Dogs with arthritis may benefit from acupuncture treatments May 14, 2009
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Traditional Chinese veterinary medicine is most widely known for helping animals with arthritis. I can tell you about a couple of cases that demonstrate how effective acupuncture can be for arthritis in dogs and the importance of early treatment. The first case is a 14-year-old mixed-breed dog that had been diagnosed with lumbosacral instability syndrome and had severe degenerative arthritic changes in the spine on radiographs. The dog had been having arthritic problems for many years, and the problem was getting worse. Read More…
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Acupuncture beats aspirin for chronic headache March 14, 2009
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Acupuncture works better than drugs like aspirin to reduce the severity and frequency of chronic headaches, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. Read More…
Traditional Chinese Therapy May Help Ease Eczema March 14, 2009
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Certain traditional Chinese medicine, including tea and acupuncture, may safely and effectively help treat chronic eczema, a new report finds. Read More…
Acupuncture improves the success rate of IVF treatment February 14, 2008
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An analysis of seven scientific trials has shown that acupuncture increases the chance of success during in vitro fertilization (IVF).
In a study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the VU University Amsterdam it was found that acupuncture applied at the same time the embryo was placed inside the womb during an IVF procedure more than doubled the chance of the woman becoming pregnant.
The analysis involve 1,366 women of different ages who had difficulty conceiving; some of the women underwent acupuncture, while others were given fake needle treatments or no therapy.
The researchers found that those who received acupuncture increased their chances of conceiving by 65 percent.
While the study does not clearly explain how the acupuncture aided fertility, experts suggest it could be due to the relaxing effect of acupuncture on the extremely stressful IVF procedure.
When compared with repeated expensive fertility treatment cycles acupuncture therapy offers a cheaper and more successful alternative.
Australia has unlimited government reimbursement for IVF and in Australia about 3 per cent of births are through IVF, three times the level in the U.S. and the UK.
This year 10,000 IVF babies will be born, and 4 per cent of all births in 2007 were IVF; one in six Australian couples experience infertility along with 80 million couples worldwide.
In the UK one percent of births or 11,000 babies out of 32,000 IVF procedures are born every year.
Lead researcher Eric Manheimer from the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Center for Integrative Medicine, says acupuncture has been used in China for years to boost the fertility level of women and is now being taken more seriously in the west.
NOTHING TO FEAR FROM NEEDLES December 11, 2007
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One of the most popular and well-established forms of complementary medicine in the UK, acupuncture is a branch of traditional Chinese medicine where any illness – physical or psychological – is thought to arise from an imbalance in your vital energy, or Qi (pronounced (chee). Inserting fine needles at key areas on the body is said to restore the balance.
One of the aspects I like about complementary therapists is that they begin any treatment with a full and detailed consultation.
Acupuncturist Katy Henry asked me about my physical health and state of mind. It has been a tumultuous few months because of a family bereavement. Add the daily stresses of juggling family life and work, Christmas preparations and those dreary winter days into the equation, I’m hardly on top form.
We run through my diet, how much fluid I consume, my sleeping habits, family life, how I see myself and how my friends would describe me.
The next question made me blush….”Do you still have good sex?” asked Katy.
Well, I’ll leave that between the two of us….but Katy explains that 50% of her clients have fertility problems.
She said: “You’d be amazed at the number of people trying for a baby who don’t have regular enough sex.”
Katy, who has been practising for five years, specialises in fertility problems and some of her clients have had recurrent miscarriages or are going through IVF.
Other clients include workmen like joiners and welders, who are suffering pain in their shoulders, back and elbows.
While acupuncture won’t necessarily solve the problem, it can relieve the symptoms.
Katy, a member of the British Acupuncture Council, uses a branch known as five element acupuncture which works on several levels: the body, mind and spirit.
She said: “The beautiful thing about acupuncture is we don’t see you as a bunch of conditions or symptoms but a whole person and bringing balance to you.
“In winter we are using our reserves of energy to keep going and perhaps that is why sometimes people feel down.”
After the lengthy consultation, it is time for me to hop on the couch.
When she shows me the needles that are to go in my ears, they are so fine I can barely see them.
There was a slight sting as the needle was inserted on the right but I didn’t feel a thing on the left.
Katy also uses moxa, a dried spongy herb, which is rolled into tiny cones and burnt down on my abdomen to get the blood and Qi flowing smoothly. It was warm, aromatic and relaxing.
Finally, needles are inserted straight in and out of both sides of my wrists.
Clients are normally treated each week for a month and they’ll know within that time if the treatment is having an effect. I only had a short taster session so I don’t know if it would make me feel better after more treatments but I can honestly say, if you’re afraid of needles, it doesn’t hurt.
The beauty of tradition November 7, 2007
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Dozens of needles pierced Zhang Xing’s belly. In just a few months, the young man’s waistline has shrunk about 50 centimeters thanks to traditional acupuncture treatment.
Like Zhang, many people nowadays are looking to Chinese medicine practitioners for natural solutions to their beauty issues, such as weight and skin problems.
For three years, 26-year-old Zhang felt ashamed of his body and hated being photographed. Even walking had become difficult for him.
Reluctant to go on a diet or do any extensive physical exercise, Zhang started regular acupuncture slimming treatment at the TCM department of Tongren Hospital in Beijing.
The most obvious change Zhang found was that he did not feel as hungry as before. Also, before, it was common for him to be constipated for two or three days, but since the treatment, he was regular.
The acupuncture adjusted Zhang’s disturbed neural control of appetite and hunger, sped up his intestinal movements and boosted his metabolism, says Wang Hong, a TCM cosmetology practitioner at Tongren Hospital.
According to Jiang Zaizeng, president of the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies’ Specialty Committee of Cosmetology, TCM is becoming increasingly popular in the beauty industry.
TCM beauty services are now available in many of the country’s large hospitals. The treatments have also spread to Japan, South Korea, Australia , Brazil and European countries.
In fact, beauty services have been a part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years, sought after by emperors and the upper-class.
Among the TCM practitioners’ beauty treatments are acupuncture, moxibustion, herbal formulas, food therapy and massages.
“Compared to chemical beauty products, all these measures are safe, natural and without side effects,” Jiang says.
To a TCM doctor, how you look on the outside reflects the condition of your insides. They believe that health issues manifest externally. For example, a spleen deficiency will make the body store more water, leading to weight problems.
“Through identifying and adjusting the inner problems, TCM doctors can help beautify one’s appearance,” says Wang.
Skin care, particularly targeting acne, is another important application of TCM in cosmetology, according to Wang.
TCM views acne and other skin rashes as a result of the obstruction of the flow of blood and qi (energy of life), which can be caused by stress, lack of sleep or a high-fat diet. Sometimes, abnormal menstruation and contraceptives can also play a role.
Wang combines blood-letting punctures and moxibustion in her clinical treatment of acne.
Blood-letting puncturing uses a needle to prick a superficial vein on particular acupoints on the back, cupping on it and letting a small quantity of blood out. The method can adjust qi and blood circulation of the corresponding channel and promote healing.
In addition, applying moxibustion on the affected areas of the face can help diminish inflammation.
According to Wang, most patients who had already tried ineffective Western medicines, such as antibiotics, see their acne improve after this treatment.
Acupuncture is also effective in alleviating eye twitching, hair loss and allergies, she says.
(China Daily November 7, 2007)
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