-traditional therapeutic approaches," explains Michael Grodin, MD, professor of health law, bioethics and human rights at Boston University School of Public Health, and professor of psychiatry, sociomedical sciences and community medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. "The difference between Tibetan and Western disease pathologies represents the need for evidence-based complementary therapies...

Grodin said the refugee health center at BMC integrated techniques of western medicine, such as anti-depressant prescribing and psychotherapy, with Tibetan healing practices, including medicines prescribed by Tibetan Amchi, meditation advice, Tai Chi and Qi Gong exercises. Grodin is trained in traditional Chinese medicine, such as acupuncture and meditation.

Source: Boston University. Go to the link for complete article

http://sciencemode.com/2009/03/13/treatment-of-traumatized-tibetan-refugee-monks/

Ronald Reimer, M.D., Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla, in Mayo Clinic's Medical Edge Newspaper column of December 26, 2008, stated that "at Mayo Clinic, acupuncture has been used successfully for pain management, postoperative nausea, anxiety relief, drug addiction, insomnia and headaches, to name a few."

He tells how acupuncture is becoming more mainstream and insurance coverage is becoming more common as insurers see that acupuncture can help reduce health care costs.

Case studies on acupuncture's efficacy in tennis elbow, cancer recovery and post surgery nausea back up his statement that a growing body of research confirms the benefits of acupuncture.

Ronald Reimier, M.D. is part of the Neuro-Oncology and Neurosurgery Dept. at Mayo Clinic

"Beijing Declaration" from WHO Congress on Traditional Medicine Promotes Use in Primary Care

Summary:  The first Congress on Traditional Medicine of the World Health Organization (WHO) was convened in Beijing, China November 7-9, 2008. Participating were 1100 experts from 70 countries...The Congress promulgated the "Beijing Declaration," which also calls on countries to integrate conventional and traditional medicine.

"Both modern and traditional medicine have their advantages and weakness for health care," said Dr Zhang Xiaorui, one of the organizers of the Congress and Coordinator of Traditional Medicines at WHO's Department of Essential Medicines and Pharmaceutical Policies. "If national health care systems can include the advantages of both systems, it would benefit both patients and consumers." 

An address to the Congress by WHO director general Margaret Chan, MD took up this theme.

  "The two systems of traditional and Western medicine need not clash. Within the context of primary health care, they can blend together in a beneficial harmony, using the best features of each system, and compensating for certain weaknesses in each."

Read the Beijing Declaration, formulated at the WHO Congress of Traditional Medicine, at The Integrator Blog

Dr. Chan's speech was very moving. She spoke of how traditional medicine is in fact the only type of medicine available to many in Latin America, Asia and Africa and how many die from Malaria because Western medicines are not  available. Yet, traditional medicine is often preferred in developed countries because, she opined, Western medicine has become depersonalized and "hard hearted". Read Dr. Chan's complete speech to the WHO conference.

There are 21 states that have acupuncture schools or programs.

1. Arizona
2. California
3. Colorado
4. Connecticut
5. Florida
6. Hawaii
7. Illinois
8. Kansas
9. Maryland
10. Massachusetts
11. Minnesota
12. New Jersey
13. New Mexico
14. New York
15. North Carolina
16. Ohio
17. Oregon
18. Pennsylvania
19. Texas
20. Washington
21. Wisconsin

The remaining 29 states have no acupuncture colleges or programs.

The practice of acupuncture is not allowed in South Dakota and Wyoming.

Only physicians or chiropractors can practice acupuncture in North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.

Acupuncture is licensed in the remaining states, a total of 45 states.

Acupuncturist Anna Stephens applies needles to patient Linda Aron in efforts to help facilitate Aron's digestion at Postels Community Health Center, part of the Grinnell Regional Medical Center in Grinnell, Iowa. Photo by Doug Wells for USA TODAY

The American Hospital Association says ...that 37% of hospitals around the USA make complementary and alternative treatments available -- including acupuncture, touch therapy, and music and art therapy. A similar survey by the hospital group in 2005 found that one in four hospitals offered such services...

The majority of hospitals say that patient satisfaction is the No. 1 way they determine if an alternative treatment is beneficial, closely followed by clinical data on a treatment. Cleveland Clinic just completed a complementary and alternative therapy pilot program for patients undergoing heart surgery. Half of the patients -- more than 1,700 -- opted for spiritual care, counseling, art, music, touch therapy or guided imagery, and 93% of patients surveyed said the services were helpful.

Guidance from doctor groups for patients with chronic pain has helped bolster doctors' acceptance of complementary treatments, says Richard Nahin, senior adviser for scientific coordination and outreach at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

He cites new guidelines for treating lower back pain issued jointly last year by the American College of Physicians and the American Pain Society, which suggest many alternative therapies as potential treatments. "As doctors become more aware, hospitals will also follow," Nahin says.

USA Today Health News 9-15-2008 for full article

Pentagon researches alternative treatments

The Pentagon is seeking new ways to treat troops suffering from combat stress or brain damage by researching such alternative methods as acupuncture, meditation, yoga and the use of animals as therapy, military officials said. "This new theme is a big departure for our cautious culture," Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the Pentagon's assistant secretary for health affairs, told USA TODAY. Casscells said he pushed hard for the new research, because "we are struggling with" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "as we are with suicide and we are increasingly willing to take a hard look at even soft therapies." About 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffer from PTSD or major depression, and about 320,000 may have experienced at least a mild concussion or brain injury in combat, according to a RAND Corp. study released this year.

The Army reported a record 115 suicides last year, and suicides this year are at a rate that may exceed that, said Col. Eddie Stephens, the Army's deputy director for human resources policy. The Department of Veterans Affairs reported last month that suicides among Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans from all services reached a record high of 113 in 2006, the latest year for which there were figures.

Some military hospitals and installations already use alternative therapies, such as acupuncture as stress relievers for patients. The research will see whether the alternatives work so the Pentagon can use them more, said Army Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton, head of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury.

Many of the treatments have been used for centuries, Sutton said, "so it just makes sense to bring all potential therapies to bear." Some soldiers who suffer from PTSD are reluctant to share their experiences in traditional psychiatric therapy, said Col. Charles Engel, an Army psychiatric epidemiologist. He said those soldiers may be more willing to use acupuncture and other alternatives if they are effective.

Initial research this summer with combat veterans showed that acupuncture relieved PTSD symptoms and eased pain and depression, Engel said. "Improvements were relatively rapid and clinically significant," he said.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-10-07-holistic_N.htm  for full article