My New Article in Acupuncture Today

From Antiquity to Modernity: Huang Qin Tang at Yale Medical School, Part 1

By Changzhen Gong, PhD

Traditional Chinese medicine is a coherent medical system with several unique characteristics: it originated almost 3,000 years ago; in its area of origin, it has been practiced without interruption since its inception.

Although there is some affinity between traditional Chinese medicine, which is based on ancient Chinese metaphysics, and classic Western medicine, which was based on ancient Greek metaphysics, it is true that at this point in history traditional Chinese medicine is a very different system from modern conventional medicine. For more than one hundred years, the possibility of "modernizing" traditional Chinese medicine and integrating it with conventional Western medicine has been fiercely debated. China began this integrative process by applying modern scientific research standards to TCM modalities and by practicing both systems of medicine on an equal footing in its hospitals. More recently, researchers in the United States have joined the ongoing effort to reconcile Eastern and Western systems of medicine as exemplified by a study of the classical Chinese herbal formula Huang Qin Tang (Scutellaria Decoction) which was conducted at Yale Medical School.

 

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Two-Day Seminar at AAAOM

Two Masters of Acupuncture 

Present Their Cutting-Edge Techniques

Plan to join us this February as master practitioners Dr. Lu Xixue and Dr. Li Ye come to Minnesota for a special presentation of their advanced knowledge of acupuncture theory and practice. Update your skills and bring your practice to a new level as you absorb the expertise of two of China’s foremost innovators in the field of acupuncture.  

Dr. Lu Xixue’s exceptional knowledge of classical practice has enabled him to advance traditional acupuncture to its very frontiers. As a co-presenter in this weekend seminar, Dr. Lu will explain his theory of opening points, and will teach and demonstrate his point selection and needling techniques, based on clinical applications of the three burners and nine pulses.

Dr. Li Ye is renowned for her cutting-edge approach to the newly-developed points. Dr. Li will share her unique applications to conventional and extraordinary points, as well as her innovative treatment of pain conditions of the limbs. 

Seminar to be held the weekend of February 6 - 7, 2016. Hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, with a 1-hour lunch break.

Acupuncture Recognized as Pain Medicine

Acupuncture Recognized as Pain Medicine

The purpose of this survey was to evaluate attitudes toward acupuncture among pain medicine fellowship directors. Additional goals were to assess the availability of acupuncture at academic medical centers and ascertain the inclusion of this modality in fellowship curricula. Electronic and paper surveys were distributed to the 97 American College of Graduate Medical Education pain medicine fellowship directors during January and February, 2014. Directors were queried about their referral patterns to acupuncture, as well as their perceptions of the utility of acupuncture for common pain conditions. They were asked about the availability of acupuncture at their institution, and whether acupuncture was included in the fellowship curriculum. Sixty-seven percent of fellowship directors (65/97) completed the questionnaire. A majority of directors (83%) reported acupuncture is available to patients at their institution, and reported that acupuncture is a modality that they discuss with patients when creating a treatment plan for chronic pain (72%). The majority of programs include acupuncture as part of didactic (63%) and clinical (52%) education. Time constraints, lack of qualified teaching personnel, and cost to patients were cited as barriers to inclusion. The majority of fellowship directors considered acupuncture a safe and worthwhile option for common pain conditions. Results from this survey indicate that acupuncture is widely available to patients at academic medical centers, integrated into many pain fellowship curricula, and considered a useful modality by physician leaders in the field of pain medicine. This sentiment, paired with the flexibility of national guidelines for pain fellowship curricula, suggests a trend toward greater inclusion of this modality in academic medicine.

Source: Mann B, Burch E, Shakeshaft C. Attitudes Toward Acupuncture Among Pain Fellowship Directors. Pain Med. 2015 Dec 7.

Do You Want Acupuncture But Hate Needles?

Most people, when they hear about the benefits of acupuncture, find themselves thinking, "That would be so good for me!" Less stress, more energy, better sleep and digestion... Who doesn't want that?
But for many people, there's one thing that holds them back from enjoying the benefits of acupuncture: Fear of needles.
There's a spectrum of needle fears, ranging from downright needle phobic to being moderately concerned about the whole voluntarily-being-stuck-with-needles thing. Regardless, fear of needles is the number-one reason people choose to forego acupuncture.
5 things to remember if you're scared of getting acupuncture
Acupuncturists get asked about the tool they wield all the time. Here's what they tell people who say they'd love to try acupuncture but haven't because they're scared of needles.
1. They're nothing like the needles you know.
"Needle apprehension is very common and natural, considering that we have been conditioned to associate needles with pain--think dentists, blood draws, and IVs," says acupuncturist Kathryn Peak. "But acupuncture needles are hair-thin and nothing like the needles we are accustomed to in a medical setting."
"Acupuncture is the most gentle form of needling possible," adds acupuncturist David Bonilla. "If acupuncture was anything like getting a shot, I wouldn't be in business!"
Most people who have never had acupuncture do not realize how thin acupuncture needles are. They bend when you touch them. For an up-close look at an acupuncture needle, check out this article.
2. Kids do it.
Acupuncturist Adam Cantor reminds people that the needling sensation from acupuncture is so gentle that even kids are cool with it.
"If children are okay with getting acupuncture, it can't be so bad," says Cantor.
Acupuncturist Naomi Richman takes a similar approach when faced with needle-phobic adults. "I had an exclusively pediatric acupuncture practice for six years, and I still see a ton of kiddos for acupuncture," she says. "When adults tell me they are afraid of needles, I share anecdotes about a child I recently saw who was really brave, or I tell them, 'This morning, I did acupuncture on a two-month old.'"
Acupuncturist Robin Green has a whole website dedicated to kids loving acupuncture. This is a real thing.
3. Don't call them needles.
Sometimes just changing terminology can help assuage needle fears.
"I've found that simply changing the word 'needle' to 'pin' helps shift the mindset away from needle phobia," says acupuncturist Amy Kuretsky. "My patients love saying that I stick them with pins instead of puncture them with needles!"
Acupuncturist Jodi Knauer has another name for acupuncture needles: "I have several patients who refer to acupuncture needles as 'magical healing sticks,'" says Knauer. "This tiny shift in perception, away from the western-medical 'needle,' can help to release fears and phobias around acupuncture."
4. You're in control.
People commonly assume that they cannot move once the acupuncture needles are in place. That they need to lie there stiff as a board lest they endure excruciating pain or damage their insides. Understandably, this leads to a lot of anxiety and out-of-control feelings.
But it's not true. A good acupuncturist will go at whatever pace you're comfortable with. If you want to start with only a few needles and not keep them in very long, tell your acupuncturist that. If you want to pull out a needle that's bothering you, go for it. If you get push back on this, find a new acupuncturist.
"I tell my patients that we can go as slow as they want so that they feel like they are part of the experience," says acupuncturist Po-Hong Yu. "Acupuncture is not about something happening to you. You have a voice."
One thing you can ask for is that your acupuncturist avoid acupuncture points in your arms.
Acupuncturist Kerry Jenni, a self-described needle phobe who realized after becoming an acupuncturist that acupuncture needles are nothing like the ones she's scared of, says that keeping her arms free during her early days of receiving acupuncture was helpful.
"Moving during acupuncture is a weird sensation," says Jenni. "With your arms free, you can be more in control."
Acupuncturist Christina Morris makes sure that her fearful patients remain at ease once the needles are in. "I leave the patient with a pager so that they can alert me if they're feeling overwhelmed when I'm outside the room."
5. It's not all about needles.
"If the needles really freak you out, there are other modalities that acupuncturists can use," says acupuncturist Paola Acuna.
Acupuncturists are trained in several healing techniques, and only one of them uses needles. There's acupressure, cupping, gua sha, moxibustion, ear seeds, qigong, herbs, among others. None of these things involve needles.
So, what do you say? Maybe 2016 is the year you overcome your fears and try acupuncture. Here are 16 reasons to go for it. Already sold? Find an acupuncturist now.

The source of the article is here.

11 Ways My Body Changed After 3 Months Of Acupuncture

11 Ways My Body Changed After 3 Months Of Acupuncture

After I was diagnosed with scoliosis in 2014, everyone and their mother suggested that I get acupuncture done. Mind you, none of these people had ever done it before themselves, but they still swore that it would relieve my chronic pain and ease my anxiety in general. I accepted their recommendations with a stiff smile, only to roll my eyes privately.

Until very recently, I didn't have much experience with holistic health treatments. The chiropractor was as far as I would get from mainstream modern medicine, and that was good enough for me, thanks very much. Also, I'm deathly scared of needles. But when I kept waking up with a nasty backache every morning, I knew it was time to try something different.

I got in touch with an acupuncturist who came highly recommended and I booked a treatment. Her name was Seven. (No, really, that's her given name; she's part Native American.) I went into my first session with Seven feeling positive, but also sweating profusely because I was so nervous. What happened over the next three months was pretty wild, and a lot more good things happened than I expected.

Here are 11 things that changed after committing myself to acupuncture for three consecutive months.

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The link between acupuncture and infertility

NORWALK, Conn. (WTNH)–For women who are struggling with infertility, recent studies have shown that acupuncture can help.
More women, like Elisabeth Schneider, are turning to the ancient Chinese practice for help with getting pregnant.
“After my daughter was born, I had trouble getting pregnant again. I had ectopic pregnancies, chemical pregnancies and then couldn’t get pregnant,” Elisabeth said. Acupuncture is among the alternative therapies offered at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut, a fertility clinic.
“I see some people just one time on the day of embryo transfer,” said Amy Matton, the resident acupuncturist. “And I see other patients in the weeks and months leading up to a transfer. Some people come to see me, they’re trying naturally and they are just trying to enhance their fertility naturally.”
“I had acupuncture with her during my pregnancies before, during treatments,” says Elisabeth, “and actually did acupuncture after just to get my body back, sort of into an alignment that felt good.”
It led to the birth of sons T.J. and Luke.
.”We might do some local points in the abdomen or the lower back if someone is struggling with fertility,” Matton said. “It’s always individualized.”
It begins with targeting points, to tap into energy levels that flow through the body. “We see real physical changes, improvements in blood flow and in hormone levels,” she said.
“It’s a medical therapy to improve implantation,” said Dr. Mark Leondries, Elisabeth’s doctor. “It’s an ancient Chinese secret to use eastern medicine to augment what we do with western medicine. It’s also a form of stress relief for our patients.”
A study looking into the benefit of two treatments of laser acupuncture, led to positive results.
“There was about a 15% increase in implantation rate,” said Dr. Leondires, “in the couples that pursued a laser acupuncture protocol.”
In the meantime, return visits are not uncommon for Elisabeth.
She says, “From time to time I do yeah, I still come in, when I feel like I need some tweaking- smiles. ”
Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut offers both the traditional acupuncture as well as laser acupuncture.
Source of the report is here.

Acupuncture: Traditional treatment that's new to many      

Western medicine often prescribes a pill, physical therapy or surgical procedures to treat illness, pain or disease. But one technique that has been around for more than 1,000 years longer than locally common practices is the use of acupuncture.
"Most people only think of acupuncture as a treatment for chronic pain or back pain but it's a complete system of medicine for every age," said Tara Welty, a licensed acupuncturist based in Parkersburg. "The beauty is that it can work with western medicine. You don't have to choose one or the other."
The practice dates back to traditional Chinese medicinal techniques centered in Taoism-the philosophical tradition that emphasizes living in harmony. Using needles with the diameter range between 0.12 millimeters and 0.35 millimeters, practitioners pinpoint different spots along the whole body to treat many common ailments including stress, depression, anxiety, insomnia, infertility and chronic headaches.
"I had been through so many different things and I even tried Botox but it didn't do anything for me," said Greg Smith, 64, of Sandyville. "I was basically at the end of my rope before my wife scheduled an acupuncture appointment for me."
Smith said the results have been a relief well worth the initial discomfort of being pricked.
"It has helped a lot with my headaches," he said. "I couldn't get rid of them for about 10 years and I got so frustrated."

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Acupuncture Alleviates Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Acupuncture Alleviates Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Acupuncture Alleviates Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)

Acupuncture alleviates chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Research published in the Guangxi Medical Journal finds acupuncture effective for the relief of fatigue, depression, and other symptoms of CFS. Chronic fatigue syndrome is characterized by severe fatigue that does not improve with rest. Additional signs and symptoms include memory loss, cognitive impairment, sore throat, lymph node swelling, musculoskeletal pain, and headaches. Etiologies may include viral infections, stress, and other factors. The clinical trial reveals that a special type of acupuncture has a high total effective rate and a significant total recovery rate for patients with CFS.
Conventional acupuncture was compared with Qihuan acupuncture. The total effective rate and total recovery rate were significant in both groups. Although both forms were effective, Qihuan acupuncture produced a higher percentage of positive patient outcomes as part of the total effective rate. Conventional acupuncture produced an 80.85% total effective rate and Qihuan acupuncture produced a 95.83% total effective rate.

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Acupuncture Research

 Design an Acupuncture Study

 The problem of how to create a sham acupuncture treatment has troubled researchers for decades, on both sides of the acupuncture/allopathic divide. The complex experimental system embodied by any patient synthesizes responses to a wide array of experiences; definitively creating a control acupuncture experience for such a complex system has been challenging. However, thanks to the flexibility and sensitivity of available tools, today we can study a simple cellular response to acupuncture. Reducing an experimental framework to simple cells could certainly strike holistic healers as absurdly disconnected from the energetic nuances of human health, and this is a valid concern. I'll describe representative possible experiments here, and the information that could be obtained may appeal to the imaginations of people from diverse training and backgrounds.

To read more, click Acupuncture Today.

Are There Any Fake Acupuncture?

Real and fake acupuncture both 

ease the symptoms of menopausal hot flushes: study

Real and fake acupuncture treatments work to ease the symptoms of menopausal hot flushes for women equally as well, say researchers at the University of Melbourne.

During the trials the researchers found a similar, and significant, reduction in the frequency and intensity of hot flushes after both the real and fake treatment.
The trial was the largest of its kind conducted to look into acupuncture treatments.
The researchers used a sophisticated fake needling technique in order to test whether real or fake acupuncture was effective in treating one of the most inconvenient symptoms of menopause.
Dr Carolyn Ee, a medical practitioner also trained in Chinese medicine, conducted the study as part of her PhD research.
She said that the main findings in the trial was that it did not matter which treatment the women received, real or fake, both groups reported relief from symptoms.
"Both groups improved by about 40 per cent at the end of the treatment, so they were about 40 per cent better compared to before starting treatment," Dr Ee said.

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Tai Chi and Geriatric Conditions

 Tai Chi and Geriatric Conditions

1. Osteoarthritis. Practicing tai chi—a traditional Chinese form of exercise—may be helpful for managing osteoarthritis of the knee. Guidelines issued by the American College of Rheumatology conditionally recommend tai chi, along with other non-drug approaches, for this condition.
2. Menopausal symptoms. Overall, there is scientific evidence suggesting that some mind and body approaches, such as yoga, tai chi, and meditation may provide some relief from common menopausal symptoms.
3. Sleep problems. Using relaxation techniques, (e.g., progressive relaxation, guided imagery, biofeedback, self-hypnosis, and deep breathing exercises) before bedtime can be helpful components of a successful sleep regimen.
4. Shingles. Tai chi may help older adults avoid getting shingles by increasing immunity to varicella-zoster virus and boosting the immune response to varicella vaccine in older people. While there have only been a few studies on the effects of tai chi on immunity to varicella, the results so far have been promising.
https://nccih.nih.gov/health/tips/age-mindbody?nav=govd

Recommended by Dr. Li Yongming