Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) occurs in women during their reproductive age with a quite negative impact on their daily lives. Women with PMS experience a wide range of physical or psychological symptoms and seek treatment for them. Chinese herb medicine (CHM) is commonly used for PMS and the goal of this study is to investigate the prescription patterns of CHM for PMS by using a nationwide database.
Acupuncture for Spiritual Growth
The concept of Demonology and disincarnate spirits dates back to the Shang dynasty, and was a major branch of Chinese medicine that evolved with the rest of Chinese medicine. The concept that one might become possessed might be too much for the average person to think about.
Photo by Shutterstock 291691319. Image of a close portrait of a young woman during a Reiki session sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Length of Acupuncture Training and Structural Plastic Brain Changes in Professional Acupuncturists
The research on brain plasticity has fascinated researchers for decades. Use/training serves as an instrumental factor to influence brain neuroplasticity. Parallel to acquisition of behavioral expertise, extensive use/training is concomitant with substantial changes of cortical structure. Acupuncturists, serving as a model par excellence to study tactile-motor and emotional regulation plasticity, receive intensive training in national medical schools following standardized training protocol. Moreover, their behavioral expertise is corroborated during long-term clinical practice.
Acupuncture as a primary and independent treatment in the acute phases of sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSHL) is an otological emergency defined as a rapid hearing loss, seriously affects patient's social life. To data, no study has reported the treatment by acupuncture alone in the acute phase. In this report, Acupuncture and Moxibustion therapy of excitation-focus transfer is outlined.
Autorretrato con la oreja vendada (1889) by Van Gogh. En la Courtauld Institute of Art Gallery, obra elegida por Veronica Toniolli. Image sourced from Flickr. Available here.
Analysis of tears following acupuncture treatment for menopausal dry eye disease
After treatment, the Ocular Surface Disease Index scores, symptom assessment scores, scores of sign assessment, and tear break-up time were significantly improved in both groups (P=0.000).
By Vassil (Own work) [CC BY 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Practitioner shares experiences as first emergency room licensed acupuncturist
Reinstein began his practice as part of a pilot project. He shared in an interview that his integration into the ER was made easier by the presence of PGI. “They were shifting the culture of the whole organization,” he said, toward openness to complementary and alternative medicine practices.
By U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 2nd Class Nathanael T. Miller [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Acupuncture for Disorders of the Mind & Brain
Acupuncturists know that a calming effect can often be obtained by simple acupuncture techniques. It is less well-known to what extent acupuncture can affect other aspects of mental function, including serious disorders that involve brain damage, such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, mental retardation, attention deficit disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, manic-depressive syndrome, cerebral palsy, and schizophrenia. Research into these areas has been ongoing in China and the claimed results are often quite good. However, there are so many acupuncture points and herbs that are said to be of some benefit that design of definitive research projects and treatment protocols becomes difficult and practitioners are left with relatively limited guidance. This article is aimed at drawing attention to the main acupuncture points used in the treatments for disorders that involve the brain and mental functions.
By yumikrum (cocktail hour) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
An Overview of Electro-Acupuncture
Electro-acupuncture, the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating the acupoints, was developed in China as an extension of hand manipulation of acupuncture needles around 1934.
Figure 2: Samples of wave forms produced by electro-acupuncture devices.
ITM Online. (n.d.). [Image of electro-acupuncture treatment]. ITM Online. Available here.
Methanolic Extracts of Bitter Melon Inhibit Colon Cancer Stem Cells by Affecting Energy Homeostasis and Autophagy
Bitter melon fruit is recommended in ancient Indian and Chinese medicine for prevention/treatment of diabetes. However its effects on cancer progression are not well understood. Here, we have determined the efficacy of methanolic extracts of bitter melon on colon cancer stem and progenitor cells. Both, whole fruit (BMW) and skin (BMSk) extracts showed significant inhibition of cell proliferation and colony formation, with BMW showing greater efficacy. In addition, the cells were arrested at the S phase of cell cycle. Moreover, BMW induced the cleavage of LC3B but not caspase 3/7, suggesting that the cells were undergoing autophagy and not apoptosis.
By Bhaskaranaidu (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Seaweed: From superfood to superconductor
Seaweed, the edible algae with a long history in some Asian cuisines, and which has also become part of the Western foodie culture, could turn out to be an essential ingredient in another trend: the development of more sustainable ways to power our devices. Researchers have made a seaweed-derived material to help boost the performance of superconductors, lithium-ion batteries and fuel cells.
By Sigurdas (Own work) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Study finds acupuncture reduces hot flashes, improves sleep in breast cancer survivors
NJ Advance Media recently asked Jun Mao, MD, Chief of Integrative Medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering (MSK), to elaborate on a study he led to evaluate whether this type of acupuncture helps women suffering from hot flashes and sleep problems due to breast cancer treatment.
Photo by Shutterstock 358910648. Image of a group of acupuncture needles on a white background sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Massage Therapy: How to be receptive to the physical and emotional challenges of a hospice client
One of the most uncomfortable challenges for practitioners new to hospice massage can be the initial entering into the hospice client’s room or stepping up to a hospice client’s wheelchair.
Abdominal Adhesions: Prevention and Treatment
The incidence of adhesions following abdominal surgery is cumulative with multiple surgeries and female gynecological surgeries give a particularly high rate of adhesions. In one study, autopsy investigations indicated a 90% incidence of adhesions in patients with multiple surgeries, 70% incidence of adhesions in patients with a gynecologic surgery, a 50% incidence of adhesions with appendectomy, and a greater than 20% incidence of adhesions in patients with no surgical history. Adhesions may occur as the result of tissue damage to the abdomen besides surgery, including traumatic injury, inflammatory disease, intraperitoneal chemotherapy, and radiation therapy (1).
By English: Cpl. Katherine M. Solano [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Clearing Blocks: A Way to Improve Cosmetic Acupuncture
Rooted in Five Element Theory, the practice of clearing energetic blocks before initiating treatment is at the core of my facial acupuncture classes. A block is defined as, "A break in, or impediment to, the smooth flow of Qi."1 Blocks can prevent treatments from being effective or holding. They must be cleared in order for healing to take place. Behind any facial acupuncture treatment, whether it is for cosmetic or functional (neuromuscular) purposes, is the principle of directing energy up to the face.
Photo by Shutterstock 246115861. Image of an esthetician applying a beauty mask to a female face sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Why a Herbarium of 7.8 Million Plants Is One of New York’s Most Valuable Resources
After a corpse flower opened at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) last summer, drawing 30,000 visitors in the course of its brief and pungent bloom, it received the posthumous honor of becoming the three millionth specimen digitized from the Bronx institution’s herbarium. While NYBG is among New York City’s great green wonders, it’s also home to the world’s second-largest herbarium, created just after the garden was established in 1891. The William and Lynda Steere Herbarium now houses 7.8 million plant and fungal specimens, representing biodiversity from every continent. But what is a herbarium, you might ask, and why does it matter?
JMK at the English language Wikipedia [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/)], via Wikimedia Commons
Peruse 1,000-Year-Old Medical Remedies, from Ox Bile to Mandrake Root
Anglo-Saxon medicine relied primarily on plant-based remedies, from artichokes simmered in wine to cure smelly armpits to licorice root for soothing pains of the chest, liver, or bladder. Such natural treatments filled the pages of books known as “herbals.” The British Library owns the only extant illustrated Old English herbal, which is about 1,000 years old, and it recently digitized the entire manuscript and uploaded it online for public perusal.
Stanford University Libraries. (n.d.). [Manuscript: London, British Library, Cotton Vitellius C. III]. Stanford University Libraries. Available here.
Mass General Using an Ancient Therapy to Complement Modern Cancer Treatment
The Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center is known throughout the world for its innovative and often revolutionary cancer treatments. What may be surprising is that members of the Mass General team are supplementing their biomedical cancer treatments with a therapy so ancient that it predates recorded history. The therapy? Acupuncture.
Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.
Therapeutic mechanism of Yīn-Chén-Hāo decoction in hepatic diseases
This review summarizes the biological activities of YCHD and its medical applications. The main active compounds of YCHD are chlorogenic acid, rhein, geniposide, emodin, and scoparone. The pharmacological actions of YCHD include inhibition of hepatic steatosis, apoptosis, necrosis, anti-inflammation, and immune regulation. YCHD could be developed as a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of hepatic diseases.
By Jpbrigand (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Antibacterial and Antioxidant Activities of Essential Oils for use in Food Safety
Essential oils are natural antimicrobials that have the potential to provide a safer alternative to synthetic antimicrobials currently used in the food industry. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of essential oils from white wormwood, rose-scented geranium and bay laurel against Salmonella typhimurium and Escherichia coli O157:H7 on fresh produce and to examine consumer acceptability of fresh produce treated with these essential oils.
Friedrich Haag [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Massage as Medicine
For more than a decade, Bill Cook has gotten a weekly massage. He isn’t a professional athlete. He didn’t receive a lifetime gift certificate to a spa. Nor is the procedure a mere indulgence, he says – it’s medicinal.
Photo by Shutterstock 291691319. Image of a close portrait of a young woman during a Reiki session sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.