During my recent training in China, I was surprised to see many Chinese women going for acupuncture in order to lose weight. The passion for thinness has reached China where most of the women are thin and might even be considered very thin by American standards. Nonetheless, the doctors were quite amenable to helping these women try to acheive weight loss through acupuncture.

The Chinese diet is not what I expected. We often refer to the Chinese diet in the US as a healthy diet. A diet that it is more plant based rather than the focus being on protein. That basically means that the protein portion of the meal is smaller than the amount of rice and vegetables (and certainly less than the average American intake of protein). My observations were in accord with that perception. However, I was also very aware that Chinese food preparation uses significant amounts of oil-either peanut or another plant oil and/or pork oil. Food was either deep fried or very oily stir fried and the most common protein used is pork. One of the doctors commented that pork is a very fatty meat and contributes to excess dampness (heaviness, slows movement) in the body and therefore hinders weight loss. In addition, the diet is extremely high in sodium due to the use of soy sauce, salt and MSG and may also cause fluid retention.

The most common treatment for weight loss includes using points on the abdomen. Needles are placed along the stomach, spleen and kidney channel to strengthen and stimulate the digestive system and along the midline to work on the basic constitution of the patient. Acupoints are also included on the leg and arms to support the overall treatment and keep the patient in balance. I did learn some pearls of wisdom regarding new uses of some points. One of these is a point on the leg which the doctor said helps reduce appetite.

The standard course of treatment in China is three times a week for ten treatments. After the ten treatments the doctor said he changes the points around until sufficient weight has been lost. I did think it was interesting that there was little conversation of dietary changes. Although the diet seems to be high in fat from a cultural perspective, perhaps there is little thought given to modifying cooking techniques to reduce fat and sodium. My guess is that since McDonalds and fast food eateries are not the usual source of meals and that walking or riding a bicycle are common modes of transportation, that patients and doctors alike focus on the acupuncture.

In our country where we have abundant choices of where to eat and how to cook, paying attention to what and how much we eat is a significant aspect of weight loss. In addition, since there are few places in Houston where we can actually walk, exercise becomes an important part of the lifestyle modifications that we need to consider when embarking on weight loss goals. Of interest is a problem we see here in the US but that appearred to be a non-issue in China. That problem is frequency of non-hunger or emotional eating. It was not common place to see people snacking in cars, walking and eating or stopping by fast food to pick up sugary foods or drink. It appeared overall that most of the Chinese population ate three meals a day with green tea after meals.

My approach to weight loss includes focusing on healthy lifestyle as well as exploring whether or not non-hunger eating is an issue. Clearly what, how, where and why we eat plays a role in how food serves a purpose for us and whether it is working toward our benefit or detriment healthwise. One might also suggest that using food for emotional reasons, might at some level work toward our benefit if it is a protective mechanism.

Regardless of your relationship to food right now, acupuncture can help work on your digestion, metabolism and especially your stress. When you are calmer in your world, you can then begin to look at the emotional reasons for eating.

It was interesting to watch the various approaches, both herbal and acupuncture. Most of the doctors of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) do either one. I was told there is a pretty clear boundary on these areas. I would imagine it might be different in other parts of China however. In order to practice in Texas, we are required to be Board Certified in both Chinese Herbal Medicine as well as in Acupuncture.

In general, patients tend to respond better when both acupuncture and herbal medicine is prescribed. But it does depend on the condition and the number of Western prescriptions a patient takes.

I found the general population seeking medical care at the TCM clinics of two types. Those who only believe in Chinese medicine (and consequently don’t go to Western style MD’s) and those who tried Western medicine but didn’t like the effects of the drugs on their bodies. It was interesting to note that there seemed to be a larger percentage of younger men who were having strokes in China. My guess is that many of them did not go to Western doctors to monitor blood pressure or cholesterol. ( I maintain my mantra that if you get the best of Western and Chinese, you can have really good healthcare).

There were a few glaring observations that I would like to share. We in the USA are very blessed to have good healthcare and healthcare facilities. As broken as some people think it is, it is wonderful in comparison to healthcare in other parts of the world. We have requirements for cleanliness, proper disposal of trash and needles, disinfecting exam tables and surrounding areas, washing hands and sterilizing equipment, to name a few. We have the right to meet with the acupuncturist, doctor or nurse privately. We would never tolerate having five patients waiting in the same room listening until it is their time to meet with the doctor. We expect that the health care provider will use clean needle technique when giving a treatment or injection. We take these “little things” for granted and would be appalled if it would not be the case when we visit our doctor. The TCM doctors I observed were good doctors. They had different styles and philosophies about treating the different problems but they were all trained doctors of Chinese medicine. The patients were completely willing to submit to the treatment strategies the doctors recommended and there were very few, if any, questions asked…

With all the above said, I have to say that the doctors see a lot of patients every day. There is a waiting line out the door. Which means that patients feel they get better whent they see the doctor. Although it would not seem up to our “sanitary standards,” there is a cultural understanding that this is sufficient. Patients need healthcare and they get it in the manner they know and are accustomed to. Through my interpreter, patients responded that they like coming to the clinics and they like getting their acupuncture and/or herbal prescriptions. They say it helps and they feel better. I guess at the end of the day, that’s what we all want when we go to the doctor.

I used to have allergies. After taking some allergy medication and almost going off the road in a hallucination type of reaction with my scalp feeling like it was crawling, I decided to get off the prescription drugs. Luckily it was about the same time I started studying acupuncture and Chinese medicine. That was twelve (12) years ago and I have not had one bout of sinusitis or an allergy attack since. (I also have not been to the chiropractor in the same amount of time for a back adjustment). It’s amazing how the benefits extend to the whole body with acupuncture!!

Even though we recently had some good rain to wash some of the pollen out of the air, I am continuing to get calls from people who are at their wits end with allergies. All of these new patients have tried everything Western medicine could offer and finally decided to give acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy a try.

Treating acupuncture in Chinese medicine generally involves the Spleen, which manages the distribution of fluids-think congestion, runny nose, dampness as well as the stomach and Large intestine channels (as they traverse the face, nose and sinus areas). Interesting those channels that affect the digestion have a lot to do with allergies that affect the face, nose, sinus and lungs. It makes sense that a strong, healthy core makes for a healthier body.

I get great satisfaction treating patients who have had long standing issues with allergies. The response can be fast, like right on the table. Congestion, post nasal drip, runny nose quite often is relieved within minutes of an acupunture treatment. Truthfully, it takes more than one treatment to resolve a long standing problem, but in the interim of treatment, symptoms go away while we gently strenthen the lungs and spleen and make you stronger for the next season of allergies. The good news is that patients often will become less dependent on prescription medications for managing their allergy symptoms. My patients are always amazed and pleased about that. Why wouldn’t you want to be more drug free?

Top 10 Ways Acupuncture Can Help Anyone Going Through Cancer Treatment!

Getting the diagnosis of Cancer is a real life-changer. I think you’ll probably always remember everything about that day when your doctor sat you down to tell you the news. And it certainly does have the chance to be a real life-ruiner, doesn’t it?

As a person, I have been dealing with cancer in my family for as long as I can remember, and as an Acupuncturist I have been working with Cancer patients since I was in Grad school. I’ve seen both sides of the story and I’m here to tell you that although getting the news of Cancer will probably always be one of the worst days you can imagine, your cancer treatment doesn’t have to be as scary as it sounds. Find a good Oncologist (shameless plug for one of the best Oncologists in Denver, Dr. Samir Witta of Mountain Blue Cancer Care Center) and you will find plenty of options if your cancer is treatable. Now bring on an Oncology Specialized Acupuncturist and you have a very well rounded team to get you through your cancer treatments.

Does it seem strange to think of a Medical Doctor and an Acupuncturist working so well together? Well it shouldn’t! Many of the best hospitals in the country offer Acupuncture as part of their treatment program.

Here are 10 things Acupuncture can help anyone going through cancer treatments with:
· Fatigue
· Neuropathy
· Nausea/vomiting
· Headaches
· Body-aches
· Insomnia
· Surgery Prep/Recovery
· Blood counts/Immune System
· Depression
· Hot flashes

Although that’s the list of things I most commonly see, there is so much more that Acupuncture can help with! The timing, a frequency, can change depending on what works best with your body and your chemo schedule, so be open to playing around with timing of treatments. A good place to start is the day before your Chemo treatment. Although once a week is useful, many of my patients, who have done the very best, have come in twice on the week of chemo and once a week otherwise.

So there you go… while the diagnosis of Cancer will always suck, the treatment doesn’t have to. Things like rest, sleep, good nutrition, laughter and Acupuncture, you are giving your body the tools it needs to take care of itself, while you go thru treatment, and I know that it will return the favor tenfold!

Click here for more about this article and acupuncture for cancer

Acute inflammation usually occurs when there is a trauma to the body. There are two kinds of physical traumas; blunt and penetrating. Blunt traumas occur when the impact or force of another object is significant enough to cause physical injury and penetrating trauma happens when the skin or tissues are pierced by an object or burned. Dr. Giordano explained that as soon as cells are damaged, the body responds immediately to protect the injured area. Initially, the blood vessels dilate and increase blood flow to the traumatized area creating the first cardinal sign of inflammation, redness. Soon afterward, fluids leak into the tissue creating the second cardinal sign, swelling. If trauma is on the surface of the body the increased blood flow to that area causes the third cardinal sign, heat. Heat occurs because the temperature of the skin is normally less than that of the blood. The fourth cardinal sign, pain, results from pressure and swelling. Additionally, cellular chemicals called kinins stimulate pain receptors and tell blood vessels to dilate. Finally, the fifth cardinal sign, loss of function occurs as the body attempts to protect theinjured area. In an acute inflammatory conditions is not treated effectively it may become chronic. Western medicine’s approach to the treatment of inflammation includes pain medications, steroids and in some instances chemotherapy.

It is difficult to establish a direct correlation between Western and Chinese medical views on inflammation. Each medical practice has its unique way of looking at inflammation. For example, the first cardinal sign for inflammation, redness is viewed in western medicine as increased blood flow to the injured area. In Chinese medicine, it signifies that there is heat. Western medicine views pain resulting from pressure from the increased blood flow and swelling, while Chinese medicine describes pain as obstruction or stagnation of the energy (qi) and blood.

Chinese medicine considers the constitution of the individual, the progression of the pathological changes, and the specific imbalance in the body before determining the frequency of the treatments as well as the specific herbs and acupuncture points to be used. The flexibility inherent in Chinese medicine to choose from a variety of treatment options reflects a very sophisticated form of medicine intended to treat each patient in an individualized manner. For this reason, Chinese medicine is very effective in treating inflammatory conditions. It is therefore not surprising to see chronic inflammatory conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, fibomyalgia, crohn’s disease, and colitis to respond positively when treated Chinese medicine. The frequency of treatment will depend on the severity of the problem. Severe conditions are generally treated several times per week, while less severe inflammatory problems can be effectively treated on a weekly or bimonthly basis.

Research regarding acupuncture for the treatment of dental pain appears to have started in the West in the early to mid 1970’s but has been a part of Chinese medicine for centuries. Most research in the west found acupuncture to be effective for dental pain, as well as for temperomandibular joint pain (TMJ) and post surgical dental pain. Two important review articles that are still referenced today concerning dental pain and acupuncture were published in 1998 by Ernst & Pittler and in 2002 by Ted Kaptchuk. The investigators from these two review articles found that out of sixteen acupuncture trials for the treatment of dental pain, twelve of these trials had adequate methodology and concluded that “good evidence exists that acupuncture is effective for relieving dental pain.”

In my practice I have found acupuncture to be helpful in managing dental pain. Many patients have described acupuncture to be effective in minimizing acute dental pain and others have acquired pain relief while waiting for their dentist to perform a root canal. You may wish to consider acupuncture for post surgical dental pain especially if you are sensitive or allergic to analgesics or like my colleague, prefer to avoid pain medications altogether. Try using plain clove oil for tooth pain or our mouthwash formula made from Chinese herbs that is helpful for gingivitis, mouth sores and thrush.

References

• 1. Ernst E, Pittler MH: The effectiveness of acupuncture in treating acute dental pain: a systematic review Br Dent J 1998, 184:443-447
• 2. Ernst E, White AR: Acupuncture as a treatment for temporomandibular joint dysfunction. A systematic review of randomized trials Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1999, 125:269-272
• 3. Kaptchuk, T: Acupuncture: Theory, Efficacy, and Practice. Ann Intern Med. 2002; 136:374-383.
• 4. Lao, L., Bergman, S., Hamilton, G., Langenberg., Berman, B., Evaluation of acupuncture for pain control after oral surgery, a placebo controlled trial. Arch Otolaryngol Head and Neck Surg. 1999; 125:567-572.
• 5. Rosted P. The use of acupuncture in dentistry: a review of the scientific validity of published papers. Oral Dis. 1998;4:100-4.

Most people who come to the clinic have had a long history of problems with allergies. Many have regular bouts of cold or allergy symptoms turning into full blown bronchitis and/or sinus infections. Many have allergies as well as asthma.

Nancy came in for the first time this summer with complaints of allergies that had gradually gotten worse after moving to Houston many years ago. She had not found any combination of medications that had given her any measure of relief and was regularly suffering from bronchitis and sinusitis each winter and summer. She reported that the past couple of years have been particularly severe. In addition, she suffered with issues of regularity, gas and bloating and a general sense of heaviness in the body.

Nancy was given a summer allergy treatment along with herbs to dry the dampness in her body and strengthen her Chi (vitality of digestion & energy). The week after the first visit she returned to say she felt a 50% improvement. We discussed some dietary changes which would help with the amount of phlegm and damp in the body and she has done her part to “clean it up a bit.”

Nancy has continued to come in on a regular basis and no longer suffers from runny nose or heavy congestion in her chest. She no longer has problems with gas, bloating, digestive upset or a sense of heaviness in her body. The best part, however, is she never developed any bronchitis or respiratory infection during the height of the allergy season in Houston this past summer or fall. She still has some low level congestion in her head and ears, but that is more than likely due to having an allergy to her two cats. At the very least, her symptoms are at a minimum and she can spend quality time with her cats.

I do believe everyone with a new condition or problem should be evaluated by a medical doctor. Western medicine does have the best diagnostic equipment in the world. Western medicine is also the best for emergency medicine.

When there is a non-emergency or chronic condition, we can become advocates in our own healthcare. It’s good to hear what the doctor recommends and take it under consideration. Afterall, the doctor does have your best interests in mind. But the doctor may not be well versed in options that may be less invasive or requiring less medications. This is where we as patients have a right to have a voice in our treatment process.

I believe that one of the many reasons acupuncture has become such a popular option for many, is that in addition to making all kinds of physical problems better, acupuncturists listen to patients and treat them as a whole person. The doctors today who still subscribe to the “my way or the highway” mentality are not the doctors that patients like to go to or speak well of to others.

So, it’s up to us, as healthcare customers to consider all of the options to treat our specific problem. Because there are alternatives and different ways to treat problems, we have to do our research and find out what might work as well or even better and with fewer side effects.

Just because a doctor tells you to take another drug or have asurgery, (it might be that you need to take that drug and have that surgery), you can also wonder and question whether there may be another way to treat the pain or deal with the problem (reflux, depression, hot flashes, migraines, etc). Is it possible to manage or treat the problem without drugs? Can surgery be avoided through acupuncture and physical therapy? Remember, once you cut, you can’t go back. It’s certainly worth trying everything before undergoing anesthesia. So I do think we have to be smart consumers of medical care. It’s about taking responsibility.

We are very lucky in Houston as we have a world class medical center and hospitals and world class doctors. But it’s also ok to have a little healthy skepticism and consider all our options.

Another patient recently reported “I tried acupuncture many, many years ago. It’s probably about 15 years ago. It didn’t seem to do much for me at that time. Since then I’ve tried chiropractic, physical therapy, including epidurals. Epidurals helped me for about a year, but when I took it the second time around it wasn’t much help. So I was wondering if there had been any change in the treatments which could help the pain.”

I told this man that there are variables that can affect outcome. The main variable is how long a patient has had a certain condition. The longer it’s been around, the longer it usually takes to resolve, especially if one wants to do it gently and naturally without the use of drugs or shots. Patients typically come to my office when Western medicine can no longer help beyond giving drugs to alleviate the pain. Many patients do not like the efffects that pain medication or steroids have on their bodies.

Also, with regard to prior experiences with acupuncture, outcomes can be influenced by frequency, proximity of repeat treatments and duration of treatments. For long standing problems, it may not be unusual to need 20 or more treatments. One of my teachers, Dr. Tan, explains acupuncture treatments this way. “Acupuncture is like a therapy. The treatments build on each other over time.” When my patients tell me they feel better after the first treament, I am honest with them and tell them it’s a very good sign they responded so quickly, but “what I can’t promise is how long this treatment is going to hold.” Like chemotherapy or psychotherapy, the treatments build on each other for maximum effectiveness.

Also, one much take into account their age, lifestyle, daily actitivies, exercise, diet and stress. These all affect how the body heals.

So, back to the issue of multiple areas of pain. When there are so many areas that have pain I can either chase the pain and put needles all over the areas of pain or try to come up with a strategy that can efficiently move energy all over while still targeting some areas of pain. So many areas of pain makes me think of Times Square in NYC at rush hour. All lanes in all directions are backed up, everyone’s honking and nothing is moving. My typical approach to this is to create energy flow all over the body and then see what pain is left over. It’s called a global treatment and moves energy at the various levels that it flows in the body.

Because the channel system is a closed circuit system, it’s easy to move all twelve channels with just a few needles. Once energy is moving smoothly, there is less pain and then I will be more inclined to do a targeted treatment of the pain that is left over.

When I hear that a patient has had pain for 20 years on and off, it makes me think of a smoldering flame waiting for a gust of air which then fans the fire (increased pain). I usually ask about the history of auto accidents, falls or physical traumas. Especially when the diagnostic tests such as MRI’s or X-Rays are inconclusive and there is no apparent problem beyond general aging issues with the lumbar vertebrae.

When there has been a history of physical trauma like a serious fall or accident when younger, the tendency is usually to brush it off, especially if all that is felt is a little soreness and achiness. When young, active and busy, life keeps going without paying much attention to general aches and pains. Those aches and pains get better, but perhaps not completely and they smolder just under the surface as the aging process continues. And then 20 years, even 30 years later, all of a sudden, there is a flare up and increase in pain and no recent memory of what could have caused the pain. Sometimes its hard to find an apparent reason for the pain. In reality, the area that was hurt many years before ends up coming back to haunt if it’s not properly addressed at the time of the initial accident. Sometimes all it takes to fan the flame years later is a awkward move or stress and then there’s a flare-up.

The first thing to do when the pain is severe is to go the doctor. You want the diagnostic tests to rule out anything serious and/or to get an idea of what is going on with the low back or area of pain.

When I asked my patient about the diagnostic test results he said “the best they can tell is I got a problem with my L3-4 and L4-5, those discs.”

Lumbar disc problems are the most common cause of low back pain that I see in the clinic. Lumbar 3, 4,5 and the first sacral disc are the usual culprits. Sometimes you get your mid back pain in your thoracic spine area but when it comes to low back pain, that’s really where most of the problem is, quite often from a fall or accident. Frequently when there is no obvious source of pain the doctor will tell the patient it’s age associated arthritis.

So what would I do if you came in with this type of complaint? I would take a history and get a sense of where the pain is. Does it radiate out to your side or to your hip? Does it go down your leg? Does it go down the side of your leg or the back of your leg or is still pretty much located in your low back and buttocks area? Once I have a pretty good idea of the channels that are affected, I will come up with a strategy of points to treat the problem.

Over the years I have received extensive training in various styles of acupuncture. One of the methods is called the Balance Method. In general, the needles rarely get put in at the location of the pain. I will identify the painful channels or meridians and then treat areas opposite and farther away but that have a relationship with the channel(s) that have pain. For example, if the pain is on the lumbar spine and across the low back, I might put some needles in the back of your head to treat the end of the channel where the lumbar pain is and where it mirrors your lower vertebral column. I might also put some needles in your opposite shoulder and upper arm to mirror the buttock or low back or on the hand, behind the knee or side of the ankle that correspond to the channel of pain.

Then we can play show-and-tell and have you move in a way that usually causes pain. We then see what happens to the pain. In the majority of cases, there is relief on the table.

I can generally tell within four to eight treatments if I can help you. I won’t have you come for six months and say, “Oh, by the way, this isn’t working.” I’m pretty clear in terms of being able to help a patient. If a patient is not getting any relief between four and eight treatments, then sometimes surgery is required or another set of diagnostic tests to see if something was overlooked. I have sent patients to a neurosurgeon or for another MRI or X-ray if there’s no relief. I can usually tell by how the patient responds to the acupuncture if this modality is a right fit.