AMA, Other Leading Medical Organizations Urge Insurance for Non-Pharma/Integrative Pain Care

Stated Mathew Bauer, LAc, ANF president: “Mainstream group after mainstream group [is] telling the CDC that physicians can’t act on the CDC’s number one recommendation regarding how to avoid relying on opioids because of a lack of insurance coverage for CAM/integrative therapies. I have never seen anything like this.”

Photo by Shutterstock 160707833. Image of infrared radiation hardening sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/infrared-radiation-hardening-160707833

UVM Researchers Tout Growing Saffron in Vermont

Saffron, grown for centuries for its aromatic, culinary and healing properties, is literally more valuable than gold; made from the crocuses' stigmas, the spice can fetch as much as $5,000 per pound. Recent medical research suggests that saffron's therapeutic and medicinal applications may include lowering blood cholesterol levels, preventing convulsions, fighting cancer and combating depression.

Photo by Oliver Parini. Image of Arash Ghalehgolabbehbahan sourced from Seven Days VT. Available at: https://media1.sevendaysvt.com/sevendaysvt/imager/u/blog/3868413/agriculture1-1-73d91bc027de52db.jpg?cb=1680219742

Sichuan Peppercorns (Hua Jiao)

 In the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), this slightly spicy, warm herb is often used to stimulate the taste buds to take more food, warm the body, get rid of cold and dampness, and protect the stomach and spleen.

Acupuncture Repairs Motor Function After Spinal Cord Injury

The research demonstrates that electroacupuncture promotes repair of cells responsible for motor function, which may stimulate nerve repair sufficient for the prevention of paralysis after a spinal cord injury.

Image sourced from HealthCMi. Available at: https://www.healthcmi.com/images/4ceu/spinal-back-shu.jpg

National Health Survey Finds Acupuncture Patients Have High Rates of Satisfaction Exceeding National Averages

A study of 89,000 acupuncture patients treated in 2014 and 2015 within a managed care network of licensed acupuncturists found high rates of satisfaction, exceeding national benchmarks' averages.

Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/acupuncturist-pointing-bl17-on-acupuncture-model-281440808

Astragalus: Practical Aspects of Administration

The applications of astragalus underwent dramatic changes during the past 50 years because of two medical concerns: the increasing use of chemotherapy for cancer, in which case herbs to counter the immune-debilitating effects were sought, and the rise of cardiovascular diseases (e.g., heart attack and stroke). For the former, the combination astragalus with ligustrum (nüzhenzi) was most publicized due to involvement of Western investigators; for the latter, the combination of astragalus with salvia (danshen) became well known.

Parkinson's linked to gut bacteria

For the first time, researchers have found a functional link between the bacteria in the gut and the onset of Parkinson's disease, one of the world's most common debilitating brain disorders.

The coronal view of a human brain of a patient suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Photo by Sherbrooke Connectivity Imaging Lab | Getty Images. Image sourced from CNBC. Available at: https://image.cnbcfm.com/api/v1/image/104140008-GettyImages-565784959.jpg?v=1712236145&w=630&h=354&ffmt=webp&vtcrop=y

Spiced winter porridge recipe with honey and tumeric baked fruit

Though it's traditionally a winter warmer, we like it at any time of year, using seasonal fruit.

Spicy porridge with winter fruits. Photo by Edwina Pickles. Image sourced from The Sydney Morning Herald. Available at: https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_1%2C$multiply_0.2967%2C$ratio_1.777778%2C$width_1968%2C$x_32%2C$y_200/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/5392111db14ac111effb871b06e5899b3c97641a

Ear Acupuncture for Acute Sore Throat: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Compared with usual treatment, battlefield auricular acupuncture was associated with reduced sore throat pain for 24 hours and decreased use of pain medication for up to 48 hours. There was no apparent effect on hours missed from work.

Photo by Shutterstock 358910633. Image of a group of acupuncture needles on a white background sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/group-acupuncture-needles-on-white-background-358910633

Former JAMA editor becomes a pitch man for acupuncture

The CEO of Aetna Health, Mark Bertolini, had a horrible ski accident that left him in great pain. In his long recovery, he discovered that he couldn’t function well under the adverse effects of the opioids and other medications that regular medicine and insurance companies support. He found relief in yoga, acupuncture, meditation, and the services of a naturopathic doctor. The stories are all too familiar.

Photo by Shutterstock 73006915. Image illustration of a human backbone X-ray view showing back pain sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-illustration/human-backbone-xray-view-back-pain-73006915

Mahayana Buddhist Healing Rituals

Tibetan Medicine, particularly, has evolved into its own art & science, woven together with Mahayana Buddhist practice.  It works with herbs, with needles, pulse diagnosis and many other techniques. And, it works with the sacred.

Anatomic connections of the diaphragm: influence of respiration on the body system

The article explains the scientific reasons for the diaphragm muscle being an important crossroads for information involving the entire body. The diaphragm muscle extends from the trigeminal system to the pelvic floor, passing from the thoracic diaphragm to the floor of the mouth. Like many structures in the human body, the diaphragm muscle has more than one function, and has links throughout the body, and provides the network necessary for breathing. To assess and treat this muscle effectively, it is necessary to be aware of its anatomic, fascial, and neurologic complexity in the control of breathing. The patient is never a symptom localized, but a system that adapts to a corporeal dysfunction.

AA VV, Anatomia dell’uomo, 4 ed, Edi.ermes, Milano [Several authors, Human Anatomy, Fourth Edition, edition EdiErmes]. www.eenet.it. Bordoni, B., & Zanier, E. (2013). Anatomic connections of the diaphragm: Influence of respiration on the body system. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 6, 281-291. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S45443

Chai Spiced Butter Tea

Butter tea is a traditional food from Tibet where the caloric and micronutrient value of yak butter provided much-need sustenance against rugged terrain, bitter cold weather and a lifestyle marked by the physical hardship of mountain living.  Natives to the area would drink cups and cups of the bitter, milky tea throughout the day for sustenance.

Acupuncture Beats Antidepressant for Post-Stroke Depression

The acupuncture classic Zhen Jiu Da Cheng (Great Compendium on Acupuncture and Moxibustion) dictates that the Governor meridian should be targeted in the treatment of brain illnesses; the Baihui and Shenting acupoints are both located along this meridian. Administering acupuncture on these acupoints can improve qi and blood circulation along the Governor meridian, reinforce the Yang element, and fight depression. It is worth noting that the Baihui, Shenting and Sishencong acupoints are located on the frontal lobe surface projection zone.

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Why I Prescribe Acupuncture: A Cardiologist Explains

When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. After a year of adjusting medications and supplements to control a heart rhythm condition in my patient, "Billie," she came in with a big smile and a bounce. In this case, she was the teacher.

Photo by Shutterstock 232755100. Image of acupuncture sourced from Shutterstock. Available at: https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/acupuncture-232755100

Your voice can tell if you have heart disease — study

The Mayo Clinic teamed up with Beyond Verbal, a voice analytics company, to identify links between vocal features and coronary artery disease. CAD is the most common heart disease, where plaque builds up in the arteries, causing heart attacks. The study’s diagnostic tool found that a single biomarker in the voice signal was associated with a 19-fold increased likelihood of CAD.

Photo by Annie Engel/Getty Images/Cultura RF. Image sourced from the New York Daily News. Available at: https://www.nydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2016/11/15/AW2ES4BAAFBNB66TLO5OWCCWSY.jpg?w=780

Bleeding Peripheral Points: An Acupuncture Technique

Piercing a vein or small artery at the tip of the body-finger tips, toes, or top of the ears-is a technique well-known among acupuncturists. To the uninitiated Westerner, this therapy may seem even stranger than standard needling that is explained as a method of adjusting the flow of qi in the vessels. In this case, a few drops of blood let out from one or more peripheral points by quickly stabbing the skin with a lance is said to have significant effects.

Image sourced from ITM Online. Available at: http://www.itmonline.org/image/bleed4.jpg

The significance of traditional pulse diagnosis in the modern practice of Chinese Medicine

The changing setting in which Chinese medicine is practiced in modern versus ancient times, especially with the advent of advanced technological medical diagnostics, has raised questions as to the value of pulse diagnosis. Should its use be limited to confirming a diagnosis reached by other means? Or, does the pulse information add critical information that can greatly alter the treatment strategy? Training in pulse diagnosis is often quite limited; further, the requisites for carrying out a traditional style diagnosis are sometimes absent from the clinical setting, making the results of the pulse taking less certain. How does one get the desired information under such circumstances?