China to Strengthen Traditional Chinese Medicine R&D

China to Strengthen Traditional Chinese Medicine R&D

China will upgrade its research and development (R&D) of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in 2011 by improving the systems for inheritance and innovation, according to a senior health official.

Wang Guoqiang, vice health minister and director of the State Administration of TCM (SATCM), made the remarks here Thursday at the annual national conference on traditional Chinese medicine.

In terms of inheritance, Wang urged efforts be made to establish databases of ancient traditional Chinese medicine publications, to study its basic theories and to conduct a general survey on TCM resources.

He also called for innovation in building a clinical R&D system, setting up key TCM labs, facilitating technology transfers into the industry and improving R&D management and quality control.

Wang also disclosed the following figures concerning the country's previous efforts in promoting traditional Chinese medicine:

In 2010, the SATCM accepted the registration of 400 important ancient traditional Chinese medicine books.

Besides providing inheritance studios for 181 TCM masters, the SATCM started a comprehensive service platform for the exchange of their clinical experiences and academic thoughts.

The first national level survey on traditional medicines of ethnic groups was also conducted last year, which identified 150 feature publications and 140 techniques for diagnosis and treatment.

In 2009, China spent 10.97 billion yuan supporting TCM, an increase of 165 percent over 2005.

From 2005 to 2009, the number of TCM hospitals grew 9.6 percent to 3,299 with 449,000 beds, 42.6 percent higher than 2005.

Wang also said that China would further develop traditional Chinese medicine amid the country's ongoing reform of the national health care system.

TCM generally refers to the comprehensive Chinese medical system based upon the body's balance and harmony. Among the components of TCM are acupuncture, diet, herbal and nutritional therapy, physical exercise, and remedial massage.

As a sign of the world's growing acceptance of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion were inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last November by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

TCM is widely used in China, and policy-makers are promoting traditional Chinese medicine to reduce burdensome medical costs and allow universal access to health care.

However, the share of traditional Chinese medicine in the global medical market, which is dominated by Western medicine, remains low.

http://english.cri.cn/6909/2011/01/14/2743s615324.htm

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Acupuncture Cures Chronic Sinus Congestion – New Research

Acupuncture Cures Chronic Sinus Congestion – New Research

A new clinical study examined acupuncture for treatment of chronic rhinitis. Rhinitis is nasal congestion usually accompanied with post-nasal drip. There is irritation and inflammation of nasal tissue. In western medicine, this is ascribed to a viral or bacterial infection (or other antigen such as pollen) that stimulates mucus production. The study examined a test group of 85 patients and notes that chronic rhinitis is due to wind-cold or wind-heat obstructing lung Qi. These perspectives, both from Chinese medicine and allopathic medicine, are reconcilable in that wind-cold and wind-heat typically involve either a microbial infection or another antigen-antibody response.

If untreated, chronic rhinitis can last many years. Rhinitis can involve many complicated patterns such as epistaxis (nose bleeding), thick yellow or profuse white phlegm in the sinus and throat, coughing, insomnia, unclear thinking, difficulties with olfaction, dyspnea, asthma, and many other clinical complications.

Acupuncture Effective Rate
This recent clinical study had an effective rate of 96.5 percent with 61 persons obtaining total recovery, 21 with marked improvement, and 3 with no effect. To achieve the standard of total recovery, the resolution of all of the patient’s symptoms required resolution. Rhinoscopy and absence of symptomology was used to confirm the results. A two year follow-up confirmed total recovery. At a rate of one treatment per day, fifteen acupuncture sessions consisted of one course of treatment. The 96.5 percent effective rate was achieved after two courses of treatment (30 acupuncture appointments) unless total recovery was achieved prior to completion of the second course of acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture Treatment Protocol
The needles were 0.35 mm (28 guage) in diameter and 40-50 mm in length. The acupuncture points chosen were: GB20 (Fengchi), LI4 (Hegu), and St36 (Zusanli). Supplementary acupuncture points were UB12 (Fengmen), UB13 (Feishu), Yintang (Ex-HN 3), and Du14 (Dazhui). Supplementary acupuncture points were chosen dependent upon differential diagnostics. In many cases, 20 minutes of manual needle manipulation were applied at each acupuncture visit. Tonification and reduction acupuncture needle techniques and moxa were chosen dependent upon excess, deficient, heat, and cold diagnostics.

Etiology and Analysis of the Study
In one analysis, the initial response to the pathogenic attack begins to linger as a residual pathogenic influence that never fully clears from the bodily system. In western medicine, a pathogen lodges in the body and stimulates the inflammatory chemicals of the complement cascade. In Chinese medicine, chronic rhinitis usually begins as a Wei or Qi level attack (Wen Bing, 4 levels) or a Tai Yang Shan Han, Tai Yang Zhong Feng, Tai Yang Su Xue, or Tai Yang Su Shui attack (six stages of cold induced illness). The lung Qi becomes compromised and the bodily system may develop a complex of excess and deficient patterns lodging in the Taiyin and Yangming acupuncture channels.

There is no inconsistency with the modern medicine view that a microbial pathogen or other antigen is the cause of the chronic rhinitis. An antigen is sufficient to cause chronic rhinitis, however, other factors may initiate the inflammatory response absent invasive antigens. Therefore, antigens are not necessary to initiate rhinitis. In that sense, allopathic medicine measures some, but not all, of the etiological factors contributing to chronic rhinitis. In Chinese medicine, the overall physiological strength of the lungs and the pathways leading to the nasal system are equally as important as the immunological responses to antigens. Further, environmental conditions such as dryness, heat, dampness, coldness, etc… are important factors. Moreover, dietary and emotional factors play important roles in balancing the respiratory pathways.

Reference: An Hua, Qinhuangdao Port Hospital, Hebei, China. "Treatment of 85 Cases with Chronic Rhinitis by Acupuncture." J. Acupunct. Tuina. Sci. 2010, 8 (5): 318.

http://www.healthcmi.com/index.php/acupuncturist-news-online/347-acupuncturecureschronicsinuscongestion1811

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Doctors Use Acupuncture as Newest Battlefield Tool

Doctors Use Acupuncture as Newest Battlefield Tool

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 10, 2010 – J.D. Nichols, a retired Navy flight officer and cryptologist, limped into the Air Force Acupuncture Center at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland early yesterday morning, leaning heavily on a cane.

John F. Bilsky Sr. receives acupuncture for pain from a military doctor during a workshop at the Air Force Acupuncture Center at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, Dec. 9, 2010. The purpose of the class was to teach battlefield acupuncture to military physicians from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. DOD photo by Cheryl Pellerin (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

A couple of hours later, moving easily without the cane and with the ends of tiny gold needles glittering in both ears, he waved goodbye to the military doctors who had reduced his pain using a technique called battlefield acupuncture.

The doctors, from Walter Reed Army Medical Center, were part of a workshop on the technique developed by Dr. Richard Niemtzow, a retired Air Force colonel who practiced medicine as a radiation oncologist before he studied acupuncture in 1994.

Nichols was one of four patients who volunteered for treatment at the 779th Medical Group’s acupuncture clinic, where Niemtzow and Dr. Stephen Burns, a retired Air Force colonel and full-time Air Force acupuncturist, train military doctors and treat patients.

“I walked yesterday and I barely made it home with the cane. That’s how much pain there was,” Nichols told the doctors after his treatment. “Now I’m walking without pain, as though I didn’t have the problem.”

“You said you felt like you could walk a mile,” Niemtzow said. “Would you have said that this morning when you first came here?”

“I didn’t think I was going to make it to the car,” Nichols said.

Niemtzow estimates that he and Burns have trained 60 physicians so far this year at Andrews and at Air Force and Army bases in Germany, Korea, Washington, Florida and Alaska.

“The Air Force Acupuncture Center is the first facility of its kind in DOD ever,” Air Force Col. (Dr.) John Baxter said. “It is a full-time acupuncture facility, and not only is it here to treat patients, it’s here to teach other providers and to do research.”

Baxter is director of the Pentagon Flight Medicine Clinic and a credentialed acupuncturist.

Acupuncture is being used as a treatment everywhere in the Defense Department, “but the Air Force led the way with two formal training programs of 20 physicians each,” Baxter said. “The Navy has one training program with 20 physicians and efforts are underway to have another tri-service training program.”

Healers in China and other Asian countries have practiced acupuncture for thousands of years. According to traditional Chinese medicine, disease is due to an internal imbalance of the opposing forces of yin and yang. Such an imbalance is believed to lead to a blockage in the flow of qi [pronounced chi], the vital life energy that flows along pathways called meridians, the philosophy says.

Meridians connect all systems in the body through a web-like matrix of at least 2,000 acupuncture points. Acupuncture is believed to unblock that vital energy.

Treating patients involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid metallic needles that are manipulated by the hands or by electrical stimulation.

The practice is controversial among some in the United States, but the National Institutes of Health recognizes acupuncture as evidence-based therapy that works for many kinds of medical conditions, Baxter said.

Scientists are studying the efficacy of acupuncture for a range of conditions, according to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Bethesda, Md.

According to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey, which included a survey of complementary and alternative medicine use by Americans, 3.1 million U.S. adults and 150,000 children had used acupuncture in the previous year.

And in June, the Army surgeon general released a report that recommended “a holistic, patient-centered approach” to pain management that uses all kinds of therapy, from conventional medicine to “complementary and alternative modes such as acupuncture, meditation, biofeedback, yoga and others.”

In traditional acupuncture, practitioners use all 20 or so meridians. For battlefield acupuncture, Niemtzow uses only five points on each ear. Small, 1-millimeter gold or stainless steel needles are inserted and stay in place until they fall out or the patient removes them several days later.

The positive effects, Burns said, “last two hours, two days, two weeks, two months or two years -- we’ve seen everything.”

Most patients receive three to four treatments over several months and come to walk-in acupuncture clinics, held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, if their pain returns.

“Doctor Niemtzow developed the technique over many years of working with patients,” Baxter said.

“He localized five points and prioritized them into a protocol that any provider can use, without knowing anything else, like on a battlefield when you’ve got someone in serious pain,” he added. “It will take you five minutes or less and chances are you’re going to drastically reduce that patient’s pain.”

Before the workshop began, Niemtzow said, “All the patients we see at the U.S. Air Force Acupuncture Center have not responded well to Western medicine.”

Many patients “have complicated medical problems and traditional medicine hasn’t helped them. They’ve been to the orthopedic surgeon, to traditional pain management clinics, to neurologists and dermatologists and they’ve taken drugs for pain relief,” he said.

“The majority of patients come to our clinic seeking relief from pain. The pain medication they’re taking has not been satisfactory or they’ve not responded well,” Niemtzow said.

“For many patients it is a last resort, but our success rate is very high here, which is very rewarding for the patient and also for myself and Doctor Burns,” he added.

Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Christian Hanley, also a credentialed acupuncturist, said acupuncture hasn’t replaced traditional medicine, but it’s a very good adjunct.

“This is a great gift we’ve been given,” he said, “so we take it and use it.”

During the workshop, the doctors treated three more patients, all of whom left the clinic with less pain than they arrived with.

“Nowhere in my experience of medicine in all these years have we had so many people walking away happy right from our interaction,” Air Force Lt. Col. (Dr.) Dan Balog said.

Balog, who practices psychiatry and family medicine at the 79th Medical Group at Andrews, has used acupuncture on patients he treats for anxiety and depression.

“It’s pretty rewarding from the clinical side to see this,” he said, adding that acupuncture is also an avenue for patients who already take a lot of medications.

With multiple medications, Balog said, “there’s a lot of collateral damage that we don’t always anticipate.”

“There are people who still doubt this and I think they always will,” Niemtzow said, “but for us who are in the clinic every day, we see people suffering from the war and from this or that and there’s nothing left to offer them. And we can put 50-cent needles in an individual’s ear, and they look at you and smile and say, ‘my God, I feel better!”

“The question that comes to my mind is,” Baxter said, “if you can make the majority of patients better during their clinic visit without medicines, then why are you still treating patients the old way?

“We certainly would never go back [to practicing without acupuncture],” he said, “and I think the future for acupuncture will be bright.”

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=62053

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Acupuncture May Be Effective for Amblyopia in Some Older Children

Acupuncture May Be Effective for Amblyopia in Some Older Children

Laurie Barclay, MD

December 14, 2010 — Acupuncture could potentially become an alternative to patching for treating some older children with amblyopia, according to the results of a single-center, randomized controlled trial published online December 13 in the Archives of Ophthalmology.

"A more effective and convenient alternative treatment for anisometropic amblyopia is required, especially for older children," write Jianhao Zhao, MD, from Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and Chinese University of Hong Kong in Shantou, China, and colleagues.

"Acupuncture...has been used for treating ophthalmic disorders such as dry eye, myopia, and amblyopia. In recent years, the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging has demonstrated a correlation between vision-related acupoint stimulation and visual cortical activation, suggesting a possible basis for the use of acupuncture in treating amblyopia."

The study goal was to compare the efficacy of daily patching for 2 hours with that of acupuncture in treating anisometropic amblyopia. Participants were 88 children, aged 7 to 12 years, with an amblyopic eye, who had worn optimal eyeglasses for at least 16 weeks and had achieved a best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA) of 0.3 to 0.8 logMAR at baseline. Children were randomly assigned to receive patching of the nonamblyopic eye for 2 hours daily or 5 sessions of acupuncture weekly. In addition, all participants received constant optical correction, 1 hour of near-vision activities daily, and follow-up at weeks 5, 10, 15, and 25. The primary study endpoint was BSCVA in the amblyopic eye at 15 weeks.

In the patching group, mean BSCVA of the amblyopic eye improved by 1.83 lines from baseline to 15 weeks compared with 2.27 lines in the acupuncture group. These improvements met the definition of equivalence (difference within 1 line) after baseline adjustment, with mean between-group difference in BSCVA of 0.049 logMAR (95% confidence interval, .005 - .092; P = .03).

Improvement in BSCVA by 2 lines or more occurred in 28 eyes (66.7%) in the patching group and in 31 eyes (75.6%) in the acupuncture group, and resolution of amblyopia occurred in 7 (16.7%) and 17 (41.5%) eyes, respectively. Tolerability and compliance were good for both treatments, with no serious adverse effects in either group.

"Acupuncture produced equivalent treatment effect for anisometropic amblyopia, compared with patching, and was statistically superior," the study authors write. "Further studies are warranted to investigate its value in the treatment of amblyopia."

Limitations of this study include the possibility that some of the observed treatment effect may have resulted from continued optical correction, and the inability to compare different durations of patching or use of different acupoints.

"Although the treatment effect of acupuncture appears promising, the mechanism underlying its success as a treatment for amblyopia remains unclear," the study authors conclude. "Acupuncture at vision-related acupoints may modulate the activity of the visual cortex. Moreover, acupuncture has been shown to be effective in increasing blood flow to the cerebral and ocular vasculatures (including the choroid), stimulating the expression of retinal nerve growth factors and leading to metabolic changes in the central nervous system."

The Mr. Lai Seung Hung and Mrs. Lai Chan Pui Ngong Eye Fund and the Edith C. Blum Foundation supported this study. Several of the study authors have filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office a provisional patent application for the stimulation of specific acupuncture points for the improvement of vision.

Arch Ophthalmol. Published online December 13, 2010.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/734197

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To The Point: Acupuncture: Its Growth In the United States & How It Works

To The Point: Acupuncture: Its Growth In the United States & How It Works

by John D. Convey, L.Ac.

Over the past year I’ve observed the growth of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine and have witnessed it’s upswing in popularity not only in my practice but also within the community of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). In turn, this surge in popularity has spread amongst patients in the United States who in the past relied mostly on Western Medicine but now actively seek answers within the field of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine for means and methods to achieve health, well-being and overall care.

One of my objectives is to provide a better understanding about the use of Acupuncture and Asian Medicine within our society. Being part of a larger movement and having my own practice, I think it beneficial to share my knowledge and to increase public awareness of the progress, promise, and benefits that both alternatives provide and come under the umbrella of a specific community and definition known as CAM.

Defining CAM – Complementary And Alternative Medicine. Because the field of alternative medicine is constantly evolving we’ll apply a basic definition to the concept and understanding of what CAM is. CAM is a group of diverse health and medical care systems, practices and products that are not generally considered to be part of conventional medicine. Conventional Medicine also known as Western Medicine is associated with and practiced by holders of M.D. and D.O. degrees and by associated health professionals, such as psychologists, registered nurses and physical therapists.

It is important to note that the boundaries between CAM and conventional medicine are not absolute. And should not be seen as a divide. As the practices of Complementary and Alternative Medicine continues to become more widely accepted and relied upon in the respective fields of medicine, the definition grows and the two systems continue to merge. So in brief, Complementary Medicine refers to the use of CAM together with conventional medicine.

As a health care professional, I must stress how important it is that this merger continues to grow and increase so patients can receive optimal care, relief and overall treatment for an existing or new condition.

An estimated 36% of U.S. adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to a survey by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health. When megavitamin therapy and prayer, specifically for health reasons is included in the definition of CAM, the number of U.S. adults using some form of CAM in the past year rises to 62%. Among the common CAM practices identified by the survey were acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, tai chi and Qi gong.

As these methods of practice continue to sync we, as healers are seeing a trend that supports the idea that the use of conventional medicine along side and stride with alternative medicine is helping an increasing number of patients deal with illness and injury. In some instances many of these illnesses and injuries have been hard to diagnose or may still be without specific conclusion consequently patients who would have gone without treatment have now found a path through CAM to seek care and relief.

Acupuncture and Asian Medicine is a bridge between that which is known conclusively through medical or conventional practice and that, which is not known but is acknowledged by the body and mind’s own intuitive nature. Making alternative practices not only important but also necessary.

A survey by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine found that approximately one in ten adults had received acupuncture at least one time and 60% said they would readily consider acupuncture as a potential treatment option. Nearly half (48%) of the individuals surveyed who had received acupuncture reported that they were extremely satisfied or very satisfied with their treatment. In addition, one in five (21%) of the total NCCAOM survey respondents reported that they had utilized some other form of Oriental medicine besides acupuncture, such as herbs or bodywork (e.g., shiatsu).

These studies and others like them clearly demonstrate that CAM therapies such as acupuncture and Oriental medicine are common practice in today’s health care system. They also support the need for consumers to be provided accurate and reliable information regarding their treatment options. It is again important to stress that as alternative practices grow the benefits of receiving such forms of treatment are providing patients with restored health.

My personal goal in writing this goes beyond providing a basic understanding of Alternative practices but to zero in on my specific specialty. Which is acupuncture and I believe acupuncture truly works. My passion is to ensure I provide Americans with and understanding that ultimately helps each individual understand how to access this practice and to receive the benefits that come from its use.

The human body is made up of over 300 billion cells. Every one of those cells is encoded with DNA that serves cells much like blueprints help orchestrate the building of a structure. Each cell has a unique “calling” or “function” to perform; some cells become smooth muscle tissue, while others become part of the nervous system, and so on. The process of the cell developing and operating as precise types allows all the cells to collectively work as one unit, in this case the all important human body. And more specifically – your body.

Let me use the model of modern technology as analogy to the human organism. Imagine that each of those 300 billion cells that make up the human anatomy are like the inner workings of tiny wireless lap top computers and smart phones. Communication with these devices is initiated through an energy that has been termed Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi has the ability to send and receive pieces of information, images, emails, etc. through thin air with not so much as a trace for the human senses to recognize. The cells that make up you have the same complex and compressive modality to transfer and receive bits of information called “Qi” (Chi) – it is the bodies Wi-Fi.

The Qi transmits information to and from the cell to acupuncture points throughout the body. Acupuncture points are like routers for your home or office that connect an entire system to one unit. Cellular antennas if you will, are hardwired into the circulatory and nervous systems much as our computer devices are plugged into the wall or travel via cable to and from the main server. Information is received and collected at these points and is then sent up to the server, in this case, the brain.

As a Doctor of acupuncture, I listen to the signals if you well – or the body’s communication and transmissions much like a technician reads the make-up of an electronic unit, to develop and devise a routine for repairing and healing the internal system.

This wireless communication is at the root of cellular organization, development, and growth. Its ability to thrive as a single unit collectively creates the network that completes the human body. It is through the body’s Wi-Fi system that acupuncture communicates then triggers, and stimulates a specific area in need of healing. Understanding the concept of wireless communication, or using technology as analogy, helps to explain how the human organism, like a computer in sync with its software, enjoys cooperation and communication among its specific parts and areas. Specific to the human body, each cell makes up the organization of the entire organism, which consequently makes communication and healing possible.

It is a magnificent system that should not be underestimated or ignored because of this very unique ability to communicate the needs of the human infrastructure, exterior structure and the complete body. Along with Complementary and Alternative medicine and well versed practitioners, you are your own best friend when it comes to the cycle of health.

Your body is there to tell you everything there is to know. And I will be here to help translate, communicate understanding and heal the body’s instant message.

http://www.outimpact.com/features/health-spirituality-wellness/point-well-taken/point-acupuncture-growth-united-states-works/

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Acupuncture for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

By Adrienne Dwllwo

Research Brief

A small but growing body of evidence suggests that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for chronic fatigue syndrome.

A recent Chinese study showed that 2 treatments from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) were effective -- acupuncture and Shenmai injection (which is composed of 2 common TCM herbs.) However, researchers say acupuncture was the far more effective treatment.

Specifically, researchers say the treatments made participants less fatigued and eased fatigue-related symptoms, such as brain function.

Last April, a separate study also out of China found that circadian rhythm (your internal "body clock") was abnormal in people with chronic fatigue syndrome, and that treatment with electroacupuncture was able to regulate the circadian rhythm and improve daytime cognitive function.

The term "electroacupuncture" has 2 different meanings. In TCM, it means using electricity in conjunction with needles to provide higher levels of stimulation. In the U.S., it's often used to describe treatment with low-voltage electricity instead of needles. The abstract didn't specify which form was used, and I can't read the article because it's in Chinese. However, since this was a Chinese study published in a Chinese journal, my assumption is that they used the TCM definition.

In Dec. 2009, another Chinese research group published a meta analysis of 28 published studies on acupuncture for chronic fatigue syndrome. It concluded that acupuncture does appear effective but that more high-quality studies need to be done before we know for sure.

• Learn More: Acupuncture for Fibromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

If you're interested in trying acupuncture, it might help to print out the first two studies, linked above, so your acupuncturist knows which sites the researchers used.

http://chronicfatigue.about.com/b/2010/11/04/acupuncture-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome.htm

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Acupuncture help for hayfever sufferers

Acupuncture help for hayfever sufferers

Not to be sneezed at...

Stephanie Bedo

GRIFFITH University School of Medicine study is hoping to help hay-fever sufferers with the prick of a needle.

John McDonald, a Southport acupuncturist of 40 years, and his research team are planning to reveal how acupuncture can treat irritating and chronic allergies via changes to the immune system.

Hay fever was more prevalent on the Gold Coast, where the allergy season was up to five times longer than the average two-month period of Melbourne, he said. This was because the Coast's pollen season was longer.

About 15 per cent of Australians suffer from hay fever, commonly caused by grass pollen and dust mite.

Mr McDonald said the figure could be even higher on the Coast and he is calling on 60 locals to participate in the free study.

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Runaway Bay man John Black has already taken part in the study and said he had noticed massive improvements in his condition.

''I'm a lot better now and I can do a lot more things now I couldn't do before,'' he said.

''Even just sitting around the house and things that would come through the window would be a problem.''

Mr Black, who has been battling hay fever for 10 years, said he previously used a pack of tissues a day and took antihistimines but now did not use either.

The 24-year-old is part of 72 people aged between 18 and 45 who have already completed the study. Mr McDonald said the findings would be of great importance to allergy specialists throughout the world.

''The information should be able to be used for developing new treatments outside of acupuncture because once you know what needs to be done it's just a question of figuring out how to do it,'' he said.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/11/24/272835_gold-coast-news.html

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Acupuncture for dry eye

Acupuncture for dry eye: a multicentre randomised controlled trial with active comparison intervention (artificial tear drop) using a mixed method approach protocol

Previous studies of acupuncture show favourable results for both subjective and objective outcomes of dry eye. However, firm conclusions could not be drawn from these studies because the quality of the trials was too low to establish concrete evidence.

Therefore, this study was designed both to avoid the flaws of the existing trials and to assess the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and qualitative characteristics of acupuncture treatment for dry eye.

Methods: One hundred fifty participants with dry eye will be recruited into three independent hospitals from different areas: Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, DongGuk University Ilsan Oriental Hospital and Dongshin University Gwangju Oriental Hospital. The number of participants required was calculated from the data of a previous, relevant study.

These patients will be randomly allocated into acupuncture treatment or artificial tear groups. Either 17 acupuncture points (bilateral BL2, GB14, TE 23, Ex1, ST1, GB20, LI4, LI11 and single GV23) will be used 3 times a week or disposable artificial tear drops (Refresh Plus(R), ALLERGAN) will be provided for use at least once a day for 4 weeks.

The ocular surface disease index (OSDI), tear film break-up time (TFBUT), Schirmer test, visual analogue scale (VAS) for self-assessment of ocular discomfort, general assessment (by both acupuncture practitioners and participants) and quality of life (QOL) through the Measure Yourself Medical Outcome Profile-2 (MYMOP-2) will be assessed for approximately 3-months for each study participant. In addition, qualitative study and cost-effectiveness study of acupuncture treatment will be conducted.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT01105221).

Author: Tae-Hun KimJung Won KangKun Hyung KimKyung-Won KangMi-Suk ShinSo-Young JungAe-Ran KimHee-Jung JungSeung-Deok LeeJin-Bong ChoiSun-Mi Choi
Credits/Source: Trials 2010, 11:107

http://7thspace.com/headlines/363773/acupuncture_for_dry_eye_a_multicentre_randomised_controlled_trial_with_active_comparison_intervention_artificial_tear_drop_using_a_mixed_method_approach_protocol.html

Injured Roman Pavlyuchenko tries acupuncture in bid to relieve Tottenham striker crisis

By ASHLEY GRAY
Last updated at 11:57 AM on 11th November 2010

Roman Pavlyuchenko is having intensive acupuncture in a bid to solve Tottenham’s striker crisis before the weekend.

White Hart Lane boss Harry Redknapp fears that Peter Crouch will be his only fully fit striker for Saturday’s visit of Blackburn.

But Pavlyuchenko, who was forced off at half time with back pain during Spurs 1-1 draw with Sunderland on Tuesday night, said he had only suffered a spasm which was responding to treatment.

I'll be back: Inured Pavlyuchenko is having acupuncture treatment to help ease Tottenham's striker crisis

‘I felt the pain around the 25th minute after clashing with an opponent,’ said the 28-year-old Russia international. ‘My back cramped up and I was in a lot of pain.

‘In the dressing room I told the doctor and had a massage, but it didn’t help.

‘But on Wednesday I had a check-up which, thank God, revealed only a muscle spasm.

Up for it: The Russia international hopes to return to action for this weekend's visit of Blackburn

‘I’m walking gingerly, but I’m being intensively treated with acupuncture and massages.

‘I hope that after a couple of days everything will return to normal - then nothing will stop me from coming to the national team for the game against Belgium (next week).

‘But I can only say that with confidence closer to the weekend.’

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1328687/Roman-Pavlyuchenko-acupuncture-help-ease-Tottenham-striker-crisis.html#ixzz14zufxEZr

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Acupuncture in the treatment of mental illness and drug addiction

Protecting the 'least among us'

By Brian Lindstrom I was recently in Germany and Denmark documenting innovative uses of acupuncture in the treatment of mental illness and drug addiction. What I encountered brought into sharp focus what would be available to us if we as a society prioritized the well-being of children and people suffering from mental illness and addiction.

About an hour outside of Hamburg, a man by the name of Wolfgang gave me a tour of the residential drug treatment center he runs. It resembles a quaint boarding school, possessing none of the institutional drabness I've come to expect after filming clinics in Oregon, Washington, Kentucky, Texas, Florida and Ohio. Wolfgang's clinic uses only acupuncture – no medications – in treating drug withdrawal. Through an interpreter, a 35-year-old female crack addict told me this approach "calms and focuses me, greatly reduces my symptoms and cravings, and makes me think that the answer to healing my addiction is within me, and is accessed through acupuncture."
I asked Wolfgang how long addicts typically had to wait for admission to his clinic. He didn't understand my question, so I asked again. As I was about to ask a third time, it dawned on me the confusion wasn't due to language, but to Wolfgang's inability as a physician to comprehend why any patient should have to wait for treatment. I explained to him that in Portland people sleep outside every night of the year in hopes of being admitted to Hooper Detox the following morning. Because of space limitations, many are turned away. It's common for an addict to try five or six times before getting admitted. Wolfgang looked at me in stunned silence, then sadly shook his head. In Copenhagen, I filmed Mette, a psychiatric nurse and acupuncturist, as she visited "social psychiatric" organizations -- neighborhood homes turned into drop-in centers -- using acupuncture to treat mental illness. The acupuncture, often done in small groups, and the homey atmosphere help create a sense of warmth and community. At one of the homes, a woman was in the kitchen making a cake to celebrate her first bridge crossing in four years -- an important victory over one of her phobias. Later, she shared the cake with another woman who, after giving birth to her third child, suffered such severe post-partem depression that she couldn't adequately care for her newborn. Now, after the benefits of social psychiatry, she is able to mother her baby. The next morning, Mette and I drove her 13-year-old son, Jakob, to school. The school day started like any other, with all the students (ranging in age from 5 to 15) and the teachers in the gym for morning assembly. "Smoking is Crap," a song written by one of the classes, was sung by the entire assembly. Next the principal, a vibrant woman in her 60s, called a 13-year-old boy to the front of the gym. She warmly put her arm around him and extolled a detailed list of his virtues and accomplishments. Then everyone sang him "Happy Birthday" He smiled deeply, hugged the principal and sat down. Next, a 5-year-old girl stood up and explained that she had lost a ninja turtle toy and would like it returned in case anyone found it. You could tell it was hers, she explained, because she wrote her name on the toy turtle's foot. I was struck by the focus and calm of the assembled students, who numbered about 75. There was no name-calling, no texting or disciplinary problems, and the maturity of the older students was demonstrated by the 5-year-old girl's complete confidence that her missing toy alert would be taken seriously. And it was. The classes at this school have no more than 20 students, and music, art and P.E. are required daily. In the summer, there is a six-week vacation. I asked Mette what it costs to send Jakob to the school, bracing myself for Catlin Gabel-like numbers. "Two hundred dollars per month," she answered. I resisted the urge to inquire about Denmark's immigration policy. My wife and I are self-employed. We paid more than $14,000 last year in health insurance and medical bills. One of our two children sees an occupational therapist for one hour a week. Our insurance company just informed us that it will no longer cover any such visits for the rest of this year. Paying out of pocket, our bill will be $425 a week, but the visits have helped our child make great strides in both fine and gross motor skills. The relevant question here isn't: "What should my wife and I do?" or "What would you do?" The question that must be asked is why are any of us content with health care and educational systems that make a mockery of what seems to me to be the purpose of any worthwhile government or society: to protect the "least among us," in this case our children and people suffering from mental illness and addiction. I'm reminded of the old Talmudic saying: "If I am not for me, who will be for myself? If I am for myself only, what am I? If not now, when?" Brian Lindstrom is a Portland filmmaker.

http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/11/protecting_the_least_among_us.html

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Study Finds Acupuncture Effective for Arthritis Pain

By Cathy Wong

Acupuncture, the practice of inserting thin needles into specific body points to improve health and well-being, originated in China thousands of years ago. In 2002, acupuncture was used by an estimated 2.1 million U.S. adults, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), both components of the National Institutes of Health, has found that acupuncture may provide pain relief and improve function for people with knee osteoarthritis.

The findings of the study -- the longest and largest randomized, controlled phase III clinical trial of acupuncture ever conducted -- were published in the December 21, 2004 issue of the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

The multi-site study assessed 570 people with osteoarthritis of the knee who were aged 50 or older. Participants in the study had significant pain in their knee the month before joining the study, but had not had knee surgery in the prior six months or used steroid or similar injections. None had ever had acupuncture.

Study participants received either acupuncture or "sham" acupuncture or they participated in a self-help group on managing their condition. Sham acupuncture is a procedure designed to prevent patients from being able to detect if needles are actually inserted at treatment points. In both the sham and true acupuncture procedures, a screen prevented patients from seeing the knee treatment area and learning which treatment they received. In the education control group, 189 participants attended six, 2-hour group sessions over 12 weeks based on the Arthritis Foundation's Arthritis Self-Help Course -- a proven, effective model.

All participants continued to receive standard medical care from their primary physicians, including anti-inflammatory medications such as COX-2 selective inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and opioid pain medications.

On joining the study, patients' pain and knee function were assessed using standard arthritis research survey instruments and measurement tools, such as the Western Ontario McMasters Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Patients' progress was assessed at 4, 8, 14 and 26 weeks.

By week 8, participants receiving acupuncture were showing a significant increase in function and by week 14 a significant decrease in pain, compared with the sham and control groups. These results, shown by declining scores on the WOMAC index, held through week 26.

Overall, those who received acupuncture had a 40% decrease in pain and a nearly 40% improvement in function compared to baseline assessments.

"For the first time, a clinical trial with sufficient rigor, size, and duration has shown that acupuncture reduces the pain and functional impairment of osteoarthritis of the knee," said Stephen E. Straus, M.D., NCCAM Director. "These results also indicate that acupuncture can serve as an effective addition to a standard regimen of care and improve quality of life for knee osteoarthritis sufferers. NCCAM has been building a portfolio of basic and clinical research that is now revealing the power and promise of applying stringent research methods to ancient practices like acupuncture."

"More than 20 million Americans have osteoarthritis. This disease is one of the most frequent causes of physical disability among adults," said Stephen I. Katz, M.D., Ph.D., NIAMS Director. "Thus, seeking an effective means of decreasing osteoarthritis pain and increasing function is of critical importance."

"This trial, which builds upon our previous NCCAM-funded research, establishes that acupuncture is an effective complement to conventional arthritis treatment and can be successfully employed as part of a multidisciplinary approach to treating the symptoms of osteoarthritis," said Dr. Berman.

Published 12/27/04

Barnes P, Powell-Griner E, McFann K, Nahin R. CDC "Advance Data Report #343." Complementary and Alternative Medicine Use Among Adults: United States, 2002. May 27, 2004.

Berman BM, Lao L, Langenberg P, Lee WL, Gilpin AMK, Hochberg MC. Effectiveness of Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Knee: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. "Annals of Internal Medicine." 2004; 141(12):901-910.

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