York Study Maps The Effects of Acupuncture on The Brain

Important new research about the effects of acupuncture on the brain may provide an understanding of the complex mechanisms of acupuncture and could lead to a wider acceptability of the treatment.

The study, by researchers at the University of York and the Hull York Medical School published in Brain Research, indicates that acupuncture has a significant effect on specific neural structures. When a patient receives acupuncture treatment, a sensation called deqi can be obtained; scientific analysis shows that this deactivates areas within the brain that are associated with the processing of pain.

Dr Hugh MacPherson, of the Complementary Medicine Research Group in the University’s Department of Health Sciences, says: “These results provide objective scientific evidence that acupuncture has specific effects within the brain which hopefully will lead to a better understanding of how acupuncture works.”

Neuroscientist Dr Aziz Asghar, of the York Neuroimaging Centre and the Hull York Medical School, adds: “The results are fascinating. Whether such brain deactivations constitute a mechanism which underlies or contributes to the therapeutic effect of acupuncture is an intriguing possibility which requires further research.”

Last summer, following research conducted in York, acupuncture was recommended for the first time by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) as a treatment option for NHS patients with lower back pain. NICE guidelines now state that GPs should ‘consider offering a course of acupuncture comprising a maximum of 10 sessions over a period of up to 12 weeks’ for patients with this common condition.

Current clinical trials at the University of York are investigating the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and for depression. Recent studies in the US have also shown that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for migraines and osteoarthritis of the knee.

The York team believe that the new research could help to clear the way for acupuncture to be more broadly accepted as a treatment option on the NHS for a number of medical conditions.

York Study Maps The Effects of Acupuncture on The Brain

The Paper:  ‘Acupuncture needling sensation: The neural correlates of deqi using fMRI’
Aziz UR Asghar^{a, b}, Gary Green^a, Mark F. Lythgoe^c, George Lewith^d and Hugh MacPherson^e, 

^a York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York, Y10 5DG, UK
^b Hull York Medical School and Department of Biological Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, HU6 7RX, UK
^c RCS Unit of Biophysics, UCL Institute of Child Health, University College London, WC1N 3JH, UK
^d Complementary Medicine Research Unit, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK
^e Department of Health Sciences, University of York, YO10 5DD, UK

(available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2009.12.019)

Acupuncture eases tamoxifen-related hot flashes

  Acupuncture eases tamoxifen-related hot flashes 

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – A new study provides more evidence that acupuncture can help ease hot flashes in women with breast cancer who are being treated with the “anti-estrogen” drug tamoxifen. Acupuncture, researchers found, is free of side effects and has a side benefit for some women: an increased sex drive.

“Acupuncture appears to be at least as effective as drug therapy,” Dr. Eleanor M. Walker of Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit and her colleagues report, “and it may provide additional and longer-term benefits without adverse effects.”

Breast cancer patients with estrogen-sensitive tumors are typically given estrogen-blocking drugs for years at a time. These drugs, which include tamoxifen, bring on menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

The antidepressant drug Effexor (venlafaxine) is the standard treatment for these symptoms, Walker and her team note in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, but it can have unpleasant side effects, including dry mouth, nausea, and constipation. Non-drug treatments with few or no side effects are “urgently needed,” they add.

To investigate whether acupuncture might be an option, Walker and her team randomly assigned 25 women to receive Effexor or acupuncture for 12 weeks, following them for up to year after the end of treatment.

Both treatments reduced hot flashes, night sweats, and symptoms of depression to a similar degree, and also significantly improved mental health, the researchers found. But within two weeks after treatment ended, women in the Effexor group saw their hot flashes increase; this didn’t happen in the acupuncture group.

Eighteen women in the Effexor group had side effects, such as dizziness and anxiety, while none of the women given acupuncture had such side effects. About a quarter of the women given acupuncture said their sex drive had increased. “Most women also reported an improvement in their energy, clarity of thought, and sense of well-being,” Walker and her team note.

The researchers also point out that Effexor could impair the effectiveness of tamoxifen in some patients, because it can block the body’s metabolism of the drug.

Acupuncture, they conclude, is a “safe, effective and durable treatment” for hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms stemming from anti-estrogen hormone therapy in women with breast cancer. They hope this study will “lead to a change in the pattern of practice” of treating these symptoms in patients with breast cancer.

In traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture has been used for hot flashes. The current findings showing that acupuncture has the ability to cool breast cancer-related hot flashes build on findings reported by the same researchers in 2008. (See Reuters Health report, September 22, 2008).

SOURCE: Journal of Clinical Oncology, online December 28, 2009.  Acupuncture eases tamoxifen-related hot flashes

Acupuncture Eases Depression in Pregnancy

Acupuncture Eases Depression in Pregnancy.  2/22/2010

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – For pregnant women with depression, a couple months of acupuncture might help reduce the severity of their symptoms, a small study hints.  The study, which followed 150 pregnant women with major depression, tested “depression-specific” acupuncture against massage and acupuncture sessions that, according to traditional Chinese medicine, does not specifically target depression.

Researchers found that after eight weeks, women who received depression-specific acupuncture were more likely to have a treatment response — meaning the severity of their symptoms fell by at least half and they no longer met all of the criteria for diagnosing major depression.  

Overall, 63 percent responded to the therapy, versus 37 percent of the “control” acupuncture group and half of the massage group, according to findings published in the medical journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.  But while the findings are promising, questions still remain — including whether acupuncture as practiced in the real world can reliably help women with depression. 

“The acupuncture protocol we have tested appears effective,” lead researcher Dr. Rachel Manber, of Stanford University in California, told Reuters Health in an email.  “However,” she added, “unlike a pill, which always has the same ingredients, acupuncture, like psychotherapy, varies from one provider to the other.”  So while the specific regimen used in this study appeared effective, Manber said, “I do not think we can say that our study proves that acupuncture is effective for depression during pregnancy.”

It’s estimated that 3 to 5 percent of pregnant women are diagnosed with depression, Manber and her colleagues note in their report. Antidepressant medications are one treatment option, but there are safety concerns.

One recent study, for example, found that pregnant women who started taking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the second or third trimester had a higher risk of preterm delivery than other women. SSRIs include drugs like sertraline (Zoloft), paroxetine(Paxil) and fluoxetine (Prozac).

Because of the potential for harm from medications, many pregnant women with depression may prefer psychotherapy or other non-drug options.

Acupuncture has been used for more than 2,000 years in Chinese medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments. According to traditional medicine, specific acupuncture points on the skin are connected to internal pathways that conduct energy, or qi (“chee”), and stimulating these points with a fine needle promotes the healthy flow of qi.

Modern research has most often focused on the effects of acupuncture on painful conditions, like chronic back pain and migraines. Researchers speculate that it may help ease pain by altering signals among nerve cells or affecting the release of various chemicals of the central nervous system.

It is unclear, Manber said, why acupuncture might help lessen the severity of depression.

For their study, she and her colleagues randomly assigned 52 women to receive depression-specific acupuncture twice a week for four weeks, then weekly for another four weeks. Another 49 women received control acupuncture and 49 received massage. All completed a standard measure of depression severity at the outset and again after four and eight weeks of treatment.

After eight weeks, patients in the depression-specific acupuncture group had a higher rate of response to treatment. They were not, however, more likely to see a complete remission in their depression; about 35 percent had a remission, versus 29.5 percent in the other two groups combined – a statistically insignificant difference.

Fourteen women who received depression-specific acupuncture reported pain during the needling, as did seven in the control-acupuncture group.  Overall, Manber’s team notes, the response to acupuncture in this study was comparable to what has been seen in studies of psychotherapy for depression during pregnancy.

SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology, March 2010

Acupuncture Eases Depression in Pregnancy.

Over 50% of Cancer Patients added Chinese Medicine to Treatments

Acupuncture Blog Chicago: Over 50% Of Cancer Patients Added Chinese Medicine To Treatments

January 17, 2010 05:14 PM EST (Updated: February 02, 2010 06:48 PM EST)

views: 286 | 1 person recommends this | comments: 2

Cancer Patients Add Traditional Chinese Medicine To Their Western Treatments

A survey done in Hong Kong found that more than half of the cancer patients studied combined Western medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine with the Western treatment they were undergoing (reported in 7th Space Interactive ).

Data was collected from almost 800 cancer patients in Hong Kong. Of those, 42.9% used Western medicine practices for cancer treatment exclusively. The remaining 57.1% used at least one form of Traditional Chinese Medicine and 5 patients used TCM exclusively. Interestingly, many of the cancer patients did not tell their doctors that they were using TCM along with the Western treatments. The Chinese patients were not comfortable talking about their preferences, at least with their doctors who are practicing Western medicine. 

 Some of my patients have experienced the same discomfort talking to their Western medical doctors about alternative treatments, but they are becoming fewer and fewer. Today, more physicians are knowledgeable about TCM, many are comfortable and some are actively curious. I believe that patients have led this change and am happy to see us move toward a more integrative approach to health care.

Acupuncture Blog Chicago

tcm007

50 Things That Changed Our Lives This Decade – ABC News

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE: From acupuncture to herbal supplements to alternative ways of treating cancer, alternative medicine became more mainstream than ever.

via 50 Things That Changed Our Lives This Decade – ABC News.

Stick it to whatever ails you from the Telegraph Journal

Here is a great article about acupuncture from the Telegraph Journal.

Stick it to whatever ails you
January 2nd, 2010

What do Cher, Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams and Titan, the world’s tallest dog, have in common? Like more than 20 million Americans and Canadians, they’re on pins and needles. Acupuncture needles, that is.

This therapy involves inserting hair-thin needles into specific points on the body to treat countless problems, ranging from easing chronic pain and insomnia to reducing the side effects of cancer treatments and helping smokers quit. Acupuncture’s been around longer than 60 Minutes has been airing: Archeologists have unearthed 5,000-year-old stone needles in Inner Mongolia.

But we like this popular form of energy medicine because it’s backed by an impressive body of 21st-century research. Energy medicine? Yes, it seems to change the electric currents or nerve impulses in your body. And often, acupuncture can help when drugs can’t be tolerated or when conventional treatments fail. It’s a team player that works well alongside other treatments – an integrated approach used successfully for everything from sinusitis and allergies to infertility, asthma and beyond. One of us – Mehmet – even uses acupuncture as an add-on treatment during open-heart surgery, and the other – Mike – uses it to treat chronic pain as well as pain and nausea post surgery.

Here’s what acupuncture clearly has been clearly shown to help so far – other studies are ongoing, so expect to see this list grow:

* Peaceful sleep. Just months ago, a Hong Kong University study of 60 insomniacs found that those who got acupuncture fell asleep faster and were more likely to stay that way (instead of waking up at 4 a.m. to worry about the stock market) than those who got a fake version of the treatment.

* Relief from arthritis. British researchers who analyzed five well-designed studies of 1,334 people with bum knees have confirmed that acupuncture relieves debilitating joint pain related to arthritis.

* Squelching pain. In a landmark German study of 1,162 back-pain sufferers, twice as many got relief from acupuncture as from conventional fixes such as drugs or physical therapy. Acupuncture also has been proven at least as effective as pain drugs not only for treating migraines, but for preventing them, too – making it a great choice if you can’t tolerate the side effects of migraine-preventing meds like beta blockers.

*Reducing treatment side effects. Dozens of studies show that acupuncture helps quell pain, nausea, fatigue, hot flashes and dry mouth in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiation.

How can one therapy do so much? Eastern and Western medical philosophies merge when a licensed acupuncturist inserts those sterile, disposable needles – painlessly, we promise! – into your skin. Eastern practitioners say the needles remove blockages so that the body’s energy, called qi (pronounced “chee”) flows freely. Western science shows that acupuncture boosts levels of pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory chemicals called endorphins in the brain and bloodstream. And that changes how your nerve impulses flow.

You don’t even have to believe in it for acupuncture to work its magic. Case in point: Veterinarians know that acupuncture often helps ailing horses, goats, cats and dogs (including Titan, the world’s biggest Great Dane) in measurable ways – such as being able to walk and run again. With animals, there’s no placebo effect. It either works or it doesn’t. Same goes for people. Many skeptical consumers who’ve tried acupuncture as a last resort become believers when they see results

Stop Smoking with Acupuncture- January Discounts

As the new year gets closer, the dreaded New Year’s Resolution committments begin to enter our thoughts.  Many people want to start the new year fresh with resolves to improve their health.  Smokers want this to be the year they quit smoking for good.  Smokers may have tried to quit unsuccessfully in the past or have quit for a period of time just to begin again.  There is new hope in a very old medicine, acupuncture.  Acupuncture has increased in poplularity as a support therapy to stop the addiction to nicotine.

How can acupuncture help you stop smoking?  Research has shown that acupuncture can raise the level of endorphins in the nervous system. The release of endorphins gives runners the feeling of a “runner’s high” which is similar to the sensation patients feel with acupuncture. It seems that the cravings and withdrawal symptoms experienced by people giving up smoking can be alleviated by raising the level of endorphins in the nervous system. Some researchers also believe that the desire to eat is also mediated by the endorphin level in the brain, which would explain why acupuncture helps dieters to control their appetites.

Excellent clinical evidence supports the use of acupuncture for addiction control. The first acupuncture detoxification clinic in the United States opened in 1974, at the Lincoln Memorial Hospital in the South Bronx section of New York City. According to Dr. Michael Smith, director, the success rate with acupuncture is substantially higher than that of more conventional programs. Acupuncture works equally well for smokers, heroin addicts, alcoholics, users of psychedelics, and people addicted to barbiturates and amphetamines. Addicts report a marked reduction in craving for drugs, a relief from symptoms of withdrawal, and feelings of relaxation along with improved sleep. The success of this program has inspired the opening of public-funded acupuncture detoxification programs in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Chicago, Portland, Miami and other locations.  Now there are more than 800 facilities in the United States which utilize acupuncture for the treatment of drug addicition.

The treatment involves inserting fine, short, sterilized needles in the ear and on the hands, legs and feet.  Patients lie on a heated massage table, in a dimly lit room with soft background music.  The treatments have a calming effect on the mind and body with many patient falling asleep or reaching a deep sense of relaxation during the treatment which last approximately forty minutes.  

Although nicotine does not produce the dramatic effects of hard drugs, it is probably just as addicting in a more insidious way. After one or two treatments, the craving for nicotine is usually sharply reduced. After four or five treatments spread over a several week period, seven out of ten patients will have managed to quit. Others will have drastically cut down on the number of cigarettes smoked daily. Smokers do not need to come in daily, so after each treatment, small pellets are taped over the ear points, and the patient is sent home with instructions to press on them frequently. This pressure creates a mini-stimulus which helps to keep the endorphin level high.

Delaware Acupuncture Clinic, Delaware, Ohio is offering a $10 discount on treatments to stop smoking in the month of January.  www.delcoacupuncture.com

Carrie Craddock Faries, LAc, Delaware Acupuncture Clinic, www.delcoacupuncture.com

Acupuncture and technology

Three thousand years ago when the Chinese began using stones in the development of acupressure, no one ever imagined how the power of acupuncture would be discussed thousands of years later.  From humble beginnings to today’s technology, it is simply amazing.  I just linked my twitter account and yahoo updates to my blog.  Wow.  Not to mention my website.  Patients ask me how acupuncture works daily.  We simply do not know.  I am also asked how someone created a complex medical system without the use of high tech equipment like MRIs, petscans etc.  We simply do not know.  But think about the genious behind today’s technology and the incremental improvement over a fairly short period of time with the Internet.  Acupuncture was developed over a longer time period due to the lack of today’s communication abilities but obviously, like today’s Internet development, many great minds came together to develop an ingenious medical system for healing many health issues. 

Prior to becoming an acupuncturist, I worked in Product Development for Internet based banking products.  Combining the complexity of the human body with the most complex, intricate medical system in the world used the same skill set as creating technologically advanced Internet solutions.  Open your mind to Chinese Medicine just as you have to today’s technology.  Visit your local acupuncturist!

Carrie Craddock Faries, Delaware Acupuncture Clinic, www.delcoacupuncture.com

Liver Qi Stagnation

One of the most common syndromes in Chinese Medicine is Liver Qi stagnation.  Many, many patients in Western cultures suffer from Liver Qi stagnation to the point that it is almost surprising if a patient does not have this syndrome as part of their overall health issue.  This may be the single underlying issue or one part of a more complex syndrome.  Liver Qi stagnation originates from frustration, anger, resentment, and stress (mental, physical, emotional).  The health issues most commonly associated with Liver Qi stagnation are:

• Pain or discomfort along the sides of the body, especially under the ribcage
• Depression
• Headaches/Migraines
• Mood swings
• Sighing
• Hiccups
• Frustration
• Inappropriate anger
• Sensation of a lump in throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Bitter taste in mouth
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain and discomfort
• Stomachache that improves after massage
• Stomachache that worsens with anger
• PMS with irritability or swollen breasts
• Irregular or painful periods
• Poor appetite
• Churning sensation in stomach
• Shoulder, neck pain

What can you do to help your qi move more smoothly and reduce the symptoms of Liver Qi stagnation?  Relax and enjoy life.  I find that patients with Liver Qi stagnation are not aware of just how out of control their lives have become.  Every minute of every day is scheduled and they feel that they don’t have the time to stop and take a breath.  As they rush from one meeting to the next, eat lunch on the run and get to bed late, they don’t realize how much down time they will be forced to take when the body has had enough.  Take time every day for yourself and think of it as an investment in your health.   

When I begin to feel stressed, I feel my shoulders tightening, pressure in the back of my head and I become less able to deal with the stresses of daily life.  My answer is to ride my horse, pet my dog, or lounge with my cat.  Seek the joy of your life, help your qi to move smoothly to reduce current or future health concerns.  If you need a stronger dose of medicine, see your acupuncturist for a few treatments to begin your healing process.

Carrie Craddock Faries, LAc, Delaware Acupuncture Clinic, www.delcoacupuncture.com  (Carrie pictured riding her horse to alleviate liver qi stagnation!)

Acupuncture and Season Change, Fall

Here in Ohio, Fall has arrived with much gusto.  We were basking in the sun and pleasant summer weather when Fall blew in with cooler temperatures, wind and rain.  Many patients complain of more body aches and lowered immune systems resulting in colds and the flu.  With the arrival of Fall, we begin to look inward as we slow down.  After a summer full of activities, we slow down as we move inside for quieter times.  Fall begins on the equinox occurring September 22nd or 23rd. On this date the day and night are equal in length: 12 hours of sunlight, and 12 hours of darkness.  Fall is the beginning of the yin cycle when the daylight lasts less than twelve hours. It’s a time of harvest and we watch farmers harvesting the summer crops. We store wood for the fire and get out our warm clothes for the colder days of winter.

This season corresponds to the element of metal and represents the organs and meridians of the lungs, large intestine and the skin.  As the humid days of summer give way to the brittle, dry air of fall, acupuncturists begin to turn their attention to the lungs and their associated functions. Fall is the season of the lungs, presenting both a vulnerability and an opportunity to strengthen and nourish these vital organs. The lungs are very receptive to acupuncture at this time, and many conditions such as asthma, smoking damage, chronic cough and susceptibility to bronchitis or sinusitis can be treated well.  It is said in Chinese medicine that the lungs hate dryness. Dry fall air, pollution, chemicals and smoke are all ways in which dryness can invade and harm them.  Emotionally speaking this phase is about letting go of grief, old attachments and emotional baggage. This is a good season to rejuvenate the lungs and to cleanse and nourish the skin.

Sleep is an important aspect of staying healthy in the Fall. The ancients advised that people should retire early at night and rise with the crowing of the rooster during the autumn. “Soul and spirit should be tranquil and to keep their lung pure they should not give vent to their desires.”

The Lung is considered by Chinese medicine to be the “tender organ.” The lung is the uppermost organ in the body and especially susceptible to wind and cold.  Many patients are still dressed for summer at the beginning of autumn, which is an open invitation for coughs, sore throats, and the common cold.  Dress warmly and especially keep your upper body, neck and head warm and dry!

The lungs control the circulation of the Wei-Qi, which is the defensive Qi that protects you from the invasion of flu and colds. The Wei-Qi circulates on the surface between the skin and muscles and works to warm the body. If the Wei-Qi is weak, the skin and muscles will not be warmed properly. This is why people tend to feel cold when sick. A weakness in the lungs can lead to a weakness in the Wei-Qi, making a person prone to frequent colds.

The nose is the opening to the lungs, and you can prevent colds by keeping your nose and sinuses clean and clear. Using a netti pot with some sea salt and water helps rid the nose of excess mucus. If you suffer from a runny nose or sinus infections, acupuncture can help rid you of these issues.  What you eat also greatly affects the health of your lungs. Eating excess cold and raw foods creates dampness or phlegm which is produced by the spleen and stored by the lungs. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, cream, and butter also create phlegm, while moderate amounts of pungent foods like garlic, onions, ginger, horseradish, and mustard are beneficial to the lungs.

The transition from Summer to Fall is a time when the Qi is instable. Now is the time to strengthen your Qi to prepare for winter and get a “tune-up” from your acupuncturist to strengthen your immune system.

Carrie Craddock Faries, LAc, Delaware Acupuncture Clinic, www.delcoacupuncture.com