Back Pain Study

Brian Berman and colleagues of the University of Maryland School of Medicine published findings of a review of acupuncture for back pain in the July issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

From Psychology Today
 + Most people (70%) have experienced serious lower back pain; indeed, lower back pain is one of the most common reasons for visits to a physician. Low-back pain can be disabling, but usually the pain responds to treatment. Unfortunately some people (7%) develop chronic low back pain that cannot be resolved with drugs or physical therapy. Many of these people turn to alternative therapies, including acupuncture, for relief.

+ A study of 6359 patients suffering chronic lower back pain compared the results of providing these patients with acupuncture, no treatment, or treating them with mock acupuncture. The results showed that both the patients receiving real acupuncture and the ones receiving mock acupuncture experienced significant pain relief compared to people who received no treatment.

Weight Loss & Sugar Cravings

 I've recently worked with several clients seeking help with weight loss. One in particular had sugar cravings, specifically, strong cravings for carbonated sodas. The sweeteners and artificial ingredients from the beverages created additional cravings for sugar as well as inflammation in her abdomen.

We decided to apply a acupuncture protocol often used for tobacco or drug addictions. It includes auricular needles with a small electric stimulation that is completely safe and comfortable. The result was amazing. My patient completely lost interest in sodas and sugar and is now happily drinking water with lemon. It was a natural transition from a state of imbalance to a more healthy state of harmony where the body craves what benefits it and dislikes that which is artificial or harmful.

I researched the topic and found this article to share.


I'm thrilled to help patients with their weight loss goals. The addiction protocol is simple, quick and effective and is certainly worth trying if you are struggling with unhealthy food or tobacco cravings.

Acupuncture for pain relief

A study published May 30, 2010 through the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York found that acupuncture stimulates the release of the naturally occurring chemical Adenosine faster than pain medication. Adenosine is a chemical  released to help increase blood flow and dull the sensation of pain.

 From an article in News by the Second:

"It’s an interesting contribution to our growing understanding of the complex intervention which is acupuncture” said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., director of The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Rochester University.

Acupuncture for Eye Disorders

Acupuncture has been found to improve the eyesight of children suffering from lazy eye. Professor Dennis Shun-chiu Lam, who led the research, said the acupuncture accelerated the treatment response, improved the overall treatment results and shortened the total treatment duration. See details from the study here.

Foods to Remove Harmful Environmental Toxins

 It is common practice to ignore our exposures to environmental toxins. The human body will detoxify under the right conditions, but the detoxification is less effective if the body's systems are already overwhelmed with toxins from processed foods and substances such as drugs, medicines, and alcohol. One way you can help your body detoxify is to choose foods for their medicinal value. The following are suggestions for some of the more common environmental exposures.

For exposure to toxic metals, consider adding the following foods to your diet:

• Garlic
• Seaweeds or Algin
• Miso
• Wheat or Barley grass
• Mung beans (to remove lead)

For exposure to minor doses of radiation, such as medical x-rays or other radiation treatments,  take one or two of the following daily for 3 days. For greater contamination, take one or more for several weeks:
 

• Seaweeds or Algin
• Miso
• Wheat or Barley grass
• Spirulina, chlorella, and wild blue-green micro-algae
• Panax and Siberian ginseng
• Buckwheat products
• Apples
• Fresh sunflower seeds
• Lecithin ( 1 teaspoon daily)
• Initate cell renewal: Essential fatty acids: 1 Tablespoon fresh flax oil daily

A fantastic external treatment for medical radiation exposure is to take a bath of sea salt and baking soda. Add 1 pound of both into a warm bath  and soak 20 minutes; rinse with cool water. Repeat 3 times a week for a month.  

There are also acupuncture and herbal treatments to assist in more targeted detoxification. Consult with your local acupuncturist for more options. 

Acupuncture and public safety

I'm surprised to see so many reports in the news about a research paper that came out in Hong Kong that says bacterial infections, hepatitis and possibly HIV infections are being transmitted by contaminated acupuncture needles. They say tougher regulations and infection control measures such as disposable needles and disinfection techniques are needed.

While that may be true in Hong Kong, licensed acupuncturists in the US are trained and legally required to use clean needle techniques which include single use of sterilized needles. 

I've never heard of an infection from an acupuncture needle by a licensed practitioner here in the US. While it is important to keep informed about health care issues and possible risks, it is also important not to jump to conclusions from news items that don't clearly state where and under what circumstances the problem occurs. I guess the researchers were referring to acupuncture as it is practiced in Hong Kong where perhaps people practice using the same standards as they have for generations.  I don't know anything about the training or regulation of acupuncture there, but modern practitioners are aware of how to prevent infections. 

In any case, you can rest assured that licensed practitioners here in the US have been educated and trained to prevent infections and you can therefore enjoy your totally safe acupuncture sessions with a peaceful mind.

Fibromyalgia

The number of Fibromyalgia cases I've seen has grown over the past couple of years. Flare ups appear to be connected with incidents of toxicity, infections such as Parvo, or lack of proper nutritional care as newborns. In any case, with acupuncture, herbs and dietary regiment my patients are experiencing greater periods of comfort and energy.

There is a good article about Fibromyalgia in Natural News.com Fibromyalgia Remedies . It recommends people suffering from Fibromyalgia to try acupuncture, citing, "The National Institutes of Health has deemed acupuncture to be an acceptable alternative, or part of a comprehensive treatment program, for several types of pain."

If you have questions, most acupuncturists offer free consultations and would be happy to talk to you about their experience with patients with Fibromyalgia.