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                   By: Billy Shonez Singh, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. C.H. (NCCAOM)

                                                      ©2010

 

"Dedicated to my family, my patients, my teachers, and my colleagues.  ¡Hasta La Victoria Siempre (Always Towards Victory)!"

 

Moxibustion is another procedure used in East Asian medicine and it involves the burning of an herb called mugwort (ài yè in Mandarin) on different points and areas of the body.  Moxibustion is one of the many sub modalities in the acupuncturist's arsenal.  Modern TCM theory says the needles are used to move qì while moxa is used for supplementing it. That is modern TCM view on acupuncture and moxibustion.  Thus the modern view of moxibustion being a supplementing entity is correct in that respect.  Classical literature has shown that moxa is used for either supplementation or for dispersion just as much as acupuncture can used for either moving qì or supplementing qì.  Before I discuss the proper functionalities of moxa (ài yè), let us look at the Chinese characters of moxa, jiǔ huǒ. 

The character  "jiǔ" when translated from Mandarin to English is "something that endures; long-standing." 

The character  "huǒ" means "fire." 

Putting those characters together,   "jiǔ huǒ" translates to "long burning fire."  This implies that the effects of moxibustion heats up the body and its effects are long lasting.

 

Moxibustion works on these levels:

1. Increasing metabolic vacuities within the body (or supplementing the qì or Blood)
2. Providing analgesic effects (or moving qì and Blood to stop pain)
3. Building up the immune system (or supplementing the wèi qì)
4. Lowering blood pressure (or sedating Liver yang when applied to Kid-1{Yǒng Quán} or Du-20{ Bái Huì})

 

The way moxa works on body based on scientific thinking starts in the second century.  In the second century, Buddhism arrives in China from India along with Ayurveda and breathing techniques (pranayama).  According to the philosophy of yoga, chanting "Om" during meditation is based on the concept that everything vibrates.  This is the sound that the earth's core makes.  That form of thinking goes into Chinese medicine.  Moxa has a vibratory effect because there is movement while it's being burnt.  The human cell vibrates at a rate of 600 to 900 amgstroms per second.  When moxa burns, vibrates at a rate of 900 amgstroms per second.  Therefore, its vibrations affect the human body.

 

The application of moxa depends on the following factors:

1. The point(s) used
2. The treatment principle: supplementation or dispersion
3. Transfer mediums:
1. aconite (Fù Zi)
2. Ginger (Shēng Jiāng)
3. Garlic (Da Suàn)
4. Salt
5. Deer Antler (Lù Róng)
6. Tangerine Peel (Chén Pí)
7. Poria (Fú Líng)
8. Potato
9. Rice
4. direct application on the skin (cones)
1. has it been burned 2/3's of the way down
2. has it been burned all the way down

      5.   being burned on top of the needle (needle-head)

 

The cone-style moxa affects the wèi, qì, and yíng levels of the body, thus making it effective in treating vacuities in the body (qì level) or supporting the immune system (the wèi and yíng levels).  Needle-head moxa, where the moxa wool is placed on top of the needles, affects the xuè (blood) level.  When moxa in cone form is burnt an odd number of times, its function (depending on which point is being used) becomes supplementing.  When moxa cones are being burnt an even number of times (again, depending on the point used) becomes regulatory.  Now it's not just the number of cones being used but also the amount of heat being transferred through the points.  When the moxa cones are burnt 2/3's of way and the patient feels "warm" the effects are supplementing and the heat is spread put in a smaller quantity.  This will affect the wèi, qì, and yíng levels of the body.  Similarly, if the cones are burnt 2/3's of the way almost to the surface of the skin, the effects are more dispersive.  It will feel "hot" and the circulatory system is increased and the heat is spread out throughout the body.  This technique will affect the yin and blood levels of the body.  The heat emitted from the burning moxa on top of the needles (in the needle-head technique) conducts itself through the needle to affect the xuè level.  Thus, it is effective in treating muscle, tendon, and joint related conditions thereby invigorating the flow of blood to those specified areas. 

 

Another point I want to mention is that moxa overall helps with regulating the zhēng qì (the correct qì).  The definition of zhēng qì is the qi that defends the body from exogenous pathogens and gives rise to other forms of qì such as wèi qì, yíng qì, zàng fǔ qì , and jīng luò qì.  With that in mind, the zhēng qì is needed for the proper energy dynamics within the body to maintain health.  When, the zhēng qì is compromised in serious illnesses such diabetes or autoimmune disease, then the other aforementioned types of qì becomes compromised.  As stated before, moxa helps regulate the zhēng qì.  In essence, moxa leads to a natural reorganization of the body into its normal components.

 

 

Bibliography

 

Jackowicz, M.Ac., L.Ac., Ph.D., Dr. Stephen J., "Moxibustion Boot Camp," Lecture Notes 2007.

 

Jackowicz, M.Ac., L.Ac., Ph.D., Dr, Stephen J., "Dr. J- Moxa Seminar Excerpt- History" http://www.youtube.com/user/holisticceus#p/a/u/1/aOivgbDwMdU November 11th, 2008.

 

Jackowicz, M.Ac., L.Ac., Ph.D., Dr, Stephen J., "Moxa Theory Excerpt," http://www.youtube.com/user/holisticceus#p/a/u/0/BRvdf3l2MqI November 11th, 2008.

 

Easton, Darlene, Fundamental Theory of Oriental Medicine, Lecture Notes 2002.

 

 

Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM.  He is currently practicing in Westbury, NY.  His primary focus with East Asian medicine is stress, pain management, diabetic complications, and treating chemotherapy side-effects. He is also the President & CEO of Zen-Ohs Botanicals, Inc.

 

 By: Billy Shonez Singh, MS, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac., Dipl. CH (NCCAOM)

                                                              ©2010

 

    People have often asked me a lot of questions about herbs.  "How much do I give patients,"  "How long do they have to take them", and "can I take them with my current medication my doctor gave me?"  These are causes of concern however they are abated with some of the information that I obtained for the course of time from other veteran herbalists. 

 

Dosage.

This factor is based on two different factors.  (1). If a patient is suffering from a chronic condition, the patient is placed on a low dosage and is increased on a gradual basis unless the signs and symptoms are disappearing.  The dosage for each ingredient in an herbal formula starts off at three grams instead of the standard nine to twelve.  While on the subject on chronic conditions, I also give my patients a trial dosage for two to four days.  If there are no adverse reactions, then we increase it to a week supply.  (2). If a patient is suffering from an acute condition that has persisted for a number of days, then we start them on a higher dose. 

 

How Often Should I Take These Herbs?

In the past, I have given my patients a two week supply of herbs.  After two weeks has gone by, I ask them how they are feeling after two weeks.  If they are making suitable progress, then we take the frequency down from two weeks to one week.  Once that is done, then we do a follow-up and we look together what kind of progress has been made.

 

Herb-Drug Interactions.

This is often the cause of concern among Americans since most of them are using another form of medical treatment or taking vitamins, supplements, green tea, etc.  Another cause for concern is about the cautionary and contraindications.  Some of them are very valid such as prescribing peach kernels (Tao Ren) and safflower flower (Hong Hua).  Both of these herbs are used in moving and invigorating blood.  However, from a scientific perspective, you would not use these herbs with someone who is on blood thinning medications like coumadin, warfarin, etc.  According to a few sources, other contraindications and cautionary about herbal medicine are purely hypothetical and clinically miniscule.  If someone asks me if they should stop taking their medications in favor of herbs, I respond by saying, "that is entirely up to your primary care physician."  The reason for that is because ethically and legally it is not up to me to do so since I am not an MD.  According to Dr. John K. Shen, author of Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology what you can do to avoid any potential herb-drug interactions is that their patients can take the herbal medicine an hour apart from taking their Western medication.  The principle is based on the concept of two children fighting each other.  In order to stop children from fighting each other, you pull them apart.  Same thing with conflicting medications; take one remedy an hour apart from the other remedy. 

 

 

Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM.  He is currently practicing in Westbury, NY.  His primary focus with East Asian medicine is stress, pain management, diabetic complications, and treating chemotherapy side-effects.  He is also President and CEO of Zen-Ohs Botanicals, Inc.

 

By: Billy Shonez Singh, MS, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac., Dipl. CH (NCCAOM)

                                                     ©2010

 

Herbal medicine is another pillar of East Asian medicine along with acupuncture, physical manipulation (tui na), and energetic breathing techniques (qi gong).  It is used as a stand-alone form of treatment and sometimes it is used together as an addendum to one's acupuncture treatment to expedite the healing process and strengthen the body.  Like most countries, China developed a system of herbal medicine that involved the use of different herbs.  These herbs consisted of different substances:

• Plants (eg. cinnamon twigs [Gui Zhi], astragalus [Huang Qi], loquat leaf [Pi Pa Ye], etc.)
• Minerals (eg. gypsum [Shi Gao])
• Foods (eg. garlic [Da Suan], ginger [Sheng Jiang], reishi mushroom [Ling Zhi], etc.)
• Animal products (eg. turtle shell [Gui Ban], deer horn gelatin [Lu Lu Jiao], etc.)  

 

Today, herbal medicine is used in treating a wide range of ailments just like in times of antiquity in Asia.  In my experience, they have been very useful in treating lower back pain, insomnia, PMS, fatigue, and much more.  Aside from being an addendum to one's acupuncture treatment, herbal treatments provide another practical use.  It gives patients an active role in their treatments when they are not coming for acupuncture on certain days of the week.  When properly administered and used, they rarely ever cause any side-effects, when compared to Western medications.

           

Herbs are often administered as a formula; a group of herbal ingredients to help treat disease as opposed to just using one ingredient.  Each ingredient in an herbal formula comes in four groups:

• "King" - it is the main ingredient that exerts the maximum effect.
• "Minister" - it is the secondary ingredient that supports the main ingredient.
• "Assistant" - it reinforces the King herb or the Minister herb, reduces the harshness or the toxicity either ingredient.
• "Envoy" - it synergizes all the ingredients to work together and focuses each ingredient on treating a particular pathway, organ, or system in the body.

 

Chinese herbal medicine is given in two different forms.  The first type is internal formulas and the second type is external formulas. 

 

Internal formulas come in different forms for ingestion:

·         Raw herbs

·         Powdered formulas/ granule extracts

·         Pills and tablets

·         Tinctures

External formulas come in different forms as well:

• Liniments
• Ointments
• Soaks
• Powders
• Plasters

 

Most herbal formulas are not certified by the FDA but are in compliance with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).  They have no heavy metals, toxins, preservatives, or fillers that can cause harm to the body. 

           

In my clinic I often use herbal formulas in powdered form.  The powdered herbal formulas are ingested by adding to hot water and drinking it as a tea.  Another form I use for my patients are pills and tablets.  The formulas that are ingested are usually for patients with problems not necessarily related to pain, but useful for treating systemic conditions such as high blood pressure.  For my patients with aches and pains due to trauma, I give liniments and ointments such as Die Da Jiu ("Hit Fall Wine").  The reason I often use powdered formulas, tablets, and pills is because they are much more convenient for patients to consume because of increased compliance.  The second reason is that it is a lot less time consuming than cooking raw herbal formulas.  The time frame for raw herbal formulas usually takes thirty minutes to forty-five minutes to prepare.  Whereas with powdered formulas, based on my experience, take no more than five minutes to prepare.  Lastly, the use of pills and tablets has been instrumental in that patients can take them anywhere on the run; for example, if they are on vacation and their powdered formulas are rather cumbersome to carry around.  That is one usage of how herbal medicine can be used in pill form.  Also, herbs in pill and tablet form are usually given at the end of patient's treatment once they have made suitable progress with other formulas whether they are powdered form or raw form.

           

            Next time, I'll address the issue regarding dosage, frequency, and other medications that are also being used.

 

To be continued...

 

 

Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM.  He is currently practicing in Westbury, NY.  His primary focus with East Asian medicine is stress, pain management, diabetic complications, and treating chemotherapy side-effects.  He is also President and CEO of Zen-Ohs Botanicals, Inc.

 

Chan Hur, L.Ac. 

            By: Billy Shonez Singh, M.S., L.Ac., Dipl. C.H. (NCCAOM)

                                          www.zenohs.com  ©2010

 

A 69 year old woman came into my office in October 2009.  Her main complaint for the past eight years has been multiple joint pains in her body due to Rheumatoid Arthritis.  Since her diagnosis, she was placed on thirteen different medications.  Four of them were for treating joint and muscle pain associated with her main complaint.  The other four of the medications were used in lowering her cholesterol and her blood pressure.  The side-effects of the medications were headache, bone pain, jaw pain, muscle weakness, swelling of the ankles and feet, and joint pain- among other things.  The last five of her medications were unrelated to her main complaint but were used in treating the side-effects.  She described her joint pain as severely sharp and stabbing variety located in her neck, lower back, knees, feet, shoulders, wrists, and fingers.  The pain would get exacerbated by damp, cold, and rainy environments as well as walking up a flight of stairs.  In addition to this, I noticed that she had swelling along the fingers and toes.  The swelling was due to the inflammation in the joints and had fluid build-up (edema) in both her ankles.  In her previous history she mentioned that she was a pack-a-day smoker but quit smoking fifteen years ago.  Lastly, she consumed two to three cups of coffee a day.  After treating her with acupuncture for seven months at once a week intervals, we both noticed dramatic improvements in the signs and symptoms.  The swelling in her fingers and toes had decreased.  Her ability to walk with more fluidity and speed was noted as well without any stiffness and debility in her knees and ankles.  It was also indicated that her handwriting appeared less rugged and more fluid after the swelling was alleviated in her fingers and hands.  In any case she now visits me every other week for maintenance-style treatments.  After all the progress we had witnessed together, here is what she had to say:

 

                         "I have been suffering with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis for about eight years.  After researching alternative methods of pain management I came across Billy Singh's web site and was impressed by his credentials.  I have been seeing him for acupuncture treatments for several months with excellent results.  The treatments have given me great relief from the inflammation in my knees, feet, and shoulders. 

            I am thrilled with the results I am getting from the treatments and would highly recommend them as a compliment to conventional medicine."

-          Janet M.

 

In my humble opinion, after getting a testimonial like this, all I can say is that I am sorry but decrease in severity of signs and symptoms of a disease is one of side-effects of East Asian Medicine.

 

 

 

Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM.  He is currently practicing in Westbury, NY.  His primary focus with East Asian medicine is stress, pain management, diabetic complications, and treating chemotherapy side-effects. 

                       By: Billy Shonez Singh, MS, L.Ac., Dipl. C.H. (NCCAOM)

                                 http://www.zenohs.com ©2009

 

Reading the title of this new article, you are probably thinking, "How is that possible?"  By treating something as simple as back pain with acupuncture and Chinese medicine, you are taking a preventative measure against cancer.  It may sound unlikely, or even impossible; but on the contrary, it's quite feasible.

            It all starts with an injury.  Let us say a 25-year-old man gets into a 30-mile-per-hour car accident.  He survived the accident and now has minor upper and lower back pain due to the concussive force of the crash.  Over time, the pain comes and goes but the concussive force remains, therefore leading to impeded blood flow to the connective tissues and muscles.  In a great amount of time, impeded blood flow in this case leads to lack of oxygen to the surrounding tissues, which is known as ischemia.  Ischemia leads to another process known as cell death, because no oxygenated blood is going to the tissues.  Eventually, the severity of cell death turns into necrosis because cell death has now spread into other tissues surrounding those affected by the concussive force. Over time, the surrounding necrotized tissues go into a cellular process known as cytotoxicity, which is much more severe than necrosis.  Toxins build up in the surrounding and localized muscle tissue, which later leads to cancer, which spreads into tissues.  How many times have you heard about people dying of cancer, despite the fact that they did not have cancer in their family health history? 

            A perfect real-life example of this theory is the case of Sosai Masutatsu (Mas) Oyama.  He was born in 1923 and was the founder of Kyokushin karate.  He trained under harsh environments and conditioned his hands, legs and feet by striking rocks and trees.  He challenged 300 fighters in Japan and fought all of them in a three-day kumite (which in Japanese means "free fight").  In short, he pushed himself beyond the limits of human endurance.  Yet despite his physical and spiritual strength, he died in 1994 of lung cancer as a non-smoker.  Now this is where the theory of concussive force comes into play.  As a fighter in his time, martial artists did not have protective equipment to shield their bodies as we do now.  When you are fighting the way Masutatsu Oyama did, most of the concussive force coming to your body comes from your opponent's strikes to your ribs, among other body parts like the head, groin and stomach.  Despite his physical strength, he was taking concussive force to his body (in his case, specifically the rib cage), which resulted in ischemic tissues, which over time resulted in his lung cancer.

            Chinese medical practices like Gua Sha can help treat musculoskeletal problems before they can eventually turn into potentially life-threatening issues.  Gua Sha is a modality that incorporates the use of a Chinese soup spoon, or any other hard device, to scrape the surface of the skin until there is bruising and redness.  It can be used as a stand-alone treatment or it can be used with one's acupuncture treatment.  The theory behind scraping the surface of the skin until it is very red is to bring up any stagnated blood and toxins to the surface of the skin.  The stagnated blood and toxins that have been built up cause pain and eventually lead to other problems at a cellular level.  Since there is bruising involved, capillaries are destroyed and allowed to regenerate, thus bringing in a fresh supply of nutrients and oxygenated blood to the connective tissues of the body that have been affected by injuries involving concussive force.  The bruising and redness that occurs fade away within four to five days.  If you want to see this technique done in action go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOF9kvjDPsk.

          

 

Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM).  He is currently practicing in Westbury, NY.  His primary focus with East Asian medicine is stress, pain management, diabetic complications, and treating chemotherapy side-effects. 

Basic TCM Knowledge regarding Osteoarthritis of the Knee In Traditional Chinese Medicine

Osteoarthritis (Degenerative Joint Disease) is mostly related to Fixed Bi and Painful Bi.

Fixed Bi Syndrome: The chief manifestations include pain and heavy sensation in the relatively fixed areas of body limbs or joints, numbness of the muscles, aggravation of the condition in rainy days, white greasy tongue coating, and soft slow pulse.

Painful Bi Syndrome: The chief manifestations include severe pain in the limbs and joints as if being stabbed or pricked. In the worst cases, there is fixed pain that is alleviated by warmth but aggravated by cold, better in the daytime but worse at night, limited movements of the joints, no local redness nor feverish sensation, cold sensation in the affected parts, thin white tongue coating, wiry tense pulse.

Pathogenesis

Wind, cold and dampness invasion causes the blockage of the Qi and blood in the meridian. In modern medicine, it is related to aging, endocrine disorder as well as trauma and improper posture.

Clinical manifestations
 
The onset of osteoarthritis of the knee is insidious. Initially, there is articular stiffness, seldom lasting more than 15 minutes; this develops later into pain on motion of the affected joint(s) and is made worse by activity or weight bearing and relieved by rest. Deformity may be absent or minimal; however, varus deformity of the knee is not unusual.

Imaging

Radiographs may reveal narrowing of the joint space, sharpened articular margin, osteophyte formation and lipping of the marginal bone, and thickened, dense subchondral bone. Bone cysts may also be present.

Major pattern differentiation

Fixed Bi:
Pain fixed in the knee joint accompanied by heaviness, stiffness and numbness, sometimes slight swelling.

Painful Bi:
Severe pain in the knee joint, aggravated by cold and alleviated by heat.

Treatment Principle:
Expel wind, Cold and dampness, improve the meridian circulation and regulate Qi and blood.

Major Acupuncture points and needle techniques

Acupuncture points for knee:
Xiyan (Ex.), Dubi (ST35), Zusanli (ST 36), Yanglingquan (GB 34)

Alternative Therapies:

Auricular therapy
Corresponding area (Knee), Sympathetic, Shenmen


Subcutaneous needling therapy
Select local point or tender points
Seven-star needle tapping and cupping

Read paper on Osteoarthritis of the Knee for Rachel Peterman's Clinical Acupuncture Practice II class at New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mineola, NY.

She gives an overview of Osteoarthritis of the knee, and Western and TCM treatment approaches.

Rachel H. Peterman, M.S., DHEd(c), J.D.

Osteoarthritis of the Knee.pdf

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

CHICAGO (Reuters) - "Acupuncture helped alleviate lingering pain and decreased shoulder mobility in people who had surgery for head and neck cancer, U.S. researchers said on Saturday.

The ancient Chinese therapy also resulted in significant improvements in extreme dry mouth or xerostomia, which often occurs in people who have had radiation treatment for head and neck cancer, they said at a meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in Chicago.

Researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York " (Further studies are cited at the link) "studied 70 patients who were at least three months past their surgery and radiation treatments. About half got standard treatments, which include physical therapy and treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs. The other half got standard treatment plus a weekly acupuncture session. After four weeks, 39 percent of those who got acupuncture reported improvements in pain and mobility, compared with only 7 percent in people who got typical care.

"Although further study is needed, these data support the potential role of acupuncture in addressing post neck-dissection pain and dysfunction, as well as xerostomia," Memorial Sloan-Kettering's Dr. David Pfister said at the meeting."This article comes from Reuters

Several of my relatives had head and neck surgery for cancer and suffered from these symptoms. My uncle did use acupuncture for pain and discomfort after he left the hospital. My mother was open to it but never tried it; it was too far away from her established ideas, plus her insurance did not cover it. My aunt had serious back pain and immobility while vacationing in China, was taken to an acupuncture clinic as an emergency patient and got immediate relief. She talked about it for years later, but did not continue with acupuncture. She ended up wearing a narcotic patch on her back for pain and got very disturbed and ill-tempered when the time neared to replace the patch with a new one because the dosage in the patch was declining.