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This author (Rachel Peterman, a student at NYCTCM) believes that the "sham" acupuncture (non-specific needling), would also have the tendency to stimulate Qi (albeit not as effectively as well-placed and executed needling), therefore the acupuncture treatments would appear to provide less clinically significant benefits, as opposed to studies where acupuncture is compared with a "pure" control group.  "Sham" acupuncture is not analogous to placebo.  "Sham" acupuncture is more analogous to giving a half dose of medication.  A drug would not appear to be as efficacious if it was compared to a half-dose, that's why a placebo, with no pharmacologic activity is used as a control in pharmaceutical clinical trials.  A proper control in an acupuncture study would involve no actual needling and consequently no stimulation of Qi. 

It is unclear whether "sham" acupuncture has been implemented in some studies in order to intentionally skew the results of the statistical analysis, or whether it merely reflects an ill-considered and fatally flawed study design.  It is also significant that the study does not provide the exact acupuncture points used in each study, although the authors admit that there was not consistency between the studies.  The usual criterion for meta-analysis is that the studies be identical or extremely close to identical in design.  It is impossible to determine, based upon the information disclosed in this analysis, whether the studies were appropriate for meta-analysis.

In part 3 of AnnaMarie's paper on Lateral Epicondylitis she discusses the Traditional Chinese Medicine Understanding of 'tennis elbow' and shows the acupuncture points that are used to treat it.She cites clinical studies on acupuncture treatment of lateral epicondylitis.

AnnaMarie is an acupuncture student at New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Mineola, NY.

"Lateral Epicondylitis is named 'Elbow Strain' in TCM. It is also called zhuo lao, elbow taxation, zhuo tong, elbow pain and shang jin, damaged sinews.

• Overstrain exhausts the Qi and blood, and tendon and muscle are malnourished that causes the lateral epicondylitis
• Overwork taxation causes detriment and damage to the sinews and vessels of the elbow. On the one hand, there is insufficient blood to nourish the sinews, while, on the other hand, there is blood stasis obstructing the free flow of vessels. This may then be complicated by external contraction of wind cold evils due to defensive qi vacuity.

—

Major Pattern Differentiation

• Characterized by marked soreness, numbness and heaviness. It is cause chiefly by pathogenic damp. Soreness and fixed pain in the joints, numbness or heavy sensation with possible swelling of the limbs.
• Recurrent or enduring pain which is worse on exertion, worse on exposure to cold, and better on obtaining heat

Treatment Principle

• Sooth the tendon and activate meridian circulation
• Boost Qi and nourish the blood, warm the channels and free the flow of impediment"

To read part 3 of Lateral Epicondylitis or Tennis Elbow click on the link below. 


TCM understanding of tennis elbow.swf

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..

In Eric Brands' Traditional Chinese Medicine blog, he complains that Bensky's Materia Medica and other texts on herbalism state ginseng should not be taken with coffee or other stimulants but do not list any citations to back up this claim. He did extensive research and found no evidence in classical texts or modern databases to support the contraindication. He says that "primary sources, evidence-based decisions, and critical thinking" are essential to the future of TCM.

"It is, indeed, a bold claim to suggest that ginseng cannot be used with coffee or other stimulants. Ginseng is the most famous herb in East Asian medicine. Coffee is just about the most widely-used herbal product in the world. Millions of people consume ginseng and coffee together every day in Korea alone, much less the rest of the world. A proven herb-herb or herb-drug interaction with ginseng and coffee or other stimulants would be headline news. Yet this evidence is strikingly lacking.

It is most likely that the reason for this caution is due to the popular conception that ginseng is itself a stimulant. However, ginseng is not a stimulant drug in terms of modern pharmacology; it has both stimulating and inhibitory constituents, which gives it an overall regulating and balancing effect on the body. The idea that ginseng=stimulant and thus should not be combined with other stimulants is based on a flawed and simplistic understanding of the actions of ginseng. Certainly this simplistic thinking is not the standard that professional practitioners are shooting for, and it damages our profession if we espouse opinions that cannot be backed up with either science or tradition."

Read the complete article:

http://www.bluepoppy.com/blog/blogs/blog1.php/2009/06/12/ginseng-coffee-herb-drug-interactions-an

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/

A TCM tongue diagnosis exercise for the general public. There are pictures of all the different categories of tongues with a suggestion as to their meaning; the user clicks on the tongue that looks like theirs. The acupuncturist says that people should consult a TCM practitioner for a real diagnosis. Beyond Well Being Tongue Diagnosis.