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Acupuncture Helps Anxiety, Depression and PMS

Sep16

According to an article released earlier this month, new research has just been released demonstrating that acupuncture is effective for the treatment of PMS, anxiety and depression.

Acupuncture treats PMS, anxiety and depression. Researchers from the Harvard Medical School (Boston, Massachusetts) and the Advanced Integrative Rehabilitation and Pain Center (Washington, DC) conclude that “there is high-level evidence to support the use of acupuncture for treating major depressive disorder in pregnancy.”

In an additional study, researchers from the School of Acupuncture-Moxibustion and Tuina (Beijing University of Chinese Medicine) conclude that acupuncture shows effectiveness in treating PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). Continue reading →

Research shows Acupuncture can double chance of having a baby with IVF

Sep5

 

Every human body is different. Every pregnancy is different. Our bodies don’t always function the way we want them to. In a world where we have so much control and access to the world at our finger tips, there is still so much we cannot control in our own bodies.

Acupuncture for fertilityThis is certainly the case when it comes to pregnancy. However, there are ways acupuncture, alongside other assisted treatments such as IVF, can guide and assist our bodies in the right direction.

 
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How Acupuncture works for Stress, Anxiety and Depression

Sep5


stressanxietyStress, anxiety and depression are some of the most common issues that patients come to me for, a demand for which, in my experience, has increased significantly over the last ten years.

Chronic stress manifests in a wide range of emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms, many of which can relieved through acupuncture treatments. Continue reading →

Acupuncture Helps Relieve Menstrual Cramps

Jan20

According to a recent article, new evidence finds that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is very effective in the treatment of menstrual pain.

Ze XieOne study reveals a popular herbal medicine for the relief of cramping and pain. Another study found acupuncture as effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for menstrual related pain. The first and most recent study on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for the treatment of menstrual discomfort was conducted in Taiwan.

Acupuncture Relieves Menstrual CrampsThis new study finds Dan Gui Shao Yao San the primary herbal formula consumed in Taiwan for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. This type of dysmenorrhea is characterized by lower abdominal cramping and pain prior or during menstruation and is not due to endometriosis. Approximately 53% of Taiwanese women with primary dysmenorrhea use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and over 90% of this group sought the relief of menstruation related pain. The study notes that Dan Gui Shao Yao San is the most commonly prescribed herbal formula for this condition and it contains both “sedative and anti-inflammatory agents.” Continue reading →

Acupuncture Can Reduce Dementia

Nov14

New findings conclude that acupuncture is effective for reducing the syndromes caused by vascular dementia. Investigators discovered that acupuncture helps to reduce dysfunction of reasoning, memory and general cognition for patients with this disorder. Vascular dementia is caused by damage to the brain from impaired blood flow.

Acupuncture DementiaThis may be caused by a stroke or conditions leading to damaged blood vessels or poor circulation that cause deprivation of oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Risk factors include hypertension, high cholesterol, smoking and heart disease.

A total of 63 patients were studied. Group 1 was a randomized acupuncture treatment group. Group 2 was a non-randomized acupuncture treatment group that self-selected to undergo acupuncture care. Group 3 received conventional guided rehabilitation. Groups 1 and 2 showed significant improvement from acupuncture treatments whereas the conventional treatment group did not show improvement. Continue reading →

Acupuncture Fertility Success with IVF

Aug20

Researchers have discovered that acupuncture increases live birth rates and pregnancy rates for women receiving in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatments for infertility.

Many recent studies conclude that acupuncture enhances fertility but one recent study investigated success rates by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) differential diagnosis. They discovered that two types of diagnosis are more likely to respond with a higher success rate. Women diagnosed with either Kidney deficiency or Liver Qi stagnation have higher success rates than those diagnosed with phlegm dampness syndrome.

Acupuncture Fertility Success with IVFThree major groups of infertile women receiving IVF with embryo transplantation were studied. Group A consisted of 82 cases of Kidney deficiency syndrome. Group B consisted of 74 women with Liver Qi stagnation and Group C consisted of 54 cases of phlegm dampness syndrome. Electro-acupuncture was applied to all three groups. All three groups benefitted from electro-acupuncture as was quantified statistically with success rates and in the lab with increases in blood and embryo levels of HLA-G, a protein predictive of higher pregnancy and live birth rates. Continue reading →

Acupuncture Clears Acne

Jul29

New research finds acupuncture an effective treatment for the treatment of acne. Investigators examined the effects of four facial acupuncture treatments on patients suffering from acne vulgaris. Following the treatment regime, the investigators measured significant reductions in acne papules and nodules. Additional objective measurements revealed reductions in local inflammation of the skin and tissues. A survey measured a subjective satisfaction scale from patients that showed improvements as well.

Acupuncture clear acneThe clinical data showed improvements in acne. The researchers also sought to measure the safety of acupuncture along with effectiveness. The researchers documented that no serious treatment related adverse effects resulted from acupuncture treatment. As a result, the investigation team concluded that standardized facial acupuncture is both safe and effective  for the treatment of facial acne and its associated inflammatory conditions. Continue reading →

Acupuncture Protects Pregnancy and Prevents Miscarriage

Jun30

According to new research, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have been proven to assist in the treatment of recurrent pregnancy losses. A team of acupuncturists combined Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapies in a clinical study of a 42 year old female in Washington suffering from chronic, recurrent pregnancy losses.

Acupuncture and PregnancyThe outcome of the study suggests that a combination of acupuncture and herbal medicine enhances fertility and prevents miscarriages. The clinical study tracked the progress of the patient from six months prior to conception to the successful delivery of a healthy boy at full term using Traditional Chinese Medicine as the therapeutic modality to achieve a positive clinical outcome. As a result of these findings, the researchers suggest more research to confirm the level of effectiveness of the procedures. Continue reading →

Acupuncture Prevents Heart Attacks?

Jul5

New research concludes that acupuncture improves heart rate variability (HRV). HRV is the variation in time between heart beats and is an index of the body’s ability to maintain control of the heart beat rate and rhythm through vagus nerve activity. Reduced HRV is linked to mortality after myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure and diabetic neuropathy. Based on the HRV evidence, the researchers state that acupuncture may synchronize the two branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) – the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Continue reading →

Acupuncture Research Shows It Works

May30

According to an article released in Technorati toAcupuncture CEUs Onlineday, 30 May 2012, a collaborative investigation between researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine (Baltimore) and the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine concludes that, “Recent clinical trial and systematic review results clearly show acupuncture to be more beneficial than conventional standard care for many pain conditions….”
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Acupuncture May Help People with COPD [Study]

May25

In a recent study published by Reuters, three months of acupuncture improved breathing problems in people with chronic lung disease, in a new study from Japan.

According to one researcher, the benefits seen with the alternative treatment were on par with, or better than, what’s been shown for conventional drugs and exercises used to treat the disease. But the study was small, he added, and more research will be needed to convince doctors and policymakers of acupuncture’s usefulness. Continue reading →

What To Expect At Your First Acupuncture Treatment

Mar26

Nice article and personal experience on what to expect at your first Acupuncture Appointment:

When you hear the word acupuncture, what’s the first thought that comes to mind?

If the answer was “needles,” you’re not alone. Anecdotally speaking, it’s pretty common for people to associate the traditional Chinese treatment with the supposedly scary, pointy, painful instrument used to perform the practice. In fact, I was one of them. Continue reading →

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Mar14
In short, there is no widely accepted theory as to how acupuncture works. The traditional Chinese theory holds that the body’s life energy called Qi (pronounced Chee) travels around the body in pathways called meridians. The acupuncturist views illness as an energetic imbalance and is able to influence this imbalance by inserting very fine needles at certain points along these channels called Acupoints. The acupuncturist may also use heat treatment (called Moxibustion) or Cupping in the treatment.

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Does Acupuncture Hurt?

Mar13
Most people’s experience of needles is that of those used to give injections, take blood etc. Acupuncture needles differ from these hypodermic syringes in that they are much finer and are solid rather than hollow, they are designed to part the skin without cutting the tissues. Sterile stainless steel needles are commonly used with a diameter of between 0.25mm to 0.45mm which is about the thickness of a human hair.

Continue reading →