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A study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology about the benefits of acupuncture for depression during pregnancy...
Acupuncture Eases Depression in Pregnancy
A link to an interesting article in National Geographic...highly recommended...
The Longevity Expedition Dan Buettner's search for the fountain of youth
Study Shows Acupuncture Works for Migraines
By Diane Joswick,
L.Ac., MSOM
The latest study, published in the March, 2008 journal, Headache, confirms that acupuncture
significantly reduces migraines and works better than drugs alone.
The study, conducted at the University
of Padua in Italy by Dr. Enrico Facco and his colleagues, included 160 participants that were divided into four groups; a
true acupuncture treatment according to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in migraine without aura, a standard mock acupuncture
protocol, an accurate mock acupuncture healing ritual, and an untreated control.
The participants in all
the groups were given the medication, Rizatriptan, to treat any migraine attacks.
Over six months, only the group
receiving true, traditional acupuncture showed lasting improvement in migraine disability measured on a standardized scale.
The groups using only the medication and the mock acupuncture plus Rizatriptan showed only temporary or transient improvement.
Dr. Facco theorizes that acupuncture prevents migraine by altering nerve signals or affecting neurotransmitters released
in the central nervous system. The results are promising, according to Dr. Facco, but more studies are needed to confirm the
benefits of traditional acupuncture for migraine.
However, Facco added, since the therapy carries little risk of
side effects, it could be worth a try for migraine sufferers who are not adequately helped by standard preventive treatment.
SOURCE: Headache, March 2008.
Printed from Acufinder.com
http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+News/Study+Shows+Acupuncture+Works+for+Migraines
10/08/2008 09:24:40 pm
Acupuncture Reduces Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatment As Much As Conventional
Drug Therapy By:
American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology Acupuncture is as effective and longer-lasting in managing the common debilitating side
effects of hot flashes, night sweats, and excessive sweating (vasomotor symptoms) associated with breast cancer treatment
and has no treatment side effects compared to conventional drug therapy, according to a first-of-its-kind study presented
September 24, 2008, at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology's 50th Annual Meeting in Boston.
Findings also show there were additional benefits to acupuncture treatment for breast cancer patients,
such as an increased sense of well being, more energy, and in some cases, a higher sex drive, that were not experienced in
those patients who underwent drug treatment for their hot flashes.
"Our study shows that physicians and patients
have an additional therapy for something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors and actually has benefits, as
opposed to more side effects. The effect is more durable than a drug commonly used to treat these vasomotor symptoms and,
ultimately, is more cost-effective for insurance companies," Eleanor Walker, M.D., lead author of the study and a radiation
oncologist at the Henry Ford Hospital Department of Radiation Oncology in Detroit, said.
The reduction in hot flashes
lasted longer for those breast cancer patients after completing their acupuncture treatment, compared to patients after stopping
their drug therapy plan.
Eighty percent of women treated for breast cancer suffer from hot flashes after being
treated with chemotherapy and/or anti-estrogen hormones, such as Tamoxifen and Arimidex. Although hormone replacement therapy
is typically used to relieve these symptoms, breast cancer patients cannot use this therapy because it may increase the risk
of the cancer coming back. As a treatment alternative, patients are generally treated with steroids and/or antidepressant
drugs. These drugs, however, have additional side effects, such as weight gain, nausea, constipation and fatigue. The antidepressant,
venlafaxine (Effexor), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is one of the most common drugs used to treat these hot flashes.
However, many women decide against this treatment choice because of potential side effects, including decreased libido, insomnia,
dizziness and nausea, or because they simply do not want to take any more medications.
The randomized clinical
trial compared acupuncture treatment to venlafixine for 12 weeks to find out if acupuncture reduced vasomotor symptoms in
breast cancer patients receiving hormonal therapy and produced fewer side effects than venlafaxine. The study involved 47
breast cancer patients who received either Tamoxifen or Arimidex and had at least 14 hot flashes per week. Results show that
acupuncture reduces hot flashes as effectively as venlafaxine, with no side effects, and also provides additional health benefits
to patients.
For more information on radiation therapy for breast cancer, visit http://www.rtanswers.org/ Printed from Acufinder.com
http://www.acufinder.com/Acupuncture+News/Acupuncture+Reduces+Side+Effects+of+Breast+Cancer+Treatment+As+Much+As+Conventional+Drug+Therapy
10/08/2008 09:38:08 pm
Another First
at the Olympics By Editorial Staff There’s
a first time for everything, as the saying goes, and the most recent Olympic Games in Beijing was no exception. Michael Phelps
collected the most gold medals at a single Olympics, breaking a 36-year record held since 1972. Three American women swept
all the medals in women’s saber fencing. The tiny West African country of Togo took home its first-ever Olympic medal
in kayaking. Mongolia garnered its first gold medal in wrestling. And for the first time ever, all of the Olympic athletes
were able to enjoy the benefits of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. The Olympic Village, which houses
the athletes for the duration of the games, boasted a medical clinic open 24/7. Athletes and officials could get a variety
of medical services, ranging from outpatient surgery to dermatology to dentistry. According to Wang Weidong, director of the
clinic’s Department of Chinese Traditional Medicine, “This is the first time an Olympic Village has offered acupuncture.
I hope the service we provide here relieves athletes’ aches and pains, and also expands the influence of traditional
Chinese medicine.” He added, “Acupuncture relieves pain and is a therapeutic treatment of chronic injuries. It
is also an effective remedy for headaches and insomnia.” Four volunteer acupuncturists from Guang
An Men Hospital, which is affiliated with the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, worked at first only on officials
or coaches. However, as word spread, some of the athletes began to show up. One convert to the benefits
of AOM was the Canadian gymnastics coach, Tony Smith, who told the China Daily newspaper "he had been suffering from lower back pain and decided to see if acupuncture
could help." “I thought I should give Chinese acupuncture a try, and
found it really relieves the pain,” he said. “I’ll try it again this week. If it still works, I’ll
carry on with the treatment when I get back to Canada.” Smith
added that he was so impressed with his results that he intends to recommend acupuncture to his athletes. Page printed from: Acupuncture Today.com /October, 2008, Vol. 10, Issue 10
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