The Value of Blowing Up a Balloon

Suboptimal breathing patterns and impairments of posture and trunk stability are often associated with musculoskeletal complaints such as low back pain. A therapeutic exercise that promotes optimal posture (diaphragm and lumbar spine position), and neuromuscular control of the deep abdominals, diaphragm, and pelvic floor (lumbar-pelvic stabilization) is desirable for utilization with patients who demonstrate suboptimal respiration and posture. This clinical suggestion presents a therapeutic exercise called the 90/90 bridge with ball and balloon. This exercise was designed to optimize breathing and enhance both posture and stability in order to improve function and/or decrease pain.

By Ishmael Orendain (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ishmaelo/225833750/) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The role of touch in regulating inter-partner physiological coupling during empathy for pain

The evidence indicates that social touch increases interpersonal physiological coupling during pain. Furthermore, the effects of touch on cardio-respiratory inter-partner coupling may contribute to the analgesic effects of touch via the autonomic nervous system.

Shutterstock. (n.d.). [Japan flag integration with multicultural group of young people]. Shutterstock. Available here.

Mung Bean with Lily Bulb Congee to Remove Summer Heat

In late summer we become more and more impatient to the hot and damp weather. We become vexed. Some people even cannot sleep very well.

Mung Bean is the best food to remove summer heat while lily bulb can soothes the nerves as well as clears away heat. The combination of the two foods will help us to remove extra heat in our body and bring us a clear mind.

By കാക്കര (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

A History Of 'Snake Oil Salesmen'

Among the items the Chinese railroad workers brought with them to the States were various medicines — including snake oil. Made from the oil of the Chinese water snake, which is rich in the omega-3 acids that help reduce inflammation, snake oil in its original form really was effective, especially when used to treat arthritis and bursitis. The workers would rub the oil, used for centuries in China, on their joints after a long hard day at work. The story goes that the Chinese workers began sharing the oil with some American counterparts, who marveled at the effects.

The color cover for Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment. It features a description of the product's uses, and Mr. Stanley wearing a hat with two snakes surrounding him. Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment, True Life in the Far West, 200-page pamphlet, illustrated, Worcester, Massachusetts, c. 1905. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

For Centuries, These Asian Recipes Have Helped New Moms Recover From Childbirth


In Chinese, it's called zuo yuezi, or "sitting the month." Vietnamese refer to it as nằm ổ, literally "lying in a nest." The recipes for these foods are unlikely to be found in any cookbook. These postpartum tonics have traditionally been prepared by grandmothers and aunts; the ingredients and techniques passed down orally.

By sfllaw from Restaurant Lotte Furama [http://www.google.ca/local?f=l&hl=en&q=lotte+furama&near=Montreal,+QC&ll=45.508497,-73.564432&spn=0.013383,0.014977 in Montréal, Québec] (Flickr) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
 

Treatment of Gallstones with Chinese Herbs and Acupuncture

 Since ancient times, the Chinese have been aware of the gallbladder (identified as one of the six fu organs) and aware of its ability to form stones. Gallstones of the ox (niuhuang) have long been used in traditional medicine: they were listed in the Shennong Bencao Jing (ca. 100 A.D.). It is thought that the medicinal use of the ox gallstone may have originated in India, from which it was then adopted in China (1), along with other ancient Indian remedies, such as ginger root. In the Chinese tradition, ox gallstone is used to "open the orifices of the heart," when there are symptoms of delirium, convulsions, and loss of consciousness in feverish diseases, and also to treat swellings in the throat and mouth.

Gray's Anatomy; edited by user Rao85. A plate from Gray's Anatomy, from the online edition of the 20th U.S. edition of Gray's Anatomy of the Human Body, originally published in 1918. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

Emergency doctors are using acupuncture to treat pain, now here’s the evidence

Emergency medicine is not all about life and death situations and high-tech solutions. Our study, the largest of its kind in the world, shows using acupuncture in the emergency department can relieve acute pain.

Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

Complementary Therapy in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine disease. PCOS afflicts 5 to 10 % of women of reproductive age. The symptoms are: amenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, hirsutism, obesity, infertility, chronic hyperandrogenic anovulation and acne.

Other risk factors aggravate this condition: insulin resistance, obesity, hypertension, dyslipidemia, inflammation and subclinical cardiovascular disease. Anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life are also common.

This review highlights the mechanisms and the beneficial effects of acupuncture, exercise and resveratrol on animal models and on humans affected by PCOS.

Photo by Shutterstock 232755100. Image of acupuncture sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine for the Management of Fibroids and Associated Symptomatology

Uterine fibroids are a common condition affecting women in their reproductive and post-reproductive years, with an estimated lifetime incidence of 50 % in white women and 80 % in black women. This article discusses the role of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in the management of fibroids and associated symptomatology. 

See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
 

Pain, anxiety, and depression- Why do they often occur together?

Everyone experiences pain at some point, but in people with depression or anxiety, pain can become particularly intense and hard to treat. People suffering from depression, for example, tend to experience more severe and long-lasting pain than other people.

See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Loneliness Predicts Self-Reported Cold Symptoms After a Viral Challenge

Loneliness is a well-established risk factor for poor physical health. Much less is known about
how loneliness affects patient-reported outcomes (PROs), such as somatic symptoms, which are increasingly
important for guiding symptom management and assessing quality of patient care. The current
study investigates whether (a) loneliness and social isolation predict cold symptoms independent of each other, and (b) whether loneliness is a more robust risk factor than objective social isolation for experiencing cold symptoms. 

Giovanni Battista Quadrone: Every Occasion is Good. Artist: Giovanni Battista Quadrone (1844–1898). Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

Dampness and Food Therapy in TCM

One of the most central concepts of TCM is that of the intimate connection between the body and the environment. The physiology of the cells, tissues, zang-fu organs and meridian system of the body is in dynamic internal equilibrium and constantly adjusts to the vagaries of the external environment. If the body is not able to cope with changes in the environment, internal equilibrium will be lost and disease will result. Thus, according to the constitution of any particular individual, the presence of disease is due to a lack of adaptability by the physiology of that individual to the conditions of the environment.

By Marcus Quigmire from Florida, USA (Just Wings) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Etiology and Treatment of Damp-Heat

When exterior Dampness invades the body, it tends to invade the lower part first, typically the legs. From the legs, it can flow upwards in the leg channels to settle in any of the pelvic cavity organs. If it settles in the female genital system it causes vaginal discharges, if it settles in the Intestines it will cause loose stools and if it settles in the Bladder it will cause difficulty, frequency and burning of urination. However, Dampness is also common in the head and always the cause of sinusitis for example.

Markus Schweiss (Own work) [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
 

Acupuncture for Acute Postoperative Pain after Back Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of RCT's

Acupuncture is commonly used as a complimentary treatment for pain management. However, there has been no systematic review summarizing the current evidence concerning the effectiveness of acupuncture for acute postoperative pain after back surgery. This systematic review aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for acute postoperative pain (≤1 week) after back surgery.

See page for author [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Five Zone Acupuncture and Six Actions Herb Prescribing: Countering the Adverse Effects of Cancer Chemotherapy

The most frequent references to point selection consistent with the five zone method of therapy is to be found in the book Case Studies from the Medical Records of Leading Chinese Acupuncture Experts (6).  Though the book was compiled in 2009 and published in 2011, it predominantly presents case reports from before the year 2000, some going back to the 1960s.

Photo by Shutterstock 281440808. Image of an acupuncturist pointing at BL17 on an acupuncture model sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

Using acupuncture to enhance sports performance

Acupuncture is a go-to treatment for musculo-skeletal pain and a commonly used modality for treating sports injuries. This podcast focuses on its application for enhancing athletic performance as well.

Photo by Shutterstock 245595430. Image of exercise on the beach at sunset with a beautiful silhouette sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

Herbal Education: What You & Your Patient Need to Know

Long ago I had a patient that didn't fill her herb prescription. I asked her why and she began to reply hesitantly. I stepped in and said, "I understand if you have concerns about products from China.  Would you like to know more about why I trust my herbs?" She said, "Yes." After I had shared a few quick facts, she started asking questions.

Photo by Shutterstock 313843037. Image of dried gardenia fruit herbs used in treatments in Chinese medicine sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.