Just a reminder to turn out your lights tonight during EARTH HOUR from 8:30pm -9:30pm. Thank you!

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
* Constipation

Before 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

Click here

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

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

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.com

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

Hamburg – Your knee hurts, and every little movement is sheer torture for your aching back too. If medication or other therapy fails to help, acupuncture can bring relief.

Inserting fine needles into the skin and underlying tissues can also combat allergies, menstrual pain and even moderately severe depression.

“Acupuncture helps primarily in cases of chronic and acute pain such as migraines and arthrosis, but also stress and asthma,” said Helmut Ruedinger, vice chairperson of the Hamburg-based German Medical Association for Acupuncture (DAEGFA).

Timo, a 30-year-old from Berlin, suffered from severe, stabbing headaches during his studies, particularly when he was at the computer writing his final paper.

“First they prescribed physiotherapy, then massages,” he recalled. “Only acupuncture helped.” After just eight acupuncture sessions, Timo was completely pain-free – and still is.

Critics continue to question the technique’s effectiveness, though.

In 2006 in the German city of Siegburg, the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), a body made up of doctors and public health insurance company officials that helps regulate Germany’s medical services, included acupuncture in the list of treatments covered by public insurance – but only for chronic knee and back pain.

The G-BA said it was unclear whether other ailments could be successfully treated with acupuncture. In those cases the patient has to pay out of their own pocket.

An extensive series of tests found no differences between acupuncture and medication in treating headaches and migraines.

Experts who conducted the tests said that improvement in the patients’ condition may have been merely subjective, with psychological factors playing a role.

Acupuncture is a mainstay of traditional Chinese medicine. It seeks to influence the flow of what is believed to be the body’s vital life force by inserting needles at certain points. There are more than 360 acupuncture points, which are arranged along meridians or pathways.

The meridians are the same on both sides of the body, and the points are associated with particular locations in the body.

Western acupuncturists surmise that the effects of acupuncture have a physiological basis. “When a needle is inserted into the body, it strikes small nerves that send impulses to the spinal cord and brain,” Ruedinger said. The brain then gives the signal for the release of endorphins, which cause patients to feel happy and relaxed.

“Acupuncture affects different people differently,” Ruedinger warned. The needles eliminate some people’s symptoms entirely, while they do nothing for other people. “One reason for this could be fields of interference in the body such as scars or infections, which hamper the effect,” Ruedinger said.

The procedure has few side effects. Sometimes no bruising occurs.

Patients often wonder how to find the right acupuncturist. “The most important thing is how much experience the therapist has,” Ruedinger said. If a physician has the additional title of acupuncturist, it means that he or she has had at least 200 hours of recognised training. – Sapa-DPA

Say ah to acupuncture

By Catherine Price
Health.com

I don’t usually stick my tongue out at my doctor. But that is exactly what Bianca, a clinic intern at the Acupuncture and Integrative Medicine College in Berkeley, California, has asked me to do.

The college offers a discount on acupuncture if you agree to let students like Bianca observe your treatment. And because nothing else seems to be helping curb my back pain, I’ve decided to play along.

“Like, really stick it out?” I ask, glancing at the five other interns clustered around Bianca, all leaning forward and staring at my mouth.

“Yes,” she says. “We all want to take a look.”

Reluctantly, I open wide and extend my tongue as far as it’ll go. Bianca has already asked me about my menstrual blood and vaginal discharge in front of the group (both are pretty normal, thank you). Now, as the students debate various aspects of my tongue –like its color (dusky purple) and coating (thin and white). I think of a different question: What, exactly, does this have to do with my backache?

Acupuncture is a type of traditional Chinese medicine that’s been practiced for at least 2,500 years. It’s partly based on the idea that backaches (and any other complaints) aren’t singular problems. “You’re taught that what happens in one part of the body is reflected in the rest of the body,” says Jill Blakeway, a renowned acupuncturist in New York. “It emphasizes the interconnectedness of everything in the universe.” (Health.com: Feel better, naturally )

Acupuncture also teaches that the body contains two opposing forces: yin and yang. Together, they contribute to your chi (pronounced “chee”), a Chinese word roughly translated as “vital energy.” If this energy flow is interrupted or blocked, it can cause pain and disease. This is part of the reason that Bianca’s examining my tongue — acupuncturists think your tongue can reveal energy imbalances in your body. Turns out a purple color suggests stagnation in your chi, which could lead to a range of disorders, including a sore back.

Acupuncturists try to restore balance in the body by stimulating specific points, often by inserting thin metal needles into the skin. Sometimes electrical currents are even added to the needles to increase their effectiveness.

To read the rest of this article visit www.cnn.com

Watch Chula, a 12 year old shepherd/lab mix with arthritis get an acupuncture treatment….and enjoy it!

Protecting Your Pet News Segment

Protecting Your Pet, a weekly news show produced by Boston’s WHDH Channel 7 will be featuring Jeanie Marie giving an acupuncture treatment to her patient Chula, a 12 year old Shepherd/Lab mix. Her owner David will also be interviewed about Chula’s progress and his experiences with acupuncture.

The show is scheduled to air on Monday, March 26, 2006 on Channel 7 at 5:am and perhaps at 5:30pm along with the news. It will also show that night on the news at 10:00 pm on Channel 56. This schedule may change. For more info visit the WHDH Channel 7 website at www.whdh.com

Jeanie Marie Kraft, Lic.Ac. is keeping tails wagging on the North Shore of MA with K9 acupuncture house-calls, and in Boston’s South End at the DoggieDay Playcenter.

To schedule an appointment please call 978-729-9593 or email Jeanie at woof@fourpawsacupuncture.com

Rescue Remedy to the Rescue!

The original Bach Rescue Remedy

This is taken from www.bachflower.com

• Impatiens: For those who act and think quickly, and have no patience for what they see as the slowness of others. They often prefer to work alone. Teaches empathy and understanding of and patience with others. We’ve found it very fast-acting in alieviating an impatient attitude and lowering stress.
• Star of Bethlehem: For trauma and shock, whether experienced recently or in the past. Teaches the ability to recover from traumas and to integrate them into the present life.
• Cherry Plum: For those who fear losing control of their thoughts and actions and doing things they know are bad for them or which they consider wrong. Teaches trust in one’s spontaneous wisdom and the courage to follow one’s path.
• Rock Rose: For situations in which one experiences panic or terror.
• Clematis: For those who find their lives unhappy and withdraw into fantasy worlds. They are ungrounded and indifferent to the details of everyday life. Teaches one to establish a bridge between the physical world and the world of ideas; may foster great creativity. Is also used to bring clarity and alertness to the present moment.

 

These combinations of Bach Flower Essences that is especially beneficial when you find yourself in traumatic situations, such as, stress, emergencies, after getting bad news, before an exam or job interview and all other kind of situations where we suddenly loose balance mentally. The Essences quickly get us back in our normal balance so that we calmly can deal with any situation.

Jeanie Marie Kraft, L.Ac. MyAcuDoc.com Acupuncture in Salem MA