Zak Acupuncture Case Studies In London 07967525168

Acupuncture is effective for trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia is a swelling of one of the trigeminal nerves often due to exterior invasion of wind and cold. Depending on where the pain is localized and which trigeminal nerves are inflamed, a licensed acupuncturist will be able to prescribe an appropriate treatment .Acupuncture produced beneficial effects in the majority of patients in this series. Acupuncture should be considered as a safe therapeutic option in patients with TN, especially before invasive intervention is done.

To observe the clinical efficacy on primary trigeminal neuralgia treated with joint needling method at the trigger point,Chinese Changzhou municipal hospital has done a research about this. Their One hundred and three cases of primary trigeminal neuralgia were divided into a joint needling group (53 cases) and a conventional needling group (50 cases) according to the visit sequence. In the joint needling group, the joint needling method was used at the trigger point in the mandibular joint [the positive point near to Xiaguan (ST 7)]; the conventional needling was used at Hegu (LI 4), Waiguan (TE 5), Taichong (LR 3) and Neiting (ST 44). In the conventional needling group, Xiaguan (ST 7) and Fengchi (GB 20) were used and the supplementary acupoints were selected according to the involved branches of trigeminal nerve. The conventional needling method was used. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and the score of trigeminal neuralgia were adopted to assess the pain severity and the comprehensive symptoms before treatment and after the 1st and 2nd sessions of treatment separately. The efficacy was assessed.

They found that the joint needling method at the trigger point achieves the significant efficacy on primary trigeminal neuralgia, which is superior to that with the conventional needling method.

-----Herbal medicine can also be used together with the above acupuncture protocol to enhance the effect. An often used Chinese Herbal Formula for TN patients is known as xue fu zhu yu tang. This combination of 11 Chinese herbs includes peach kernel (Persicae Semen), safflower petals (Carthami Flos), Szechuan lovage root (Chuanxiong Rhizoma), and Chinese angelica root (Angelicae sinensis Radix) as the first 4 herbs. These herbs are considered in the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory to have a strong invigorating or circulating quality, and serve the role of alleviating pain by eliminating blockages or stagnations in the body
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Reference:Chen ZM, Wu XT.Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2012 Jun;32(6):499-502. Chinese.

Sex headaches are brought on by sexual activity — especially an orgasm. You may notice a dull ache in your head and neck that builds up as sexual excitement increases. Or, more commonly, you may experience a sudden, severe headache just before or during orgasm.As for treatment, a doctor may recommend reducing heavy sexual activity and masturbation for a short period of time ranging from a few days to a few weeks. In addition, doctors may recommend medications such as propranolol  that can be taken in advance of sexual activity to prevent such headaches.

Can acupuncture help with it?

There are haven't high quality research prove that acupuncture can help with sex-associate headache. Some clinical reports from China only.

If you binge eat, you may eat large amounts of food in a short period of time (perhaps not at a normal mealtime) and feel a lack of control during these binges, but unlike someone with bulimia nervosa, you do not try to get rid of the food. You may feel your eating is out of control, eat what you think of as an unusually large amount of food, eat much more quickly in these binges, eat until you are uncomfortably full, eat large amounts of food when you are not hungry or eat alone. You do this for very similar reasons to someone with bulimia. a study reported that eating disorders are increasing fairly rapidly in women over 50. In fact, over 13% of the over-50 population surveyed had some symptoms of an eating disorder. About 64% of the women said they thought about their weight once a day or more, and 62% said that their body image negatively affects their lives. About 7.8% of the women purged, and others used diet pills (7.5%) or exercised excessively/compulsively (7%), which is a form of anorexia that’s only been discussed recently.

Millions of British women have eating binges, lie about how much they weigh and have a negative relationship with food, according to a survey. The study of 2,000 women also found that eating in secret is commonplace, with many refusing to tell family and friends the truth about how much they consume. Researchers said boredom, stress and feeling depressed were the biggest triggers causing women to eat more.

Anyone can help?

Deep brain stimulation reduces binge eating in mice, suggesting that this surgery, which is approved for treatment of certain neurologic and psychiatric disorders, may also be an effective therapy for obesity. Presentation of the results took place June 25 at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.Available treatments of obesity may inadequately address the neural basis of this compulsive overeating behavior, he suggested. A region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens is known to be dysregulated in both rodents and people who binge eat. Therefore, Halpern and his co-workers targeted that brain region with deep brain stimulation in a strain of obesity-prone mice.

What about acupuncture?

Acupuncture has a history of effectively addressing the above symptoms, easing the distress of recovery until the body functions effectively by itself. According to Chinese medical theory, all of these complaints result from damage done to the organs and meridians of digestion. Treatment is aimed at restoring proper energetic flow and function. Through this rebalancing, acupuncture addresses symptoms such as abdominal bloating, diarrhea, constipation, nausea, and reflux. Acupuncture treats both acute and chronic complaints, and rebalancing the body’s energy can help prevent future dysfunction.

Australian Victoria University scientists have done a new research to examines the role of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders in female patients.

Finally, they found evidence that acupuncture improved the participants' Quality of Life as measured by the physical/cognitive and psychological components of the Eating Disorder Quality of Life scale. There was also evidence of decreases in anxiety (both State and Trait as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Intervention) and perfectionism (as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory-3).They conclude that pilot study shows potential of the benefit of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders particularly in the area of quality of life.

Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Reference:Fogarty S, Harris D, Zaslawski C, McAinch AJ, Stojanovska L.Complement Ther Med. 2010 Dec;18(6):233-40.

According to Sciencedaily, A new study by the University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center shows that patients reported significant improvement in side effects of cancer treatment following just one Jin Shin Jyutsu session. Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient form of touch therapy similar to acupuncture in philosophy.

So, What is Jin Shin Jyutsu?

Jin Shin Jyutsu, physio-philosophy, brings balance to the body's energies, which promotes optimal health and well-being, and facilitates our own profound healing capacity. It is a valuable complement to conventional healing methods, inducing relaxation and reducing the effects of stress.

Jin Shin Jyutsu employs twenty-six "safety energy locks" along energy pathways that feed life into our bodies. When one or more of the paths becomes blocked, the resulting stagnation can disrupt the local area and eventually disharmonise the complete path of energy flow. Holding these energy locks in combination can bring balance to mind, body, and spirit.

Learning Jin Shin Jyutsu engages one in self study, self help. Through the process of "Now Know Myself" we recognise the wisdom of the body, and we learn to interpret the messages provided and utilise them to restore balance.

During a Jin Shin Jyutsu session, patients receive light touches on 52 specific energetic points called Safety Energy Locks as well as fingers, toes, and midpoints on the upper arm, upper calf and lower leg in predetermined orders known as "flows." Patients remained clothed except for shoes and all hand placements are done over clothing.

Do you want to try?

According to sciencedaily,In new study, investigators found that even mild thyroid dysfunction that did not meet the criteria for hypothyroidism greatly increased the risk of serious problems. Compared to pregnant women with normal thyroid function, the risk was:• doubled for miscarriage (≤20 weeks of pregnancy), premature labor, and low birth weight • seven times greater for still birth.

The most common thyroid disorder occurring around or during pregnancy is thyroid hormone deficiency, or hypothyroidism. The details of hypothyroidism are covered on several other pages on our site, so only those factors pertaining to pregnancy are discussed here. Hypothyroidism can cause a variety of changes in a woman's menstrual periods: irregularity, heavy periods, or loss of periods. When hypothyroidism is severe, it can reduce a woman's chances of becoming pregnant.

Women who are hypothyroid (their thyroid function is underactive) are at greater risk for infertility and are more likely to have anemia, gestational hypertension and postpartum hemorrhage, the news release noted. If not treated, hypothyroidism during pregnancy can lead to premature birth, low birth weight and respiratory distress among newborns. Overactive thyroid function, or hyperthyroidism, also can lead to miscarriage.

A healthy diet for pregnant women is important for the health of the baby. Having a poor diet in pregnancy, such as one that is too high in fat, may cause problems in the offspring's later life. However, the exact mechanisms controlling the effect of diet during pregnancy on the long-term health of children are not well understood.

Can acupuncture help?

There are many acupuncturist who claim he/she can treat hypothyroidism naturally. Really?

It said that acupuncture can be beneficial to those who have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. The acupuncture is most useful if treatment begins very soon after a diagnosis has been made. Having acupuncture treatments will help to decrease the symptoms that are related to the disorder and will allow the patient to feel less stressed and upset over the condition.Acupuncture seeks to release energy in the body that is blocked. It also seeks to correct the imbalance of hormones. When it comes to hypothyroidism, the acupuncturist will need to concentrate on the kidney area in order to bring about a reduction in the symptoms.

Can you "cure" hypothyroidism with acupuncture?

Perhaps NOT. As I knew,There are no quality research about this in China.

Many patients, chiefly those who originated with a marginal or mild trouble case of hypothyroidism, they were able to ease symptoms and get them back into a normal, Generally, most of acupuncturist have reported 1-2year timelines for those patients they successfully treated. But hypothyroid patients nearly always acquired to take "traditional" drug therapy. The acupuncturist then step by step ablactate patients off the traditional drugs, as thyroid balance was reestablished .It's not a foregone conclusion. it almost always takes quite a long time to see answers, and most patients find it hard.

But,there are some idea:--In the treatment to thyroid problems, acupuncture can be used to restore hormonal balance, regulate energy levels, smooth emotions and help manage sleep, emotions and menstrual problems. There are several powerful acupuncture points on the ear and the body that can be used to regulate the production of thyroid hormones. Treatments take all of your symptoms into account and are aimed at balancing the energy within the body to optimize health.

The new study, published Sept. 24 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association, found that chronic high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes were more common among women born preterm than among those born at term. Both conditions increase the risk of pregnancy complications.Higher rates of pregnancy complications in women born preterm may be linked to underlying conditions related to the preterm births, the researchers suggested.

The severity of this type of nerve damage -- called diabetic peripheral neuropathy -- is linked with the extent of sleep apnea and the degree of low blood oxygen levels that occur while patients sleep, the researchers found.

According to another research;ScienceDaily (Aug. 7, 2012) — At its most fundamental level, diabetes is a disease characterized by stress -- microscopic stress that causes inflammation and the loss of insulin production in the pancreas, and system-wide stress due to the loss of that blood-sugar-regulating hormone.

The First Affiliated Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine found acupuncture was significantly more effective than sham for treatment of numbness of the lower extremities, spontaneous pain in the lower extremities, rigidity in the upper extremities and alterations in temperature perception in the lower extremities after therapy. Their pilot study has, therefore, provided evidence that acupuncture may be clinically useful for the radical treatment of diabetic peripheral neuropathy.Typical acupuncture points:Gongsun (SP 4) to Quanzhong (Extra) and from Yongquan (KI 1) to Taichong (LR 3) mainly. Acupoint injection was administered on Sanyinjiao (SP 6). In acupoint injection group (group , only acupoint injection with Methylcobalamin was provided on Sanyinjiao (SP 6).

Chinese Yueyang Hospital of Integrated Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine did a research about this,Thirty cases with OSAHS were treated with acupuncture at Shanglianquan (Extra), Fengfu (GV 16), Yamen (GV 15), Fengchi (GB 20), etc. 3-5 sessions each week. After treatment of 30 sessions,they concluded:The acupuncture treatment has intervenient effect on OSAHS and alleviates anoxia, so acupuncture is one of therapies improving anoxia in patients of OSAHS.
Acupuncture reduces nocturnal respiratory events and sleep disruptions. Researchers say that its anti-inflammatory effects make it an effective sleep disorder treatment.They say that the neck is the main acupuncture point for people with sleep apnea. One of the main symptoms of sleep apnea is gasping for breath during sleep. The neck stimulates a muscle that allows for easy air flow, resulting in better breathing for the sleep apnea sufferer.Still, the study needs further research to solidify its claims.

A new study shows that although gastric bypass surgery reverses Type 2 diabetes in a large percentage of obese patients, the disease recurs in about 21 percent of them within three to five years. The study results were presented June 25 at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

Trust is a fundamental aspect of the patient-acupuncturist relationship.Even well-informed and knowledgeable patients have to rely on their physicians to provide them with appropriate information, keep personal information confidential, provide competent care, and act in their best interests.

Why does your patient trust you?

Accoding to research, patient who trust their feelings are more likely to make choices based on what "feels right" even when feelings are irrelevant to their decision.

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Certain individuals have a stronger belief that their feelings will generally point them in the right direction. These individual differences in trust in feelings are not fixed personality traits, but rather recurring tendencies that arise from the person's history of success or failure in reliance on feelings, as well as from surrounding social and cultural norms," write authors Tamar Avnet (Yeshiva University), Michel Tuan Pham (Columbia University), and Andrew T. Stephen (University of Pittsburgh).

High trust in feelings encourages choices that 'feel right' even in the presence of compelling information that favors an opposite response.

Patient want to find an acupuncturist that they click with. If patient like and trust their practitioner, their encounter with acupuncture will be more positive.

Do your patient trust you? Why not?

According to new research,Acupuncturists' communication of optimism about treatment effectiveness contributed to pain and function outcomes indirectly through its effect on satisfaction during treatment. Future research should model pathways through which clinician-patient communication affects mediating variables that in turn lead to improved health outcomes.(Patient Educ Couns. 2012 Jul 31)

Understanding that it is the unfamiliarity of the medicine that is scary rather than the needles is important. It is important to make potential patients trust, that as a practitioner, we understand what we are doing and that they don't have know everything. Acupuncture has become more mainstream, but there are still thousands of people who can be helped who won't try acupuncture because it's too scary. The fear isn't about the needles, but in the unknown and the unfamiliar. The needles, however, are an easy familiar frame of reference to be afraid of.Acupuncturists shouldn't always take themselves so seriously. Heart centered, loving healing is important. Remember, laughter is about the heart. Being open means being able to laugh with our patients and connect with them as they go through their healing process. Our openness lets us touch the patient's spirit as they make the first steps down a journey towards better health, no matter how afraid they are.

A recent study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) revealed that the FOXO1 gene may play an important role in the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease.These findings are published online in PLoS Genetics, a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science.

The another new study was published online June 20 in Neurology

Deep brain stimulation, a treatment that involves the surgical implantation of wires in the brain that deliver an electrical current, could improve motor functions for at least three years in people with advanced Parkinson's disease.

Researchers randomly assigned 159 patients with Parkinson's disease to receive deep brain stimulation either in an interior area of the brain called the subthalamic nucleus (STN) or in a less studied and larger exterior brain area called the globus pallidus interna (GPi). The two groups had similar improvements in common Parkinson's symptoms, such as tremors, muscle rigidity and speech, and those improvements held 36 months after the surgery.

Not everyone with Parkinson's disease will be a candidate. People who have severe mental disability or other medical problems may not be eligible.

Two patients freed from severe to disabling effects of dystonia through deep brain stimulation therapy continued to have symptom relief for months after their devices accidentally were fully or partly turned off, according to a new report.

A recent study in the journal Movement Disorders demonstrates that acupuncture does indeed activate areas in the brain that are normally responsible for movement and that are typically not functioning normally in PD

Adults who reported ever having had a head injury and who were exposed to the herbicide paraquat had nearly a three-fold increased risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, according to a survey published Monday in the journal Neurology.

Actually, acupuncture may be construed as a form of deep brain stimulation via systematic stimulation of the skin. It may therefore one day prove to be an effective tool in the battle against PD.

Chinese researcher found that Electro-scalp acupuncture can decrease the loss of DAT and improve the activities of DAT in the striatum of the patient of PD.

What's your experience?
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Reference:Jiang XM, Huang Y, Li DJ, Tang AW, Wang SX, Zhuo Y, Li QS, Chen J, Gao YP. Zhen Jiu. 2006 Jun;26(6):427-30. Chinese.

Linked news:
ScienceDaily (July 23, 2012) — A new and powerful class of antioxidants could one day be a potent treatment for Parkinson's disease, researchers report.A class of antioxidants called synthetic triterpenoids blocked development of Parkinson's in an animal model that develops the disease in a handful of days, said Dr. Bobby Thomas, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University and corresponding author of the study in the journal Antioxidants & Redox Signaling.

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2012) — Health professionals may soon have a new method of diagnosing Parkinson’s disease, one that is noninvasive and inexpensive, and, in early testing, has proved to be effective more than 90 percent of the time.In addition, this new method has the potential to track the progression of Parkinson’s, as well as measure the effectiveness of treatments for the disorder, said Rahul Shrivastav, professor and chairperson of Michigan State University’s Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders and a member of the team developing the new method.

Jan. 10, 2013 — New research suggests that testing a portion of a person’s saliva gland may be a way to diagnose Parkinson’s disease. The study was released January 10 and will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 65th Annual Meeting in San Diego, March 16 to 23, 2013.

The study, published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, also found that nearly two-thirds of older women (62 per cent) claimed that their weight or shape negatively impacted on their life.

Researchers found in women aged 50 and over that 3.5 per cent reported binge eating, while nearly eight per cent said they had purged food from their bodies and more than 70 per cent admitted they were trying to lose weight.

Why some people are at risk for eating disorders isn’t clear. But surveys show that depression is often a factor. In a 2008 study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, for example, 24% of bipolar patients met the criteria for eating disorders. An estimated 44% had trouble controlling their eating.The cause is unknown, but most experts believe the condition results from a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors Around 20-30 per cent of people with anorexia do not respond to treatment, and around 5 per cent will die from complications caused by malnutrition.

Australian Victoria University scientists have done a new research to examines the role of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders in female patients.

Finally, they found evidence that acupuncture improved the participants' Quality of Life as measured by the physical/cognitive and psychological components of the Eating Disorder Quality of Life scale. There was also evidence of decreases in anxiety (both State and Trait as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Intervention) and perfectionism (as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory-3).They conclude that pilot study shows potential of the benefit of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders particularly in the area of quality of life.

Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Reference:Fogarty S, Harris D, Zaslawski C, McAinch AJ, Stojanovska L.Complement Ther Med. 2010 Dec;18(6):233-40.

Deep brain stimulation reduces binge eating in mice, suggesting that this surgery, which is approved for treatment of certain neurologic and psychiatric disorders, may also be an effective therapy for obesity. Presentation of the results took place June 25 at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston.

Every year, millions of healthcare consumers will visit a acupuncturist for the first time. There are over 6000 acupuncturists currently practicing in the UK

If you, a friend, a colleague or family member are interested in a non-invasive approach to better health, let Acupuncturist directory help you in your search for alternatives.

Acupuncturist directory--a free information Web site dedicated to helping people who are interested in acupuncture care find and understand the appropriate options and treatments that are available. Unlike a general acupuncturist directory, Acupuncturist Directory is a acupuncturist network, matching people with a acupuncturist or acupuncture clinic in their community.

We are dedicated to maintaining the most up-to-date and accurate information regarding Acupuncturists and the acupuncture profession.

Acupuncturist directory serves as a resource for individuals seeking a acupuncturist in their area. We provide details about each acupuncturist we list including their acupuncture methods and practices, their education, and contact information to their clinic.

To find an acupuncturist physician in your area, you have two options. You may enter your location details under the "Search " title on the top right of page. Or, if you would like to browse through specific cities or directly click on the city to find them

Over hundred acupuncturists listed.
Acupuncture methods and practices detailed.
Acupuncturist contact information provided.
Profiled acupuncturist.

Researchers conducted the study to determine if a type of electro-acupuncture called DCEAS (dense cranial electroacupuncture stimulation) could enhance antidepressant effects during the early phase of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment for major depressive disorder.

The researchers note that this style of acupuncture has been proven effective in the treatment of refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder, post-stroke depression, and depression-related insomnia.

Fluoxetine was chosen as the study’s medication because it is a widely prescribed SSRI for the treatment of major depression.

Patients in the acupuncture group were treated three times per week along with fluoxetine treatment. The acupuncture points used in the study were: Baihui, Yintang, Sishencong, Toulinqi, Shuaigu, Taiyang and Touwei. Needles were inserted at a slant or in a horizontal fashion at a depth of 10-30mm.

They conclude that electro-acupuncture is effective in increasing the antidepressant effects of fluoxetine for the treatment of moderate and severe depression.

Read more
Electroacupuncture should apply to acupuncture points: Baihui (DU20), Yintang (EX-HN3), Sishencong (EX-HN1), Toulinqi (GB15), Shuaigu (GB8), Taiyang (EX-HN5), Touwei (ST8).

Another research about electro acupuncture.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain is common and has been increasingly managed by opioid medications, of which the long-term efficacy is unknown. Furthermore, there is evidence that long-term use of opioids is associated with reduced pain control and declining physical function and quality of life, and could hinder the goals of integrated pain management. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been shown to be effective in reducing postoperative opioid consumption. Limited evidence suggests that acupuncture could assist patients with chronic pain to reduce their requirements for opioids.

As we know,One of the most commonly used acupuncture points used for gynecological, fertility, digestive, urinary, sexual and emotional disorders is SanYinJiao, or Spleen 6. Its name translates into English as Three Yin Intersection, reflective of it being a meeting point of the three yin channels of the leg (Spleen, Liver and Kidney). One needle; three meridians.SanYinJiao is classified as one of the “forbidden points”, since it is contra-indicated to use during pregnancy because of its influence on the musculature of the uterus.

To observe the impacts of electroacupuncture (EA) at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) on labor and assess its safety,Chinese beijing Meitan General Hospital has done a research about this.The random and single-blind method was adopted to divide 111 cases of the puerperas of natural delivery into an EA group (38 cases), a sham-acupuncture group (37 cases) and a blank control group (36 cases).

Their conclusion is that electro-acupuncture EA at Sanyinjiao (SP 6) can shorten the duration of the active phase of the 1st labor stage. It is safe for either the puerpera or the fetus and can assist the parturition quality in clinic.
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Reference:Liu YL, Jin ZG .Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2012 May;32(5):409-12.

Several complementary therapies may play a useful role in the treatment of RA, although the safety and effectiveness of most of these therapies are still uncertain. Thus, people with RA who are considering complementary therapies should discuss these therapies with their healthcare provider first. Furthermore, therapies that have proven benefits should only be used to complement, not replace, conventional medical treatment.

To critically review the evidence on the effectiveness of complementary therapies for patients with RA,UK scientists have done a review about those treatment.They found that eleven eligible trials were identified covering seven therapies. Three trials that compared acupuncture with sham acupuncture reported no significant difference in pain reduction between the groups but one out of two reported an improvement in patient global assessment. Except for reduction in physician's global assessment of treatment and disease activity reported in one trial, no other comparative benefit of acupuncture was seen. There were two studies on meditation and one each on autogenic training, healing therapy, progressive muscle relaxation, static magnets and tai chi. None of these trials reported positive comparative effects on pain but some positive effects on patient global assessment were noted at individual time points in the healing therapy and magnet therapy studies. A small number of other outcomes showed comparative improvement in individual trials. There were no reports of major adverse events.

Two studies of low to medium quality were reviewed and provide the best evidence we have today. The studies tested 84 people who had rheumatoid arthritis. The studies compared acupuncture to a placebo (fake therapy) or a steroid injection. Improvement was measured after one treatment or after five treatments given once per week.

Although previous research has suggested a connection between exposure to air pollution and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, a large new study of nurses finds no link._
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Reference:Macfarlane GJ, Paudyal P, Doherty M, Ernst E, Lewith G, Macpherson H, Sim J, Jones GT Rheumatology (Oxford). 2012 Jun 1

Drinking more than three alcoholic beverages a week for at least 10 years may halve a woman's risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a large new study from Sweden

According to Dailymail today,Scientists believe milk fat upsets the gut ecosystem, causing an influx of potentially harmful bacteria.In certain individuals, this can trigger an extreme immune reaction, leading to Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) conditions such as Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.The discovery may explain why once-rare immune disorders have become so common in the West over the past 50 years, US researchers said.

Can acupuncture help with IBS?

To observe the clinical efficacy of the needling depth recorded in Lingshu (Miraculous Pivot) for irritable bowel syndrome of diarrhea (IBS-D),Chinese Xiyuan Hospital of China researcher has done a new research about this.21 cases of IBSD were treated with acupuncture at Zhangmen(lR 13), Zhongwan(CV 12), Tianshu (ST 25), Guanyuan(CV 4), Qimen (LR 14), Quchi (LI 11), Hegu (LI 4), Yinlingquan(SP 9), Zusanli (ST 36) and Taichong (LR 3), 0. 1-0. 6 cun (2-12 mm) in depth.

Chinese researcher concluded that the better clinical efficacy has been achieved for IBS-D treated with needling depth recorded in Lingshu (Miraculous Pivot) in Germany. The longer session of treatment is, the better efficacy is obtained.

IBS-D (IBS diarrhea), where patients suffer more from diarrhea than from constipation, is the most common form of IBS, with a huge number of people suffering. It can be particularly difficult to deal with because of the need to always stay close to a bathroom, which restricts patient's lives considerably.Sufferers often have to deal with incontinence, which itself is very distressing and can lead to anxiety about leaving home or traveling. They may also have to cope with unsympathetic responses to their problems, including some idiots who think it's fun to laugh at people when they are in terrible pain.
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Reference:Lu YH, Tang XD.Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2011 Nov;31(11):975-7.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious public health problem in the United States.  Each year, traumatic brain injuries contribute to a substantial number of deaths and cases of permanent disability. Recent data shows that, on average, approximately 1.7 million people sustain a traumatic brain injury annually.

A number of studies conducted and published in China have suggested that acupuncture may be beneficial in the acute treatment and rehabilitation of TBI. To determine the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in the acute management or rehabilitation (or both) of patients with a TBI, including cognitive, neurological, motor, communication, emotional, or behavioral complications, or a combination of such complications,The university of hong kong has done research about this.They searched the Cochrane Injuries Group Specialised Register, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials 2008, Issue 2 (The Cochrane Library), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, AMED, PsycINFO and others. We also searched the Chinese Acupuncture Studies Register, the Studies Register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, NCCAM, and NIH Clinical Studies Database. Three major Mainland Chinese academic literature databases (CNKI, VIP and Wang Fang Data) were also searched using keywords in simplified Chinese.

They found that the low methodological quality of the included studies does not allow us to make conclusive judgments on the efficacy and safety of acupuncture in either the acute treatment and/or rehabilitation of TBI. Its beneficial role for these indications remains uncertain. Further research with high quality trials is required.
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Reference:Wong V, Cheuk DK, Lee S, Chu V. J Phys Rehabil Med. 2012 Mar;48(1):71-86.

Dr Eric Manheimer and colleagues from Maryland, USA conducted a new systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to estimate the effects of acupuncture for treating IBS.The team searched MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and the Chinese databases Sino-Med, CNKI, and VIP were searched through 2011,according to Astudy in this month's issue of the American Journal of Gastroenterology.

The team found no difference between acupuncture and Bifidobacterium or between acupuncture and psychotherapy.
Acupuncture as an adjuvant to another Chinese medicine treatment was statistically significantly better than the other treatment alone, in trials with a high risk of bias.Dr Manheimer's team concludes, "Sham-controlled randomized controlled trials have found no benefits of acupuncture relative to a credible sham acupuncture control on IBS symptom severity or IBS-related quality of life."
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Reference:Acupuncture for Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Eric Manheimer MS1, L Susan Wieland PhD1, Ke Cheng PhD, LAc2, Shih Min Li MD, PhD3, Xueyong Shen MD2, Brian M Berman MD1 and Lixing Lao PhD, LAc1

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common, costly, and difficult to treat disorder that impairs health‐related quality of life and work productivity. Evidence‐based treatment guidelines have been unable to provide guidance on the effects of acupuncture for IBS because the only previous systematic review included only small, heterogeneous and methodologically unsound trials.
For psychological treatment options, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, gut-directed hypnotherapy, and psychodynamic therapy, the evidence supporting their use in IBS patients is strong, but the availability limits their use in clinical practice. Dietary interventions are commonly included in the management of IBS patients, but these are primarily based on studies assessing physiological function in relation to dietary components, and to a lesser degree upon research examining the role of dietary components in the therapeutic management of IBS. Several probiotic products improve a range of symptoms in IBS patients. Physical activity is of benefit for health in general and recent data implicates its usefulness also for IBS patients. Acupuncture does not seem to have an effect beyond placebo in IBS. A beneficial effect of some herbal treatments has been reported. source:Curr Gastroenterol Rep. 2012 Jun 4

While many attribute eating disorders to teen girls and young women, experts say there may be a growing number of older people who experience the same struggles. Whether there is more awareness and diagnoses remains unclear, but many clinical experts said they have seen a spike in women over 40 seeking treatment in recent years,according to abc news.

Can acupuncture help?

Australian Victoria University scientists have done a new research to examines the role of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders in female patients.
Finally, they found evidence that acupuncture improved the participants' Quality of Life as measured by the physical/cognitive and psychological components of the Eating Disorder Quality of Life scale. There was also evidence of decreases in anxiety (both State and Trait as measured by the State Trait Anxiety Intervention) and perfectionism (as measured by the Eating Disorder Inventory-3).They conclude that pilot study shows potential of the benefit of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of eating disorders particularly in the area of quality of life.[1]

Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are associated with fertility problems and negative attitudes to pregnancy, according to a UK study. The research also revealed high rates of unplanned pregnancies in women with a history of anorexia, suggesting they may be underestimating their chances of conceiving. The study is to be published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
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[1]Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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The study provides a snapshot of the medications used in the 72 hours before each match during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. More than two-thirds of footballers taking part in the World Cup used any sort of prescribed medication at some point, with 60.3% taking painkilling drugs at least once. Before their team’s match, just under half the players were taking some sort of medication, regardless of whether they were playing. Most of these players were taking anti-inflammatory drugs,according to NHS choice.

Anti inflammatory drugs
Anti inflammatory drugs can irritate your stomach and bowel (digestive system). If you take them without anything to protect your stomach, they can cause stomach bleeding or ulcers. They can also slow down the time your blood takes to clot. So if you have any bleeding or clotting problems your doctor may not use these drugs. Some types can affect the ways that your kidneys work.

Why not acupuncture?

Eight Cochrane reviews were included and all were of a high methodological quality spanning a variety of different pain syndromes. Four reviews concluded that acupuncture is effective for migraines, neck disorders, tension-type headaches, and peripheral joint osteoarthritis; one review failed to demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture for rheumatoid arthritis; and three reviews were inconclusive for shoulder pain, lateral elbow pain, and low back pain.
The author’s conclusions were that the research suggests acupuncture is effective for some but not all types of pain.

So, we have to remind footballers--Want to take painkiller ? Think again.

According NHS Choice:

The news comes after experts debated the safety and effectiveness of spinal manipulation for neck pain in the pages of the British Medical Journal. The debate featured academics, some of whom said that spinal manipulation should be abandoned as a treatment for neck pain, and some who disagreed saying that it is a valid treatment that patients like.

However, the academics who defended spinal manipulation considered it a valuable addition to patient care. They argued that while there are benefits and harms with all treatments - including medications, exercise, mobilisation and manipulation for neck pain - there is “no clear winner” when it comes to the effect on patients’ overall quality of life.

Why are so many people not happy for media repot? Obviously they are .... ..........

According to a study analysis by international medical review body Cochrane, neck manipulation as a stand-alone treatment gives only moderate short-term pain relief compared with dummy manipulations or muscle relaxant drugs.

The potential for catastrophic events and clear absence of unique benefit lead to the inevitable conclusion that manipulation of the cervical spine should be abandoned.

According to Dailymail today {09/06/2012}~The British Chiropractic Association said the technique is at least as effective as other medical treatments and safer than drugs. A spokesman added: ‘The term chiropractic is often mis-used for treatment carried out by non-chiropractors.

So ,Neck ‘cracking’ and manipulations carried out by REAL chiropractors could NOT trigger ‘catastrophic’ health problems such as strokes?

I still don't understand.

What's your opinion?

According to BMJ.,The lists the common conditions that the authors claim are being overdiagnosed:

Breast cancer – a systematic review suggests that a third of breast cancers detected by screening might not cause harm or early death.

High cholesterol – almost 4 in ever 5 people treated for high cholesterol may actually have near-normal cholesterol levels.

What is your opinion ?

Compensation paid to people whose illnesses were not spotted or were detected too late soared from £56 million in 2009-10 to more than £98 million in 2010-11.
Nearly one in ten of the 1,204 successful cases brought against NHS trusts last year related to health staff failing to diagnose cancer, figures released by the NHS Litigation Authority (NHSLA) in response to a Freedom of Information request show.

According to new research from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.,USA.People with insomnia may now have one more thing to keep them up at night: an increased likelihood of developing hypertension,

The cause of hypertension in insomniacs is due to the number of times the individual wakes during the night as well as their sleep latency -- the length of time it takes to accomplish the transition from full wakefulness to sleep," says Christopher Drake, associate scientist at the Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders and Research Center and lead author of this study.

The link between another sleep disorder, sleep apnea, and hypertension is well established. But the newly published study is one of the first to find that insomnia also raises the risk for high blood pressure.

Scientists have discovered another possible benefit of a night of restful and uninterrupted sleep. According to researchers, fragmented or interrupted sleep could predict future placement in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

Using a mobile phone, tablet or laptop before going to bed leads to sleep troubles according to new research

Can acupuncture help with hypertension ?

Acupuncture combined with electronic stimulation can lower high blood pressure, US researchers say.

In this study, 160 patients in Germany and China with mild to moderate hypertension were randomized to receive either acupuncture (performed by Chinese physicians accredited in acupuncture) or a sham procedure. The sham procedure consisted of identical acupuncture sessions, complete with needle insertions - but the insertion points were not the precise sites prescribed by traditional Chinese medicine for treating blood pressure. Both groups of patients underwent 22 sessions of 30 minutes each over a period of six weeks.

At the end of that time, the systolic and diastolic blood pressures in patients receiving traditional Chinese acupuncture were significantly reduced (by approximately 5 mm Hg and 3 mm Hg, respectively). Unfortunately, when acupuncture was discontinued their blood pressures returned to baseline values within three months. This level of blood pressure reduction is roughly the same as would typically occur with single-drug therapy or with aggressive lifestyle changes (exercise and salt restriction).

To compare the therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture and western medication on blood pressure variability in young patients with hypertension.Chinese Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of TCM has done a new research about this.Their sixty cases of hypertension in young patients were randomized into an electroacupuncture group and a western medication group, 30 cases in each one. In electroacupuncture group, electroacupuncture was applied on Quchi (LI 11) and Taichong (LR 3). In western medication group, Captopril was taken orally.

They found electroacupuncture on Quchi (LI 11) and Taichong (LR 3) has long-term antihypertensive effect and improves effectively day-night rhythm variation in young patients with hypertension. Quchi (LI 11) and Taichong (LR 3) are the effective pair points for hypertension treated with acupuncture.

Acupuncture treatments are usually given in conjunction with the herbal medicine mentioned above to enhance the effect of the treatment. Needles are inserted in carefully chosen points on the body depending on the traditional Chinese medicine diagnosis for each patient. Two acupuncture points often used in the treatment of insomnia include Yin-tang, which is located on the forehead between the eyebrows, as well as Shen-men, which is a point located on the ear. Both of these points have the effect of calming and sedating the patients.

But,another Hongkong research found that Due to poor methodological quality, high levels of heterogeneity and publication bias, the current evidence is not sufficiently rigorous to support or refute acupuncture for treating insomnia. Larger high-quality clinical trials are required.(Pubmed)
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Reference: Yang DH.Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2010 Jul;30(7):547-50.

Effects of acupuncture with meridian acupoints and three Anmian acupoints on insomnia and related depression and anxiety state.

Sleeping for two hours extra a night can reduce sensitivity to pain and can be more effective than strong painkillers, according to a new study.

Researchers found that having a positive attitude and a sense of humor could play a role in living a longer, healthier life,according to yahoo health.

They developed a questionnaire designed to identify certain genetically-based personality traits and used it to assess 243 Ashkenazi Jewish adults between 95 and 107 years of age. The investigators chose this population because their genetic similarity would make it easier to account for genetic differences in personality.

"The results indicated they had two things -- a positive attitude for life, meaning they are optimistic, easygoing, extraverted, laughed more and expressed emotions rather than bottling them up," said Dr. Nil Barzilai, a study co-author and director of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine's Institute for Aging Research.

How to keep positive attitude ?

Be careful what you watch on television. Watching the news all day can make you lose your positive attitude because most of the stories that they air either make you want to scream or cry. Try a comedy instead – you will feel better.
Laugh often and keep a good sense of humor. We tend to be too serious and let even the slightest problem enrage and irritate us.
Find a positive way to release some of the anger you may be holding in. Begin to journal or seek a counselor you can confide in. Start a regular exercise program where you can release some of your tension
Every day write down a list of at least three positive things that happened that day. This will force you to think positively and will start to teach your brain to think in that direction.
Find a hobby that you love. A hobby will help you set some time aside each week to focus solely on yourself. Be sure to choose something you really enjoy doing and that it makes you feel good about yourself when doing it.
Use positive affirmation every day. This can be difficult if you are not used to thinking positively. You must try to catch yourself being negative and find a way to turn the situation into a positive. source:Lifesciencetraining
A study, based on a survey of almost 8,000 men and women aged over 50, shows that regular users of social-networking sites are almost a third less likely to be diagnosed with depression compared with non-users.

Research published in the British Medical Journal suggests that adding a physical activity intervention to usual care did not reduce symptoms of depression more than usual care alone.

The study, carried out by teams from the Universities of Bristol, Exeter and the Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, is the first large-scale, randomised controlled trial to establish the effects of exercise on depression.

What you need to do? Acupuncture!

The Australian-first research, conducted at the University of NSW found that acupuncture could prompt changes in the "mood regulation" area of the brain, pointing to a possible and potent treatment for depression.

One of the major stumbling blocks to conducting a gold-standard randomised, double-blinded and placebo-controlled trial was that it was very difficult to administer a "sham" version of acupuncture,according to smh.com.au

Dørmænen A. and colleagues from University of Tromsø in Norway conducted a study suggesting that acupuncture may help menopause-induced depression in postmenopausal women with hot flashes.

Another research has shown that acupuncture treatment can help ameliorate the symptoms of depression. In general, acupuncture is believed to stimulate the nervous system and cause the release of neurochemical messenger molecules. The resulting biochemical changes influence the body's homeostatic mechanisms, thus promoting physical and emotional wellbeing.Studies indicate that acupuncture can have a specific positive effect on depression by altering the brain's mood chemistry, increasing production of serotonin (Sprott et al, 1998) and endorphins (Han, 1986). Acupuncture may also benefit depression by acting through other neurochemical pathways, including those involving dopamine (Scott et al, 1997), noradrenaline (Han, 1986), cortisol (Han et al, 2004) and neuropeptide Y (Pohl & Nordin, 2002). Source:BAC

A latest study concludes that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder. The Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital located in Boston, Massachusetts demonstrated that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of clinical depression for patients who are non-responsive to conventional pharmaceutical antidepressant therapies.

According to ScienceDaily — Five new studies provide evidence to support simple steps we can take to prevent illness and improve our overall health. In the June issue of The American Journal of Medicine, researchers report on fish consumption to reduce the risk of colon cancer; the effectiveness ofhypnotherapy and acupuncture for smoking cessation; regular teeth cleaning to improve cardiovascular health; the effectiveness of primary care physicians in weight loss programs; and the use of low-dose aspirin to reduce cancer risk.

Mark J. Eisenberg, MD, MPH, of McGill University, in Montreal, Quebec, and colleagues report that the use of unconventional smoking cessation aids, including acupuncture and hypnotherapy, results in substantial increases of smoking cessation. A meta-analysis of 14 trials found that smokers who underwent hypnotherapy were 4.55 times more likely, and those who underwent acupuncture were 3.53 times more likely, to abstain from smoking than those who did not. Aversive smoking may also help smokers quit; however, there were no recent trials investigating this intervention

There is reasonably good evidence that acupuncture is an effective treatment for:
chronic back pain
dental pain
pain and discomfort during gastrointestinal endoscopy
headache
nausea and vomiting after an operation
pain and discomfort during oocyte retrieval (a procedure used during IVF)
osteoarthritis of the knee.

So, for your health, do acupuncture!

A review of research on endurance exercise conducted by a team at the respected Mayo Clinic in Rochester, America, found extreme endurance exercise such as marathons, iron man distance triathlons, and very long distance bicycle races may cause structural changes to the heart and large arteries.

Can acupuncture do some help for your heart conditions?

New research from the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience shows that acupuncture controls the heart rate and increases the strength of cardiac autonomic function. This new research indicates that the use of specific acupuncture points may help to prevent heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) and arrhythmias. This new research shows that the application of acupuncture to CV17 increases the power of the high-frequency component of HRV and simultaneously is able to lower the heart rate. Since acupuncture at CV17 increases the cardiac vagal component of HRV (heart rate variability), it may be an important acupuncture point for patients recovering from MI.

From Chinese medicine, Inflammatory conditions reflect an excess of qi ; however, dull pains on the chest are indicative of a deficiency of qi . This probably mirrors the evolution of coronary heart disease from an early stage when it is highly inflammatory to a chronic, late stage where there is more dull aching. The treatment of course has to be appropriate for each stage. So the clinician must examine you to determine the stage in order to use the appropriate acupuncture points. However, coronary heart disease can be helped.

Does Acupuncture Affect Heart Rate Variability?Ancient Chinese physicians examined the pulse of the patient's radial artery as a part of their diagnostic procedure. Through interpretation of the pulse the physician could get access to knowledge, somehow tacit, in terms understood then as the primary disharmonies in patients.The researchers found that acupuncture caused a 41 percent reduction in the standard deviation of HRV. Furthermore, acupuncture reduced variability without altering either the heart rate or the low to high frequency ratio. According to the study authors, this suggests that acupuncture may alter the functioning of the human body.

Chinese Hubei University of Chinese Medicine has done a research about this.Their study investigates the effects of EA on the signaling pathways of myocardial hypertrophy (MH) in rats.The myocardial hypertrophy indices (MHIs), electrocardiograph (ECG), ultrastructure observation, levels of plasma angiotensin II (Ang II) and endothelin (ET), as well as protein expression of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), and phosphorylation extracellular signal regulating kinase (p-ERK) in the left ventricular myocardial tissue were measured.Their results indicated that EA can improve cardiac function in MH rats by modulating upstream neuroendocrine cytokines that regulate the ERK signaling pathways.

Research group at the department of cardiology at Heidelberg University Hospital has found Acupuncture have no improvement in cardiac ejection fraction or peak oxygen uptake was seen. But the six minute walk distance was ‘remarkably increased’ in the acupuncture group by 32m on average, compared to a drop of 1m in the placebo group.There are 17 patients with congestive heart failure with mild or marked limitation to their activity- all on optimised medication.They were randomised to receive acupuncture or placebo.

So, acupuncture could help in many different way.

Supraspinal ligament injury ,The supraspinal ligament (supraspinous ligament) is a strong fibrous cord, which connects together the apices of the spinous processes from the seventh cervical vertebra to the sacrum; at the points of attachment to the tips of the spinous processes fibrocartilage is developed in the ligament.The supraspinous ligament (SSL) runs along the middle of the back attaching to the dorsal spinous processes of the vertebrae. It may be damaged as the result of direct trauma. But in most cases, injury is thought to be due to overstretching of the ligament fibres, particularly in jumping horses.

To compare the efficacy difference on the treatment of supraspinal ligament injury in deficiency syndrome between only-puncturing at Dazhong (KI 4) and routine acupuncture therapy and then explore an optimum process,Chinese Qin YG etc have done a research about this.Their hundred and twenty-six cases were randomly divided into a Dazhong group (63 cases) and a routine acupuncture group (63 cases). Based on the same treatment including TDP irradiation, cupping at Shenshu (BL 23), Dachangshu (BL 25), Mingmen (GV 4), Yaoyangguan (GV 3) and Ashi points, the patients in the Dazhong group received only-puncturing Dazhong (KI 4) with respiratory reinforcing method once daily or every other day, three times of which made a course of the treatment, with on interval of one day or without between different courses. For the routine acupuncture group, the same reinforcing method was applied at shenshu (BL 23) pointect, and the other requirements such as courses were also the same.

They found that only-puncturing Dazhong (KI 4) method combined with cupping and TDP irradiation are simple and effective for supraspinal ligament injury in deficiency syndrome.
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Reference:Qin YG, Wang F, Li M, Qin YH, Li L.Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2012 May;32(5):399-403

Urticaria--(also known as hives, welts or nettle rash) is a raised, itchy rash that appears on the skin. The rash can be limited to one part of the body or spread across large areas of the body.The affected area of skin will typically change within 24 hours, and usually the rash will settle within a few days. If it clears completely within six weeks, it is known as acute urticaria.

Can acupuncture help?

To describe the use of acupuncture and a gluten-free diet (GFD) for urticaria and severe eczema in a patient with undiagnosed dermatitis herpetiformis and atypical or extraintestinal celiac disease,Ohlsen BA has done a research about this.

The patient received 3 acupuncture treatments a week for 12 weeks. The patient's symptoms began in March 2008. She began using topical and oral steroids and felt that her symptoms were not responding. Acupuncture began in July 2008. At the end of the first 12 treatments, during which she was using topical and oral steroids, the urticaria and constipation resolved completely; and she had temporary relief from the heartburn. It is thought that the urticaria and constipation resolved because of the acupuncture as that was the only change. At the end of the second 12 treatments, during which time she had started Optifast, a GFD, the heartburn, headache, and eczema resolved. At the end of the third 12 treatments, all her symptoms remained resolved. Steroid treatment was discontinued after the first 12 treatments.

Ohlsen concluded that acupuncture and diet changes appeared to provide relief from the urticaria and eczema of dermatitis herpetiformis beyond that obtained by traditional treatment of a GFD alone.
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Reference:Ohlsen BA.J Chiropr Med. 2011 Dec;10(4):294-300.

According to ScienceDaily (June 1, 2012) — New research from UCSF builds on that finding, establishing a stronger causal link between alcohol consumption and serious palpitations in patients with atrial fibrillation, the most common form of arrhythmia.

First of all,About alcohol.Hospital of Korean Medicine did a research about acupuncture and alcohol dependence.Their results of the included studies were equivocal, and the poor methodological quality and the limited number of the trials do not allow any conclusion about the efficacy of acupuncture for treatment of alcohol dependence. More research and well-designed, rigorous, and large clinical trials are necessary to address these issues.

Alcohol and drug addiction pose serious medical, social, and economic problems in the United States. However, finding effective treatments for addiction is challenging. Many people relapse due to intense cravings and/or painful withdrawal symptoms. Electroacupuncture (acupuncture combined with electrical stimulation) is currently being studied as a possible treatment option, and preliminary evidence suggests that electroacupuncture can counteract addiction by affecting related chemicals (opiates) in the brain.

Can acupuncture help with atrial fibrillation??

To evaluated whether acupuncture might exert an antiarrhythmic effect on patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Two sets of data are reviewed by university of MIlan.shenmen and Xinshu spots. In patients with persistent AF,

Finally, Italian scientist's conclusion: acupuncture of the Neiguan spot was associated with an antiarrhythmic effect, which was evident in patients with both persistent and paroxysmal AF. These preliminary data, observed in 2 small groups of AF patients, need to be validated in a larger population but strongly suggest that acupuncture may be an effective non-invasive and safe antiarrhythmic tool in the management of these patients.
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Reference: Lombardi F et al.World J Cardiol. 2012 Mar 26;4(3):60-5.

According to ScienceDaily — Exercise helps to alleviate pain related to nerve damage (neuropathic pain) by reducing levels of certain inflammation-promoting factors, suggests an experimental study in the June issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

Neuropathic pain causes burning pain and numbness that is not controlled by conventional pain medications. Antidepressant and antiepileptic drugs may be helpful, but have significant side effects. Exercise is commonly recommended for patients with various types of chronic pain, but there are conflicting data as to whether it is helpful in neuropathic pain.

Research has shown that acupuncture treatment may specifically help to relieve neuropathic pain by:
Reducing hypersensitivity induced by spinal nerve ligation, an effect dependent on the opioid system (Cidral-Filho 2011);
Inhibiting paclitaxel-induced allodynia/hyperalgesia through spinal opioid receptors (Meng 2011);
Influencing the neurotrophic factor signalling system, which is important in neuropathic pain (Dong 2006).
Acting on areas of the brain known to reduce sensitivity to pain and stress, as well as promoting relaxation and deactivating the ‘analytical’ brain, which is responsible for anxiety and worry (Hui 2010; Hui 2009);
Increasing the release of adenosine, which has antinociceptive properties (Goldman 2010);
Improving muscle stiffness and joint mobility by increasing local microcirculation (Komori 2009), which aids dispersal of swelling;
Reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Kavoussi 2007);

Basically, most important is acupuncture helps to alleviate pain related to nerve damage (neuropathic pain) by reducing levels of certain inflammation-promoting factors. It is same as exercise.

The principle of scalp acupuncture is very straightforward; the aim is to stimulate the diseased area of the brain in order to facilitate a return of function in that area.This method is based on elementary functional neuroanatomy. If part of the brain is damaged, for instance by a stroke, then the scalp is stimulated over the damaged area of the brain. All the scalp points are representations of the underlying functional areas of the brain. It therefore follows that the most common use of scalp acupuncture will be in diseases in which there is brain damage, such as strokes or severe head injuries, although this method can be used for a variety of other conditions.

Chinese scalp acupuncture is a contemporary acupuncture technique integrating traditional Chinese needling methods with Western medical knowledge of representative areas of the cerebral cortex. It has been proven to be a most effective technique for treating acute and chronic central nervous system disorders.

Acupuncturists working from a scalp perspective think in terms of zones rather than points. For example, the part of the scalp that's closer to the face may be used to address issues in the upper body while the area closer to the neck is associated with the lower body. Other styles of scalp acupuncture divide the scalp from a functional perspective—according to sensory and motor functions, vision, hearing, balance, etc.To determine exactly where to insert the needle, the acupuncturist feels around the zone to identify tender spots. Once the point is selected, a needle is placed obliquely in the loose connective tissue beneath the skin. Scalp acupuncture points usually are needled deeper than body acupuncture points on the head—not perpendicularly, as the skull prevents deep insertion in that direction, but rather, farther into the connective tissue. Also, the acupuncturist usually performs more manipulation of the needles than is typical in regular acupuncture sessions.

The other scalp system was developed by Dr. Yamamoto. It is called YNSA. This style of scalp acupuncture deals with somatotopes on the scalp. Looking at Dr. Yamamoto's book these somatotopes look like a silhouette of a man sitting on the ground reading. This is a very gentle form of scalp acupuncture however, it requires a lot more testing and retesting while using it. There is also some palpation to be done prior to needling. The benefit is painless needling, and almost immediate response if done correctly. There are many benefits to YNSA acupuncture because it also has Ypsilon points. These points represent 12 regular channels. So there are 12 points. By using these points practitioner may address a wider range of problems then with traditional scalp acupuncture. Some newly discovered points allow treatments for severe dysmenorrhea.

Let's read this new research,the study, published June 1 in the Journal of Neurophysiology, found that by placing electrodes on the scalp over the cerebellum and applying very low levels of current, the rate of walking adaptation could be increased or decreased. Dr. Bastian's team found not only that cerebellar tDCS can change the rate of cerebellum-dependent locomotor learning, but specifically that the anode speeds up learning and the cathode slows it down.

Chinese researcher found that Acupuncture can significantly increase blood flow and oxygen saturation in brain cortex, and the effect with combined therapy of scalp and body acupuncture is superior to that with body acupuncture.

Many people really think that TDCS is just a clumsy version of electro-acupuncture.With electro-acupuncture you can get good results for nerve based problems.Unfortunately, in the west, the idea is too slow to catch on, except forsome small lucid insights on the body's use of electricity as a signaling system.

What's your idea?

According to Reuters Health- Reducing people's options for junk foods gets them to cut back on the amount of calories they take in from junk food, but it doesn't help them to lose weight, according to a new study.

Why? Because people tend to make up for the fewer calories in the restricted food group by eating more calories from other types of foods.

Most children and youth who consume soft drinks and other sweetened beverages, such as fruit punch and lemonade, are not at any higher risk for obesity than their peers who drink healthy beverages, says a new study published in the October issue of Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism.

Researchers found that children and adolescents who were overweight were twice as likely to have gallstone disease, compared to children and adolescents who had a normal body mass index. Those who were moderately obese were four times as likely to have gallstones and those who were extremely obese were six times as likely to have gallstones.The study was based on information in the electronic health records of more than 510,000 children ages 10 to 19, from 2007 through 2009, who were members of Kaiser Permanente Southern California.

Another study of high school students provides new evidence that a person's circle of friends may influence his or her weight. Students were more likely to gain weight if they had friends who were heavier than they were. Conversely, students were more likely to get trimmer -- or gain weight at a slower pace -- if their friends were leaner than they were.

We have to mention this research:Studying mice, they found that when the target protein was disabled, the animals became more sensitive to insulin and were less likely to get fat even when they ate a high-fat diet that caused their littermates to become obese.The findings are published online in the journal Cell Metabolism.

A high-fat diet triggers chemical reactions in female mice that could explain why women are more likely than men to gain fat in the abdomen after eating excess saturated fat, new research suggests. The study also sheds light on why women gain fat following menopause.

One possibility that poor people are fatter is because they live in more obesogenic environments, where fattening foods are cheaper and more available. Another possible explanation is that poorer people are more stressed than richer people and that the stress induces overeating. This is the notion of “comfort foods,” which we all recognise. A systematic review conducted by Moore has shown that poorer people have not only higher body weights, but also higher levels of stress and unhealthier diets. This is especially true for women.

Can acupuncture help?

As we know,Weight loss increases the chances of becoming pregnant without infertility treatment, and decreases the risk of miscarriage and other pregnancy complications.Studies suggest that acupuncture may be of some benefit to people looking to lose weight. In a research review published in 2009, for instance, scientists analyzed 31 studies (with a total of 3,013 participants) and found that acupuncture was associated with a significant reduction of average body weight and improvement in obesity.Acupuncture works in several ways to help you lose weight. For one, it helps boost metabolism and increase circulation in the body (better blood and oxygen flow keeps the body healthy – yoga is supposed to do that). Next, specific needle placements are thought to lower insulin and lipid levels in the blood. Finally, the application of acupuncture needles helps mobilise the body's energy reserves, which leads to weight loss and lowered cholesterol, Most of the literature on acupuncture for the treatment of obesity is based on uncontrolled trials. Among the few controlled trials with positive results, the effects are modest, and the interpretation of these results is limited by those factors already mentioned, such as short duration, inadequate placebo controls, and nonstandard treatment protocols.

Well, that's acupuncture.

Why diet doesn't work.......
Food sensitivities are 'by far the commonest single cause of weight gain,' says allergy expert
Everyday foods such as wheat, milk and eggs the most common culprits
Cutting out potential 'problem' foods could also relieve ailments such as headaches and low mood
Calorie counting a strategy that 'consistently fails millions of people'

According to ScienceDaily (June 1, 2012) — Yale School of Medicine researchers and colleagues at the University of Oxford have identified the chromosomal make-up of a human egg. This discovery may soon allow them to avoid using abnormal -- or aneuploid -- eggs during infertility treatments, and instead to pick eggs that are healthy enough for a successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) The results are published in the May issue of the journal Human Reproduction.the finding opens up the possibility of a safe, effective, and inexpensive way of identifying healthy eggs, potentially lowering the risks of miscarriage and Down syndrome,

Have right "egg"',you should Have another right thing-----acupuncture

A particular treatment for infertility like IVF or In-Vitro Fertilization is largely aided to enhance its success rate. In reality, a large number of specialists now offer acupuncture as part of IVF treatment. This becomes quite noticeable in the developments done in the process of transferring the embryo which results to success in pregnancy. Another specific concern of infertility that can also be cured by acupuncture is having spasmed tubes. This is simply done by making these spasmed tubes into de-spasmed ones. Moreover, there are also many other infertility issues that can be effectively cured by acupuncture like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, increased follicle stimulating hormone, repeated miscarriage, idiopathic infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia, and also sperm DNA fragmentation.The body has the capacity to heal itself naturally and acupuncture also enhances this ability. In this case, the more frequent you treat yourself with acupuncture, the better. Women who are to undergo IVF treatment or donor egg transfer, they are often subjected to acupuncture about 3 to 4 months before the said process. Acupuncture is strongly advised for women before and after they have the embryo transfer. This is done for the purpose of enhancing the therapeutic effect along with different infertility treatments. Basically, fertility treatments bring about stress on the person undergoing it. And what is considered the best remedy for this is acupuncture. because acupuncture has a lot of ways to add to the treatment of infertility, it is highly advisable for couples who are suffering from this type of concern to give each option a shot.

In 2000, a small study of 76 women by the Royal Maternity Hospital in Belfast found that five years after their unsuccessful treatment they suffered "significant psychological dysfunction”, particularly stress and depression.The research, published in the journal Human Fertility, concluded: "There is a strong need to prepare women better for treatment failure and to ensure that counselling is available when further treatment is no longer appropriate.”

New research concludes that acupuncture improves clinical pregnancy rates and live birth rates for women receiving IVF (in vitro fertilization). Twenty-four randomized controlled trials of 5,807 women examined the effects of acupuncture, electroacupuncture and laser acupuncture on IVF success rates. Control groups consisted of placebo acupuncture, sham acupuncture and no acupuncture. Researchers also discovered that live birth rates significantly increased when acupuncture was administered near the time of either oocyte aspiration or controlled ovarian hyper-stimulation.

Researchers have discovered that a chemical can trigger the maturation of small eggs to healthy, mature eggs, a process that could give more women the chance of successful IVF treatment in the future.

Everything ready?

When it came to IVF, 17 per cent of couples said they would try it once, with 35 per cent of men saying they would want their partner to try it three times.Eight per cent of those questioned had undergone IVF and later became pregnant naturally.

Latest research :reason why women experience fertility problems as they get older.
In an online editorial published by Aging based on his recently published findings, Dr Liu outlines how a simple program of drinking water or taking a pill that contains the naturally occurring compound putrescine could reduce the rate at which middle-aged women produce eggs with the incorrect number of chromosomes, the leading cause of reduced fertility and increases in miscarriages and congenital birth defects.Putrescine is naturally produced in mammals by an enzyme called ornithine decarboxylase, or ODC, and is easily absorbed and cleared by the body. In female mammals, ODC levels are known to rise during ovulation, when the egg cell matures and is released from the ovary. Dr. Liu has shown that ODC levels rise very little in older females. He has also shown that inhibiting ODC levels in young mice leads to an increase in egg cells with chromosomal defects.

Scientists have developed a new tool, a mathematical model to be exact, to help in the selection of embryos for transfer in fertility treatments. The model is especially useful for transfers of intermediate quality embryos on the second day after fertilization, when it is possible to estimate the probability of implantation in the uterus

I found doctor's letter from newspaper(guardian), I'd like to share with you,,,,,,,

I am a junior doctor completely opposed to the industrial action scheduled for 21 June (Report, 31 May). While I agree with the BMA that the proposed changes to pensions are technically unfair, I doubt the public will see it that way, when most doctors will continue to enjoy a retirement income that is double the average working wage. Had doctors decided to strike against Andrew Lansley's health reforms, they would have been perceived as acting in their patients' best interests and may even have landed a devastating blow against a bill that will ensure the dismantling of the NHS within a generation. They will lose this fight and tarnish their reputation.
Dr Robert Hadman
Oldham, Lancashire

Good doctor! Put your patients first, well done.

Andrew Lansley, the Health Secretary, is to write to the British Medical Assocation urging doctors not to put patients at risk when they embark on their first industrial action since 1975.

Women with a heart rhythm disorder called atrial fibrillation are slightly more likely to suffer a stroke than men with the condition, according to a new study.

The study included more than 100,000 atrial fibrillation patients in Sweden who were followed for an average of 1.2 years. During that time, the annual stroke rates were 6.2 percent for women and 4.2 percent for men.Even after adjusting for a number of factors, the researchers found that women had an 18 percent higher risk of stroke than men.

Can acupuncture help atrial fibrillation ?

Classification of atrial fibrillation (AF) begins with distinguishing a first detectable episode, irrespective of whether it is symptomatic or self-limited. Published guidelines from an American College of Cardiology (ACC)/American Heart Association (AHA)/European Society of Cardiology (ESC) committee of experts on the treatment of patients with atrial fibrillation recommend classification of AF into the following Paroxysmal AF – Episodes of AF that terminate spontaneously within 7 days (most episodes last less than 24 hours)Persistent AF - Episodes of AF that last more than 7 days and may require either pharmacologic or electrical intervention to terminate.When compared to elderly men with atrial fibrillation, elderly women with AF have a significantly elevated risk for stroke. This increased risk occurs regardless of warfarin use, according to a new study published in JAMA.

Can acupuncture help with?

To evaluated whether acupuncture might exert an antiarrhythmic effect on patients with paroxysmal or persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Two sets of data are reviewed by university of MIlan.shenmen and Xinshu spots. In patients with persistent AF,

Finally, Italian scientist's conclusion: acupuncture of the Neiguan spot was associated with an antiarrhythmic effect, which was evident in patients with both persistent and paroxysmal AF. These preliminary data, observed in 2 small groups of AF patients, need to be validated in a larger population but strongly suggest that acupuncture may be an effective non-invasive and safe antiarrhythmic tool in the management of these patients.
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Reference: Lombardi F et al.World J Cardiol. 2012 Mar 26;4(3):60-5.