‘Young Cancer Patient Finding Relief Through Acupuncture’

 One of the things Acupuncture is great at, is treating pain.  It has the ability to literally eradicate it within seconds to minutes upon needle insertion.  People have found relief with low back pain, migraines, muscle aches, joint pain, TMJ, you name it, it’s probably documented.  In the past decade or so a number of Western MD’s have taken up Acupuncture as part of their own practice and it’s beginning to be a mainstay in practices across the US.  In an article I found on goerie.com, a teenage boy, being treated for a rare form of muscle cancer; rhabdomyosarcoma, in a children’s hospital in Connecticut is getting great results from acupuncture.

“A.J. Burke hates needles. So when his doctor suggested acupuncture to ease his cancer pain, the teenager’s reluctance went well beyond the question of what the ancient Chinese remedy was doing in a high-tech children’s hospital.About a month ago, however, the aches in A.J.’s legs and lower back overpowered his doubts. He allowed Dr. William Zempsky to stick a few delicate needles into his lower back.  Remarkably, the relief A.J. felt lasted longer than the relief morphine had been providing.”

With Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, it seems the possibilities are endless; there has been case after case of people benefitting from it time and again and the best part is, that it isn’t invasive and it has the potential to be quite affordable!

If you are curious about Acupuncture and would like to try it, ask your doctor today or look up a local L.Ac. (Licensed Acupuncturist) to get all the facts and make an appointment!

To find an Acupuncturists near you; check out Acufinder.com

To find an affordable, community acupuncture clinic; check out the Community Acupuncture Network

 

Source:  Waldman, Hilary, Young Cancer Patient Finds Relief Through Acupuncture, www.goerie.com, Feb, 23 2004

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What to really think about the Swine Flu!

 

Unless you are hiding under a rock or living in the wilderness without contact with anybody and therefore, clearly not reading this, it’s highly unlikely that you haven’t been subject to the next fear mongering pandemic called SWINE FLU sweeping across the nation and the world.  It’s inescapable; even as hard as I may try to not listen to the talk, the news and what not, I can’t seem to get away from this imminent ‘death threat’ lurking just south of the border. 

After the 20 plus emails I got with urgent headings informing me of the Swine Flu and how to protect myself from it or just to instill a little fear in me, I recieved the above picture from a friend, with the caption…. “Don’t do this”.  I had to laugh as we are so vulnerable to the fear that the media creates and we forget the real facts.  Which is why you should DEFINITELY read this article by Dr. Mercola to clear up some of the propoganda…  Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?

It’s really worth a look, it’s a little on the long side, but even if you don’t have time to read the whole thing, just look over the highlighted topics… it’s a little more realistic take on the actual state of our nation in regards to this pandemic.  Some interesting topics…

What is a Pandemic?

“A pandemic does not necessarily mean what you think it does, it is NOT black-plague carts being hauled through the streets piled high with dead bodies. Nor does it mean flesh eating zombies wandering the streets feeding on the living. All a pandemic means is that a new infectious disease is spreading throughout the world.Who is dying?”   Click here to read more

Should I get a vaccine? **you’ll be surprised to read that the possibility of death is probably higher from the vaccine than the actual flu**

Interestingly enough… this is not the first Swine Flu “The last time was in 1976”

Who is dying?

“As of May 1, 2009, 11 countries have officially reported 363 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection and only ten deaths in the ENTIRE world from this illness. At this time ALL of the deaths are from people born in Mexico.

Why Mexico?  Well overcrowding, poor nutrition and overall poor immunity, all of which are indigenous to Mexico will radically increase your risk of death from almost any infection.”

Who is benefitting from a pandemic oubreak?

“More than half a dozen pharmaceutical companies, including Gilead Sciences Inc., Roche, GlaxoSmithKline and other companies with a stake in flu treatments and detection, have seen a rise in their shares in a matter of days, and will likely see revenue boosts if the swine flu outbreak continues to spread.

Swine flue is extremely convenient for governments that would have very soon have to dispose of billions of dollars of Tamiflu stock, which they bought to counter avian flu, or H5N1. “

So, while I encourage you to get all the information you can summon up before you make any rash decisions, I strongly suggest reading this article… the above snippets, are merely just that and they are taken out of context, but they are thoughts worth pondering!

Tamiflu & Flu Vaccines…

Of special importance is the section on the flu vaccine and tamiflu… he has a whole bunch of well backed up evidence informing you of the pros and cons (but mostly cons) of taking flu medicines and getting a vaccine… Wouldn’t you rather know what you’re getting yourself into before you just take somebodies word for it?

“Tamiflu Loaded With Side Effects, Including Death and Can Only Reduce Symptoms by 36 Hours at BEST”

“But let me tell you, getting vaccinated now would not only offer no protection and potentially cause great harm, it would most likely be loaded with toxic mercury which is used as a preservative in most flu vaccines.”

Just be smart and protect yourself!

Be smart and keep yourself in optimal health; you can do this by simply washing your hands, eating well, staying away from sugar and processed foods, get your vitamins, eat lots of garlic and if you feel tired… sleep!  And… most obviously keep your distance from sick people… it’s the number one way to contract an illness…  and last but certainly not least, try to resist kissing any pigs in the meanwhile!

Here’s to your health and wellbeing!

Source:  www.mercola.com; May 1st, 2009  Article:  Critical Alert: The Swine Flu Pandemic – Fact or Fiction?

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‘Integrative PTSD Programs for Vets’

 

Photo by Benjamin Faust on Unsplash

Since I originally posted this article way back when in 2009; the VA really upped their game in the treatment of veterans with alternative methods like Acupuncture.  There has been a growing number of studies, testing the effects of acupuncture on symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, such as Insomnia and other sleep disorders (night terrors, night sweats, vivid dreaming etc.), musculoskeletal pain, brain injuries, anxiety, and depression, and the list keeps growing. 

There are many studies out there, lots of Veterans are finding benefit in these treatments, and as I said, the VA is implementing more options and ways in which Veterans can access Acupuncture treatments either as an adjunctive or stand-alone treatment.  It can be a little complicated to get your approval at times, but for the most part, ask and you shall receive, but the bigger point is, Acupuncture is available, it works and it fills a void where Veteran’s can find healing benefits in physical, mental and emotional aspects of their lives.

For more on how Acupuncture works to treat Insomnia, Sleep Apnea, Acid Reflux and more, check out this great article from The Mattress Nerd.

 

 

Originally posted article (April, 2009):

Keeping with the theme of my last two posts, this article was just published in Acupuncture Today (both a newspaper and internet source).

…and just when I was wondering why there weren’t more programs out there working to implement these complementary modalities in treating Veterans’ with PTSD.  It reaps benefits for both the afflicted vets as well as our economy!

Advocates for the integrated approach in the treatment of PTSD at both Ft. Hood (El Paso, Texas) and Ft. Bliss (Killeen, Texas) were convinced that the traditional methods of treating PTSD weren’t long enough in duration, intense enough or comprehensive enough. A program was created that would address all aspects of PTSD and treat the whole soldier. This integrative approach treats many of the symptoms of PTSD that are not addressed through the standard mental health protocols, including cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. The concept eventually led to the implementation of the Ft. Bliss Restoration & Resilience Center and the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program at Ft. Hood that incorporated medical massage, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, marital/family therapy and reiki with the standard treatment protocols of cognitive-behavioral and cathartic psychotherapies and pharmacotherapy”.

To read the whole article, click this link:  Weighing the Costs, Integrative PTSD Programs for Veterans

Source:  www.acupuncturetoday.com April, 23 ’09

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Emerging Research in Alternative Medicine

med-research

This past weekend, I attended the Symposium for Portland Area Research on Complementary & Alternative Medicine (SPARC).  The theme of the symposium was “Emerging Directions in CAM Research”.  As a student, with lots of studying to do and a list of “to do’s” waiting for me at home, I wish I had more energy to put towards all the new and exciting research that is currently going on in the CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) arena. 

It’s an exciting realm, as we are currently in the midst of establishing a method of research that fits both in the Western and Eastern paradigm… which is a very complicated task!  Luckily there are some great minds out there at work who are up to the task, and from the sounds of it we are well on our way.  OCOM; The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, where I go to school is one of the top Acupuncture school’s in the country and is famous for its reknown Research Department.  We were well represented at the conference, with Richard Hammerschlag, OCOM’s Dean of Research, taking the podium as well as Poster’s featuring research projects, which both staff and students at OCOM are currently working on. 

For more information on research and general information regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine, please visit the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine website   or…

You can find additional information and good current news about Acupuncture and other Alternative Health modalities at The American Academy of Medical Acupuncture, and finally…

another good news source I like is Acupuncture Today.  All these sources will have the most up to date information from around the world regarding all sorts of information on Acupuncture and other Alternative Medicines! 

 All in all it was a great experience to feel like I was a part of this bigger picture; contributing to the progression of using different medical modalities together in a collective nature.  I look forward being able to contribute to the research community myself (someday when I have a little more time)!

Click HERE for more information on SPARC, and The Helfgott Institute; which sponsors the annual event.

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Support Your Vets!

veterans_acu

 

A few years ago my Dad was diagnosed with PTSD; Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; from serving in the Vietnam War.  Since then I’ve gotten to see a side of my dad that I never knew existed, one that surely shed some light on the actualities of war, and who the real victims are.  For one thing it’s taught me a lot about my family, human relationships, the real effects of trauma and for another, it’s one of the bigger reasons that I am studying the medicine that I am today (Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). 

Currently my Dad is being treated by an angel of an Acupuncturist as well as seeing a therapist who practices EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing); which is a type of therapy that basically retrains your physiologic and neurological pathways.  Or better put;

“It attends to the past experiences that have set the groundwork for pathology, the current situations that trigger dysfunctional emotions, beliefs and sensations, and the positive experience needed to enhance future adaptive behaviors and mental health”

Both modalities have been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of PTSD for any kind of trauma but in this case particularly for Veterans.  Currently the Department of Veterans Affairs is utilizing EMDR as a treatment modality and praises its effectiveness.  Organizations are starting to pop up throughout the country that are specifically designed for the treatment of veterans as well as those who are currently active.  One of these is Acupuncturists Without Borders, an organization originally put together to help the victims New Orleans in 2005.  Since their induction they have been gaining ground helping the victims of traumatic events.  For more information about Acupuncturists Without Borders and their mission you can check out their website HERE and/or my Blog post from January 8th, 2009.

The Veterans Project, which was instated in 2005 in Albuquerque, New Mexico by Acupuncturists Without Borders is also gaining ground across the country.  It offers free group treatments to vets, active duty and their family members in dealing with the effects of war. 

 “The potential of this program is enormous. History has shown that the long-term impact of war takes a tremendous toll for decades. By providing free acupuncture treatments to veterans currently returning from war, we can play a part in preventing history from repeating itself, and by providing treatments to veterans from past wars and conflicts, we can take part in helping mend the psychological wounds of the past”

The program has great potential to help thousands, but since it’s a service to these vets and their families they need all the help they can get, they rely on your help for funding towards facilities and supplies (namely just needles).  Please show your support and give what you can, we have the tools to help so many people and all it takes is just a little.  You can enroll as a member, buy t-shirts etc., or just donate whatever is in your pocket at the moment.  The woman who is currently treating my Dad is working on setting up a facility in my hometown of Ketchum, Idaho and she has been working hard donating her own time and money to get the ball rolling, but she and many others still need your help, and every penny counts! 

For more information on donating or becoming a member of Acupuncturists Without Borders, please CLICK HERE

In other news, I just attended a research poster session, showcasing current research projects from my school; Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, as well as the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and there were a few projects currently underway regarding Veterans and PTSD.  It was exciting to see just how effective Alternative modes of treatment such as Acupuncture, QiGong and other relaxation methods are in decreasing anxiety, stress, depression and other symptoms affiliated with PTSD!  So, please help in whatever way you can, it will mean the world to somebody!

Sources:  www.auwithoutborders.org; www.emdr.com 

 

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