Acupuncture Articles Archive
Plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain, and occurs in all types of athletic and active individuals. However, simply walking and standing on a hard surface may also cause symptoms. Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation and irritation of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue that supports the arch. Some orthopedic texts suggest the possibility of micro-tears in the fascia at or near its attachment to the calcaneus.....Shimian M-LE-5 as the “target” zone for local treatment. This point is located on the centre of the heel in the region of the attachment of the plantar fascia to the calcaneus.
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Dr. Hammer's work charges us with a serious commitment to practice a truly individualized and preventive medicine in the context of a deeply grounded and searching therapeutic relationship. Given the role assigned to the heart in terms of awareness and housing of the Spirit, any attempt to demonstrate the basic congeniality of psychology and Chinese medicine must focus on this aspect of both psyche and soma.,,,We begin with a discussion of the natural functions of the Fire phase according to DRRBF. The Heart Yin is creative inspiration; the Heart yang is the organized and useful expression of creativity. Small Intestine allows for further clarification and the separation of ideas and feelings (Hammer 2005, p206). The Pericardium governs the protection and communication of these functions into the world. The Triple Burner serves balance, and integration (Hammer 2005, p209).
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We often describe ourselves as practitioners of the healing arts, and I have often wondered about the relationship between art and medicine. I believe we can clearly see that relationship between Japanese Meridian Therapy (MT) and wabi-sabi, a particular aesthetic in Japan. Many people are vaguely familiar with wabi-sabi. The Japanese are used to being asked to explain it - and they rarely succeed, simply because it is so elusive a concept.
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Because fibromyalgia (FM) presents with a variety of symptoms and fatigue is a common complaint, the disorder often falls within OM internal medicall and Painful Obstruction classifications. Stress, poor sleep quality, poor diet, insufficient rest, unresolved emotions (depression/anxiety/fear) or trauma can influence Organ functions, deplete True-Qi, Blood and fluids all of which may result in stagnation of Qi and Blood, formation of Dampness and Phlegm, and symptoms and signs of fibromyalgia...Although not necessarily an externally contracted disorder, many fibromyalgia patients present with a history of infectious disease, injury, and/or a severe medical condition - in which pathogenic factors often play a major role.
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Many thanks to Stephen Birch and The Journal of Chinese Medicine. This article, first published in The Journal of Chinese Medicine, issue 83 February 2007, is reprinted by kind permission of his publishers.
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Dong lineage acupuncture is well known for its unusual system of point location, use of few needles and ability to provide quick relief. Few sources, however, have attempted to explain how these points work so effectively. Read about three selected points of varying locations and indications.
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The goal of every acupuncturist is to locate and treat the points that are most effective, but there are a great variety of ways in which we go about this. Many approaches, classical and modern, have been advanced for this purpose, but there are many differences and not much consistency among these methods.
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I have heard it said by several people that cancer patients should not receive acupuncture, as it can "spread the cancer". There is, as far as I can tell from a fairly extensive literature search, conversations with others, and many years of experience, absolutely no grounds for such an assertion. In my experience, cancer is far more likely to metastasise (spread) when the patient’s overall health deteriorates. If we can give regular, sustained, long term acupuncture, the effects are invariably positive.
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In order to eliminate jet lag the body clock must be reset allowing the horary cycle to function the same time as the local time of their destination. Stimulating specific horary points on the body allows the energy to transfer from one meridian to another, thus helping the biological clock update itself in mid-flight. People who use this system report arriving at their flight destination feeling like they are connected to the time zone of their newly arrived destination, as opposed to the time of their departure location.
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When an acupuncturist engages the term “balance” in the description of their work, in my opinion we are speaking of structural balance. This is significantly different than the assessment of balance by a practitioner observing the tongue and pulse of a patient. Structural balance is assessed by observation and palpation, and the jingluo construct is the language of instruction and the basis for much of what we do. When merged with a Western anatomical view, the language of diagnostics takes on an articulate beauty, focusing the approach of the acupuncturist and creating a platform of communication with our surrounding medical community for both triage and referral.
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One recent research study presented in May 2007 at a Vancouver, BC, seminar is of particular note. Acupuncturist Diane Cridennda, LAc and reproductive endocrinologist Paul Magarelli, MD, PhD, presented their findings examining data collected over four years to determine if there was any affect on the outcomes of patients who combined IVF with acupuncture protocols from two significant studies1. The Colorado-based team observed some interesting results. Before dissecting their study, one must be familiar with the acupuncture protocols they used.
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Oriental medicine is in the news as clinical trials and laboratory research are used in an attempt to analyze the effects of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Included here are a few abstracts and full-page articles on some recent studies on osteoporosis, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and osteoarthritis.
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