Acupuncture & TCM Blog

Acupuncture & Eczema

Wed, 01 Sep 2010 12:26:33 -0500

Chan Hur, L. Ac. of Answers with Acupuncture in Flushing, NY wrote about a successful treatment of eczema with Korean acupuncture techniques, includes before and after picture of a different patient.

"One girl who was 14 years old came for atopic skin. When she was 2 years old, her parents noticed she often rubbed her back against the corner of a wall. Her parents brought her to an acupuncture clinic in a hurry. The clinic told her parents she had atopic skin and advised that she take herbs. After taking herbs, she was OK until 5 years old. She then suffered this skin problem very much between 5 and 10 years old. She went to many MDs who specialized in skin. The MDs gave skin cream. Her skin became harder and hair grew where these creams were applied. There were continuous new eruptions. Someone advised that she take aloe and she took aloe for a long time. Her skin problem disappeared around 10 years old. This family doesn't know what made her better, as they did so many different things for her.

When she came to my clinic at age 14, she had atopic skin on her fingers, arms and neck. I gave her an acupuncture treatment. I asked her if she was afraid of needles. She was nervous about that. After one needle was inserted, I asked her how it was. " I don't feel anything at all. Are you sure you put a needle on me?" I inserted 4 needles in total. Now I am happy to tell you that her skin problem disappeared with just one treatment. Her sore with waters started to disappear the next day and disappeared totally on the following day."

My Treatment for Frozen Shoulder and Parksinson's Disease

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:53:48 -0500

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

A friend of the family had recently brought her aunt to see me for treatment. She told me that she had Parkinson's Disease along with shoulder pain. I accepted to treat her with some hesitancy because I thought this would be a difficult issue. However, as soon as I treated her, everything just seemed to flow smoothly. We were seeing each other for a period of five non-consecutive sessions for two and half weeks.

My friend's aunt whom we will address as "Mrs. Patel," was 77-years old and was visiting her family from London, England. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991. However, her main complaint was her shoulder pain that resulted from an accident during yoga practice which happened a long time ago. After seeing how Mrs. Patel was unable to move her arm overhead (and only to the level of her collarbone forming a ninety degree angle), I immediately remember seeing this as frozen shoulder because of my past clinical experience. The pain quality ranged from dull and achy to sharp and stabbing. The pain was made worse with cold air emitted from central air conditioning to ingestion of cold foods. Her surgeon back in England did whatever he or she could to do to fix the problem after the accident. After the surgery, she was unable to move her arm. Furthermore, the surgeon had said that there was a piece of bone from the shoulder that got chipped off and was circulating inside the shoulder joint; thus making the shoulder pain even worse.

In regards to her Parkinson's Disease, it was heartbreaking to see. She had a shuffling gait while walking. She would clutch onto the side-railings with both hands to walk up and down a flight of stairs. Her body frame was frail and thin. Her visage looked very haggard and looked very tired. During the inquiry, she would often speak in a low tone of voice and she felt like sleeping all the time. All the muscles in her body felt very rigid and tense. She was on ten different medications; nine out of ten of them were for Parkinson's Disease and one of them was for bone and joint care. In addition to that, Mrs. Patel said that the tremors in her hands were exacerbated with emotional and mental stress. One of her medications for Parkinson's was making her constipated; her stools were too dry and were happening once every day. Other signs and symptoms consisted of heavy eyelids and burning sensation in the eyes, vertex headaches, pain upon breathing, and lower back pain. Her pulse was thin, rapid, long and palpable at all three depths. The liver position as well as both kidney positions was very vacuous. While I was examining her pulse, Mrs. Patel and her niece mentioned that she had acupuncture done while she was on a cruise ship. Mrs. Patel said that the other acupuncturist said her liver and kidneys were very weak. It brought a smile to my face to know that there was someone in our field that I can concur with. While examining her tongue, the body was short and thin. The color of the tongue body was light red and the coating of the tongue was thin and white. After examining everything that I found, her diagnosis was "cold painful obstruction" (also known as Han Bi Zheng) and "wasting syndrome" (also known as Wei Zheng). Her pattern was internal wind due to systemic qi and yin vacuity and localized qi and blood stasis.

During the first treatment, getting her to come onto the table was difficult since I didn't have a step stool available at the time so I lifted her onto it. The first set of needles that went in the right shoulder was inserted into the local points and ashi points. Then I inserted needles into Zu San Li (ST-36), San Yin Jiao (SP-6), and Rang Gu (KID-2) for the qi and yin vacuity that was related to her Parkinson's. Next I used direct moxibustion on Qi Hai (CV-6) to help treat her fatigue using three cones. Also I manipulated the needles by hand using the reduction method to release the stagnated proteins her right shoulder and using the supplementation method to address the metabolic vacuities. After thirty minutes of needle retention and manipulation, I took out the needles and used pole moxibustion over her right shoulder. However, I used it in a way that was only taught to me by one my big influencing teachers. I took a paper towel, draped it over the right shoulder (the deltoid), and started tapping the lit end of the moxa pole onto the paper towel. This technique (which is not taught in TCM schools in the US) is much more powerful because the heat from the moxa penetrates deep to the tissues. The last part of the treatment involved tui na (medical massage) onto the shoulder.

This approach I used was the same approach I used in the other treatments that followed with a few modifications such as needle-head moxa over the right shoulder. After her first session was over, Mrs. Patel felt like her vitality had returned back. We continued treatment four more times. After she left my office after our first session with her niece, I noticed that Mrs. Patel was no longer walking like a frail, ill woman. She was walking like a twenty year old. I was worried thinking that the next time I'd see her she would be back to square one. However, when she came for her second session, she was walking the same way as she did after her first session. She did feel some level of trepidation walking up and down a flight of stairs. Despite that, she was still walking smoothly. After our last session together on August 21st, Mrs. Patel's could now lift her right arm to a one-hundred and twenty degree angle. That showed tremendous amount of improvement than when I saw her for her first session. Unfortunately, with the constraints of time, we couldn't see each other anymore since she had to leave for London the next day. Before Mrs. Patel left, I gave her the name of an acupuncturist and an herbalist in London.

If you want a visual feed of what I did, you can see them on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQu0gH1uPGo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNC8ViSH7g&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJVb-SSdcKY

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

Cirrhosis & Traditional Korean Medicine

Tue, 24 Aug 2010 00:18:09 -0500

Image via Wikipedia

This case is about cirrhosis 4th stage. The patient was on the waiting list for a liver transplant when he came to my clinic. Here is the story.

Back ground history

He attended a wedding ceremony. While he ate food, he felt nausea and vomiting. He rushed to the toilet bowl and vomited lots of blood, seeing only red blood, but no food at all. He went to an M.D. right away. The M.D. examined him with an endoscope and found all veins in the stomach and esophagus were like large varicose veins (esophageal varicose) with a purple color. According to the test he received later, he threw up 1.5 liter of blood.

He was sent to a large hospital Emergency Room immediately. After all examinations and tests, he was diagnosed with cirrhosis 4th stage, meaning he needed liver transplant surgery. The hospital requested that he be put on the waiting list at the liver donation center and now he is on the waiting list. Being on the waiting list means you have to wait about three years in most cases, however if his family or relatives are willing to donate part of their liver and they match well, this period may be shortened. There is no good match from his family.

During my diagnostic interview, he stated he didn't take alcohol or smoke. After diagnosing him, I told the patient that the blood vomited might come from lung, not from stomach, based on no foods in the vomit and the red blood color of the blood. The patient was surprised a bit and admitted that he had a few experiences of vomiting before. Each and every time he observed some food, acid taste and sticky saliva from the mouth, but this time strange enough only red blood. I also noticed his lung function was weak.

I recommended him to take acupuncture treatments. Liver transplant surgery just replaces a diseased liver with other person's liver. If the patient has a problem with the blood stream in and out through liver, there is a good chance for a new replaced liver to become bad due to improper blood circulation through the liver. We explain this function in Traditional Korean Medicine as 'the meridian may be blocked'. As long as this was a possibility, it is better to help proper blood circulation with acupuncture and Oriental medicine, and also have the transplant surgery. Acupuncture treatment doesn't exclude the planned transplant surgery. He understood the concept and the treatments began.

Acupuncture treatments

His anxiety began to disappear after 2 treatments. His tiredness also diminished. He used to become tired after one hour of driving and had to take a rest. He could work at his normal daily job without much difficulty. This was big progress for him.

When I suggested taking oriental herbs, he preferred not to take herbs as his M.D. told him not to take any herbs and asked him to write down all foods he takes.

I explained the progression of liver disease to him using TCM theory. Normal liver condition changes into hepatitis, inflammation of liver. This means liver produces heat. The heat consumes moisture, and then liver becomes hardened causing cirrhosis. If this continues without treatment, this turns into cancer. He used to feel fever, lassitude, and loss of appetite. He even he walked to one side instead of walking forward sometimes. I suspect he might suffer chronic hepatitis. He didn't have proper treatment for this matter, and is hoping he recovers soon.

I told him he lost lots of blood when vomiting. I also asked him how he will make up all the lost blood. This is the first reason he needs herbs. Taking just iron is not enough to make new blood. We are able to use herbs to make new blood. I removed all unnecessary heat from liver already, and your liver needs more moisture and blood, since liver stores blood, according to acupuncture theory. He told me that he prays for more wisdom as his M.D. and I suggested differently. He decided to take herbs one week later and told me that my advice is more convincing and understandable. He also told me that I made his health better.

Unusual experience

After seven treatments, he experienced very unusual things. He awakened about 2 o'clock in the morning. Suddenly he felt that all the energies around him were being sucked into him. His expression was that 'it was like vacuum cleaner sucking up dirt.' His mind became calm, all worries disappeared and he became very peaceful. He experienced the same thing again 6 o'clock in the morning. This one happened slowly and for a longer period.

Regular check up by his M.D.

He got treatments three times a week from me. After 12 treatments, I told him that his condition was improved and treatments just two times a week may be alright. After 14 sessions he had a regular check up from his M.D. There were 2 surgeons and 10 interns around the table waiting for him. They checked him by listening with a stethoscope, took his blood pressure and number of pulses per minute, etc. They looked around at each other and wondered what happened.

They expected he would be suffering from ascites (ascites is excess fluid in the space between the tissues lining the abdomen and abdominal organs) on his abdominal area or would have become emaciated by now. What they saw was a perfect healthy man sitting there instead of a sick person. They asked him what happened. He told them he got acupuncture treatments. One surgeon nodded and said "I don't have any objection to acupuncture." However the patient didn't tell them he took herbs, as he believed they may be disapproving. His M.D.'s decided no more surgery was required, but the application for a liver donation will not be cancelled just in case.

The patient is going to take acupuncture treatments once a week or every two weeks until his next regular check up from his M.D.

Lesson about second opinions and integration of Eastern and Western medicine

1. All hepatitis or cirrhosis may be caused due to poor blood circulation into and out of the liver. Obviously this is one of causes. We call this meridian obstruction. If the problem was begun due to poor blood circulation, surgery alone may be not enough. Any transplant must consider acupuncture, too. This idea should apply to kidney transplants, too.

2. Patients need a second opinion. This opinion should include not only Western doctors, but also acupuncturists. Western medicine may not tell about meridian theory (proper blood circulation) in my opinion. Eastern medicine can't do the surgery. Eastern and western medicine combined may provide the best service to patients.

Visit my website, Answers with Acupuncture in Flushing, NY

Chan Hur, L. Ac.

Acupuncture helps pain

Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:17:43 -0500

Image by NYCTCM via Flickr

Big Surprise at Seminars - People are surprised when acupuncture quickly helps pain

I am invited to seminars once in a while at churches or health clubs. During my talk I introduce how traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) developed. I provide information about what foods should be taken depending on people's individual constitution based on TCM.

Each body has unique constitution. Some have a cold body and their hands and feet always are cold. Some feel they have to apologize to the other party when they shake hands, as their hands are very cold. Some can't go to bed without wearing socks during sleep. Some people have a warm body. Certain foods may help this body condition. If anyone eats by the opposite way, for instance cold body with cold foods, this will harm the body. I believe that some say we have to eat all varieties of foods. This idea is not always right as this common theory doesn't consider our constitution.

After the seminar, I give a free acupuncture treatment depending on the situation. If I do, I offer the treatment to as many patients as possible. I usually ask them to give me only one symptom they really want to treat, as we have only limited time. Many people complain of neck and shoulder or arm pains; a whopping more than 30% of the attendances. This means they live with pains everyday without proper treatments. Some couldn't move their neck or have constant neck pains. Some couldn't raise arms, or their range of motion is very limited. Some can move, but they feel the pain in a certain position or make a funny sound from the shoulder.

This is what I usually do during the treatment. I want to find the painful spots; sometimes only one spot, or multiple spots. When I press this spot, the patients screams instantly or makes frowned face. This simple procedure eliminate all kinds of tests, such as MRI, Cat Scan etc. (These tests try to find where the pain is and how the pain area looks. A person who doesn't have health insurance may not be able to afford these very expensive diagnostic procedures.) These tests don't include proper treatment such as prescribing pain killers, massages, physical therapy, chiropractic methods etc. If all treatment methods do not work, the other option is a surgery.)

I as an acupuncturist try to find what causes the pain. As soon as the original cause is removed, the pain will disappear. Tendon inflammation, or tear are western names. I try to interpret this into acupuncture theory. Inflammation means "caused by heat". Pinched nerve means stagnation. There are more causes such as Qi and blood deficiency or stagnation, blood stasis, damp accumulation or phlegm etc. I often explain these in detail at the seminar. So what I do is just to remove the heat or stagnation etc. with acupuncture.

After finishing the diagnoses, I tap acupuncture needles on the patients. People surrounding the patient ask questions such as 'is there is any pain when tapping in acupuncture needles?' The answer from the patient is no pain at all or a touching feeling. They wonder how this could happen. The next thing I do is to press the same painful area or spot to check whether the pain is reduced or not. About 50% of cases say there is no more pain or don't scream or make a frowned face instantly. Some say even though there is still lingering pain, the pain is less than before. Everyone is amazed by the fast response. Some even ask whether needles are coated with narcotic drugs. Of course, there is very small group saying there is no change at all. But they also say the pain is reduced substantially when I remove needles after 30 minutes. The acupuncture treatment generally lasts about 30 minutes.

Some patients who have had a surgery come to clinic, as pains still remain the same. Some doctors want to do another surgery, but the patient has realized that all surgeries are not successful. Please note that any person with a surgery has a tendency for a slower healing process with acupuncture treatments. I think this is due to damage on the subjected meridian. I strongly suggest trying acupuncture treatments before considering a surgery. If acupuncture treatments don't work in your case, you still have an option for a surgery. The surgery may be a last option.

I wonder why so many people suffer these kinds of pains, even though acupuncture is an effective way to make them free from pains, such as neck, shoulder and arm pains? One reason is we haven't had any education about acupuncture theory in school and acupuncture is not well-known in the Western culture. Sometimes they say they are 'afraid of needles' and they don't realize an acupuncture needle is usually a very small hair-thin needle, not at all like the large needles used to give vaccinations at their doctor's office. Many people think acupuncture is kindof mystical, superstitious and non-scientific. The truth is that acupuncture is very simple, inexpensive and effective and fast treatment.

Visit my website, Answers with Acupuncture for more articles about the benefits of acupuncture.

Chan Hur, L.Ac.

NCCAOM Study - Acupuncture Profession

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 10:49:22 -0500

"The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (NCCAOM^®), ... has just released the results of its recent milestone national Job Task Analysis (JTA) survey,the 2008 Job Task Analysis: A Report to the Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AOM) Profession which is available via the NCCAOM website, www.nccaom.org.

The primary purpose of the JTA is to provide a blueprint for the development of the NCCAOM certification examinations, which serve as gateway and prerequisite for entry-level practice of AOM in 43 states, plus the District of Columbia. The JTA survey identifies the importance and frequency of tasks performed by NCCAOM Diplomates from various regions of the country, in different practice settings, as well as at different points in their AOM career. These results serve to validate the knowledge, skills and abilities, i.e., competencies, performed by an entry-level AOM practitioner in the United States.

The AOM profession is evolving all the time; therefore, it is extremely important to continually review and update the content of the NCCAOM certification examinations. Best practices in validation of examination content is to perform a JTA a minimum of every five years. This report serves to provide the examination content validity verification for the years 2009 though 2013."

The study showed that 57.9% of the respondents were certified in Acupuncture, and 23% were certified in Oriental Medicine. A massage therapy license was also held by 7.3% of the respondents, and 5.2% are Registered Nurses. Women hold 69.7% of NCCAOM certifications, and men hold 30%.

The primary style of practice taught is Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) at 83.9%. The mean student loan debt of Diplomates who responded was $45,891, and 70% of the Diplomate respondents said they earned less than $60,000 a year, while 21% earned between $60,000 and $121,000 a year. Their earnings depended on hours worked and years of experience, with higher earnings reported from Diplomates who received their certification in the last 11-15 years.

91% of the respondents were self-employed, and 30% are both self-employed and working for someone else. 58% of the Diplomates who are not eclusively self-employed in solo practice work in a multidisciplinary group practice with other health care providers or with other AOM practitioners.

The study found that musculoskeletal pain is the most frequent symptom for which patients sought treatment, followed by reproductive system disorders.

You can read the whole 2008 Job Task Analysis at the NCCAOM website. Practitioners, students and people considering entering the career of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine will find it very informative.

Acupuncture for Shoulder Injury

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 23:51:22 -0500

A friend asked me if acupuncture could help with an 80% tear in her rotator cuff. Please contribute your thoughts. This video shows an acupuncture treatment for injured shoulder demonstrating dispersing the chi and blood from the affected area, and distal needling along the affected channel so the chi and blood has a pathway to drain away.

Acupuncture in Huffington Post

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 13:17:50 -0500

Image by NYCTCM via Flickr

Anyone considering an alternative treatment for their health problems should read this article "Should you try acupuncture? from the Huffington Post. It explains what acupuncture is, addresses insurance concerns, and says that the new medical model of integrative medicine in patient centered and embraces any and all effective solutions to patient's health problems.

"According to the TCM view, a vital energy called qi flows through the body along channels called meridians. I like to think of these channels as a sprinkling system for the body, bringing qi to vital organs and extremities in much the way hoses bring water to your garden. In the TCM model of health and disease, when qi flow is blocked it stagnates. Stagnating qi causes illness. Acupuncture therapy unblocks the qi flow, strengthens or weakens the qi (think opening and closing the garden spigot) and directs it to areas of need.

A holistic practice, acupuncture seeks to re-establish the body's healthy equilibrium and function, as opposed to forcing healing using surgery or pharmaceuticals. Interestingly, Chinese practitioners were not the only (and may not have been the first) to identify these energy pathways in the body. The frozen body of a man recovered well-preserved from the Alps features tattoos that correspond to Chinese acupuncture's qi meridians."

"Some folks, including older Western M.D.s, still talk about whether or not they "believe" in acupuncture. Such thinking is ill-informed and outdated. One might as well speculate about whether to believe in aspirin, morphine, insulin, surgery or an MRI. The question is not whether acupuncture works, but how it works, and whether it is the appropriate therapy for a particular syndrome, problem, symptom, disease or patient. In a clinical setting and performed by a licensed professional (licensure is by state) acupuncture is effective for a variety of complaints."

Open House at NYCTCM in summer, 2010

Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:00:00 -0500

Join us to hear about the exceptional programs at New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine that prepare you for a career in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Prospective students are invited to attend an NYCTCM Open House for an overview of the Acupuncture school & Traditional Chinese Medicine school programs, a tour of the facility, open discussion, and information on the application process.

Location: NYCTCM, 155 First St., Mineola, NY 11501

Monday, August 9, 2010 from 6:30am to 8:00pm

For more information about NYCTCM Open Houses

NYCTCM Oriental Medicine Program

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:39:46 -0500

I entered NYCTCM in 2000 as a non-matriculated student, intending only to get a foundation in Chinese medicine as a first step to studying Tibetan medicine and naturopathy. Suffering an accident to my head and neck shortly after beginning study, I had to take a leave of absence while recuperating and receiving acupuncture treatments at NYCTCM's clinic.

Once recovered, I decided to matriculate at NYCTCM: "The treatments allowed me to appreciate the real power of Chinese medicine and convinced me that TCM was the path of study that I needed to take."

Anthony

Visit the NYCTCM website for information on Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Programs.

New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Chinese Herbology Certificate Program at NYCTCM

Fri, 30 Jul 2010 10:30:08 -0500

Image by mhonpoo via Flickr

The Chinese Herbology Certificate Program is designed for licensed acupuncturists and graduates of acupuncture degree programs who wish to add herbal expertise as a component of their professional practices without having to complete an entire Oriental Medicine degree program.

There are a total of 34 credits (510 hours) of didactic courses and 13 credits (390 hours) of clinical training in the program, offered over a span of five trimesters (one year and eight months). The didactic courses introduce the student to over 400 individual herbs and 250 major formulas, including patent formulas, and move on to herbal treatment strategy, application of the herbal formulas for treatment of commonly seen clinical syndromes, consideration and analysis of specific cases, and toxicity/safe use of herbs.

The clinical progression moves from Observation and Assistantship, where students learn herbal pharmacy skills, to Internship, where students assume responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. Certificate Program students will have to take exams to qualify for Junior Internship (focusing on individual herbs), for Senior Internship (focusing on herbal formulas), and for graduation from the program By the end of internship training, students must also submit a minimum of 100 case reports.

NYCTCM's Chinese Herbology Certificate Program meets ACAOM guidelines for Herb Certificate Training Programs and qualifies students to sit for the NCCAOM Chinese Herbology examination. Passing the Chinese Herbology examination will qualify licensed acupuncturists to apply for Diplomate status in Chinese Herbology and (in most cases) Oriental Medicine. Although the practice of herbal medicine is currently not a licensed specialty in New York State, there are legislative initiatives going forward in this area; achievement of certification now in Chinese herbology would be a good way to anticipate future licensing requirements.

Applications are currently being accepted for students who wish to matriculate into the program. Tuition for the entire program is $15,105 ($280 per credit; $530 per credit for internship training). Transfer credit will be given for equivalent prior coursework.

For more information visit New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Herbal Certificate program.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Helps Rwandan Children

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 09:05:38 -0500

Project LIGHT Rwanda: ACEP from lori leyden on Vimeo.

Learn ETF with Susan Davis on Sept. 12 at NYCTCM in Mineola at this Continuing Education Seminar for health professionals.

Visit the NYCTCM CEU page to Register for the EFT Seminar.

Acupuncture detox training

Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:09:20 -0500

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) is a nonprofit association that conducts training and provides public education about the use of acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for addictions and mental disorders.

Understanding the principles of both Chinese medicine and chemical dependency can lead to significant benefit in recovery from all forms of drug addiction as well as alcoholism and a variety of mental disorders.

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association has specific protocols for this type of treatment, which have been carefully developed and extensively tested. Experienced clinicians provide training in a variety of locations nationwide and in coordination with an annual conference.

More than 1500 clinical sites in the US, Europe, Australia and the Caribbean currently use these protocols.

While adapted to Western attitudes and conditions, the NADA method derives directly from the Chinese medicine theory of detoxification. Our best hope for success is unified application of these protocols, which NADA promotes through:

1. Public education about acupuncture as a recovery tool
2. Training of professionals in use of the protocol
3. Consultation with local organizations in setting up treatment sites
4. Distribution of reference materials about acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment technique

Training

For qualified persons, access to continuous training sessions for Acupuncture Detoxification Specialist (ADS) is available in two locations: at Lincoln Recovery Center in The Bronx, NY, and Homeward Bound, Inc, Dallas, Texas.

To determine your eligibility and timing, call Ms. Rosa Reyes at (718) 993 3100, Ext. 131, and in Dallas, Texas, call Dr. Susana E. Mendez at (214) 941-3500 Ext 283. Training requires 70 hours. There is no charge for the training in The Bronx, but you have to maintain yourself in terms of room and board while in the city. In Dallas, call Dr. Susana E. Mendez at (214) 941-3500 Ext 283, for details about training fees and accommodations.

Periodic training sessions are also scheduled at other locations in the USA and Canada.

CCAOM online CEU course for acupuncturists

Fri, 28 May 2010 11:55:02 -0500

CCAOM Offers New On-Line CEU Course!!

The CCAOM is pleased to announce the launch of a new CEU course to be offered exclusively through the Council's website, www.ccaom.org.

This course has been accepted by NCCAOM (Provider # ACHB 664-001) and will offer 4 PDA points towards the CEU safety requirement for NCCAOM Diplomates, and can be completed in the convenience of your office or home, on your own schedule. The cost of the course is $25.

This continuing education course provides up-to-date information on blood borne pathogens, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and safe practice, and is intended for licensed acupuncturists. The course reviews epidemiological data on hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and the human immunodeficiency virus, and provides updated information relating to emergency procedures and clean needle technique. If you have access to the Internet, you have access to this course!

This new CEU course, entitled "CNT and Blood Borne Pathogen Review Course," is now available. For complete information about the course, visit the Council's website at www.ccaom.org, or call the Council's national office at 410-464-6040.

(NOTE: This course is not a substitute for the Clean Needle Technique course, which is a requirement for NCCAOM certification and licensure in many states.)

Acupuncture for Shoulder Pain & Shaking

Wed, 26 May 2010 23:03:49 -0500

Patient, a 63 year old female, is being treated for shoulder pain and shaking of the right shoulder.

Patient has been coming for treatment of this condition for 6 months. To date, the patient reports that since treatment her shoulder pain has improved 80% and the shaking has also gotten better. The duration of the shaking has decreased.

The treatment is geared towards balancing the body to reduce the pain and calm the internal wind which is causing the shaking.

NYCTCM Clinic Senior Intern AnnaMaria DiLisio

NYCTCM Clinical Training - Acupuncture Program

The clinical aspect of the program consists of four phases:

Observation (5 credits/150 hours)--in this phase the student observes the acupuncturists and interns in all aspects of their practice: patient intake, questioning, checking pulse and tongue, diagnosis, treatment strategy, and needling.
Assistantship (2 credits/60 hours)--in this phase students begin to assist the acupuncturists in treatment procedures such as moxibustion and cupping, and can withdraw needles from the patient.
Junior Internship (8 credits/240 hours)--in this phase students begin to needle patients under close supervision, and perform diagnoses with guidance from the clinical instructor.
Senior Internship (9 credits/270 hours)--in this final phase students diagnose and treat patients with more minimal supervision.

Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for Digestive Disorders

Sat, 22 May 2010 07:28:35 -0500

Eliminating Waste in Practice: Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for All Digestive Disorders

By Lisajeanne Potyk, LAc

Most of the patients I see in my clinic suffer from a variety of digestive disorders. They do not effectively process their food. They have diarrhea, heartburn, and acid reflux disease. They're nauseated.

And who would expect any different? In this fast-paced, high-technology culture, we're overrun with time constraints and stressors of all kinds.

People unaware of what a good diet consists of rely on processed fast foods and meats packed with hormones and antibiotics. In the West, we're overprescribed antibiotics and other medications; women are reeling from the side-effects of birth control pills; and we regularly take any of a myriad of anti-inflammatories for the slightest ache. It's no wonder so many people are experiencing internal disharmony. And if all of that wasn't enough, most people either don't know how to, or are afraid to, release their emotions. Opting for a sense of control, they "hold." And they get constipated.

The digestive system is a mirror to how we process our external world on every level. Are we assimilating good nutritional, emotional and spiritual nourishment, and effectively eliminating what is toxic to us? Are we letting go of negative situations and allowing ourselves to be nurtured by positive ones? Without the foundation of a healthy, properly nourished body, we can't find the strength to feed into our emotions. If there's a backlog of undigested emotions, any digestive symptom can manifest. Once balance in the body is established by poor nutrition and digestive functions, we gain the platform to integrate our internal and external worlds.

Traditional Chinese medicine teaches us to properly diagnose and treat our patients using staid, ancient teachings recorded thousands of years ago. People don't change from century to century, but their circumstances do. The environment, food, medications, and stressors affecting our patients are very different today, and since the disharmonies that cause them are rampant, digestive disorders are also rampant. Diagnosis and treatment according to the TCM model, written in (and for) a different time, can therefore be complicated and confusing.

Now, imagine a group of acupuncture points that could be used to balance every kind of digestive disorder, including irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, ulcerative colitis, indigestion, and more. Imagine that the points are simple, easy to follow, and quite effective. There is no need to take the pulse, no need to consult a textbook, and no need to fumble through myriad causes. Wouldn't that be magic? It is, thanks to Dr. Teh Fu "Richard" Tan.

Dr. Tan has dedicated his life to experimenting with combinations of points, which are used with excellent clinical results, often instantaneously. Isn't that what we, as practitioners, want - to insert our needles, see an immediate change, and know our treatment is working? With the eight magic points, Dr. Tan offers the ability to elicit consistent, positive results.

One could consult any number of the core books written on TCM theory, but isn't the practice of acupuncture - of healing - about how much better the patient feels after being treated? Better to learn the laws of acupuncture, become skilled at them through knowledge and discipline, and then break out into your own successful expression of them.

Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points

Points on one side: LI 4, SJ 5, Liv 8 (Dr. Tan's liver point), Sp 9

Points on other side: Lu 7, P 6, St 36, GB 34p (Dr. Tan's gallbladder point)

Liver 8 (Dr. Tan's liver point) and GB 34p (Dr. Tan's gallbladder point) are found in locations not traditionally known. According to Dr. Tan, needling these points is more effective. Dr. Tan's liver point is located anterior to Sp 9 on the medial condyle of the tibia, a rich region oddly ignored throughout history. The area can sometimes be very painful to the touch, but it can be more useful than Liver 3 in treating any stagnation in the Liver channel, especially when it is attached to the emotional disorders of resentment and anger.

GB 34p is located posterior to GB 34, just under the head of the fibula, where the tendon attaches. When penetrated, the point radiates electrically down to the foot, just as P 6 goes to the finger. It works better than GB 34, and is more sensitive. If both Liver 8 and GB 34p are tender, it can indicate an emotional component to the disorder. I regularly use this treatment for digestive ailments, with excellent results.

Case Studies

A 28-year old female came to me with anxiety and constant, burning pain in her epigastric area, something she'd experienced for much of her adult life. She was highly sensitive to many foods and didn't eat much. Most of the medical specialists she consulted gave her the same patent answer: "There's nothing wrong with you; it's all in your head." She was very nervous and skeptical about acupuncture, but she was also desperate.

After the third treatment with the eight magic points, her gastric burning and discomfort began to diminish. I continued seeing her twice a week. A month later, she was eating comfortably, and was fairly calm. She's received so much relief from the eight magic points that even a job transfer hasn't kept her from traveling to continue occasional treatments with me.

I have found the eight magic points useful for patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation, as it is a wonderful balancing treatment. A 40-year old female with breast cancer was just finishing her course of radiation when she came to me for acupuncture. She looked literally lifeless. Mostly bedridden, she had become frail, pale and weak. Given her delicate digestion and poor appetite, she wasn't getting the nutrients she needed to recover her strength. I kept the treatment simple, using light needling with the eight magic points. When she returned to me for our second session, a light had already turned on in her eyes. Even her family noticed the dramatic difference in her qi. Continuing treatments, she began her recovery from the adverse effects of radiation.

A pregnant woman, 28, experiencing severe vomiting and persistent nausea, came to my clinic for help. I chose to use the eight magic points, but substituted LI 3 for LI 4, which is forbidden during pregnancy. Her symptoms abated immediately. She continued with me throughout her pregnancy, and ultimately had an unusually easy delivery. She is now the mother of a healthy, contented newborn.

The eight magic points performs wonders on people experiencing emotional upset, especially women with hormonal imbalances. A 42-year old female experiencing perimenopausal symptoms came to see me for her emotional distress. Hypersensitive to everything and everyone, she felt deeply depressed and completely controlled by her emotions. She was so anxious that she couldn't eat; she couldn't even lie still on my table for more than 20 minutes without getting antsy. I explored my toolbox of protocols and decided intuitively to try the eight magic points. At her next treatment session, she raved about how much better she felt. I continued using the eight magic points, which became the antidote for her intense emotional imbalance.

Learning From Dr. Tan

The first six months of my apprenticeship with Dr. Tan consisted of simply observing him in his bustling clinic. I was to ask no questions. He told me, "Once you learn it in your heart, your mind will understand." The Chinese teach by familiarity, which leads to an instinctual knowing (the tiger). Once the ground of knowing is established, the "why" is understood (the wings). The student becomes familiar by watching; masterful and responsive through doing and observing results; and, once they've grown their wings, creative, by developing a style uniquely theirs.

I'm just getting my wings under Dr. Tan, but my clinical practice has long taken flight with the success of these treatments and the tremendous results my patients experience. The beauty of a protocol like this is that, as with magic, we don't have to understand why it works, because we see for ourselves that it works. Consider the eight magic points. See for yourself that it is magic.

Acupuncture Today
December, 2005, Vol. 06, Issue 12

NYCTCM is proud to sponsor three CEU Seminars by Dr. Tan, August 20, 21 & 22 2010.

Friday Aug 20th: Clinical Wonders with Acupuncture 1, 2, 3

Saturday Aug 21st: Advance Balance Method - Introduction to Global Balance, New Format

Sunday Aug 22nd : Advance Balance Method - Treating Zang-Fu Disorders with Meridian-Conversion Therapy

To register for Dr. Tan's Seminars, and for more information, go to New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Continuing Education Seminars