How Racism Gave Rise to Acupuncture for Addiction Treatment
Black Panthers and other activists brought the ancient Chinese practice into addiction medicine in New York in the 1970s.
Hope & Healing for HIV/AIDS Patients
Emperor’s College Develops Difference Makers
Acupuncture Reduces Symptom Burden in Patients With Multiple Myeloma
Researchers from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) in New York City and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, examined if ACUPUNCTURE could help manage symptom burden of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) in patients with multiple myeloma.
Integrative Health: UC Irvine receives historic $200 million gift from Susan and Henry Samueli
Orange County philanthropists Susan and Henry Samueli will donate $200 million to UC Irvine to create a college that educates medical students in holistic practices as well as traditional ones and treat patients with a wide-ranging perspective.
Pains and needles: brain scans point to hidden effects of acupuncture
“Placebo acupuncture can ease short-term pain but the real thing might help to reverse the underlying pathology of a disease.” “There are now several trials showing that even when patients in acupuncture and placebo groups report similar drops in pain, the physical effects of treatment can be very different”
From acupuncture to yoga, report updates integrative medicine therapies
American Academy of Pediatrics: An updated AAP clinical report on pediatric integrative medicine (PIM) reviews complementary therapies, highlighting where research is strong and where gaps remain so clinicians can more skillfully advise patients and their families.
Study Finds Options to Opioids After Knee Surgery
WebMD: Non-drug approaches that may work include acupuncture and electrotherapy, review finds.
PCORI Board approves $10 million for new studies on reducing unsafe opioid prescribing
One of the new studies was approved for $5.7 million to focus on a Medicaid payer strategy that expands access to nondrug strategies for treating low back pain, including complementary medical approaches such as acupuncture, while restricting access to opioids.
North Carolina court rules against acupuncturists and for physical therapists
NC Court Upholds Ruling That Dry Needling Is Distinct From Acupuncture. The ruling confirms that dry needling is within physical therapists scope of practice.
Acupuncture Efficacy in Stress Incontinence, PCOS Examined
Acupuncture received mixed reviews in 2 new studies — 1 focusing on stress incontinence and the other on polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)-related infertility. The research was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Needles and Coffee May Not Mix; Even a Low Dose of Caffeine Blocks Acupuncture’s Pain Relief in Mice
FROM THE NIH: Recent preliminary research with mice suggests that ingesting even a low dose of caffeine may interfere with the analgesic effects of acupuncture in acute and chronic pain models.
Acupuncture May Improve Fatigue in Patients with Lung Cancer
A study published in Supportive Care in Cancer shows that acupuncture may be a potential adjunct treatment option for cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in patients with lung cancer receiving palliative care.
Could acupuncture be the cure for period pain?
Researchers in Australia and New Zealand have found that acupuncture can significantly reduce the severity and duration of period pain.
The Joint Commission mandates hospitals provide nonpharmacologic pain treatment
The Joint Commission (TJC), the largest U.S. accreditation body for health care facilities, announced a revision of hospital performance measures for pain management that included the requirement of providing nonpharmacologic pain treatment modalities, effective January 1, 2018.
The specific standard (LD.04.03.13) is now a ‘scorable’ Element of Performance, meaning accredited facilities will be required to provide nonpharmacologic modalities for pain.
Sports Acupuncture – Can It Benefit Strength Athletes?
Can acupuncture benefit weightlifters and other strength athletes?
Acupuncture Found To Be Potentially Effective Weight Loss Tool
Huffington Post: Small study shows acupuncture to be an effective weight loss tool compared to sham acupuncture.
How to fix a pain in a VERY large neck!
2,000-pound ageing giraffe receives acupuncture at Rhode Island zoo to treat her arthritis.
Can Acupuncture Treat Women’s Health Issues?
“Whether acupuncture can really help treat certain health conditions is controversial, and now two new studies on the ancient practice have reached mixed conclusions.”
A Pilot Observational Study of an Acupressure/Acupuncture Intervention in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
“The results of this observational pilot study suggest that acupressure/acupuncture is a feasible intervention for children with ASD that merits rigorous evaluation through a randomized controlled trial.”
Acupuncture relieves pain in emergency patients
The world’s largest randomized controlled trial of acupuncture in emergency departments has found the treatment is a safe and effective alternative to pain-relieving drugs for some patients. The study found acupuncture was as effective as pain medicine in providing long-term relief for patients who came to emergency in considerable pain.
78% Pass Rate on March 2017 CA Licensing Exam
The March 2017 California Acupuncture Licensing Exam (CALE) boasted a 78.4% pass rate of first-time test takers, the highest pass rate in any single exam since the February 2013 test (79% pass rate). A total of
Bill Introduced in Congress to Expand Acupuncture Access to Veterans
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Rep. Judy Chu (CA-27) introduced the Acupuncture for Our Heroes Act. The bill requires that at least one Veterans Administration (VA) health facility per Integrated Service Network provide acupuncture services to veterans enrolled in the VA health system.
State Forces Physical Therapists to Wind Down ‘Dry Needling’ Treatment
New Jersey Attorney General’s office rules that dry needling is not part of the legal “scope of practice” for physical therapists and that PTs must stop dry needling by September 2017.
Did this Auburn University professor’s discovery just explain how acupuncture works?
Auburn scientist discovers microstructure of primo-vascular system, revealing possible foundation of how acupuncture works.
Is dry needling a safe acupuncture replacement, or a shortcut around years of essential training?
Acupuncturists typically complete three-year graduate programs whereas physical therapists start dry needling after a weekend course.
Easing the Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment
CONSUMER REPORTS: The researchers found that electroacupuncture and acupressure helped ease nausea and vomiting in breast cancer patients when used alongside conventional anti-nausea drugs during chemo.
FDA proposes that doctors learn about acupuncture for pain management
The Food and Drug Administration released proposed changes Wednesday to its blueprint on educating health care providers about treating pain. The guidelines now recommend that doctors get information about chiropractic care and acupuncture as therapies that might help patients avoid prescription opioids.
Why it’s so hard to figure out if acupuncture actually works
POPULAR SCIENCE: Does medicine have a bias against acupuncture?
Rewiring the primary somatosensory cortex in carpal tunnel syndrome with acupuncture
Study published in the journal BRAIN shows that acupuncture improved the outcomes for carpal tunnel syndrome by remapping the brain
Acupuncture improves quality of life, physical and mental health for patients with allergic asthma, trial finds
A large randomized controlled, pragmatic trial involving 1445 patients with allergic asthma found that an integrative medicine approach in which acupuncture is added to routine care demonstrated improvements in both quality of life and
When arthritis meds don’t work, there are alternatives.
WASHINGTON POST: . Research suggests that acupuncture, reduces osteoarthritis discomfort for some people.
Mapping Effects of Electroacupuncture Paves Way for Targeted Fibromyalgia Pain Treatments
FIBROMYALGIA NEWS TODAY: By mapping the molecular effects of electroacupuncture in mice with fibromyalgia, a research team suggested that the molecule ASIC3 might be a suitable target for the development of treatments for pain sensitivity in fibromyalgia.
Two papers challenge exclusion of acupuncture in British government guidelines
Even as news in the United States recently highlighted the growing inclusion of acupuncture and other complementary and integrative medicine therapies in guidelines for multiple pain conditions, acupuncture is excluded in two British governmental guidelines.
Electroacupuncture may improve regulation of blood sugar in the overweight and obese
SCIENCE DAILY: “Acupuncture is tried and true, for at least certain symptoms,” said Thoru Pederson, Ph.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal. “Here we have a new possibility centered on a disease of massive morbidity.”
State acupuncturists celebrate new regulations
House Bill 165, was passed by the Legislature and signed last month by Gov. Matt Mead. It creates a board of acupuncture with five governor-appointed members and a mandate to approve license applications and create standards for licensed practitioners.
Understanding Acne Breakouts from a Chinese Medicine Perspective
Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture theory views skin breakouts and the development of acne as related to the lungs, stomach, intestines (heat, damp, stasis) and blood conditions specifically of heat and stasis.
Harvard Health Blog: If you have low back pain try these steps first
Drugs are not part of the latest recommendations for treating “mechanical” back pain…but ACUPUNCTURE is!
Acupuncture for refractory interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome
Uro Today: Study suggests that acupuncture therapy in female patients with refractory interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome appears to be an effective, useful, non-invasive treatment method.
Do patients want complementary and alternative treatments and will they pay cash for them?
While complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine treatments such as acupuncture and massage therapy are usually offered in outpatient settings, a new study has shown that the majority of hospitalized patients perceived such integrative services to be helpful.
Acupuncture becomes popular as battlefield pain treatment
STARS AND STRIPES: In 2013, agencies received $5.4 million from a DOD/VA medical-sharing initiatives to improve quality and cost savings at their facilities for a three-year project to develop and implement an education and training program in battlefield acupuncture to address concerns about over medication of service members.
Acupuncture: a way of maintaining animal health without the use of antibiotics
FOOD & WINE: The veterinary department of the University of Bern will be collaborating with an organic farm to teach veterinary students how to use acupuncture as a way of maintaining animal health without the use of antibiotics.
Acupuncture Reduces Risk for Coronary Heart Disease in Fibromyalgia Patients
PAIN MEDICINE NEWS: Acupuncture can help reduce the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with fibromyalgia, a new study suggests.
Electroacupuncture releases stem cells to relieve pain, promote tissue repair, study finds
A study led by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers, and published online March 16 in the journal Stem Cells, provide the most comprehensive picture yet of how electroacupuncture stimulates the brain to facilitate the release of stem cells and adds new insight relating to the cells’ healing properties.
Acupuncture Reduces Two Types of Cancer Pain
“In my experience, acupuncture works reasonably well when treating chemo-related pain, such as chemotherapy-induced neuropathy,” Wiedong Lu, MB, MPH, PhD, lead oncology acupuncturist at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute said.
Big Men, Little Needles: Acupuncture in the NFL
MEN’S JOURNAL: Throughout professional sports, from football to baseball to tennis and track and field, a growing number of players are turning to acupuncture to treat injuries, cure
New Hampshire House to vote on allowing non-acupuncturist professionals to perform ear acupuncture
New Hampshire House of Representatives to vote Wednesday on whether or not to allow non-licensed acupuncturists to train and get certified as Acupuncture Detoxification Specialists so they can treat people detoxing from opioids.
Study reveals differences in the effects of ‘real’ and ‘sham’ acupuncture
Research indicates that “real” acupuncture rewires the brain to produce long-term improvement, while “sham” acupuncture may produce temporary results by tapping into the placebo circuitry in the brain.
Acupuncture Can Ease Wrist Pain of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
NEW YORK TIMES: Acupuncture can relieve wrist pain, and researchers have tracked the brain and nervous system changes that may help explain why.
The Long-term Effect of Acupuncture for Migraine Prophylaxis, A Randomized Clinical Trial
A study published Monday in the medical journal JAMA Internal Medicine said acupuncture may be helpful in reducing the frequency of migraines and preventing
6 Ways Acupuncture Can Benefit Runners
Strengthens your immune system, corrects muscle imbalances, accelerates healing and recovery, protects against chronic stress
Getting Better
TED RADIO HOUR: “We expect a lot of our doctors, but they don’t always have the best tools to treat us. TED speakers explore new ways to think about disease, diagnosis, and the delicate art of healing.” Listen to the podcast
The Acupuncture Channel System (Part 2)
The earliest Chinese reference to channels is in the Mawangdui Medical Manuscripts, which are dated to the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty (475 BC-221 AD). The text presents 11 channels.
There are no acupuncture points listed in those channels. The treatment methods are moxibustion and bloodletting; since there were no points, there is no acupuncture.
American College of Physicians: prescribe treatments such as acupuncture before considering drugs for back pain
The American College of Physicians has changed its official advice, telling doctors to prescribe treatments such as massages, acupuncture, and heat therapy before considering drugs.
Acupuncture Bill Passes Mississippi Senate
Senate Bill 2214 allows acupuncturists to see patients without first getting a referral from a medical doctor if the acupuncturist has been licensed in Mississippi longer than five years.
There’s a Major War Brewing Over the Acupuncture Wikipedia Page
Currently the Wikipedia page for traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) contains the sentence “TCM theory and practice are not based upon scientific knowledge and acupuncture is a pseudoscience.” Wikipedia defines pseudoscience as “claims, beliefs, or practices presented...
The mythology behind the Chinese zodiac
What’s your sign? In Western astrology, it’s a constellation determined by when your birthday falls in the calendar. But according to the Chinese zodiac (生肖), it’s your shuxiang, meaning the animal assigned to your birth year. Watch the video…
Acupuncture for chronic pain and depression in primary care: a programme of research
A new report from an international team of researchers discovered that acupuncture may actually boost the effectiveness of standard medical care for treating chronic pain and depression. The research challenges previous attitudes which held that the practice’s results were simply due to a placebo effect.
“The Acupuncture Channel System” by esteemed Emperor’s College faculty member, David Twicken.
The earliest Chinese reference to channels is in the Mawangdui Medical Manuscripts, which are dated to the Warring States period of the Zhou Dynasty (475 BC-221 AD). The text presents 11 channels. There are no acupuncture points listed in those channels. The treatment methods are moxibustion and bloodletting; since there were no points, there is no acupuncture.
Chinese Astrology: Year of the Yin Fire Rooster 2017
The Rooster is an organized, practical and grounded animal that likes to plan and take calculated risks. While the Monkey is all about the element of surprise, Rooster energy is more about making planned decisions.
Can acupuncture ease baby colic?
The crying of babies with colic may be reduced if they are treated with acupuncture, according to research from Sweden which studied 147 babies aged two to eight weeks. Although the study findings were not statistically significant, Dr Mike Cummings, medical director...
The Benefits and Risks of Self-Diagnosing Health Conditions and Self-Prescribing Treatments
With wide access to all sorts of health and medical information and products these days, many of us are using this information and our access to the proliferation of easy-to-get health care products and internet website advice to be better informed, but also to...
The Science Behind Tai Chi and Qi Gong
NATIONAL CENTER FOR COMPLEMENTARY AND INTEGRATIVE HEALTH: In a recent NCCIH Integrative Medicine Research Lecture, Peter Wayne, Ph.D., of Harvard Medical School, spoke about the role of tai chi in preserving and rehabilitating some age- and chronic disease-related mental and physical decline.
Watch the video “Minding Your Balance With Tai Chi”
Can Acupuncture Improve Sleep for Breast Cancer Survivors with Hot Flashes? New Study Says Yes
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Study shows that electro-acupuncture actually produced a better overall sleep quality than prescription medication, decreased the amount of time it takes to fall asleep, and increased the amount of the time in bed patients actually slept.
Opioids Can Derail The Lives Of Older People, Too
NPR: A recent study of Medicare recipients found that in 2011, about 15 percent were prescribed an opioid when they were discharged from the hospital; three months later, 42 percent were still taking the pain medicine.
Misunderstandings And Good Intentions Fueled Opioid Epidemic
In 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared a prescription drug epidemic as a result of doctors overprescribing painkillers to patients. Lembke’s new book, Drug Dealer, MD, explores the origins of the prescription drug epidemic from a doctor’s perspective.
East meets west as sport horse owners turn to Chinese Veterinary Medicine
Herbal medicine for animals also uses ancient Chinese formulas aimed at treating the underlying causes of a disease or illness to help the body heal itself, rather than only temporarily treating the presented symptoms.
Traditional Chinese Medicine in China
China’s State Council Information Office on Tuesday issued a white paper on the development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in China. Read the full text
Do acupuncture, massage and chiropractic work for neck or back pain?
Consumer Reports: An analysis of 29 studies with a total of 17,922 participants with back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache and shoulder pain found that people with those conditions experienced significantly more relief with acupuncture than those who had no treatment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine Books Recovered
Herbs have been used to cure illnesses in China long before westernization spread all over the globe. A lot of written accounts were made to preserve the old ways of creating and administering medicine in the country. Over the years, some of these books got lost. Now, some traditional medicine books have been recovered overseas and
Cracking the peanut allergy
Using traditional Chinese medicine, Dr Xiu-min Li has created a therapy called food allergy herbal formula two, clinically known as Fahf- 2.
Employers tackling costs of opioid abuse with testing, alternative treatments, including acupuncture
Responses to the country’s opioid addiction epidemic have included lawsuits against drugmakers as well as efforts and programs by federal, state and local governments. But with employers bearing a big chunk of the cost, some companies, like Enginemaker Cummins which instituted employee drug-abuse programs
Equine Acupuncture on the Rise as Adjunct Therapy
Notes from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine.
JAMA Article on Complementary Approaches to Chronic Pain Blasted by American Council on Science and Health
The oft quoted and shared JAMA article “has the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) up in arms over “stretching the word ‘medical’” in their conclusions about the role of complementary medicine in treating chronic pain conditions.”
Animal Acupuncture
National Geographic Video on veterinary acupuncture: