What does that mean?

Does health mean physical vitality, mental acuity or emotional stability?  Or does health mean reducing the number of prescriptions in the medicine cabinet or the number of missed days at work?  For each person, health means something different, and is something we must each define for ourselves.

What would health look like to you and your family?

Would there be more time with your significant other or children?  Or would there be more money for vacations or special purchases?  Would it mean better sleep, and so, better days?  Would it mean gaining or losing weight and then being more active, physically or socially?  How would your family benefit if you were healthy?

What would it feel like to have health?

What would it feel like to wake up each morning without the lingering effects of disease (dis-ease) in your system?  What would it feel like to be able to function during the whole month?  Or plan for something three, six or nine months away?

For many people, this is a concept that is so far removed from their reality they refuse to entertain the notion.

For some, they’ve been told absolutely they CANNOT have health.  Perhaps this is true, but what if it isn’t?  What if the diabetic or hypertensive in your family could get treatments and actually “get health”?  What would that be worth to your family?  If you no longer had debilitating headaches or menstrual cramps?  If your back/neck/arms/legs/joints no longer ached/burned/throbbed?

And what holds people back from exploring their options?  Is it fear of failure or fear of success?

There are any number of terrible “invisible diseases” (Chronic Fatigue Syndrome / Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, Fibromyalgia, Lyme, Primary Immunodeficiency Disease and Dysautonomias to name a few) which it would be inappropriate to baldly state could be “cured” but what if the debilitating symptoms could be reduced.  And what is that worth?

A leap of faith?

Three or four visits to a health care provider who treats the whole body to see if you get any relief?

What if it worked?  What if it didn’t?

When counselling adult students returning to school after years in the workforce, I often had to field versions of this question. “What if, after going to school full-time for four years, I don’t go into practice as an acupuncturist?”  And I would answer them “What if you don’t.  At the end of those four years, you’ll have gained a Master’s degree, a whole new way of approaching health – yours and your family’s at least.  And you’ll be four years older.  If you don’t go to school, at the end of four years, you’ll have four years more experience in the world, that’s true, and you’ll be four years older, but you won’t have been exposed to the richness of experience you’ll get returning to school.  If you’re not sure this curriculum is the right one, go talk to other schools.  Maybe you’d rather study mental health, or education, or get a Masters in your current field.  Go take some time, listen to the voice inside you that’s telling you to return to school.  And remember, it’s only four years after all.”

They didn’t always come to our school, some went away and stayed in their jobs and some went to schools in other fields.  But each one of them let me know that they appreciated the reminder.  It’s easy to forget, but time is only time.

So what if you did go to, say, an acupuncturist, for a few visits?  What would you lose?  What might you gain?

What is your health really worth?

Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS) affects an estimated 2 percent of the population. Conventional therapies are limited in the success of treating this complex and unexplained condition. Current treatment is largely comprised of prescribing different medications for the varying symptoms in a trial and error approach. Research shows that as many as 90 percent of people with fibromyalgia have turned to complementary and alternative medicine to manage their symptoms. Acupuncture, in particular, has become a popular treatment choice and has shown to be an effective treatment for FMS, surpassing even warm water exercise and second only to tri-cyclic antidepressant therapy.

What is Fibromyalgia Syndrome?

Fibromyalgia is a medically unexplained syndrome characterized by chronic widespread pain, a heightened and painful response to pressure, insomnia, fatigue, and depression. While not all affected persons experience all associated symptoms, the following symptoms commonly occur together:

• chronic pain
• debilitating fatigue
• difficulty sleeping
• anxiety and depression
• joint stiffness
• chronic headaches and jaw pain
• difficulty swallowing
• dryness in mouth, nose, and eyes
• hypersensitivity to odors, bright lights, and loud noises
• inability to concentrate (called “fibro fog”)
• incontinence
• irritable bowel syndrome
• numbness or tingling in the fingers and feet
• painful menstrual cramps
• poor circulation in hands and feet (called Raynaud’s phenomenon)
• restless legs syndrome

Fibromyalgia is diagnosed when there is a history of widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for a minimum duration of three months and pain when pressure is applied to at least 11 of 18 designated tender points on the body, This condition does not result in any physical damage to the body or its tissues and there are no laboratory tests which can confirm this diagnosis.

Symptoms often begin after a physical or emotional trauma, but in many cases there appears to be no triggering event. Women account for a disproportionate number of FMS cases although some researchers believe this is due to the willingness of women to seek treatment.  The risk of fibromyalgia increases with age.

Oriental Medicine does not recognize fibromyalgia as one particular disease pattern. Instead, it aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual depending on their constitution, emotional state, intensity and location of their pain, digestive health, sleeping patterns and an array of other signs and symptoms. Therefore, if 10 people are treated with Oriental medicine for fibromyalgia, each of these 10 people will receive a unique, customized treatment with different acupuncture points, different herbs and different lifestyle and dietary recommendations.

Because the symptoms of fibromyalgia are highly variable form one person to another, a wide array of traditional and alternative treatments has been shown to be the most effective way of treating this difficult     syndrome.  A treatment program may include a combination of psychological or behavioral therapies, medications, exercise, acupuncture, herbal medicine and bodywork.

Research

A recent study from the Mayo Clinic found acupuncture helpful in treating the fatigue and anxiety commonly experienced by fibromyalgia patients. In the trial, patients who received acupuncture to counter their fibromyalgia symptoms reported improvement in fatigue and anxiety, among other symptoms. Acupuncture was well tolerated, with minimal side effects.

In the double-blind study, Mayo Clinic doctors gave 25 fibromyalgia patients acupuncture, and 25 “sham” acupuncture treatments. Patients received six treatments during the two- to three-week study. Those who received acupuncture treatments reported less fatigue and anxiety one month following after treatment than did “sham” group.

“The results of the study convince me there is something more than the placebo effect to acupuncture,” says and David Martin. M.D., Ph.D., lead author of the acupuncture article and a Mayo Clinic anesthesiologist. “It affirms a lot of clinical impressions that this complementary medical technique is helpful for patients.”

Dr. Martin performed the study at Mayo Clinic Rochester with co-authors Ines Berger, M.D.; Christopher Sletten, Ph.D.; and Brent Williams. The study used only two acupuncturists and examined only patients who reported more severe symptoms, offering better experimental control. Still, the Mayo Clinic doctors urged more study to see how acupuncture can best be used in treating fibromyalgia patients.

Source: Mayo Clinic (2006, June 13). Acupuncture Relieves Symptoms Of Fibromyalgia, Mayo Clinic Study Finds.

There have been many advances in the early detection and treatment of cancer.  While the standard medical care for cancer is effective, the treatments are aggressive and cause numerous unwanted side effects as well as a lowered immune system. Acupuncture has received much attention as an adjunctive therapy in cancer treatments for its use in pain relief, reducing side effects, accelerating recovery and improving quality of life.

Acupuncture provides a total approach to health care for people with cancer. It can be used to address many of the concerns that come up during and after chemotherapy, radiation, biological therapy and surgery.

According to the National Cancer Institute, acupuncture may cause physical responses in nerve cells, the pituitary gland, and parts of the brain. These responses can cause the body to release proteins, hormones, and brain chemicals that control a number of body functions. It is proposed that, by these actions, acupuncture affects blood pressure and body temperature, boosts immune system activity, and causes the body’s natural painkillers, such as endorphins, to be released.

Areas that acupuncture has shown the most promise include:

• Nausea and Vomiting
• Dry Mouth, Night Sweats and Hot Flashes
• Stress, Anxiety and Fatigue
• Pain Management
• Increasing White Blood Cell Count

The strongest evidence of the effect of acupuncture has come from clinical trials on the use of acupuncture to relieve nausea and vomiting. Several types of clinical trials using different acupuncture methods showed acupuncture reduced nausea and vomiting caused by chemotherapy, surgery, and morning sickness. It appears to be more effective in preventing vomiting than in reducing nausea.

Other symptoms caused by cancer treatment

Clinical trials are studying the effects of acupuncture on cancer and symptoms caused by cancer treatment, including weight loss, cough, chest pain, fever, anxiety, depression, night sweats, hot flashes, dry mouth, speech problems, and fluid in the arms or legs. Studies have shown that, for many patients, treatment with acupuncture either relieves symptoms or keeps them from getting worse.

Boosting the Immune System

Human studies on the effect of acupuncture on the immune system of cancer patients showed that it improved immune system response, including increasing the number of white blood cells.

Pain Management

In clinical studies, acupuncture reduced the amount of pain in some cancer patients. In one study, most of the patients treated with acupuncture were able to stop taking drugs for pain relief or to take smaller doses.

Acupuncture is also very useful for support if you are undergoing chemotherapy, radiation, or hormonal therapy. Because chemotherapy and radiation therapy weaken the body’s immune system, a strict clean needle method must be used when acupuncture treatment is given to cancer patients.

New Lung Cancer Guidelines Include Acupuncture

Acupuncture is now officially recommended for lung cancer patients experiencing fatigue, dyspnea, chemotherapy-Induced neuropathy, pain, nausea and vomiting.

The new edition of these standard guidelines represents the first time complementary and integrative medicine has been addressed in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, causing more fatalities than the next four most common types of cancer combined.

The new guidelines were developed and reviewed by 100 multidisciplinary panel members and have been endorsed by the American Association for Bronchology. American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, Oncology Nurses Society, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the World Association of Bronchology.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common job-related injuries and is responsible for the highest number of days lost among all work related injuries. It is the reason for over two million visits to physicians’ offices and approximately 465,000 carpal tunnel release operations each year, making it the most frequent surgery of the hand and wrist.

Acupuncture is extremely effective at treating carpal tunnel syndrome; eliminating the need for surgery or the use of anti-inflammatory drugs or corticosteroids.  In fact, one of the most common reasons that people get acupuncture is for repetitive stress injuries, including carpal tunnel syndrome. Recent studies even suggest that acupuncture may be more effective than corticosteroids when it come, to treating CTS.

What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist made up of ligaments and bones. The median nerve and the tendons that connect the fingers to the muscles of the forearm pass through this tightly spaced tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome, also known as median nerve entrapment, occurs when swelling or irritation of the nerve or tendons in the carpal tunnel results in pressure on the median nerve. The median nerve controls sensations to the palm side of the thumb and fingers, as well as impulses to some small muscles in the hand that allow the fingers and thumb to move.

Symptoms usually start gradually, with frequent burning, tingling, or numbness in the palm of the hand and the fingers, especially the thumb, index and middle fingers. The symptoms often first appear during the night. As symptoms worsen, people might feel pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist, radiating up the arm during the day. Decreased grip strength may make it difficult to form a fist, grasp small objects, or perform other manual tasks. If not properly treated, CTS can cause irreversible nerve damage and permanent deterioration of muscle tissue.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome with Acupuncture

From an Oriental medicine perspective, CTS is seen as a disruption of the flow of Qi and Blood within the area and associated with Cold, Dampness or Wind penetrating the muscles and sinews of the wrist. Acupuncture points, stretching exercises, herbal remedies and nutritional supplements are chosen to treat accordingly.

As well as reducing the swelling, inflammation and pain in the wrist, acupuncture addresses any headaches. neck pain, shoulder stiffness and sleeping problems that often accompany this condition.

Your treatment may also take into account any underlying conditions that contribute to the development of CTS including obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid problems, diabetes, hormonal changes of pregnancy and menopause.

New Study on Acupuncture &Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Acupuncture is as effective as the corticosteroid, prednisone, for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), according to a new study.

The randomized, controlled study that was published in the May 2009 issue of The Clinical Journal of Pain, investigated the efficacy of Acupuncture compared with steroid treatment in patients with mild-to-moderate carpal tunnel syndrome as measured by both nerve conduction studies and symptom assessment surveys.

Seventy-seven patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. One group received eight acupuncture treatments over four weeks, and the other group received oral doses of prednisone, daily, for four weeks. The results showed that acupuncture was just as effective as the corticosteroid for pain, numbness, tingling and weakness. For the symptoms of night time awakening and motor function, the acupuncture group had better results.

The researchers concluded that acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment option for CTS for those who experience side effects to oral steroids or for those who do not opt for early surgery.

While acupuncture is readily accepted as a viable option for low back pain in mainstream modern medicine, there has been little research to prove that it works.  Now there are studies that support the clinical evidence.

In a German study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, 1,162 adults with chronic, lower back pain were divided into groups treated with the standard pharmaceutical and exercise therapy commonly used in Western medicine and acupuncture. The researchers reported that acupuncture provided relief and lasting benefit to nearly twice as many lower back pain patients as drugs and exercise. Forty-eight percent of the acupuncture patients reported at least a one-third decrease in pain along with improvement in their ability to function, versus 27 percent of the patients treated with conventional methods reporting such benefits.

In the July 2009 issue of Acupuncture Today, they reported findings from a new study.  Published in the May 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine this new study adds to the growing body of evidence showing the efficacy of acupuncture for back pain.

In this study, 638 patients suffering from back pain were divided into four groups:

Individualized acupuncture: This treatment was prescribed by the diagnostician at the beginning of each visit. There were no constraints on number of needles, depth of insertion or needle manipulation. Needles were retained for 18 minutes. Seventy-four distinct points were used.

Standardized acupuncture: This protocol used a standardized acupuncture prescription considered effective for chronic low back pain, including DU3, UB23 on either side, low back Ashi point, UB 40 on either side and KD 3 on either side. All points were needled for 20 minutes, with needle stimulation at 10 minutes and again just prior to removal.

Simulated acupuncture*: This technique used a toothpick in a needle guide tube. All acupuncture points were stimulated with toothpicks at 10 minutes and again at 20 minutes, just before they were “removed.” The acupuncturists simulated insertion and removal of needles at the eight acupuncture points used in the standardized treatment.

Usual care: Participants in this group only received the care, if any, they and their physicians chose. This was mainly medications, and primary care, and physical therapy visits. All participants received a self-care book with information on managing flare-ups, exercises and lifestyle modifications.

At 8 weeks all patients showed improvement, however, the “usual care” group improved only 2.1 points improvement, scored on a disability questionnaire, as opposed to the individualized, standardized and simulated acupuncture groups who improved by 4.4, 4.5 and 4.4 points respectively.

The greater improvement for the acupuncture groups continued to 52 weeks, the end of the study.

Researchers concluded that compared to usual care, acupuncture had beneficial and persisting effects on chronic back pain.  They stated the acupuncture treatments resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in function, and really, isn’t that the bottom line when you’re getting treatment for pain?

*Simulated acupuncture.  Ironically, this simulated acupuncture is known by practitioners by another name – acupressure.  Additionally, many of the earliest acupuncture practitioners used needles-like implements to stimulate a point but did not insert the implement into the body, or if they did it was a very shallow pricking insertion.  Full insertion into the body came later, so it’s no surprise to any acupuncturist that “simulated” acupuncture would work as well as acupuncture with needle insertion.

This month’s (March 2009) UC Berkeley Wellness Letter has some wonderful common sense comments on constipation and colon health, including the surprising results of the study published in the 2005 American Journal of Gastroenterology which shows that “stimulants did not harm the colon”.  You can read the whole article in my office if you’re interested. 

The Wellness Letter also suggests, in their Wellness made easy column, “If you get headaches, consider acupuncture”.  More and more research, it seems, is showing that acupuncture can help with headaches – something practitioners and patients of acupuncture and Traditional Oriental Medicine have know for centuries.  If you get headaches, come on in and give it a try.

From the other side of the  aisle, as it were, come these suggestions and articles from this month’s (March 2009) Environmental Nutrition newsletter:

• If you’re tired of only bad news about food and diet, EN suggests you check out www.biteofthebest.com, a site by food critic and nutritionist Bonnie Tandy Leblang and her two sons.
• Gum chewing may help with focus, stress, weight loss and dental health.
• An eye-opening look at coffee, which EN suggest may have many health perks
• A revisit of the benefits of spinach with a spinach frittata recipe

If you don’t subscribe, you may review EN in my office.