Studies Show Acupuncture Improves Athletic Performance

Studies are beginning to confirm acupuncture's ability to improve athletic performance. One example is a study of basketball players published in 2009 in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine. The study of 30 male elite university basketball players were randomly assigned to 3 groups: acupuncture group, sham group, and a control group. The acupuncture group got real acupuncture on 2 commonly used acupuncture points (P6 and ST36). The sham group had needles placed 1 cm away from the actual point location. The control group had no acupuncture. The subjects rode an exercise bike until exhaustion, and were tested at various intervals before, during and after exercise for heart rate (HT), oxygen consumption (VO2max) and blood lactic acid.

The acupuncture group had significantly lower heart rate, VO2max and blood lactic acid 30 minutes post exercise than the sham and control group. 60min post exercise the acupuncture group still had lower lactic acid.

The study's authors note:

In the athletic world, many nations have long strived for developing competitive advantages in sports by employing various scientific methods to improve the athletes’ peak performance in hope of winning competitions. Developing effective methods to help the athletes quickly recover from muscle fatigue after exercise training or fierce competitions and to help them achieve the best physiological situations is deemed essential, especially prior to international competitions. Acupuncture, one of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) techniques, has long been used in clinic to treat illnesses or release pains for thousands of years; it was also known to help in recovering from muscle fatigue after exercise. . .

From the scientific perspective, athletic ability can be a combination of various elements, including muscular strength, speed, power, muscular and cardiopulmonary endurance, flexibility, agility, and balance and coordination, among others. Cardiopulmonary endurance is perhaps the most essential element for all types of sports. VO2max is a fundamental indicator for measuring the cardiovascular endurance. The level of VO2max is one of the critical elements for succeeding in endurance sports because an upper limit of oxygen consumption does exist for each person. . .

During the normal exercise training, it is important to properly adjust the quantity of exercise, according to the regularity of dynamic changes in athletes, to prevent them from excessive exercise training or unbearable load. Prior to competitions, however, designing effective methods to help the athletes achieve the best situation so as to outperform others is immediately necessary. Since muscle fatigue was reported to closely relate to human performance (Bigland-Ritchie and Woods, 1984; So et al., 2007) and acupuncture has been regarded as an effective method to improve the rate of muscle recovery after exercise (Ehrlich and Haber, 1992; Qu et al.,1993; Lin et al., 1995;Wang et al., 1999), this study aimed to conduct scientific experiments on selected athletes to investigate in-depth the effects of acupuncture stimulation on recovery abilities.

These results indicated that acupuncture at Neiguan (PC6) and Zusanli (ST36) could significantly stimulate the post-exercise recovery of heart rate, oxygen consumption, and blood lactic acid for the elite basketball athletes. Our findings indicate that it is beneficial to carry out acupuncture at PC6 and ST36 acupoints, particularly on the eves of competitions, as to enhance the recovery ability for elite basketball athletes. This study has made an inspiring attempt to understand in-depth of the recovery system and physiological profile of basketball athletes by acupuncture. It would facilitate the coaches to provide more appropriate training schemes and recovery plans for the elite basketball athletes.

Photo: hitthatswitch, Flickr Creative Commons 2.0

Case Study: Trigeminal Neuralagia & Sinusitis

Chief Complaint: Female age 63 presented with trigeminal neuralgia facial pain, worse with chronic sinusitis. Onset 7y ago. Worse in winter due to sinusitis: inflammation presses on trigeminal nerve, triggering pain. Swelling of right eye, center of lower eyelid. Frequent associated headaches.

Other symptoms: Celiac disease, food allergies which seem to trigger facial pain. Pain begins 20 minutes after eating offending foods: wheat products or anything with mold. Perennial allergies: onset birth – breast milk: red eyes, sneezing, nasal and sinus congestion. Shortness of breath. Fatigue, bruises easily, heavy limbs, weak muscles. Hypothyroid, diagnosed 47y earlier. RLS: .5mg Clonozepem nightly.

Pain: Described as electric, stabbing, shocking sensation. Over a 5y period, progressed from mild pain to severe pain. Aggravated with pressure applied to the affected area. Headache dull ache, level 8-9 [1-10 scale]. Red/purple coloration on scalp associated with increased pain.

Location: Foot Yang Ming Stomach (ST) meridian of face, in a line from the center of the lower eyelid to the lateral corner of the mouth. Foot Tai Yang, Bladder meridian & Du meridian, Governor’s vessel from vertex of the head to front hairline. Headache: Foot Shao Yang Gallbladder (GB) meridian, along hairline at forehead, left.

Tongue/Pulse: P: Right – hidden, Left – Weak. Tongue: Dusky, puffy with teeth marks. Constraint petechiae and red sides with red tip.

Treatment: Dr. Tan’s Balance Methodacupuncture + custom granule herbal formula. Tx #1: 8 magic points for digestive and lung disorders + ahshi points along the Large Intestine, Pericardium and Heart (HT) meridians between the elbow and wrist crease to treat the GB & ST meridian pain.

Tao Hong Si Wu Tang (Peach Seed & Safflower + Four Substance Decoction) + Sudden Smile Powder (Shi Xiao San) to treat pain due to blood stagnation: stabbing pain and dusky tongue indications poor blood circulation in the affected meridians (Foot Yang meridians + Du channel).

Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang (Augment the Center to Lift the Qi Decoction) to treat chronic sinusitis and weak Spleen: food allergies, weak, heavy limbs, bruise easily, fatigue, hypothyroid.

Dan Zhi Xiao Yao Wan (Augmented Rambling Powder): T: red edges and petechiae, Shao Yang headaches.

Jade Windscreen: Improve immune function: allergies.

Results: Marked decrease in pain after 1^st acupuncture treatment. Facial pain: 1x/5days, stabbing pain, level 2 [1-10 scale]. Several mild headaches. No ear pain. Decreased facial swelling.

Treatment: repeated acupuncture and herbal formula. Slight modification to herbal formula to address allergies.

Result: After 1 week - Occasional pain: pressure to face causes mild, stabbing pain, level 2. No headache. 1 mild occipital headache, possibly due to caffeine. RLS: 2 nights. No nasal/sinus congestion or shortness of breath, occasional sneezing.

Treatment: Repeated tx #1. Modified herbal formula to increased heat clearing (red tongue).

Result:  One week later: Decreased facial pain: 2 twinges of stabbing pain, level 1. Facial swelling, sensitivity to touch. No RLS. Occasional sneezing, + post nasal drip, no congestion.

Treatment: Repeated tx #1, no HT channel points (no GB pain). Refilled herbal rx with modifications to address post nasal drip due to chronic sinusitis, including andrographitis (chuan xin lian), and facial swelling. Continued weekly acupuncture treatments and herbal therapy, with modifications, based on presenting symptoms for 2 weeks. Then decreased to monthly treatments and continued herbal therapy.

Result: 3 months after initial treatment: In past 2 weeks, no pain, no headache, no sinusitis, pressure or rhinitis. Occasional RLS associated with strenuous activity. Energy normal.       KB

Allergy & Sinusitis Talk 7p March 13th Malaprops

• Are you perpetually tormented by itchy, watery eyes and runny nose during the spring & fall? 
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• Do you suffer from headaches and sinus pain? 
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• Is your breathing impaired from chronic sinus congestion? 
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• Are you tired of pills, shots and inhalers which may temporarily suppress symptoms but do not solve the problem? 
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• Would you like a different approach?

Consider Chinese medicine.

Kath Bartlett, Licensed Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Herbalist will discuss how acupuncture and Chinese herbs bring lasting sinus & allergy relief Tuesday, March 13^th, 7p at Malaprops.

• Discover how Chinese medicine relieves symptoms in the short-term while building immune function for a long-term solution.
• Learn how anti-bacterial herbs treat sinus infections causing post nasal drip and chronic congestion.
• See real patients receive instant pain relief during an acupuncture demonstration.

During this 45min talk, Bartlett will focus on environmental allergies – pollen, molds, pet dander – and chronic sinusitis. She will answer your questions about other types of allergens: foods and chemicals that cause G/I symptoms, hives and rashes during the Q&A and post-talk discussion about Chinese medicine.

Join Kath for an interesting, informative journey.


photo: Mcfarlandmo, flikr, creative commons 2.0

Case Study: Acute Back Pain Resolved in 2 Acupuncture Treatments

A gentleman (43y) came in to my office a couple of weeks ago complaining of acute lower back (lumbar) pain which radiated down the lateral side (outside) of the left leg (I/T band). He described stabbing pain, level 8 (1-10 scale). This had happened a year ago. After an acupuncture treatment from a colleague the pain resolved until this recent episode. 

Discussion of Back Pain Acupuncture Treatment

I used balance method acupuncture points in his right hand. The pain reduced immediately upon insertion of the needles. While he rested with the needles in place, I made up a custom herbal formula to circulate blood. In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) theory, stabbing pain is due to blood stagnation, or poor blood circulation in the area. In western medicine, the radiating pain indicates possible nerve impingement, likely caused by a disc protruding and pressing on the nerve root. He had not had any imaging of the area.

Results of Acute Back Pain Acupuncture Treatment

He returned 3 days later for follow up treatment. The pain had much improved. It was no longer a stabbing nature. Now he experienced mild stiffness in the morning with no radiating pain. I repeated the acupuncture treatment in the hand and changed the herbal formula. As the stabbing pain had resolved, i gave him a formula improve qi circulation in the area. The stiffness indicated the qi was not moving in the acupuncture channels of the lumbar region.

He presented the following week for acupuncture treatment with no pain. I gave him one more acupuncture treatment to consolidate the effects. I advised him to call me if the pain returned. He left my office a happy camper.

Update: Long-term Results of Back Pain Treatment

A year or more later I received a referral from this satisfied patient. When I thanked him for the referral I asked about the back pain. He told me he's been fine ever since. 

This is what I hear from my pain patients. "Believe me, if I had pain, I would have called you". So like the Maytag repairman in the old ad, once patients finish treatment, I rarely hear from them.

KB

Cat Scratch Fever: Clinical Pearls for Wound & Scar Therapy

so I got into an altercation with my cat this week and wound up with some serious scratches on the eye area of my face. I was concerned about scarring, so i did some research and polled colleagues on their favorite remedies. The following is a compilation of the collective wisdom generously shared:

When the cat scratched my face (he landed on my head after falling) i had blood running down my face. my first imperative was to stop the bleeding. I keep a Chinese patent remedy, called Yun Nan Bai Yao in my medicine cabinet. It's an invaluable first aid to stop bleeding, and it works. Application method: apply the powder with gauze or cotton to the wound, and apply pressure. The herbs cause the blood to quickly coagulate. Add more as necessary until the bleeding stops. It won't take too long, unless it is a deep cut. The Vietcong famously carried Yun Nan Bai Yao with them in Vietnam to treat gunshot wounds because it does the job well. Once the bleeding has stopped you can bandage it up.

After i stopped the bleeding i thought i would leave it and let it rest. I had to go into the clinic, so i flew off a quick plea for help from colleagues and went on my way.

Later that evening i read through the wonderful advice offered. the first thing i learned is that conventional wisdom on wound healing has changed. You may remember the old school advice that says to leave the wounds open to the air to breath once the scab has formed, especially at night. Western medicine has changed is opinion on this, and have found that wounds heal faster if they are kept covered so that they remain moist and juicy. The scabs will produce scars.

Chris Macie writes:

From recent science, as well as tradition, keep open wounds covered, and juicy (as if internal, swimming in nourishment that repairs). Let the dressing plus the medium (be it Res-K or other TCM or traditional herbal, or modern bio-synthetic compounds) take the place of the scab!

The "science" -- couple of years ago, NY-Times Science section, Q&A dept: Question: better to leave wounds open to heal? (Or my Polish grandmother's advice: let wounds breath (open) at night). Answer: NO. Keep covered and in a healing, moist environment. Periodically cleaning and redressing, of course.

This makes sense from a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) perspective. In TCM, we want to prevent stagnation. the scars are a result of Qi and Blood stagnation in the tissues. Keeping the wound moist allows for blood circulation, including the white blood cells and phagocytes to stop infections, and the various biochemicals and proteins needed to stimulate collagen and tissue regeneration. Scabs are dead blood due to blood stagnation. so it makes sense that although they provide a natural band aid to protect an open wound from infection, the stagnation would slow healing and promote the formation of scar tissue.

As the cat's claws were likely dirty, i cleaned the wounds with a mild soap and water solution, removing the scabs. Contrary to popular belief, and according to Medscape, studies do not demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide inhibits bacterial growth. So being as it stings like a #!?#@!, there is no longer a compelling reason to use it to disinfect wounds, though the bubbling action is helpful to loosen dirt and gravel.

An alumnae i interned with at PCOM (Pacific College of Oriental Medicine) Andrea Beth Damsky recalled receiving these directions from a hospital:

Keep the wound moist with Aquaphor or Vaseline. Do NOT use antibiotic ointments or creams such as neosporin because these increase the possibility of an allergic skin reaction. The purpose of the Aquaphor or Vaseline is to keep the wound moist and prevent scabbing, because moisture speeds healing of the skin and scabbing (contrary to popular wisdom) increases the likelihood of tearing the skin and creating scars. Keep the wound(s) covered. Remove the bandages daily, wash gently to remove any crusting or scabbing, reapply Aquaphor or Vaseline; repeat every day until the skin has healed.

I would add, avoid much exposure to sun or wind until your skin has healed, and any exercises that would stretch the skin of your face.

I imagine you are resistant to bandage your face... perhaps it would work just as well to apply the Aquaphor/Vaseline several times daily in lieu of using a bandage?

You could use vitamin E or other oils once the skin has healed over.

Regarding nursing care, Denise Moran of Center for Rejuvenation Acupuncture, with 20 years experience working for plastic surgeons and dealing with wound healing, advises:

If you live in a sunny area and are out in the sun more than 5-10 minutes, you want to be sure the wounds are covered as the sun exposure could permanently pigment the scars. The bad news is that all wounds heal with a scar, the GOOD news is that the face is very vascular and the thinnest skin on our body and heals better than anywhere else.

I don't like to use vasoline because its a petroleum product. Several practitioners suggested Ching Wan Hung burn ointment to prevent scarring. I keep this item in the medicine cabinet, beside the Yun Nan Bai Yao and my Flying Dragon Liniment. Its wonderful for kitchen burns. It contains many blood moving herbs with heat clearing properties, which in Chinese herbal medicine prevent and treat infections, and menthol to clear the heat. It treats insect bites and hot, red rashes and hives. My patients love it for these uses. The blood moving herbs explains it's ability to prevent scarring.

I also keep calendula ointment in my herbal first aid kit. i settled on using the burn ointment as the scratches were red (indicating heat, and possible infection) and to prevent scarring, my main concern on my face. In absence of Ching Wan Hung or infection, i would suggest using calendula ointment, rather than Vaseline. It should not cause any skin irritation, rather it treats that. it is readily available in the natural food stores. Check the ingredients to be sure its a clean ointment. I would avoid Boirion as it uses petroleum ointment.

The following morning i began researching the next step, scar prevention. Several colleagues suggested Resinall-K, a Health Concerns herbal tincture to improve wound healing and prevent scarring. Chris Macie gave a convincing testimonial:

It's an incarnation of a somewhat common hit-medicine for martial injuries; though some forms may be considered proprietary / esoteric. Contains Dragon's Blood, RuXiang (frankincense) & MoYao (Myrrh), YanHuSuo, etc., in suspension with alcohol and glycerin.

[It also contains san qi, the chief blood mover in yu nan bai yao, er cha, safflower and bing pian (borneol) resin.]

When used to continuously coat, even in a sense of immerse, a surface wound, it appears to promote near-seamless epithelial healing. (similar principle as touted in new Western bandage technology recently)

I keep a lot of it in stock; routinely prescribe to patients who have cats.

Couple of years ago I closed a car door completely on distal phalanx of my index finger -- cut to the bone (palmar side). Kept it packed in Res-K for a month or so. Took a total of about 6-months, but now 100% restored flesh & function; very faint scar.

Health Concerns lists the therapeutic actions of Resinall-K as preventing infections, promoting tissue regeneration, stopping bleeding and activating blood circulation. Therapeutic applications include pain and swelling of traumatic injury. When you look at the number of heavy-hitting blood moving herbs in the formula, it makes sense that it will prevent scarring by keeping the area moist, and keeping the blood moving. the alcohol base of the tincture enhances blood circulation. This is why hit liniments for martial arts are alcohol based.

I found a bottle of propolis in my first aid kit which treats infections. The scratches were a bright red at this point, indicating heat and toxins. so i applied the burn ointment and the propolis and bandaged up the scratches.

At the end of the day i picked up the Resinall-K. the propolis seem to clear any infectious process, as red coloration to the scratches had markedly diminished and there was no yellow exodus. I cleaned and reapplied the burn ointment and the Rensinall-K and re-bandaged. Every few hours i opened the dressing and reapplied the burn ointment and Resinall-K.

By the next morning, the redness had cleared, and the scratches were healing nicely. They look rather shallow, so i am less concerned, but still do not wish to have scars around my eye and on my cheek. once the scratches close up and it no longer seems necessary to bandage to keep them moist, i will move on to phase two: scar prevention.

Several colleagues suggested essential oils to prevent scarring. i looked at a couple of formulas, and came up with my own combination, partly based on cost, as purchasing a number of essential oils can add up.

Tamanu oil treats scars and infections, due to its antibiotic, anti-inflammatory properties, so its a keen choice to use as a carrier oil. other options suggested included castor oil, sesame, sweet almond oil, olive and grapeseed (for phytoestrogens) oils. I will probably used a castor/sesame oil combination, as i have these on hand. In my Flying Dragon Liniment for muscle and joint pain, i use organic castor, sesame, peach seed and olive oils.

Mary Elizabeth Wakefield, who has been teaching facial rejuvenation acupuncture for over a decade suggests this essential oil blend to treat keloid scars:

In a 4 oz blue bottle, put 3-4 drops each of: lavender oil, helichrysm oil and rose oil. Fill the rest of the way with a carrier oil (choose from apricot seed oil, grape seed oil or emu oil- which is known for treating scars on its own) Apply twice daily.

as a vegan i cannot recommend emu oil, as it is harvested from these Australian birds, but i did google it and it does have many healing properties.

Helichrysm was suggested by many of my colleagues, so i knew i wanted to use it. One practitioner suggested a blend of bay laurel, clary sage and helichrysum. When i began ordering i noticed the clary sage is about 25% higher in cost than the other oils, so i ordered lavender for its reputation to treat scars and infections, rose for its attributes for the skin, helichrysum as many practitioners suggested it for scarring and bay laurel. as the Snow Lotus helichrysum and rose i ordered are a 10% solution, they must be dosed 10x the # of drops one would normally use.

After 72 hours, the cuts were looking less red and were beginning to close. At this point i felt comfortable going out in public with out the bandage, just applying the burn ointment to keep the area moist, keep the blood circulating and prevent scabbing, which could cause scarring. while at home and overnight i kept the area bandaged up with the burn ointment and Resinall-K which was quickening the healing process. At 96 hours the superficial scratches were beginning to fade, and a couple of small scratches had already disappeared.

By 120 hours the wounds had closed and the scratches were beginning to fade. Therefore (and thankfully, i would add) the bandage was now unnecessary. It is still important to keep the blood circulating to prevent the blood stagnation which causes scarring. The Resinall-K is a dark red and rather messy. in addition to the menthol, the burn ointment has many blood moving herbs. so for practical considerations, i used the Resinall-K at home and the burn ointment in public.

By day 7 the scratches were now a pink coloration. One of the more prominent scratches had markedly faded, 50%. The Resinall-K seemed no longer necessary, so i began the essential oils. I began with the helichrysum neat, as it is in a 10% solution. It has a lite, pleasant citrus-y aroma. After 2 days with the helichrysum, two of the 3 prominent scratches had reduced to 15% visibility. There is now one long and prominent scratch which has faded to a pale pink coloration. I am now considering mixing up the remaining essential oils i ordered - rose, lavender and bay laurel - to help move along the healing of the more visible scratch.

As the sores begin to heal, acupuncturists needle the healing cuts to prevent scarring. Scar therapy also treats older scars. The general technique is to do something we call 'surround the dragon' where we needle the perimeter of the wound or scar. some practitioners needle perpendicular and under the scar tissue to break up the collagen formation, others needle parallel to the scar. Moxa is used to speed the healing. Many practitioners i talked to recommended laser therapy.

Bill Morse describes his experience:

. . .also use non-scarring moxa to excite the tissues and promote regeneration. With the local needles

The scar will often change character as the first sign of therapy. This may be variable. Hard scars become soft and sometimes hard for a bit then soften. Small scars will enlarge, soften and then reduce. There are many patterns. I like to think that there is "retracing" going on - that is, a reversal of the scars history. Many times patients will begin to recall the incident sequence which verifies this theory. Often there is no apparent connection.

Expect results or changes quickly, however thinning to a line may take several months, especially at thin skin areas like the face. Keloid scars are the most difficult to work with and require extensive internally applied herbs and may contra- indicate the use of moxa. Any scar wider that 1/8 inch will require special care and additional time.

I have seen 4 inch bed sores reabsorb completely with needle application only in a matter of days to weeks, but most deep scars require more time.

Denise Moran adds:

scars tend to start to get a little thicker at 3 months so don't be alarmed if that happens. By a year they have come close to healing, but you could still see some improvement. Keep using your oils and needling and any thickening should be at a minimum or non-existent. I treated my dad for 5 days after he had his kidney removed and at 5 months, it was hard to find the scar. So I'd probably start doing face points within about 72-96 (to avoid stirring up bleeding) hours of the injury, but not in the wound.

KB

Case Study: Acupuncture for Peripheral Neuropathy

Case Study:

Successful Acupuncture Treatment for Peripheral Neuropathy

As a Sequela of Chemo-Therapy

I have been treating this patient weekly with acupuncture following a total hysterectomy due to endometrial cancer. After the first month of treatment the patient (let’s refer to her as Gwen) began a 6 cycle course of chemo-therapy, administered at 3 week intervals. Gwen responded well to acupuncture, and the side effects of chemo were minimal: fatigue, headache, diarrhea, sensation of heat in the chest and throat.

After the forth chemo treatment Gwen began reporting that the tips of her fingers and toes felt slightly numb. Peripheral neuropathy is a known side effect of chemo-therapy. As the symptoms were mild, and other side effects of the chemo therapy were more prevalent, especially fatigue, I continued addressing the other symptoms and did not begin treating the neuropathy at this point.

After chemo treatment #6 Gwen began to notice the neuropathy in the balls of her feet and then traveling up into the ankles. Gwen’s healthcare practitioners told her the chemo-induced neuropathy is due to disintegration of the myelin nerve sheaths, and is often irreversible. Obviously Gwen did not like this prognosis and asked me if the neuropathy could be addressed with acupuncture.

I was concentrating on the fatigue, low hemoglobin and platelet counts, but added in a few points to the treatment to address the neuropathy. This was acupuncture treatment #20.

The following week Gwen began preparations for radiation treatment one month later. However, the neuropathy was her chief concern.

I do a style of acupuncture called Balance Method ™. With this style we do not needle the affected area directly. To treat the feet, we place the acupuncture needles in the hands. I used what we call a ‘shotgun’ approach, needling the upper limbs from the elbows to the fingers. I used the three yang meridians on the right and the three yin meridians on the left. One week later Gwen noted that the neuropathy “is more concentrated in the feet and ankle area, both dorsal and ventral, not as much in lower leg now”.

I repeated the acupuncture treatment, but this time only needling from the wrists to the fingers. The following day Gwen noted, “Numbness still in two feet, but seems a little better, mainly in toes and just in foot, not ankle or lower leg. Notice a buzzing in left foot, almost like electricity.”

I repeated the last treatment and added Zheng Gu Shui, a Chinese patent, alcohol based liniment that has herbs which improves blood circulation. I applied the liniment to the affected area, wrapped her feet in a towel and placed a TDP heat lamp over the bundle. I have continued the Zheng Gu Shui wrap on all subsequent treatments. I also began needling the sensory line on the scalp, which targets neurological issues. During the treatment Gwen reported increased sensation in the feet. The following day Gwen noted, “Feet feel better after acupuncture. . . Feel more neuropathy in foot but now not so much in leg.”

I repeated the treatment the following week. The next day Gwen reported, “Neuropathy seems slightly better. More in foot with very little in ankle.” Again I repeated the treatment one week later. Several days after the treatment Gwen notes, “Neuropathy is mainly in the feet, top and bottom”.

At this point Gwen began a series of five semi-weekly radiation treatments. I continued the weekly acupuncture treatments addressing the neuropathy. Several days after the acupuncture treatment Gwen notes “ Maybe feel more on bottom of the feet”. At this point I added e-stim (electrical stimulation - a battery pack is connected to wires with alligator clips that attach to the needles to add additional stimulation) to the scalp needles. Gwen reported an electric vibration sensation two days after treatment. She requested that I discontinue the e-stim with the acupuncture treatment.

After this last treatment (#10 for the neuropathy), Gwen finished the course of five radiation treatments with little to no side effects. Several days after neuropathy treatment #10 Gwen noted “neuropathy in feet from toes to middle of the foot”. Later that week Gwen notes “Feet feel a bit stiffer in toes and in the bottom of the foot”. After neuropathy treatment #11 the affected area had further reduced to the ball of the foot to the toes, top and bottom (plantar and dorsum). After treatment #12 Gwen noted, “Neuropathy is mainly manifested in feet, felt underneath ball of foot (metatarsal area) and toes.”

After two additional treatments Gwen reported the affected area was in the toes, and that they felt tight and stiff. At this point I added an internal, granulated herbal formula to strengthen the body from the aftermath of seven months of surgery, chemo and radiation treatment, address chronic rhinitis and the neuropathy. Gwen tolerated the herbal formula without any side effects.

Neuropathy treatment #15: Gwen reports decreased paresthesia: she feels a prickly sensation with pressure on the ball of the foot, bilaterally. She describes her symptoms mainly as tightness in the toes, second and third toes and plantar surface of the feet are primarily affected. Accordingly I changed the acupuncture in the hands. I needled the palmar aspect only, distal to the transverse palmar creases and in the fingers to the second metacarpal, to ‘mirror’ the balls of the feet and toes. As the treatment is uncomfortable I have not needled the tips of the fingers, distal to the second metacarpal joint.

This patient’s treatment is in progress. This is her status after one course of acupuncture treatment for neuropathy. KB

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine for Patients with Blood Cancers

I am giving a talk about acupuncture and Chinese medicine for patients with lymphomas and blood cancers on Monday, September 12 at 5p at the Wellness Resource Center, 50 Doctor's Drive, West Annex, Asheville, 28801.

This will be for a family support group for patients with blood cancers and their caregivers, offered through Mission Hospitals Cancer Services and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 
 

 "This group is for people living with Leukemia, Lymphoma, Multiple Myeloma, Myelodysplastic Syndrome, or Primary Amyloidosis and also their caregivers who

live in the Asheville area and surrounding counties of western North Carolina." 

Group Facilitators:

  Leslie Verner, RN, BSN, OCN, CCRP - Cancer Outreach Coordinator

                                               Jere Howell, MS -Clinical Psychologist

      Date:  Monday, Sept 12, 2011       (Meets the 2^nd Monday of every month)

       Time:  4:00 – 6:00 PM

       Upcoming Dates:  Oct 10,  Nov 14,  Dec  12

§         To register and get directions to the easy access location and parking, please contact Leslie Verner, RN, at 828-213-4656 or 800-443-2233.

 

 

 Please come and tell those with blood cancers or lymphomas you love about it.                                    KB

Acupuncture Reduces MS Symptoms and Improves Quality of Life

I'm going to be speaking to members of the Asheville MS Support Group on Thursday June 9th, 1:30-2:30 at West End Bakery on Haywood Road. In preparation I spent afternoon yesterday googling to see what is on the Internet showing acupuncture's effectiveness in treating MS. I posted many links on my facebook page and thought I would also include them on my blog so that they could be easily referenced in the future.

The MS Trust, a charity in the UK includes this thoughtful discussion about acupuncture for treating MS. Acupuncturist and author Jill Brooks includes a list of MS symptoms that respond well and those that have a mixed efficacy for acupuncture treatment.

Alien Sheng sums up acupuncture benefits for MS patients for the American Chronicle:

Acupuncture treatments for Multiple Sclerosis have had much success in reducing pain and decreasing spasticity. Another area of success is improved bladder and bowel control. The reduction of stress and the improved feeling of well being contribute to an improvement in quality of life. The acupuncture treatments must be given frequently in order to maintain the improvements of symptoms, but Multiple Sclerosis is known for its cycles of remission. During periods of remission, the frequency of the acupuncture treatments can be reduced.

This Acupuncture Today article discusses the use of scalp acupuncture for MS patients. They are many styles of acupuncture, including a number of different systems for using the scalp to map out the body. In one scalp system commonly taught in acupuncture colleges, to which the authors refer, there are motor and tremor lines on the scalp. Certain areas on the lines relate to different parts of the body: arms, legs, hands and so forth. I have used successfully used scalp acupuncture for various motor problems, including MS, Bell's Palsy, and Parkinson's disease. In this article the authors cite several remarkable case studies documenting immediate improvement in MS patients using scalp acupuncture.

Drs. Kopsky and Hesselink of the Institute of Neuroacupuncture in the Neatherlands discuss two cases of MS patients with bladder dysfunction (a common problem) which responded well to electoacupuncture. In electroacupuncture, a battery device with wires and clips are hooked up to strategic acupuncture points to increase stimulation of the needles during the treatment. Electroacupuncture is often used in pain treatments. I use it for labor induction and with scalp acupuncture for neurological disorders. Results are satisfying.


Fellow PCOM alumni, Kimberly Thompson, LAc (from my acupuncture college Pacific College of Oriental Medicine) discusses various Chinese pattern differentiations and applicable acupuncture points. In Chinese medicine, we use an individualized diagnosis method. I discuss briefly go into this concept on the Chinese Medicine page of my website. I also explain pattern diagnosis when describing treatment for specific conditions in blog post and articles.


I found a couple of instances where MS patients described there own experiences with acupuncture. The MS Resource Center in the UK discusses Kathy Kelvnik, a hospital coordinator who MS was so advanced she was rendered unable to work until acupuncture got her back on her feet again

Kathy Kevnick sought Dr. David Bilstrom's help after her MS left her unable to work. She couldn't walk. Steroids no longer worked. Neither did chemotherapy.
Weekly acupuncture sessions have helped Kevnick eliminate 80% of her medications and return to work full time as a hospital coordinator."It's changed my life. I had medical bills of $42,000 the year before I started acupuncture. Now my bills are acupuncture & massage therapy.

On Acupuncture.com Duane Perron tells his compelling story with MS and acupuncture treatment. He sums it up,"Finding a good acupuncturist is like finding a good doctor....and it seems you have finally found your angel." KB

Studies Demonstrate Acupuncture Significantly Reduces Insomnia

In 2007, Kalavapalli and  Singareddy published a review of studies of acupuncture for the treatment of insomnia in Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice. The selected studies included many clinical case series and few open or randomized clinical trials. The authors noted that "all of them consistently indicate significant improvement in insomnia with acupuncture". 

 There are so many Americans who are on sleeping medications needlessly. I see wonderful results treating insomnia in my practice, as this article describes. I use a winning combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy.                   KB

 

 Photo: RelaxingMusic, Flickr Creative Commons 2.0

The Traditional Chinese Medicine Solution to Flu Prevention

The NY Times reported saturday on the difficulties in developing antibiotics to treat the antibiotic resistant super-viruses which have become common in recent years, causing a serious public health issue. The US is considering subsidies to the pharmaceutical companies to encourage future development. Antibiotics are not typically profitable for the pharmaceutical companies in comparison to drugs for chronic diseases like diabetes, allergies, or HIV. the reason for the lower profit is that antibiotics are only taken for a couple of weeks at which time the disease is cured. Chronic conditions such as high cholesterol, blood sugar disorders, thyroid problems or MS, require lifelong drug therapy as the drugs do not provide a cure. Therefore it is profitable for the pharmaceutical companies to develop drugs to treat these type of disorders. Because of the drug resistant super-viruses, & because flu viruses frequently vary, antibiotics must be changed year to year, so it is more difficult for the pharmaceutical companies to recoup the cost of research and development.

All of this means fewer drugs available to treat flus. So what is one's best strategy for fighting the flu? Prevention.

Prevention means staying healthy. Keeping your body in optimal condition so that the immune system is strong and can prevent the virus from gaining the advantage in the fight. The TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) strategy for wellness highlights preventative care and intervening early, before disease takes hold. In contrast, the western health care model dominate in our country does not stress prevention. Rather, doctors wait for disease to get fairly advanced before commencing treatment. While TCM effectively treats both acute and chronic disease, this distinction in emphasis on preventative care is one of the many important differences between the two diametrically opposed systems.

Prevention includes the basics of eating nutritious food (3 balanced meals/day) getting optimal rest (minimum of 8 hours of sleep) and exercising regularly (several times/week) to keep the body strong. A good percentage of Americans are not emphasizing these basics, especially in this deep recession where we find ourselves running faster and faster on the rat wheel to keep from falling farther behind.

Living a healthy lifestyle takes effort and prioritizing. It is imperative for maintaining health and disease prevention. With the cost of health care skyrocketing in this country, it also makes economic sense to protect one's health as disease treatment is becoming more and more expensive, and insurance companies are covering less and less of the costs.

In addition to the basics of healthy diet, sleep and exercise, other aspects of a healthy lifestyle must be incorporated for disease prevention. Stress reduction is a key factor. Stress is well known to cause illness. One of the first questions i ask patients with acute symptoms of any condition is has your stress level increased recently? after years of experience, i have learned that in over 60% of cases increased stress positively correlates with the onset or exacerbation of any health problem, including neck or back pain, headache, high blood pressure, stomach problems (i can't stomach this situation) MS, chronic illness, colds and flu, and so on.

There are many articles in my blog and on the resources page of my website AcupunctureAsheville.com discussing stress reduction. Briefly this involves identifying and eliminating stressors from your life and implementing stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, qi gong & incorporating quiet time to your life so to help you deal with the life stressors that cannot be eliminated.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy are helpful in calming the mind so that you are more able to deal with life stress. Acupuncture releases endorphins, the feel good chemicals responsible for the runner's high. Acupuncture and herbs reduce irritability, depression, worrying and treat insomnia, all of which weaken the immune system, causing disease to take hold in the body.

Acu/herbal therapy strengthens the immune system, so it can fight off illness. TCM is effective in treating most health problems, including colds and flu. My patients are continually surprised at how quickly TCM methods eliminate colds and flu, or reduce the symptoms so that recuperation comes easier.

So the TCM solution to addressing super-viruses is three-fold. First: living a healthy lifestyle to stay strong so that a virus would have difficulty overtaking you. I haven't looked at the CDC stats on who dies from super viruses, but i'm sure i can postulate that it is the elderly, weak and infirm in much higher numbers that healthy adults. Being healthy is your number one defense against disease.

Second: integrating preventative care techniques. Regular acupuncture treatments keep the body and immune system strong. This might mean monthly treatments during flu season, and 4-6 weeks intervals at other times of the year. There is an oft used herbal formula to strengthen the immune system and prevent the onset of colds, flu and allergy symptoms called Jade Windscreen. Jade refers to something precious (this effective herbal formula) and windscreen means screening out allergens and germs from entering the body. This formula can be taken long-term, from fall to spring, for allergy or cold and flu prevention.

Other preventative care techniques include stress management activities such as tai qi, qi gong, meditation, yoga, acupuncture and Chinese herbs in addition to eliminating stressors from your life.

Thirdly, beginning acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy to treat the disease as soon as it strikes and to help the immune system win the battle against the viral onslaught. KB

Anxiety, Depression & Fear Allow Us to Avoid Dealing With Life

Everyone experiences anger, depression, anxiety/fear, some more so than others. Some get overwhelmed and blocked by these emotions.

Did you ever consider how these emotions are coping devices, allowing you to avoid dealing with life's difficulties? When one is caught up in any of these negative emotions we are so consumed by feelings that we avoid dealing with the circumstances causing them. Buddhist's refer to kleshas, mental states which temporarily cloud the mind and manifest in unskillful actions.

Anger allows us to feel self-righteous in our view. This burning hot emotion keeps us stuck in seeking vengeance and retribution so that we don't move forward or feel compassion. No progress is made. This emotion allows our wounded pride to dominate so that we stay where we are and avoid dealing with the circumstances in a meaningful, productive manner.

Anger often hides hurt, which can lead to depression. We don't want to feel the hurt, so we stay in our self-righteous anger as avoidance behavior.

In acknowledging the hurt,we must admit that trust was broken, and the other party did not protect our best interests. Either we showed poor judgement in trusting this person/entity, or we must acknowledge their flaws and feelings towards us, which may not be as loving as we would like. Anger allows us to avoid looking at these circumstances and feeling the hurt.

The hurt can lead to depression. Depression is a sinking emotion which slows down all movement, creating inertia. Those suffering with chronic depression are not able to generate the momentum to get out of their situation. This inertia allows us to avoid dealing with the circumstances causing the depression. Life isn't working out as planned. Toxic relationships, dead end or unfulfilling jobs often top the list. Changing our lives requires dealing with all of the circumstances, and that's not easy or pretty. So the inertia of depression is a coping strategy that allows us to stay where we are rather than digging ourselves out.

Likewise fear/anxiety is similarly paralyzing. Fear causes us to freeze. Another coping strategy that allows us to skip out on dealing with the future we find so terrifying. Paradoxically, if we get started working on finding a solution to the problem causing the fear, we would find we are too busy to have time to feel the fear. Anxiety is due to uncertainty. If we work on finding solutions, we eliminate the uncertainty, and therefore the source of anxiety.

Chinese medicine can help support you in dealing with these emotions. TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) recognizes 7 emotions (anger, grief, sorrow, joy/happiness, worry, fear, fright). TCM organizes disease processes into organ systems (different that the western physiological organ systems). Each of these organ systems has an emotion, taste, sound, color, body part & season associated with it.

Anger is the emotion of the Liver, it's color is green (spring, jealousy), its season is spring, its energy is upward (spring growth) it's sound is shouting. The Liver system in Chinese medicine is responsible for circulating the qi (energy) throughout the body and organs. When we get anger we tighten up, so the qi doesn't move, and we don't move forward in dealing with the situation, other than to seek retribution. In Chinese medicine we use acupuncture and herbs to move the Liver qi, to eliminate the constraint and calm the mind. In this way we support you so that you are able to move forward and deal with the situation.

Sadness can affect many organ systems: the Liver, as a continuum of anger (hurt) causing Liver Qi depression (qi stops moving due to the tightening). Sadness affects the Lungs when associated with grief, the emotion of the Lung. And the Heart, as it affects the Shen, or mind/spirit, which is housed in the Heart. Chinese medicine uses herbs to help calm the mind and tonify the depleted Heart and Liver Blood and Yin. An effective herbal formula, called Happy Tea has 3 herbs to tonify the heart and liver: licorice, dates and wheat. It's a sweet tea. These herbs are often added to other shen calming formulas for people who cry often, maybe after an emotionally traumatic experience, such as death or divorce, or for perimenopausal women. Acupuncture moves the Liver qi and also calms the mind to support you in moving out of this inertia.

Fear is the emotion of the Kidneys in Chinese medicine, associated with the color black, winter, ears, salty flavor and water (ocean). TCM uses herbs and acupuncture to build depleted Kidney qi, resulting in fear, lack of will, drive and motivation.

Acu/herbal therapy is effective in treating depression, anxiety & insomnia, giving you strength to deal with the life circumstances. KB

Duke Univ Study Says Acupuncture Beats Pills for Headache

At last! When acupuncture first publicly arrived on the scene in the US in the 70's, the medical establishment's first concern was to be certain that the 'new' therapy was safe and wouldn't harm the public. After the millennium the safety concerns began to be put aside following a landmark NIH study in 1997 that confirmed acupuncture is safe & effective and encouraged researchers to turn to efficacy.

Most of the researchers seem reluctant to verify that acupuncture is highly efficacious, consequently the studies' highest accolades seem to be acknowledging that acupuncture can match western medicine in terms of effectiveness.

Duke University has a integrative medical department that is in the forefront of the field. It has recently released a study showing acupuncture is more effective than drugs for headaches. This is the first of its kind that i have seen. the study documented 62% relief in acupuncture patients compared to 45% effectiveness for those using drug therapy. Here's a 3min video from Duke University talking about the findings and interviewing an acupuncture migraine headache patient.

This is an article I have written discussing how acupuncture treats headaches. A few older studies are included. KB

Photo: RambergMediaImages , Flickr Creative Commons 2.0

Study Shows 2.5+ oz of Sugar/Day Doubles Risk of Hypertension over 160

In the Science Times Tuesday, the NYTimes reported about a study correlating those consuming over 2 1/2 oz of sugar or corn syrup per day with a 2x risk of developing systolic blood pressure (the higher number) over 160. 120/80 is normal blood pressure. A systolic number of 140 triggers a prescription for anti-hypertension drugs in the doctors' office.

I would extrapolate that those on a high sugar diet are also overweight or clinically obese, a condition positively associated with hypertension.

Acupuncture & Chinese herbal therapy are effective in treating hypertension. This is a condition that takes some time to treat. Usually lifestyle factors, such as stress or over eating play a role in the development of the condition, and these things take time to reverse. But I have seen favorable results in weaning patients off anti-hypertensive drugs and normalizing blood pressure with acu/herbal therapy.

Acupuncture is also effective in treating sugar cravings. We have an auricular (ear) protocol (NADA: National Auricular Detoxification Association) that is effectively used for all types of additions: sugar, caffeine, drugs, alcohol and tobacco. I have found sugar cravings reduce quickly and tremendously using the ear points.

So for someone with a sugar addiction and hypertension, acupuncture is an appropriate treatment option. KB

Study Shows Acupuncture More Effective for TMJ Than Physical Therapy or Drugs

The spring, 2010, issue of the Journal of Orofacial Pain included a review of studies on the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating TMJ. The study concluded that acupuncture is more effective than physical therapy and medication in treating this disorder, and recommends more larger trials. The review also noted the absence of serious side effects in the acupuncture patients.

Here's a video showing a normal temporomandibular joint (hence TMJ)

Here's a video of a displaced TMJ that is clicking when it's opening.

This video shows a TMJ disc with a thin attatchment.

I seen pleasing results with acupuncture in treating TMJ and other facial pain. I've used both standard TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) style of acupuncture, which is most commonly taught in the colleges and being used today, and Dr. Tan's Balance Method of acupuncture. I've had satisfying results with both methods, but I see more immediate results using the Balance Method, with a more dramatic reduction in symptoms. Using the Balance Method, I expect to reduce pain on the first treatment.

For example, I recently treated a 25y woman (let's call her Michelle) with TMJ pain for 3-4 yrs. Pain was in her jaw, radiating to the temples, neck & spine, causing lockjaw and ear-ringing. Pain could be excruciating in the evenings, and was worse with stress. At the time of treatment her pain level was a 4-5 (1-10 scale) i inserted 3 needles in Michelle's wrist. Pain immediately disappeared in all areas. She no longer had ear congestion or ringing.

Acupuncture is a therapy, and a series of treatments is required. The number of treatments needed to eliminate the pain and symptoms varies, depending on the individual, and whether the condition is acute or chronic. For chronic pain a course of treatment (10-12) visits is usually required, acute pain responds faster and usually fewer treatments are needed to resolve the condition. I generally recommend weekly treatments. If pain is severe, or to see quicker results, twice a week is optimal in the beginning, for 2-3 weeks, until the pain level decreases and symptoms appear less frequently. When symptoms become intermittent, no longer on a daily basis I begin reducing the frequency to 10 days and later 2 weeks, then 3 week intervals to consolidate the treatment before discontinuing acupuncture when the condition is resolved. KB