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Acupuncture

Acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease

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acupuncture for parkinson's diseaseWe often use acupuncture for Parkinson’s disease in our clinic.  We find Parkinson’s patients not only benefit from acupuncture, but from dietary therapy, targeted nutritional supplements and even Chinese herbal medicine.  We recommend mind-body practices for all our patients and will help patients find the mind-body practice that works best for them, as an individual.  Our patients report a reduction of Parkinson’s symptoms like imbalance, gait and walking problems, as well as tremor.  But other common symptoms that affect quality of life also improve, such as insomnia, weight loss, depression and anxiety, and digestive complaints.

New research is also demonstrating that acupuncture for Parkinson’s Disease is effective.  Researchers from the surgery and neurology departments of the University of Arizona discovered acupuncture improves gait and balance disorders in Parkinson’s patients.  They measure improvements in overall balance, gait speed and stride length.  The results were published in Neurology, the official journal of the American Academy of Neurology.  Balance improved by 31%; gait speed by 10% and stride length by 5%.  There was no improvement in the control group.

In other research, Scientists at the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Traditional Medicine discovered how acupuncture protects the parts of the brain damaged by Parkinson’s Disease and helps improve dopamine levels.  Acupuncture inhibits decreases of tyrosine hydroxylase in nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.. Depletion of these neurons leads to Parkinson’s disease and acupuncture stimulation of acupoints GB34 and LV3 prevents depletion by sustaining tyrosine hydroxylase levels.

There is mounting evidence that oxidative stress plays a role in the progression of Parkinson’s Disease.  In another study, electro-acupuncture protected a part of the brain called the substantia nigra, where dopamine dysregulation causes Parkinson’s Disease.  Acupuncture had a protective effect through anxtioxidant and antipoptosis effects.

In addition, there are other studies that show that acupuncture helps patients with common Parkinson symptoms such as pain, mood disorder and insomnia and digestive issues.  We do a comprehensive treatment plan with all our patients.  Our experience is that when you combine acupuncture with dietary therapy, targeted supplements and mind-body medicine, people see exponentially better results.

We love working with Parkinsons’ patients.  Please call us at 240-780-9130 and schedule a free consult.

Acupuncture for Osteoporosis

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Acupuncture for Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is an growing problem, that can lead to increased pain and suffering, debility and bone fractures.  There is evidence that acupuncture for osteoporosis can be an effective treatment.  Unfortunately, there is little funding for acupuncture research at this time which means that no large-scale studies have been conducted.

In animal studies, research done at Chengdu University has proven that acupuncture increases bone metabolism in rats. This experiment had been carried out on female rats with lower estrogen levels that suffered from osteoporosis.

There have been several human studies on acupuncture for osteoporosis, and a 2010 meta-analysis indicates overall positive evidence that acupuncture increases bone formation in people with osteoporosis.  Of course, more large-scale studies are needed.

Research published in the Journal of Clinical Acupuncture and Moxibustion demonstrates that acupuncture and herbs reduce pain, numbness, and dizziness while improving walking for patients with osteoporosis. Compared with a control group receiving only standard medical care, a group receiving standard care plus acupuncture and herbal medicine achieved significantly greater positive patient outcomes. There were also a greater increase in bone density in the group that received acupuncture and herbal medicine.

In another study conducted at First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, researchers compared acupuncture for osteoporosis with calcium supplementation, a common medical recommendation for the condition.  The researchers measure osteocalcin levels, performed DEXA scans for bone mineral density and used VAS scale to measure patient pain levels.  The acupuncture group outperformed the calcium supplementation group.

In the acupuncture group, there was a total effective rate of 90.10%. Mean bone mineral density increased from -2.50SD to 0.83SD, mean serum osteocalcin increased from 3.5mg/L to 6.2mg/L, and mean VAS scores dropped from 4.50 to 2.70 following treatment. The drop in VAS scores indicates reduced pain levels.  Calcium supplements also produced beneficial results. In the calcium supplementation group, there was a total effective rate of 80.22%. Mean bone mineral density increased from -2.80SD to 0.63SD following treatment, mean serum osteocalcin increased from 4.0mg/L to 5.2mg/L and mean VAS scores dropped from 4.23 to 3.41 following treatment.  Combining calcium supplementation with acupuncture treatment may produce increased benefits for those with osteoporosis.

In practice, acupuncturists will often recommend treatment with dietary therapy and Chinese herbal medicine for patients with osteoporosis.  Our experience is that this produces even better outcomes.  The herbal treatment will be targeted toward supporting bone formation by supporting the kidney function.  Emerging scientific evidence has confirmed the validity and identified the molecular mechanisms of many ancient TCM theories. One example is the concept of “Kidneys Govern Bone Formation.”  Discoveries since 2000 have identified a new bone-kidney endocrine axis. Based on the bone-secreted FGF23 and kidney-expressed Klotho, it plays a crucial role in calcium-phosphate metabolism and vitamin D regulation. To read more on this fascinating discussion of the bone-kidney endocrine axis, click here.

Overall, osteoporosis patients can expect that acupuncture will help improve function; decrease pain levels; and perhaps–as these studies indicate–improve bone mineral density.  Patients should also consider Chinese dietary therapy and Chinese herbal medicine as a way to improve outcomes.

If you think we can be of help to you, schedule an appointment now!

Flu Season and Prevention

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I am writing about the flu this week as it hit pretty close to home with my husband being laid low last week.  So far, I have been able to avoid catching it, using the following protocols. Knock on wood!

Also, although he had a fever for three days, he recovered more quickly than I expected and did not develop many respiratory symptoms, other than a little stuffiness. As you may know the fever in flu often lasts a week or more and respiratory symptoms for weeks afterwards. I think we had a good outcome because we went into full-on, flu-fighting mode from the outset.

Widespread Flu Activity in Montgomery County

Health officials have notified us that the flu is widespread in our community.  Hospitals are restricting visitors from entering if they have flu-like symptoms in order to safeguard staff and patients in the hospital.

Tips for Preventing the Spread of Flu

  •  Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care. Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. Keep away from others as much as possible to keep from making others sick.

Tips for treating flu at home
Aggressive treatment with natural remedies at the earliest possible time creates the best results.

Vitamin C Therapy
Vitamin C is a potent antiviral if given at high enough doses, following this protocol. It can also be used as a flu preventative as it boosts your immune system.

  1. Ascorbic Acid may be tough on your tummy, so I recommend using Sodium Ascorbate which is available at the Vitamin Shoppe.
  2. Start dosing in 1000mg-3​000mg doses every 2-3 hours throughout the day, to bowel tolerance (this is exactly what it sounds like!)
  3. When bowel tolerance is reached, reduce dosage by 20%
  4. If bowel tolerance is reached again, reduce dosage again by 20% (and so on). Your goal is to take the highest dosage you can tolerate.
  5. ​Vitamin C is harmless in large doses. The only side effect is loose bowel.
  6. Lypo-spheric Vitamin C can sometimes be as effective as IV Vitamin C and will not cause loose bowel.

​We carry this product at our office, if you’re interested, and are currently running a 10% off special

Chinese Herbal Medicine
One of the great Chinese doctors came to visit the US a few years ago and spent a lot of time traveling through the country. At a dinner in his honor, he was asked what surprised him the most. He replied “Americans believe there is no cure for the common cold or flu!” A recent study concluded that the reason there were fewer Chinese deaths in the 1918 flu epidemic, compared to other countries, is due to Chinese Herbal Medicine, which is still the primary medicine in China and throughout much of Asia. My advice is to get an herbal consultation at the earliest possibly time, preferably at first onset of symptoms. We can Skype if you like, which might be better for not spreading the virus. As always with herbs, it is best to get a Chinese medical diagnosis which allows us to individualize your formula. For example, a cold can be hot or cold in nature. If you grab the wrong herb formula, you could worsen your symptoms. 

Gua Sha and Cupping
I would encourage everyone to have cupping and gua sha tools at home and learn how to use them. In a pinch you can use a jar lid or a coin to do gua sha on a suffering loved one. Clinical studies show these techniques boost your immune system for 4-5 days. They also relieve aching muscles, cough and stuffy head. This is great DIY medicine folks!

If you think we can be of help to you, schedule an appointment now!

Chinese Medicine in Action: Insomnia

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Alarm clock on night table showing 3 a.m.

Everyone deals with insomnia at some point in their lives.  For some people it’s an occasional annoyance, for others a life-altering challenge to their health and ability to function.  Chinese medicine for insomnia can be very effective.  From the viewpoint of Chinese Medicine, there can be many different causes of insomnia.  It can be a caused by a deficiency of Blood and Qi or by internal heat pathogens or even by stasis, when the body is not circulating blood and qi in a healthy way.  Getting to the heart of the cause of the insomnia and individualizing treatment is what makes Chinese Medicine superior to one-size-fits-all pharmaceutical drug treatment.  Here are some of our approaches to treat insomnia.

*The Deficient Patient:  This person is often a young woman, with normal or scanty menses, who suffers with anxiety and insomnia.  She may be cold or she may alternate feeling cold with feeling hot at night. Her tongue will often be pale.  We will use blood and qi building herbs and dietary therapy that builds blood and qi.

*The Hot Patient:  This person will feel hot a lot or very hot at night.  They may have symptoms of nausea or unexplained vomiting and sweating.  The tongue will be red. We will use herbs that cool blood, have a gentle, sedative effect and expel heat from the body

*The Yang Rising Patient:  This person may have excess symptoms of rising yang such as feeling hot, headaches, anxiety.  The tongue may be red with a peeled coating.  We will use herbs that nourish yin, sedate yang and expel heat from the body

*The Stagnant Patient:  Signs of stasis such as body pain, menstrual pain, purple tongue, cold hands/feet give us a clue as to the nature of this type of insomnia.  We will use herbs that improve circulation of blood and qi.

Nutritional supplements and dietary therapy for insomnia: Dietary therapy can have an impact on insomnia.  It is especially important to avoid hot and spicy foods.  My favorite nutritional supplements for insomnia are time-release Melatonin and GABA.  These are usually not a cure, but can help with symptomatic relief.

Good sleep hygiene is imperative for insomnia.  Reduce usage of computers, devices, TV during the day and eliminate after 6pm.  Use the evening to wind down by listening to quiet music, meditating being outside in nature, take a shower, etc.

If you have trouble with insomnia, give us a call (240)-780-9130 or schedule here!

Acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure

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Acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure

Recent clinical studies of Acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure have found that acupuncture may be an effective treatment for this condition.  Patients with this condition lose normal ovarian function before age 40.  The research indicates that acupuncture can stimulate the recovery of normal estrogen production.  Also tracked were effectiveness of acupuncture in balancing hormones, alleviating menopausal symptoms and reducing stress and anxiety. Some of these studies also used Chinese herbal medicine, in addition to acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure.

What is Premature Ovarian Failure?

Premature ovarian failure is estimated to affect 200,000 women per year in the United States.  The symptoms of premature ovarian failure are similar to menopause and can include:  skipped periods, hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, irritability and decreased sexual desire.  This condition can be associated with other diseases and health conditions.  Premature ovarian failure can affect teenagers and is a very traumatic diagnosis for young people.  Studies have indicated that women and teens have a lot of anxiety and stress related to this diagnosis.  Premature ovarian failure causes infertility.  Currently the only treatment is use of hormone replacement therapy

How does acupuncture treat this condition?

Chinese medicine has its own system of differential diagnosis that is different than Western medicine.  Based on patterns of symptoms and signs, patients with premature ovarian failure may have different Chinese medical diagnoses that require different treatment plans.  This method of individualizing treatment is unique and can provide benefits for difficult to treat conditions.  Three main treatment methods were used in the studies, based on this diferential diagnosis:

  1. Kidney yin deficiency, spleen qi and blood deficiency
  2. Liver qi stagnation, liver blood deficiency with heat
  3. Blood stagnation in the uterus

The frequency of acupuncture treatment may be the key to success for this condition.  In these studies, women were treated three times a week for 3 months before normal menstruation was restored.  Chinese herbal therapy should be used in addition to acupuncture, for optimal results.

Clinical Studies on Acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure

In these clinical studies, the researchers used blood levels for follicle stimulating hormone, estrogen and luteinizing hormone to track progress in treating Premature Ovarian Failure.  At the end of the study, they found that FSH and LH levels had decreased, while estrogen levels had increased.  In one study, the acupuncture group showed 89% effectiveness while the medication group showed only 64% effectiveness.

Acupuncture points used are summarized below, but treatment should always be individualized for the patient’s presenting pattern.

  • GV20 (Baihui)
  • GV24 (Shenting)
  • GB13 (Benshen)
  • CV3 (Zhongji)
  • CV4 (Guanyuan)
  • BL23 (Shenshu)
  • BL32 (Ciliao)
  • ST25 (Tianshu)
  • ST28 (Shuidao)
  • ST29 (Guilai)
  • ST36 (Zusanli)
  • SP6 (Sanyinjiao)
  • KD3 (Taixi)
  • LV3 (Taichong)

Conclusion: Acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure

There are currently no effective medical treatments to reverse Premature Ovarian Failure.  Based on these studies, women may consider acupuncture for Premature Ovarian Failure, as well as Chinese herbal medicine, as part of their treatment protocol.

 

References

Chen Y, Fang Y, et al. (2014). Effect of acupuncture on premature ovarian failure: a pilot study. Evid Based Complement Alternate Medicine. 2014:718675.

Li Qin Zhao (2011). The Treatment of premature ovarian failure using TCM. Chinese Medicine Times. Vol 6 Issue 2.

Sha Gui E., Zhao Wenmin, Ma Renhai (1999). Acupuncture Treatment of premature ovarian failure using 76 clinical cases. Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion. Vol 4, 199-201.

How Acupuncture Treats Migraines

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Many readers have been asking me for more information about how acupuncture treats migraines.  I thought it might be helpful to show some recent case studies of real patients who have the most common types of migraines. Each patient is evaluated and an individualized treatment plan is created that may include Acupuncture, Dietary Therapy, Manual Therapy (such as Cupping, Moxabustion or Gua Sha) and Chinese herbal medicine.  Are you tired of cookie cutter medicine?  Well, read on and you will see that we always tailor the treatment to the individual patient.

Migraine Caused By Poor Digestion

‘Mary’ is a patient with a so many stressful health issues for a young woman in her twenties.  She has been diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and subsequently developed ocular migraines.  She originally sought acupuncture and dietary therapy for help with her digestive issues.  She had extreme diarrhea which made it difficult to work and lead a normal life.  After doinig a complete health history, feeling her pulses and examining her tongue, I diagnosed Mary with Spleen yang deficiency and yin deficiency.  We created an individualized dietary plan with her input–because the only effective diet is the one you can stick with.  Together with weekly acupuncture treatments, the severity of her digestive issues became less and less.  Over time, I made recommendations for a couple targeted nutritional supplements, which Mary found to be helpful.  She was eventually able to go off one medication and reduce the dosage of another.  As her digestion improved, she was amazed that her migraines went completely away. Occasionally she had a short episode of blurred vision, but had no pain.  Mary is thrilled at what acupuncture and dietary therapy has done for her quality of life!

The Chicken or the Egg?  Migraines and Allergies

I first saw my patient ‘Natalie’ for chronic pain conditions that had troubled her for many years.  After acupuncture eliminated the chronic pain, Natalie asked me if there was anything that could be done about her serious allergies.  As we went deeper into her health history she revealed that she also had chronic migraines which worsened during times of stress and during allergy season.  Natalie’s allergies were very severe and of 40 years duration.  She was on multiple medications, but like many allergy patients the meds just didn’t seem to work anymore.  Natalie was not interested in dietary therapy as she felt her diet was good enough, but she was open to taking Chinese herbs.  Based on her diagnosis according to Chinese Medicine I was able to recommend a patent herbal formula in tablet form that contained 15 different herbs.  Though a single herb can have a strong action that creates side effects, Chinese Medicine uses complex formulas have been developed over thousands of years using multiple herbs to produce a synergistic effect,  and eliminate side effects.  We continued with weekly acupuncture for allergies, changing the focus of our previous sessions which had been centered on relieving her back pain.  Within days Natalie noticed a massive improvement of her allergy symptoms.  Eventually she was able to discontinue all her allergy medications.  While she still had some mild allergy symptoms during the worst of the allergy season, her migraines disappeared completely.

Teen Migraines:  Pain Relief Without Medication

My 17 year old patient, ‘Shana’, was going through a rough time.  She had recently gone off off her birth control medication as she felt worse on it.  She had chronic back pain; irregular and painful menses; and daily headaches and migraines.  Her diet was extremely poor (as is the case of many teens) and her mood swings were creating chaos at home.  Her doctors were urging her to go back on the pill and to go on anti-depressants, but she knew these were not right for her and her mother did not like the idea of her being on so many pharmaceutical drugs.  Shana’s migraines clearly worsened around her menstrual cycle and had a hormonal component.  She had other symptoms that pointed to hormonal imbalance like her irregular, painful periods; mood swings; and acne.  While Shana enjoyed cooking she didn’t really have much cooking skills or experience, and both her parents, busy with working full-time, did not make time to cook from scratch.  Too many of their meals were fast food, process food or junk food.

I really love to give my teen patients my favorite cookbook and encourage them to cook at home.  Oftentimes, as in this case, the parents realize that the whole family will benefit from more regular meals and get into the spirit of it.  I encouraged Shana and her parents to set aside at least one or two times a week to cook together using recipes from the cookbook I gifted them.  We spend a lot of time reviewing the principles of a good diet and as always, a diet plan is created together.

While Shana’s improved diet was the foundation for good health in the future, it was not enough of an intervention to balance her hormones–she needed stronger medicine.  Weekly acupuncture eliminated her back pain and migraines and helped make her periods more regular and less painful.  After a couple months she still had some lingering irregularity, pain and menstrual headaches, so I recommended a patent herbal formula which she took for six weeks.  At that point, all remaining symptoms were cleared up.  Shana continues with monthly treatment to keep her on track.

If you think we can help you with migraines or headaches, make an appointment now!