How Acupuncture Works - East vs. West

From acufinder.com
By: Diane Joswick, L.Ac., MSOM

Eastern Explanation:

The Eastern Explanation for how Acupuncture works is that the life energy flowing through the body which is termed Qi (pronounced chee) can be influenced and balanced by stimulating specific points on the body. These points are located along channels of energy known as meridians that connect all of our major organs. According to Chinese medical theory, illness arises when the cyclical flow of Qi in the meridians becomes unbalanced or is blocked.

Western Explanation:

Definition of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the stimulation of specific points located near or on the surface of the skin which have the ability to alter various biochemical and physiological conditions in order to achieve the desired effect.

Explanation of How Acupuncture Works

Acupuncture points are areas of designated electrical sensitivity. Inserting needles at these points stimulates various sensory receptors that, in turn, stimulate nerves that transmit impulses to the hypothalamic-pituitary system at the base of the brain.

The hypothalamus-pituitary glands are responsible for releasing neurotransmitters and endorphins, the body's natural pain-killing hormones. It is estimated that endorphins are 200 times more potent than morphine. Endorphins also play a big role in the functioning of the hormonal system. This is why acupuncture works well for back pain and arthritis and also for P.M.S. and infertility.

The substances released as a result of acupuncture not only relax the whole body, they regulate serotonin in the brain which plays a role in human and animal disposition. This is why depression is often treated with acupuncture.

Some of the physiological effects observed throughout the body include increased circulation, decreased inflammation, relief from pain, relief of muscle spasms and increased T-cell count which stimulates the immune system.

I Love This Quote

"Begin anywhere"

John Cage

The Power of Silence

 Lao Tzu, a famous sixth century philosopher from China said: "Silence is a source of great strength." There are many types of silence, for example, anger, grief, sadness, or confusion. The most comforting of course, is the silence of peace and calm. Silent meditation, the practice of observing your breath, thoughts, feelings, sensations, and the existing moment is one way to acquire calm. This ability helps prepare you for moments in life when you need to maintain focus despite tidal waves of emotions or difficult circumstances. Maintaining presence of mind under a variety of situations is very powerful and can be learned through practice.

There is a large body of research that correlates meditation with relief from stress, high blood pressure, and anxiety. So many of us spend time training our bodies. We go to the gym, play sports, and take classes. When we meditate, we condition our minds.

This month, the University of Oregon sent out a press release entitled, Chinese meditation IBMT found to boost brain connectivity - Eleven hours of training leads to positive changes based on brain imaging at the University of Oregon.

IMBT is "Integrative Body-Mind Training, a specific meditation and relaxation technique based on the Taoist and Confucian concepts of harmony with nature." IBMT involves several body–mind techniques including: (i) body relaxation, (ii) breath adjustment, (iii) mental imagery, and (iv) mindfulness training, accompanied with selected music background."

The experiments involved the use of brain-imaging equipment in the UO's Robert and Beverly Lewis Center for Neuroimaging.

Diffusion tensor imaging (a type of magnetic imaging) allowed researchers to examine the fibers that connect regions of the brain before and after training the subjects in IMBT meditation. The strongest changes happened in the area of the brain that regulates emotions and behavior. The changes were observed only in those who practiced meditation and not in the control group. The changes began shortly after training and became clear by 11 hours of practice.

"The importance of our findings relates to the ability to make structural changes in a brain network related to self regulation," said Posner, a University of Oregon psychologist who worked with vChinese researchers led by Yi-Yuan Tang of Dalian University of Technology. Last year, Posner received a National Medal of Science. He went on to add, "The pathway that has the largest change due to IBMT is one that previously was shown to relate to individual differences in the person's ability to regulate conflict."

to read the full press release click here

The NY Times Weighs in on Acupuncture.

We made it!!! The New York Times has a new article about acupuncture - and it is a good one. The reporter presents a well balanced view to the debate about whether acupuncture works and notes the desire of Western doctors to explain this treatment in terms of a science that matches their training. Here are some excerpts but the entire piece is well worth reading.

By TARA PARKER-POPE

"There is little dispute that people feel better after receiving the treatment, in which thin needles are inserted deeply into the skin at specific points on the body. But are they benefiting from acupuncture itself, or just getting a placebo effect?

The debate was fueled last week by a study in the journal Arthritis Care and Research. Researchers from MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston found that among 455 patients with painful knee arthritis, acupuncture delivered no more relief than a sham treatment.

Actually, patients got significant pain relief from both treatments — an average reduction of one point on a scale of 1 to 7. And critics contend that the study was poorly designed."

"In the real world, however, a trained acupuncturist would customize the treatment to a patient’s specific symptoms. But in this study, the patients in the “real” acupuncture group all received needles inserted in the same way.

Rather than proving that acupuncture does not work, in other words, the study may suggest that it works even when administered poorly. But the real lesson, acupuncture supporters say, is how difficult it can be to apply Western research standards to an ancient healing art."

"This year, researchers at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit solved the problem of creating a sham acupuncture treatment: they didn’t have one. Instead, they compared acupuncture to a proven remedy — the drug Effexor, an antidepressant that has been shown to significantly reduce hot flashes in breast cancer patients.

The results were striking. Acupuncture relieved hot flashes just as well as Effexor, with fewer side effects. The acupuncture recipients reported more energy and even an increased sex drive, compared with women using Effexor.

“There are some things you can’t study the same way we do with drugs,” said Dr. Eleanor M. Walker, director of breast radiation oncology at the Henry Ford Health System. “The thing that can’t be argued in my study is the duration of the effect. It lasts, and the placebo effect doesn’t last once you stop a treatment.”

to read the article click here

Learning the Truth; Elin Nordegrin

Another compelling post from my favorite blogger (my mom : ) Linda Edelstein P.h.d., be sure to check out her new website and blog.

Reading an except from People magazine’s interview with Elin Nordegren, Tiger Woods’s ex-wife, I was reminded of a dynamic that people often talk about in therapy after they have been surprised by some horrible revelation. Here is the portion from People:

“I’ve been through hell,” the Swedish-born Nordegren said. “It’s hard to think you have this life, and then all of a sudden—was it a lie? You’re struggling because it wasn’t real. But I survived. It was hard, but it didn’t kill me.”

Reread the phrase, “It’s hard to think you have this life, and then all of a sudden—was it a lie? You’re struggling because it wasn’t real.” This is a very thoughtful expression of a common experience when you learn a new, unwelcome truth. You depend on your life and you live it every day, whether you are married to a famous golfer, alone, or any other configuration. You shower, do your laundry, you may go to work or take care of kids (often both), you talk on the phone to your partner, parent or friend and you are not thinking that maybe my husband, friend, or mom has another secret life. Like I said, you depend on your life and you believe it. And then some important aspect of your life turns out to be a lie. When you suddenly find out that your partner is cheating; when you discover that your dad has embezzled money; or when you first learn that your mother has a serious problem with drugs – you are shocked! You cannot take in the information all at once. You wonder if you have misunderstood the situation; at least, you hope that you have made a mistake. You feel like the world has become unreal (and it has). The world that you were living in 10 minutes earlier has disappeared and you are now in a new and unwelcome reality. You want your old life back but it is gone.

Elin Nordegren’s comment is astute – just like Elin, you wonder if your life has been a lie. The reality that you depended on has been proven false. The really creepy part is that you now have to also think about the past – it isn’t simply the present that has been shattered. You are forced to go backward and rethink old conversations and past events. Were they real? You look for hints and clues and might have tipped you off. While you are reshuffling your life in the present, you are also reshuffling the past. You examine and reexamine old words and behaviors, reinterpret events in light of this new knowledge, and you begin to feel pretty crazy. Give it time; this is normal. It gets better; it really does. You get stronger and smarter and more confident.

Shocking news doesn’t just disrupt your life in the present. It upsets today and tomorrow but also causes a review of your past – what was real and what was a lie.

Crises Can Lead to Personal Growth

From Therapy Evanston
By Linda Edelstein P.h.D.
 
There has been much good information written about the harmful effects of trauma, whether the damage was done from war, sexual abuse, violence, natural disasters or the other zillion ways of being harmed in this world. When I teach Adult Development to the Counseling Psychology graduate students at Northwestern University each Spring, we talk about trauma for two grueling weeks. By then, the students begin to look traumatized by our readings, lectures and discussion but, of course, they are in training to learn to be therapists, so that is part of the deal.

However, there is another, more positive, phenomenon that we discuss less often – positive growth. Researchers are beginning to write about Posttraumatic Growth (PTG), meaning that people experience positive change as a result of their struggles and working through of a big crisis. I believe that much of the positive growth comes from the person’s ability to mourn – that is, to work their way through the difficult experience, emotions, and beliefs. People don’t “get over” crises but they can get through them in and, like a long hard journey, reach a better, healthier, more creative place at the other end.

I’ve written (books and papers) about the process of mourning for more than thirty years. I’ve written about the creative outcomes that are possible for more than fifteen years so many of those ideas will appear here regularly. I hope that you find them helpful. Tomorrow, I’ll say a bit more about the differences between men and women in achieving posttraumatic growth and mourning.

Acupuncture is Effective for Back Pain

Back pain is a very common complaint in my Chicago practice. People come in experiencing many types of back pain. There is sciatica, tight muscles, disc problems and many more. Acupuncture is a very effective treatment for most causes of back pain.

From Acupuncture Today
July, 2009, Vol. 10, Issue 07

Acupuncture Found Effective for Back Pain - Study finds it superior to usual care.

By Tina Beychok, Associate Editor

there has been extensive research on the use of acupuncture for treating back pain. A 2008 literature review concluded that there was "strong evidence" for the use of acupuncture as an adjunct to conventional therapy for lower back pain.⁴ Now, a new study published in the May 11, 2009 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine has added even further to the literature on the value of acupuncture in treating back pain.⁵

Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, and colleagues examined a group of 638 patients suffering from back pain to determine not only if acupuncture is superior to usual care for treating back pain, but to see if needle insertion at individualized points is the mechanism of action by which acupuncture works best. A total of 10 acupuncture treatments was provided over the course of eight weeks.

Results

At 8-week follow up, all groups of patients showed improvement. However, the "usual care" group only improved by 2.1 points (scored on a disability questionnaire), as opposed to the individualized, standardized and simulated acupuncture groups, which improved by 4.4, 4.5 and 4.4 points, respectively. The greater improvement for the acupuncture groups over usual care continued all the way to 52 weeks, at the end of the study. Of those patients receiving real acupuncture, only 11 reported any side effects.

Interestingly, at the end of the study, there was little difference between the four acupuncture treatment groups in terms of effectiveness. The researchers speculated that this may mean that acupuncture's actual mechanism of action may not be clear and that further research is warranted.

Nevertheless, they concluded, "Compared with usual care, individualized acupuncture, standardized acupuncture and simulated acupuncture had beneficial and persisting effects on chronic back pain. These treatments resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in function. ... For clinicians and patients seeking a relatively safe and effective treatment for a condition for which conventional treatments are often ineffective, various methods of acupuncture point stimulation appear to be reasonable options, even though the mechanism of action remains unclear.

According to Josephine P. Briggs, MD, director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, "The findings of this research show that acupuncture-like treatments, including simulated acupuncture, can elicit positive responses. This adds to the growing body of evidence that there is something meaningful taking place during acupuncture treatments outside of actual needling. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking these responses."

There is more... to read the entire article click here

Check Out My Amazing Mom's New Website and Blog !

One of my favorite guest writers on this blog is my mother, who is also a psychologist. I am happy to announce that she has finally joined me in this brave new world called the internet. Here is her new website therapyevanston.com and blog, way to go mom ! 

Linda N. Edelstein, Ph.D.

I am a clinical psychologist who has devoted more than thirty years to working with individuals and couples. I am an expert in treating problems associated with adult transitions and the resulting emotional upheavals. Most people can benefit from therapy during some period of their lives. I can help you to understand your feelings, change your behaviors, develop your strengths and create a life that belongs uniquely to you. Please take a moment to look around this site and learn more about my practice. Change is always possible – it just isn’t easy to accomplish alone. If you have questions, please contact me by phone at 847-328-7878,or Send me a message.

Miriam Lee Was a Pioneer in the Legalization of Acupuncture in the U.S.

Last year a leader in the field of Chinese medicine passed away. Her name was Miriam Lee. Amy wrote a memorial for this outstanding practitioner on her blog, the Portland Acupuncture Blog, and I am re posting it here.

a prominent figure in the legalization of acupuncture in the US, died at the end of June 2009 in Palo Alto, California. Lee is a well-known name in the United States for allowing the legalization of acupuncture in California, and later the rest of the states (most of them, at least).
She was born in China, and when she came to the United States later in life, she worked in a factory for Hewlett Packard. It was here that she began treating her co-workers out of her house, and was eventually arrested. Circle Community Acupuncture writes about important this event in their blog:

“In 1974 Miriam Lee was arrested for practicing medicine without a license. Her patient’s filled the courthouse at her hearing, and demanded to have the right to receive acupuncture. Many of them had found relief from long-standing chronic complaints, and were angered that this was being taken away from them. Miriam Lee had offered them compassion and health, and now they came to her defense. Thanks to this public outcry, acupuncture was declared an “experimental procedure” and Miriam Lee was granted the right to see patients at San Francisco University. In 1976, acupuncture was legalized in California.”

We have gone from an “experimental procedure” to being recommended by doctors. It has certainly been a long road for the pioneering acupuncture practitioners. Because of Miriam Lee’s refusal to stop treating those in need, acupuncture practitioners are now allowed to work with patients in the US. Those of us who have reaped the benefits of receiving acupuncture have her to thank. She will be a missed presence in the thousands of lives she has healed and changed.

Great News About Acupuncture From Australia

From News.com.au

From: The Sunday Telegraph

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/body-soul/acupuncture-the-new-painkiller/story-e6frfot9-1225904782211#ixzz0wtJakOkK

By Christina Larmer

By Christina Larmer

From: The Sunday Telegraph

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/body-soul/acupuncture-the-new-painkiller/story-e6frfot9-1225904782211#ixzz0wtJakOkK

By Christina Larmer

From: The Sunday Telegraph

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/body-soul/acupuncture-the-new-painkiller/story-e6frfot9-1225904782211#ixzz0wtJakOkK

By Christina Larmer

From: The Sunday Telegraph

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/body-soul/acupuncture-the-new-painkiller/story-e6frfot9-1225904782211#ixzz0wtJakOkK

By Christina Larmer

From: The Sunday Telegraph

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/body-soul/acupuncture-the-new-painkiller/story-e6frfot9-1225904782211#ixzz0wtJakOkK

AUSTRALIAN hospitals are finally catching up with what the Chinese have long known –acupuncture is a great alternative form of pain relief.

Acupuncture is fast gaining acceptance in mainstream medicine right across the Western world. It’s already used routinely in several Australian emergency departments and is now undergoing a randomised, controlled trial in three Melbourne hospitals to alleviate pain from acute migraines, back pain and ankle sprain.

Researchers at the University of York and Hull York Medical School in the UK have just mapped acupuncture’s effect on the brain and have found that it changes specific neural structures, deactivating the areas in the brain associated with the processing of pain.

This is key, says Professor Marc Cohen, head of the trial and professor of complementary medicine at RMIT University.

“We know that pain is the most common reason for people coming to emergency departments, and we know that it’s not very well treated in that a lot of people don’t get sufficient pain relief,” he says.

“We also know that pharmacotherapy, the main method of treating pain in emergency situations, has severe side effects. Some people can’t tolerate drugs, others find that opioid medication such as pethidine or morphine causes nausea and constipation. Once you give morphine you have to watch the patient for several hours and monitor blood pressure and nausea.

“What we’ve found anecdotally is that people who have come into an emergency department in pain and tried acupuncture, have had their pain relieved in a very short period of time.”

Acupuncture can also be safely combined with most conventional drugs and treatments and has very few side effects.

Scientific proof

Today, acupuncture is one of the most accepted complementary therapies in the country, with more than 80 per cent of GPs referring patients to an accredited acupuncturist in the past 12 months.

And, despite not being part of the standard curriculum, about one-fifth of GPs have gone on to do post-graduate training in acupuncture.

You can thank modern science for that, says Dr Morton Rawlin, vice president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners.

“Acupuncture has gradually increased its acceptability over the last 20 years [because] it has good, double-blind, scientific proof that it is of assistance for pain and other disorders.”

But has it reached a tipping point? “We’re on the verge,” says Professor Cohen. “Emergency physicians and GPs have taken it up on their own initiative because they see the benefits. If we find positive results [in the study] it will open the door for it to be included in all Western emergency departments and that will be a major shift.”

Modern panacea?

So when should you be demanding acupuncture over mainstream medical treatments?

“Acupuncture, like all modalities of treatment for different conditions, needs to be discussed by the individual with their doctor,” says Dr Rawlin.

Professor Cohen agrees. “Everyone’s situation is individual, but the one thing I can say is that acupuncture can’t really hurt. So try it.”

Just be warned: it’s not a panacea.

“Acupuncture won’t help everyone for everything,” says Professor Cohen. “But there are cases where people have gone the gamut of Western medicine, had no relief and then acupuncture has given significant relief.

“Acupuncture provides a different perspective on a treatment program and, in the hands of a trained therapist, has been shown over thousands of years to be extremely safe.”

How it can help you…

1 Dental anxiety - New British research shows acupuncture can calm dental patients and help post-operative pain.

More information: www.ada.org.au

2 Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) - A 2009 Swedish study found that PCOS can be relieved by the use of electro-acupuncture – where the needles are stimulated with a low-frequency current.

More information: www.posaa.asn.au

3 Depression - Chicago researchers found acupuncture may be an effective alternative treatment to antidepressants for depression during pregnancy. It’s also being increasingly used in psychiatric disorders.

More information: www.beyondblue.org.au

4 Breast cancer treatment - A recent trial of breast cancer patients in Norway found acupuncture provided a 50 per cent reduction in hot flushes.

More information: www.cancercouncil.com.au

5 Migraines - Randomised controlled studies have shown acupuncture can reduce tension headaches by half and ensure fewer headaches after three to four months than routine drug treatment.

More information: www.acupuncture.com.au

6 IVF - A 2008 review of seven clinical trials into acupuncture found that when given to women undergoing embryo transfer, acupuncture may improve rates of pregnancy for one in 10 women.

More information at www.ivfacupuncture.com.au

To read the original article click here

Chinese Herb Store - Robbed !

Flooding in Canada has caused cordyceps, a very popular remedy in Chinese medicine, to become rare and rise in price. This has lead to stealing of the well known Chinese cure! This article from the CBC News in Canada reports on a recent robbery in Vancouver.

"Police are investigating a brazen robbery in Vancouver that may be connected to rising prices caused by Chinese floods.Three men walked in to the Chinese Herbal Medicine Store on East 41st Avenue on Tuesday and pepper-sprayed the owner, police said.

Police said the men then stole some herbal and other medicines from jars behind the counter worth more than $40,000.

Among the items taken was a fungus called cordyceps, a popular Chinese cure-all.

Recent flash floods and landslides in southern China are destroying fields where cordyceps are traditionally harvested, according to Sonny Lee, a doctor of Chinese medicine.

"These things become rare," Lee said. "They're harder to get and [the] price goes up more."

Vancouver police said they were exchanging information with the RCMP about a similar incident in Richmond in July.

No arrests have been made."

To see the original post click here

Jennifer Lopez Used Acupuncture for Weight Loss

Yes folks another beautiful starlet has taken to the needle ! Famous women including, Sandra Bullock, Jennifer Aniston, Celine Dion and Sheryl Crow, to name a few, have incorporated acupuncture into their lives. Celine Dion used acupuncture for fertility and Sheryl Crow as a way to help her through breast cancer treatments. Now JLo has joined the crowd. In a recent article, OK! magazine reported that Lopez used acupuncture and Chinese herbs for weight-loss and dropped 15 pounds.

Here's the scoop from the examiner.com

"She's been gushing about how obsessed she is with acupuncture and herbs," a source revealed to the mag. "Dong Gua Pi [winter melon seed, like cucumber] is Jennifer's favorite, but she's been using [many different herbs]," the source adds."

"Licensed acupuncturist and herbalist Joey Komada, who does not treat J.Lo, says acupuncture is useful when the individual is willing to make lifestyle changes to accommodate the program."

"We know that acupuncture needles inserted into specific points on the body and in the ear release endorphins which have a calming and relaxing effect that makes it easier to deal with stress, frustration and anxiety that can trigger overeating and bingeing on fattening foods," says Komada via her site. "Also endorphins affect the digestive and hormonal systems so acupuncture can help rebalance the organ systems that are running too fast- or in this case too slow—i.e., the metabolism and the will power."

to read the entire post click here

Truth

“Man will occasionally stumble over the truth, but usually manages to pick himself up, walk over or around it, and carry on.”

Winston S. Churchill

Do you think this is true ???

Watermelon - The Fruit of Kings

Watermelon is one of my favorite fruits and I am in good company. This fruit was held in such regard that it was placed in the tombs of many Egyptian kings !

Watermelon tastes great, quenches thirst, is an excellent source of vitamin C and lycopene. Lycopene is an antioxidant and has been found to be protective against a growing list of cancers. Plus because of it's thick skin the exposure to those nasty pesticides is much lower than that of many other fruits and vegetables.

Watermelon is also considered to have many benefits by Chinese Medicine. The fruit (Xi Gua) and the seeds (Xi Gua Ren) are used for headache, nausea, irritability, low appetite, sluggish digestion and sore throat.

for something different, try this recipe for watermelon gazpacho.

Acupuncture is a Natural Cure You Can Trust

Prevention magazine recently recommended 9 alternative remedies and of course Acupuncture is one of them.

Acupuncture for chronic pain

"A rash of new research affirms this ancient therapy as a powerful head-to-toe pain reliever for a wide range of conditions. After as few as six sessions, people who suffered from regular tension headaches saw their symptoms disappear. Another new study found that sufferers of chronic lower-back pain who received acupuncture fared better than those receiving conventional care. Acupuncture also relieves pain and improves mobility in people with osteoarthritis of the knee — encouraging news, because the condition is considered irreversible. Just how does acupuncture work? According to precepts of Chinese medicine, placing needles at specific points along the body's meridians, or energy channels, balances energy flow. Western scientists have a more prosaic explanation: The needles stimulate the body to release its own natural opioids, quelling pain. As their discomfort eases, sufferers of arthritis and lower-back pain can then perform exercises that enable them to regain strength, flexibility, and mobility.

Hidden benefit: You gain deeper body knowledge. Your acupuncturist will take a holistic approach to your condition, so although you may go in to treat pain in one part of your body, you may come out with a much broader understanding of how other parts contribute to that discomfort as well."

To read about the other eight natural health cures and see a video click here.

Has The Wall Street Journal Become a Fan of Acupuncture ?

I've been happy to see that the Wall Street Journal has been taking an interest in acupuncture. Earlier this year WSJ's health columnist Melinda Beck got acupuncture on camera to reduce her neck and back pain, she reported that she felt better after two treatments. To read her article
"Decoding an Ancient Therapy - High-Tech Tools Show How Acupuncture Works in Treating Arthritis, Back Pain, Other Ills" and see the video of Melinda getting acupuncture click here.

In June the WSJ reported on the new research linking adenosine, a neurotransmitter that reduces pain, to acupuncture. Plus they made the point that acupuncture is not just for humans with this very sweet video about Tracy Akner a veterinarian in New York who performs acupuncture on dogs and loves her job.

I hope the WSJ and other mainstream news sources continue to notice the many health benefits of acupuncture and Chinese medicine.

Ginger Has Many Health Benefits

Ginger has been used in Chinese herbal medicine since ancient times. My patients know, I recommend Ginger regularly for many health issues and I am not alone. HealthDiaries.com also knows the many benefits of ginger, check out the information their web site posted below.

"Ginger has been used as a natural remedy for many ailments for centuries. Now, science is catching up and researchers around the world are finding that ginger works wonders in the treatment of everything from cancer to migraines. Here are ten health benefits of this powerful herb:

Ovarian Cancer Treatment
Ginger may be powerful weapon in the treatment of ovarian cancer. A study conducted at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center found that ginger powder induces cell death in all ovarian cancer cells to which it was applied.

Colon Cancer Prevention
A study at the University of Minnesota found that ginger may slow the growth of colorectal cancer cells.

Morning Sickness
A review of several studies has concluded that ginger is just as effective as vitamin B6 in the treatment of morning sickness.

Motion Sickness Remedy
Ginger has been shown to be an effective remedy for the nausea associated with motion sickness.

Reduces Pain and Inflammation
One study showed that ginger has anti-inflammatory properties and is a powerful natural painkiller.

Heartburn Relief
Ginger has long been used as a natural heartburn remedy. It is most often taken in the form of tea for this purpose.

Cold and Flu Prevention and Treatment
Ginger has long been used as a natural treatment for colds and the flu. Many people also find ginger to be helpful in the case of stomach flus or food poisoning, which is not surprising given the positive effects ginger has upon the digestive tract.

Migraine Relief
Research has shown that ginger may provide migraine relief due to its ability to stop prostaglandins from causing pain and inflammation in blood vessels.

Menstrual Cramp Relief
In Chinese medicine, ginger tea with brown sugar is used in the treatment of menstrual cramps.

Prevention of Diabetic Nephropathy
A study done on diabetic rats found that those rats given ginger had a reduced incidence of diabetic nephropathy (kidney damage)."

to read the original post click here