May is National Arthritis Month
An x-ray of arthritis in the hand
Arthrtis is the most common cause of disability in the U.S.
The Arthritis Foundation notes: “Arthritis is a debilitating disease that profoundly impacts the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis,” said John H. Klippel, M.D., president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation. “The effects of the 46 million Americans with arthritis on the economy are enormous; the direct and indirect medical costs of this disease are estimated to be $128 billion each year. With the aging of baby boomers, the prevalence of arthritis is expected to rise by 40 percent - that is up to 67 million people - by the year 2030.
Nearly all those suffering with arthritis have pain as a or the major symptom. While acupuncture doesn’t cure arthritis, when combined with Chinese herbs, it is very effective in helping to manage or even eliminate pain.
Arthritis and Chinese Medicine
Arthritis in Chinese medicine is called Bi Zheng, which translates as painful obstruction syndrome. The flow of Qi and Blood is blocked causing pain and joint movement limitations. Most commonly, these conditions are made worse by Wind, Cold and Damp (Chinese pathogens), and many patients complain that these environmental factors worsen their pain.
In China and the U.S., acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine is used widely to help control the pain of arthritis. Treatments are most helpful and long-lasting when arthritis is in the early stages. For those with late stage arthritis and joint deformity, acupuncture can still help manage pain effectively, though it cannot repair the damage done to the joints.
Two recent cases I’ve treated show just some of the ways that acupuncture and Chinese herbs can be helpful in the management of arthritis:
The first is an 82 year-old man. He came to my office with advanced arthritis, significant joint deformity in his toes and fingers, with widespread pain and movement limitations. He could not hold a glass of water without dropping it because of the pain. He began a series of 8 acupuncture treatments, and I prescribed a Chinese herbal limiment to be used externally at home between treatments. By the 6th treatment, though no change was seen in the joint deformitites, the patient had enough reduction in pain that he was not only holding a water glass, but starting to play a little golf in his backyard. Continued treatment will be needed to maintain this progress in such an advanced case, but the patient is very happy with his results.
The second is a 62 year-old woman with early stage arthritis. She had joint aches in her hands, especially during cold or damp weather and during weather changes. She began a series of 6 acupuncture treatments, and took a Chinese herb formula internally. By the end of the six treatment, the aches were gone from her hands, even during weather changes. Her case is now managed with herbs and diet alone, and she has had no recurrence of pain in over four months.
EARTH HOUR lights out
Just a reminder to turn out your lights tonight during EARTH HOUR from 8:30pm -9:30pm. Thank you!
Acupuncture Research Merry-Go-Round
No sooner does a research study confirm that acupuncture is better than pills for chronic headaches, than another shows up proclaiming that acupuncture has no effect on headaches. This reminds me of the early days when the press began widely covering drug and supplement trials. “Research confirms product X is good for you!” “Research denies the Product X does anything!” “Research reconfirms that Product X is effective!” It’s enough to make your head spin.
In this case, the problem is partly the way this most recent study was carried out, and partly the way many journalists have a better eye for controversy than balanced, factual reporting. First, let’s look at a recent article about the acupuncture-doesn’t-work study, this one from the UK’s Daily Mail:
Unfortunately, when I examined the research, it became clear that sticking needles in patients is not as effective as many clinics claim. Indeed, research published last week reinforced the notion that the philosophy of Chinese acupuncture is mumbo-jumbo of the highest quality.
The most recent research was based on looking at several clinical trials in which acupuncturists treated patients with headaches.
According to Chinese philosophy, such complaints are due to imbalances in the flow of Ch’i (a supposed life energy) within meridians (channels that supposedly run through our bodies). Inserting needles at the right points along the meridians is meant to affect the Ch’i and cure the patient.
The recent research reviewed two types of acupuncture, namely real and fake. This means that one set of patients had needles inserted at key points along the meridians, while another set of patients had the needles inserted more or less anywhere.
Click here to read the rest of this article.
The writer goes on to describe a bit more about the study and how it “proved” that Chinese Medicine doesn’t work.
Interesting article, but it has the usual problems with press coverage of scientific trials. First, this was one small meta-study of a selected group of 14 studies, for one symptom. Other trials, just as rigorous (if not more), have shown benefit for headaches for correctly administered acupuncture. Dozens of them. None of these confirm or deny the overall efficacy of acupuncture. Like most studies, they examine one narrow topic.
Also, there are no “headache” points in acupuncture. Headaches fall into many categories, and are all treated differently. Acupuncturists don’t work on patients with a protocol in mind, but treat the patient individually, putting the symptom in the context of the person before choosing points. Did the researchers take that into account when choosing points? They almost never do.
Finally, I’ve noticed from reading about this study that there is little information about where the so-called non-acupuncture points were located. There are hundreds of acupuncture points on the body - how do they know they didn’t inadvertently use points or puncture channels that helped?
More important, the authors of the study aren’t so conclusive as the press likes to be. They summarized their findings as:
Fourteen trials compared true acupuncture with inadequate or fake acupuncture interventions in which needles were either inserted at incorrect points or did not penetrate the skin. In these trials both groups had fewer headaches than before treatment, but there was no difference between the effects of the two treatments. In the four trials in which acupuncture was compared to a proven prophylactic drug treatment, patients receiving acupuncture tended to report more improvement and fewer side effects. Collectively, the studies suggest that migraine patients benefit from acupuncture, although the correct placement of needles seems to be less relevant than is usually thought by acupuncturists.
There are too many problems with studies like these, when they treat acupuncture out of the context of the entire Chinese medical system. What they are really testing is a long way from what acupuncturists do in our clinics every day. Until researchers stop testing acupuncture as if it’s a drug, it’s best to take most Western research into acupuncture, both pro and con, with a grain of salt. It’s a fairly new field of study in the West, and it’s coming along, but it still has a long way to go.
Acupuncture Better Than Pills for Chronic Headaches
In an article in the Providence Journal, it was noted that new meta-studies show that acupuncture works better than pills for chronic headaches. A meta-study is research that reviews many other studies, discovering common findings and results. Headache is one of the most common complaints seen in any acupuncture clinic, and can generally be treated very effectively acupuncture. It looks as if Western research if finally catching up with what TCM practitioners have always known. An excerpt of the article is below:
For chronic headaches, the best treatment may be one of the oldest: acupuncture.
In 1998, the National Institutes of Health accepted acupuncture as a useful alternative treatment for headaches, but warned that there were not enough clinical trials to draw firm conclusions about its efficacy. Now a systematic review of studies through 2007 concludes that acupuncture provides greater relief than either medication or a placebo.
The report, which appears in the December issue of Anesthesia and Analgesia, reviewed 25 randomized controlled trials in adults that lasted more than four weeks. In seven trials comparing acupuncture with medication, researchers found that 62 percent of 479 patients had significant response to acupuncture, and only 45 percent to medicine.
Click here to read the rest of this article.
Acupuncture and Cancer Patients
The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture can help alleviate symptoms associated with cancer and cancer treatments, as well as conditions not related to cancer.
Answering questions on the topic is Meide Liu, M.D., L.Ac., who treats about six cancer patients a day, five days a week at M. D. Anderson’s Place … of wellness.
What is acupuncture?Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine and involves inserting thin needles into points on the body to unblock energy, or qi (pronounced “chee”), to balance the yin and yang within the body (opposite forces).
[In traditional Chinese medicine, disease is diagnosed and treated based on the balance of yin and yang, or opposite forces (night and day, dark and light, cold and hot), according to the National Cancer Institute.]
Qi should move like a freeway, the way cars move in a free flow. If one car stops, other cars behind it are backed up. If people have a free flow of qi, they’re fine. If there’s a blockage, then they’re sick or have pain.
To unblock qi, acupuncturists insert needles into acupuncture points, or acupoints, along the body’s 14 major meridians (energy pathways) or 15 minor meridians. There are more than 400 acupoints in the meridian system.
How does acupuncture help cancer patients?
Acupuncture is used to treat the side effects of traditional treatment: chemotherapy, radiation and surgery. Cancer patients need a physician’s referral in order to receive acupuncture. Patients also should check with their insurance company to see if acupuncture is covered.
Side effects that acupuncture addresses:
* Pain
* Nausea
* Neuropathy
* Dry mouth
* Fatigue
* Anxiety
* Depression
* Insomnia
* Hot flashes
* Diarrhea
* ConstipationBefore cancer patients come to see me, I review their history; I check their white blood cell count, their platelet count and see what medicine they’re taking. At their first appointment, I find out what symptoms are bothering them. I then consider a treatment plan for them.
What symptoms do you treat most often?
The most common symptom is pain. It can be pain from cancer treatment or the disease, or pain that’s not related to the cancer. Some pain, like lower back pain, is related to the cancer, but I have treated people for unrelated back pain that they’ve had for a long time, sometimes 40 years.
Another common symptom is neuropathy (tingling, numbness or burning in the hands and feet from nerve damage), which can be caused by chemotherapy. I also see patients with dry mouth from radiation. Acupuncture has helped them a lot.
To read more of this article
Updates
We’re back! After a long cold winter of more work and less time for blogging, the MyAcuDoc blog is back. Jeanie Marie Kraft, who did an excellent job writing most of the blog posts last year, has moved her acupuncture blogging to her own site: www.fourpawsacupuncture.com. I’ll be picking up this blog, and I look forward to contributing more articles, news and updates on acupuncture, Chinese medicine, holistic health care and related environmental issues.
As most of my local patients already know, I’ve moved my practice. I am now located in the Museum Place Mall in Salem, MA (2 East India Square, Ste. 112). This new location has several benefits, and the most important of these (to patients) is parking. There are several lots surrounding the mall, and also a multi-level parking structure. For those interested, I have
pictures of the new practice space here.I’ve also added a new feature to the MyAcuDoc.com website: a calendar. As my clinic hours will change somewhat over the summer, this new calendar has the most up-to-date information about clinic days.
Finally, in concert with Earth Day, the Salem Gazette printed an article of mine, “Green Therapies: How your health care choices impact the environment.” As we become more aware of climate and environmental issues, our health care choices have more influence than we might think on the such basic issues as clean water. Acupuncture is one of the most environmentally friendly health care therapies. It’s good for you, and helps the environment.
Acupuncture Relieves Back Pain
An interesting article in the New York Times reported acupuncture is more effective than drugs for back pain, the result of one of the largest studies ever conducted on the subject. According to the article:
Six months of acupuncture provides more relief for back pain than conventional treatments, according to a large new study. But surprisingly, fake acupuncture works just as well as the real thing.
The German study of nearly 1,200 patients, published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine, is the largest and most rigorous analysis yet of the use of acupuncture to treat back pain. Some of the patients received real acupuncture, which involves inserting thin needles deeply into the skin at specific points on the body. The acupuncturist then manipulates the needles to create a numb radiating sensation called de qi.
Another group received sham acupuncture: the needles were inserted around the back and legs, but only superficially, without manipulation and at points that aren’t traditional acupuncture sites. A third group received treatments based on their doctors’ recommendations, including physical therapy, massage and exercise.
All the study participants met regularly with their doctors, and each patient’s response to treatment was measured on a pain scale, as was the amount of pain medication required.
Though they comment that the “fake” acupuncture worked just as well, actually there were some significant advantages to the “real” points:
Nearly half the patients in the acupuncture group reported significant relief, compared to just 27 percent in the conventional therapy group. But nearly as many people in the fake acupuncture group — 44 percent — also reported significant relief.
Real acupuncture did reduce the need for pain medicine. Only 15 percent of patients who received real acupuncture used extra pain medication, but 34 percent of patients in the sham group and 59 percent of patients in conventional therapy needed extra pain pills.
To read more of this article visit the New York Times Article Moving The Needles
Acupuncture Can Help Relieve Pelvic Girdle Pain In…
Acupuncture Can Help Relieve Pelvic Girdle Pain In Pregnant Women
May 12, 2007 11:36 a.m. EST
Nidhi Sharma - AHN Staff Writer
Washington D.C. (AHN) - Acupuncture is effective at relieving back and pelvic muscle pain during pregnancy, a common complaint among pregnant women as they enter into the final trimesters. A study has found that one in three pregnant women suffer severe back and pelvic pain as the pregnancy progresses.
This is because the center of gravity of a pregnant woman is off and she has to arch her back to balance her bulging tummy, leading to an extra strain on back and pelvic muscles.
Experts believe that stretching exercises, coupled with special pillows and acupuncture could help relieve back and pelvic pain that often occur during pregnancy.
The study tracked almost 1,500 pregnant women from Sweden, Iran, Brazil, Thailand and Australia and found that those who participated in the suggested exercises involving acupuncture reported a reduction in pain levels.
The review appears in the current issue of The Cochrane Library, a publication of The Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates research in all aspects of health care.
Authors also found that expectant mothers benefited by the use of an Ozzlo pillow - a curved pillow designed to support the pregnant abdomen when lying down and that 60 percent of women trying acupuncture reported a substantial pain relief.
The study found no complications associated with the use of acupuncture in pregnant women. It was also found that women who followed the pelvic or back pain exercises experienced some pain relief and reported less need for pain medication, physical therapy and posture-support belts.
Acupuncture is a technique of inserting and manipulating needles into “acupuncture points” on the body to restore health and well-being, and is particularly good at treating pain. The definition and characterization of these points is standardized by the World Health Organization.
Acupuncture is thought to have originated in China and is most commonly associated with Traditional Chinese medicine. Different types of acupuncture (Japanese, Korean and classical Chinese acupuncture) are practiced and taught throughout the world.
To read more visitwww.allheadlinenews.com
Jeanie Marie Kraft, L.Ac. MyAcuDoc.com Acupuncture in Salem MA
The Benefits of fresh pineapple: A cup of fresh p…
The Benefits of fresh pineapple:
A cup of fresh pineapple chunks eaten will give your body 73 percent of the manganese it needs for the day. Manganese, a trace mineral, is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. A recent study found that a combination of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, and manganese resulted in significant improvement for people with mild to moderate osteoarthritis of the knee.
Bromelain, an enzyme in pineapple, reduces inflammation and will help ease the discomfort of arthritis.
Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture have also been proven to be very effective in treating the pain and symptoms of arthritis.
Jeanie Marie Kraft, L.Ac. MyAcuDoc.com Acupuncture in Salem MA
www.bodysoulsalem.comExercise, Acupuncture Help Women Turn Their Backs …
Exercise, Acupuncture Help Women Turn Their Backs On Pregnancy Pain
Stretching exercises, special pillows and acupuncture could help relieve back and pelvic pain that often occur during pregnancy, according to an updated review.
As pregnancy progresses, back and pelvic pain can interfere with daily activities such as carrying groceries, cleaning and walking, and can disrupt work or sleep also. More than two-thirds of pregnant women experience back pain and almost one-fifth report pelvic pain.
“When you’re pregnant, your center of gravity is off. You have to arch your back to balance this huge tummy, so you end up with extra strain on your back and pelvic muscles,” said Victoria Pennick, M.H.Sc., registered nurse and lead review author.
Women who participated in a variety of intervention programs recognized some relief of back and pelvic pain, said Pennick, a senior clinical research project manager at the Institute for Work & Health in Toronto.
The review looked at eight studies that examined the effect of adding pregnancy-specific strengthening exercises, water exercises, acupuncture and other pain-relief interventions to regular prenatal care. None of the studies dealt specifically with back or pelvic pain prevention.
The studies involved 1,305 pregnant women from Sweden, Iran, Brazil, Thailand and Australia. To read more of this article by the Science Daily News visit www.sciencedaily.com
