Friday, July 15, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
MDs say that acupuncture treats endometriosis in NEJM
10 JULY 2011
A recent article published in the New England Journal of Medicine cites acupuncture as effective for the treatment of pain related to endometriosis. The publication notes that a randomized, sham-controlled trial of women suffering from endometriosis pain demonstrated that acupuncture was an effective treatment modality. As a result, the author calls for larger studies to confirm the findings.
Endometriosis is a gynecological condition wherein uterine cells are located in areas of the body external to the uterus. These cells have similar hormonal responses as cells within the uterus. This can lead to lesions, pain and infertility. The pain is usually chronic and is associated with dysmenorrhea. It is estimated that endometriosis affects nearly 10 percent of women of reproductive age, 50 percent of women with infertility, and almost 60 percent of teenage girls with pelvic region pain. Treatments include surgery, oral contraceptives and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. GnRH agonists to lower estrogen levels are used but may cause endometrial atrophy and amenorrhea.
The article mentions the effectiveness of Japanese acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical stimulation for the treatment of endometriosis. The article does not cite the existing studies showing the effectiveness of Chinese or Korean style acupuncture. Nonetheless, it is a comprehensive report with a genuine approach to understanding the issues involved in the treatment of endometriosis. This is part of a slowly emerging trend wherein acupuncture is cited in articles appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine as an effective modality for the treatment of disease.
References:
1. Endometriosis. Linda C. Giudice, M.D., Ph.D. N Engl J Med 2010; 362:2389-2398June 24, 2010.
2. Wayne PM, Kerr CE, Schnyer RN, et al. Japanese-style acupuncture for endometriosis-related pelvic pain in adolescents and young women: results of a randomized sham-controlled trial. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol 2008;21:247-257.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Acupuncture cures lazy eye!
A recent study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology reports that acupuncture is an effective therapy for a type of ‘lazy eye’ called anisometropic amblyopia. This condition is characterized by poor vision in an eye that may otherwise be considered physically normal. The researchers also note that acupuncture is a superior treatment modality to the current approach of patching the good eye to strengthen the lazy eye. The researchers conclude, “Acupuncture produced equivalent treatment effect for anisometropic amblyopia, compared with patching, and was statistically superior. Further studies are warranted to investigate its value in the treatment of amblyopia.”
Reference:
Jianhao Zhao, MD; Dennis S. C. Lam, MD, FRCOphth; Li Jia Chen, PhD; Yunxiu Wang, BMed; Chongren Zheng, DEpid; Qiaoer Lin, DN; Srinivas K. Rao, FRCS; Dorothy S. P. Fan, FRCS; Mingzhi Zhang, MD; Ping Chung Leung, MD; Robert Ritch, MD, FRCOphth. Randomized Controlled Trial of Patching vs Acupuncture for Anisometropic Amblyopia in Children Aged 7 to 12 Years. Arch Ophthalmol. 2010;128(12):1510-1517.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Acupuncture treats major depression
Treating emotional conditions is a beautiful way to use Traditional Chinese Medicine. Use the natural Spirit level medicine rather than pharmaceuticals.
http://www.healthcmi.com/index.php/acupuncturist-news-online/407-acupuncturetreatsdepressionresearchceusx2
http://www.healthcmi.com/index
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Acupuncture treats emotional conditions
http://www.gazette.net/article/20110706/NEWS/707069991/1094/navy-psychiatrist-uses-acupuncture-to-open-veterans-to-healing-body&template=gazette
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Electro-Acupuncture Repairs Spinal Cord Injury – New Research
A new study has measured the effects of electro-acupuncture on the regeneration of the spinal cord following injury. The experiment was performed on rats with spinal cords that were demyelinated in the thoracic vertebrae region at T10. The research conducted by the Division of Neuroscience at Sun Yat-Sen University demonstrated that electro-acupuncture stimulated spinal cord repair.
The researchers investigated Governing Vessel stimulation with electro-acupuncture. One measurement was that of increases in the number of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). OPCs are considered a potentially viable treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) and OPCs can potentially remyelinate the spinal cord. Electro-acupuncture on the Governing Vessel (Du Mai) increased OPCs, an important factor in the functional recovery of demyelinated spinal cord. Electro-acupuncture also caused OPCs to differentiate into oligodendroycytes – another important factor in spinal cord repair.
Electro-acupuncture was measured to have increased neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) levels in addition to OPCs and oligodendrocytes. NT-3 is a protein growth factor affecting neurons of the peripheral and central nervous system. NT-3 supports the differentiation of neurons and the growth new neurons and synapses. The research clearly measured NT-3 increases by electro-acupuncture on the Governing Vessel in demyelinated spinal cord tissue. NT-3 mediates the differentiation of OPCs into oligodendrocytes thereby promoting functional improvement in demyelinated spinal cord.
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