Acupuncture Can Treat Heartburn In Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very exciting time, but it can get uncomfortable. In my Chicago practice I often treat pregnant women for a variety of complaints including; back pain, allergies, morning sickness and other digestive issues. Below Amy Chitwood Burslem L.A.c. gives a great explanation of why heartburn occurs in pregnancy and some recent research on how Chinese Medicine can help.

Acupuncture And Heartburn In Pregnancy

The Chinese Medicine Times recently reviewed a study of acupuncture for symptoms of heartburn in pregnant women with positive results. The outcome of of treating 36 women – half with the standard treatment (medication and dietary advice), and half with acupuncture. Those receiving acupuncture were treated once or twice a week with drastically reduced symptoms.

The reason heartburn occurs in pregnancy is due to the hormone changes, mainly pregesterone, a hormone produces by the placenta. Progesterone relaxes the smooth muscle of the uterus, but is also relaxes the sphinter that keeps stomach acid out of your esophagus. The growing baby also pushes stomach acid back up where it wasn’t before. Even women who have never experienced heartburn may feel uncomfortable during pregnancy.

Besides treating heartburn, there is a long list of conditions acupuncture can treat during pregnancy (fatigue, morning sickness, and constipation to name a few). I recommend reading the article by Naomi Rabinowitz, Dipl.Ac. to read her views on how to treat these symptoms. It’s also important to find a pracitioner who is comfortable treating pregnant women, check out tcmdirectory.com or acufinder.com. Or if you are in the Chicago area come see me!

To see Amy's original post click here

Acupuncture Can Help You Beat The Flu

We are all trying to stay healthy this winter, I certainly am! In my Chicago office I have many patients who come in complaining of colds and flus this time of year. Personally I take Jade Screen everyday to ward off getting sick. Below is a article from acufinder.com that provides natural options for fighting off the flu.

By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

Did you know that Tamiflu, a drug used to treat flu symptoms, is derived from Star Anise, an anti-viral plant that has been used by Oriental medicine herbalists for centuries?

When it comes to staying healthy during the flu season, Chinese medicine has a lot to offer.

Acupuncture for Prevention - Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help to prevent colds and flus by building up the immune system with just a few needles inserted into key points along the body's energy pathways. These points are known for strengthening the circulation of blood and energy and for consolidating the outer defense layers of the skin and muscle (Wei Qi) so that germs and viruses cannot enter through them.

Acupuncture to Get Better Faster - If you've already happened to catch that cold, acupuncture and herbal medicine can also help with the chills, sniffles, sore throat or fever in a safe, non-toxic way that doesn't bombard your body with harmful antibiotics.

Acupuncture does not interfere with Western medical treatment. On the contrary, it provides a welcome complement to it in most cases, and with its emphasis on treating the whole person, recovery time for illness is often shortened.

Herbal Medicine - There is a one thousand year old Chinese herbal formula that forms a handy complement to these immune-boosting treatments and it is elegantly entitled The Jade Windscreen Formula. It is made up of just three herbs: Radix Astragalus, Atractylodis Macrocephalae, and Radix Ledebouriellae. These three powerful herbs combine together to tonify the immune system and fortify the exterior of the body so that you can fight off wind-borne viruses and bacteria.

To read about foods that fend off the flu click here

I Just Thought This Quote Was Funny And Had To Share The Smile

"My philosophy of dating is to just fart right away."

Jenny McCarthy

Happy Hanukkah!

10 Credible Studies That Show Chinese Medicine Works!

I'm very excited to announce a new and very talented guest blogger. Her name is Yael Ernst and she comes to us all the way from Tel Aviv Israel. Yael's blog is called Chinese Medicine Notes, be sure to check it out.

The following post from Yael's blog; 10 Studies That Prove Chinese Medicine Actually Works is a great resource for research on TCM.

Don’t you just love it when you talk to people about Chinese Medicine and then they say something like “oh, that’s all good, but when it comes down to it, I want to be treated by something that really works. No offence but CM (Chinese Medicine) was never proved”?

Don’t you fall in-love with those articles on the Internet that tell you you’re a quack because you practice CM? And then they explain how you wasted money for 4 years on studying something that doesn’t work, isn’t correct, never was proved scientifically, and they go on telling the whole world to be careful from people like you, your friends, your teachers…

Research in Chinese Medicine is not a new thing. I personally think it’s a bit of a problem to force the research models that apply to Western Medicine on CM mainly because CM includes to much more. How do you research the pulse? How do you research the TMM channels? How do you research the treatment of Shen in Shen? And if you can’t do it according to the rules of research by Western Medicine, does this mean it’s all lies? Of course not. Not everything in this world is research-able. But they are important because this is just another way for Chinese Medicine to develop a serious dialogue with Western Medicine.

That being said, I give you 10 studies that prove Chinese Medicine actually works. And all those who need proof- here you have it. All good websites, note that they need registration- it’s free.

A pilot study on using Acupucnture and TENS to treat knee osteoarthritis- taken from the CMJournal. Note it.

Effects of Acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing IVF- taken from BMJ. Note it. A personal favorite of mine, because it can help those women who have so much going on due to huge amounts of hormones in them. Western Medicine hardly acknowledge the psychological and emotional impact those treatments have on women and don’t offer anything to help the women cope with it.

Effects of Yinchenhao Tang and related decoction on DMN induced cirrhosis/fibrosis in rats- taken from the CMJournal. Note it.

Blood Pressure changes with Acupuncture comparable to ACE-inhibitor monotherapy- taken from Medscape. Note it.

Randomised controlled study on ginger-salt-partitioned moxibustion at shenque (CV8) on urination disorder poststroke- taken from PubMed. Note it.

Randomised trial of long term effect on acupuncture for shoulder pain- taken from PubMed. Note it.

Acupuncture: a promising treatment for depression during pregnancy- taken from PubMed. Note it. Another personal favorite, an answer to a popular problem all around the world, yet not enough women talk about it (for example the brave Brooke Shields).

Acupuncture may be helpful for pelvic girdle pain during pregnancy- taken from Medscape. Note it. Did someone say Dai Mai?

Acupuncture ‘more than a placebo’- taken from BBC news. Note it.

Tai Chi may reduce falls in the elderly- taken from Medscape. Note it. Another personal favorite, the need to think about the elderly and the art of Tai Chi steps in to help is beautiful.

You can find lots more in those websites mentioned.

Please leave your notes, I will be happy to read and respond.

To read the original post click here

Hope Means...

I got the inspiration for this post from my friend Christina’s blog; Hopeful Parents.

I want to share this quote from Maria Robinson with you,

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.”

There are so many, many sayings about each new day; the most overused being “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” Ugh. The clichés get so repetitive that we lose the message. There is a good reason for the flood of ‘it’s a new day’ quotes – they contain wisdom that is terribly hard to remember when you are tired, weary, and stressed. We forget that lifetimes are simply an accumulation of thousands of small daily acts. We make choices every day and they add up. Hope, the belief that our best expectations are attainable, can drive those choices that allow us to write the endings we want.

Forms Of Ginseng And Where To Find Them

Last week, I described the three different varieties of ginseng. Today, I want to explain the available forms of ginseng and where to find them.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginseng is usually used in a formula with other Chinese herbs, rather than alone. A skilled Chinese herbalist can recommend the right formula or type of ginseng for you. Ginseng also can be used alone as a tonic. Alone, ginseng can be found raw, in capsules, and tinctures. Raw, unpeeled ginseng can be found at many Asian markets. Dried and peeled ginseng is available in powdered capsules or granules. The capsules and tinctures are easily found in Asian markets and in many health food stores. When you take ginseng, be sure to use standardized products that contain at least 1.5% ginsenosides. If you can't consult a herbalist, you can find general guidelines on what type of ginseng might be right for you by reading my previous post All About Ginseng. Please note the cautions and contraindications when you take ginseng or any other supplement.