Acupuncture For Fertility After Ectopic Pregnancy

Researchers from the Fudan University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital tested the benefits of acupuncture for patients receiving emergency ectopic pregnancy surgery. A ruptured fallopian tube or heavy bleeding necessitates surgical intervention. Laparoscopic surgery often involves a salpingectomy, which is surgical removal of a fallopian tube. The fallopian tube may be left intact after repair but salpingostomy procedures to restore tubal patency may not be adequate to prevent blockages and consequent infertility. After careful clinical trials, the Fudan University Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital University researchers conclude that acupuncture combined with herbal medicine improves tubal patency and reduces the mass of fallopian tube obstructions.

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

Community Acupuncture Found Effective For Pain

Acupuncture combined with supplementary Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) modalities is found effective for the alleviation of chronic neck, shoulder, back, and osteoarthritis pain. Researchers provided acupuncture treatments over the course of eight weekly sessions in a group setting. The researchers confirm that the therapeutic benefits of acupuncture have lasting results. All acupuncture treatments ceased at the eight week data point. A 24 week follow-up confirms that pain levels remain reduced even though no treatments were provided after the eight week data point.

Shutterstock. (n.d.). [Infrared radiation hardening]. Shutterstock. Available here.

Floaters and their treatment with Chinese herbs

In the Yinhai Jingwei (Essential Subtleties on the Silver Sea), a text on ophthalmology from the time of the Ming Dynasty (1), there is a discussion of floaters, described as "black blurred specks in the eyes resembling fly wings." The pathology is said to be related to the "water of the kidney" refers to the kidney yin, as distinguished from the "fire of the kidney," which corresponds to the kidney yang or mingmen fire.

Prevention and Treatment of Cataracts with Reference to Chinese Medicine

It is estimated (by Pro Ro Nata, Inc., a consulting firm) that traditional Chinese medicine products for eye disorders accounted for 41 million dollars (U.S.) of business in 2002, with 80% sold over the counter in pharmacies, the rest prescribed at hospitals and clinics. Cataracts are a major target of therapy, with 40% of the ophthalmic drug market (including non-TCM therapies). Unfortunately, little is known about the success rate for these treatments. Both internal and topical therapies are used.

Image by Аружан Жамбулатова. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

The Six Qi and the Six Yin

The six qi (liuqi) refers to an ancient Chinese concept still relied upon in today’s discussions of traditional Chinese medical practices.  The concept behind the term is that external (environmental) conditions can influence the functions of the body.  When the environmental conditions are moderate and normal (e.g., “seasonable weather”) and the person is dressed properly and protected from over exposure, the sixqi have a positive influence.  However, when the conditions become extreme, when they change rapidly, or when they do not follow the usual pattern, they are able to adversely affect health, and cause disease.  In such cases, the six qi are known as liuyin (six excesses) or even liuxie (six evils).
 

By Ziegler175 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Acupuncture seen to reduce coronary heart disease risk in fibromyalgia patients- Taiwan study

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved several therapies to treat fibromyalgia. Non-pharmacological treatments include acupuncture, massage, and exercise. Acupuncture has already been shown to be beneficial in animal studies and clinical trials, but there have been no previous studies on acupuncture’s effect on CHD in fibromyalgia.

Photo by Shutterstock 100744942. Image of pulse diagnostic hand on a cushion sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

The Heart in Chinese Medicine

By  Emma Suttie DAC, AP - The way Chinese medicine explains the human being is complex and yet seems completely logical. The ideas and theories were developed at a time when people lived in complete harmony with the world around them. Life revolved around nature, and thus the ebb and flow of the seasons.

Shutterstock. (n.d.). [Pages of a book curved into a heart shape]. Shutterstock. Available here.

Impetigo and its Treatment: Inhibitors of Staphylococcus

Today, the main functions still recognized for both baizhu and cangzhu are the ability to overcome moisture accumulation (damp impediment) and to promote digestion (disperse food).In China, impetigo is known as huangshi chuang (yellow-discharge sore). The disease is thought to be produced by the combination of internal damp-heat and external toxic-evil (3). Damp-heat arising internally is usually understood to be due to dietary factors, especially when the stomach/spleen function is weak and unable to distribute moisture. The accumulated dampness from fatty, moist, and salty foods, and from food residue that remains too long as a result of weak stomach function, transforms into heat, yielding the internal damp-heat condition.

Photo by Shutterstock 313843034. Image of dried gardenia fruit background herbs for treatments in Chinese medicine sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

Atractylodes: Baizhu and Cangzhu

 The statement about making the body feel light refers to the role of herbs as longevity tonics, and Taoist practices towards that aim that led to loss of body weight and appetite (usually from consuming heavy metals in alchemical mixtures). Dead muscles and tetany refer to paralysis of the muscles either by flaccidity (no ability to contract on will) or tonic paralysis (being in constant spasm). Jaundice indicates yellowing of the skin, which we know today is usually from hepatitis or biliary blockage; but, in traditional medicine, this was seen as a debility of the spleen, which is the organ of the earth element associated with the color yellow. Zhu would help stop sweating by diverting the fluid to urination and by strengthening the body to resist spontaneous sweating (a sign of weak qi unable to hold the pores closed). One of the indicators for using atractylodes in a diuretic formulation is that there is limited urinary elimination but excessive sweating. Although zhu is warm in nature, it was used to eliminate heat by purging dampness that carried out heat with it.

Credit: Kamwo

The Effectiveness of Cupping Therapy on Relieving Chronic Neck and Shoulder Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of cupping therapy (CT) in changes on skin surface temperature (SST) for relieving chronic neck and shoulder pain (NSP) among community residents.

Photo by Shutterstock 101865511. Image of acupuncture fire cupping detail on a woman's back sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

Shichangpu (Acorus gramineus)

The Acorus plant family represents the source of one of the world’s most widely used medicinals. In Egypt, the Chester Beatty Papyrus VI mentioned Acorus as an ingredient for a digestive plaster around 1,300 BC. In ancient Europe, Acorus was a symbol of love, lust and affection. The calamus variety, often referred to as Sweet Flag, was added to absinthe and digestive bitters, used in the perfume industry and as a flavoring for pipe tobacco. In Ayurvedic medicine, Acorus calamus is called Vacha, and revered for its ability to transmute Kundalini energy, rejuvenate the brain and stimulate self-expression. In Sanskrit, the term Vacha literally means “speaking,” mirroring a quality that is also expressed in the herb’s Chinese name: the ancient word chang in Shichangpu originally signifies “splendid expression.” In North America, moreover, Dakota warriors used to apply the root paste to their faces in order to calm the senses and conquer fear when facing an enemy.

Study finds evidence that gut microbiome regulates brain response to fear

The community of microorganisms living in your gut may influence anxiety disorders. New research suggests that the gut microbiome plays an important role in fear responses.

William Heath [CC BY 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Acupuncture and the Complex Connections Between the Mind and the Body

Almost 50 years ago, New York Times reporter James Reston had an emergency appendectomy while traveling in China. His subsequent report1 that acupuncture produced substantial relief from his postoperative discomfort is widely credited with launching Western interest in acupuncture, although many Western medical practitioners have remained skeptical. Nevertheless, there has been steady progress in application of the methods of evidence-based medicine and modern neuroscience to these ancient practices, suggesting that acupuncture may have therapeutic benefit.

The evaluation involves at least 3 questions: Can acupuncture be studied rigorously? What is known about the benefits (and harms)? What is known about the mechanisms?

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

Single Herbs: Sanqi (Panax notoginseng)

Sanqi, often referred to as Pseudoginseng or Tianqi, is a relatively recent medicinal that officially joined the Chinese materia medica only during the 16th century. Due to its ability to treat all blood disorders it soared to great importance during Qing dynasty times—the master herbalist Li Shizhen referred to it as Jinbuhuan (Not Even Exchanged for Gold), and some later herb primers went so far to call it “the king of all herbs”—a status it has maintained until today. It is the main ingredient of the well-known patent medicine Yunnan Baiyao, which was first marketed in 1902 and remains a favorite emergency remedy for acute bleeding disorders.

Single Herbs: Huangjing (Rhizome Polygonati)

Huangjing, once an herb of global significance, has been all but forgotten by modern herbalists. Referred to as Siberian Solomon’s Seal in the West, it was first mentioned by Dioscorides and Pliny during the 1st century. It became a valued substance in both European and Native American medical practices, especially for healing connective tissue injuries and other musculoskeletal issues.

The Use of ZuSanLi (St 36)

Zusanli is one of the most frequently used of all acupuncture points and is certainly the most intensively studied single point treatment in acumoxa therapy.  The indications for use of this acupuncture point are many, and the claimed benefits are substantial.  Many proposals for acupuncture research in the West rely upon complex treatment protocols involving several acupuncture points; single-point acupuncture research to confirm Chinese reports is rare.  If one wishes to demonstrate that acupuncture is therapeutically beneficial, and to do so with a simple treatment that is easily reproduced, needling zusanli seems most appropriate.  While many acupuncturists would prefer, on the basis of their training, to administer a more complex treatment, few can deny that the proclaimed benefits of treating this point, even alone, are worthy of investigation

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

How to Use Direct Moxa in the Treatment of Lyme Disease

The training in TCM in the US by and large gives short shrift to moxibustion, and this is tragic. Many, and perhaps most TCM colleges, train their students only minimally in moxibustion. Across the US many student intern clinic, if they use moxa at all, use only indirect smokeless moxa poles. So much more than that is possible with mugwort. Moxa as a therapy is of immense benefit, and you owe it to yourself to investigate it more closely.

Photo by Shutterstock 251320126. Image of moxibustion sourced from Shutterstock. Available here.

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.

Henry Gray (1918) Anatomy of the Human Body (See "Book" section below). Bartleby.com: Gray's Anatomy, Plate 430. Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons. Available here.

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.