Researchers from Montreal’s McGill [...]]]> For smokers wanting to kick their addiction, alternatives to medication and counseling are becoming more popular. Because of the increased interest in these alternatives, smokers need facts on the effectiveness of these treatments. Hypnosis and acupuncture are two examples and there is certainly anecdotal evidence that they can work for some smokers.

Researchers from Montreal’s McGill University recently conducted a study on the effectiveness of alternative remedies, and while there are still unanswered questions, team leader Medhi Tahiri is confident hypnosis and acupuncture should still be considered. This is particularly true for smokers who have tried a number of times with different treatments and have so far failed to stop their smoking habit.

Smokers should try traditional approaches first such as counseling and medications like nicotine replacement. Counseling can be effective in understanding a smoker’s behaviour but many people prefer a drug free approach to health issues and standard treatments have not worked for others. In these cases Tahiri recommends that smokers definitely have a look at alternatives.

The research produced inconclusive results. Some trials showed that acupuncture increased the chances of stopping smoking by up to three times and similar results were achieved in some trials for hypnosis. However, the results were not consistent over all trials although the trend was for smokers to have improved outcomes.

A Taiwan study in 2007 confirmed a low success rate of nine percent for smokers administered acupuncture near the ear, the traditional target point for nicotine based addictions. In contrast, a 2008 trial found that over 50 percent had stopped smoking after six months, compared with a control group of four percent.

Similar results were achieved with hypnosis treatment. Two independent trials found between 20 and 45 percent of smokers were tobacco-free 12 months after commencing hypnosis and other studies yielded consistent outcomes.

The research team confirmed a trend towards positive outcomes in using either acupuncture or hypnosis, although other studies have been inconclusive. Questions remain about the effectiveness of these treatments but these may be based around the number of sessions required to achieve any measure of success.

Typically an acupuncturist will begin working on a stroke victim as soon as it is safe to do so after the stroke occurs, however in the western [...]]]> Acupuncture has been used in Japan and China for centuries as treatment for conditions that occur after a stroke takes place such as speech problems, swallowing difficulties, and paralysis.

Typically an acupuncturist will begin working on a stroke victim as soon as it is safe to do so after the stroke occurs, however in the western states it is more acceptable to wait for at least two weeks due to the fact that strokes that are caused by brain bleeds could make the treatment potentially harmful if started too soon.

However strokes that occur due to clotting or a blood vessel block can actually be treated right away for maximum results given the fact that there are many studies that report that acupuncture is able to open up blood vessels allowing the blood to flow more freely through the body and in turn decreasing the risk of inflammation or clothing in the brain.

The idea is that acupuncture helps to increase blood flow so that it can travel through blocked arteries. When bleeding is an issue after clotting it is best to wait a few weeks until the patient stabilises again. In China acupuncture is practiced on a daily basis after a stroke, but as some Western countries are still reserved about the benefits of acupuncture three times a well is considered optimal.

There are two dominant approaches to treating stroke caused conditions in patients: Chinese scalp acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Yang meridian point therapy. Studies that were published in Japan and China have indicated that patients do benefit from regular acupuncture and two out of three studies that were conducted in Scandinavia point to improvements in conditions from those that underwent acupuncture for strokes.

The studies show that stroke victims that undergo acupuncture heal faster, do better with self-care, require less rehabilitation therapy, less nursing, and overall end up costing the healthcare system less as they do not require as much follow-up. One of the benefits of choosing acupuncture as treatment is the fact that it has only minimal discomfort associated with it making it easy on the stroke victim that is receiving the treatment.

With such minimal risks associated with a high positive gain it is a wonder that acupuncture is not yet accepted more in western countries for stroke victims although its popularity is slowly growing.

It has many medical applications that are gaining acceptance in the modern medical world. One of the ways it can be useful is for treating acute or chronic sleeplessness.

Many current medical practitioners feel that there is a way to combine the [...]]]> Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese medicine that has been around for a very long time.

It has many medical applications that are gaining acceptance in the modern medical world. One of the ways it can be useful is for treating acute or chronic sleeplessness.

Many current medical practitioners feel that there is a way to combine the use of acupuncture with more modern medical treatments. They believe that the combination of Western and Eastern medicine can be a great way to treat this condition which affects so many people.

Dr Hamid Montakab has recently released a book which details how it is possible to use Eastern medicine in combination with modern medical techniques. He greatly expands on current literature and deals with the subject matter in a much newer and more extensive way. In the book he examines the mystery of sleep and goes beyond the normal scientific concepts of hormones, alpha waves, circadian rhythms and other associated medical ideas.

He looks at the very essence of sleep and looks at how various ancient treatments can be involved in the process. The book is designed to encourage the clinician to offer greater treatments for the patient and these should include the option of acupuncture.

The book is very persuasive and it is likely to encourage many physicians to consider using acupuncture is part of the treatment for their patient. The book is unique compared to other books on the subject as it is actually written by a practising physician. He uses numerous case studies in the book which are very persuasive.

It is thought the traditional acupuncture may be capable of reducing variability in heart rate which can help to reduce the risk of death for patients with the heart condition.

The study is going [...]]]> A recent study has been launched which is going to investigate whether patients with chronic heart disease can be helped with acupuncture treatments.

It is thought the traditional acupuncture may be capable of reducing variability in heart rate which can help to reduce the risk of death for patients with the heart condition.

The study is going to be a double blinded one to ensure that the results are certain. One set of patients is going to be given a sham acupuncture treatment and the other set of patients will be receiving real acupuncture. The study is being conducted in Los Angeles and it is thought that this pilot study is going to encourage additional work in the area if some sort of relationship is established between acupuncture and the variability of the patient’s heart rate.

If a patient has a less variable heart rate, and also has chronic heart disease, this is an indicator that they are more likely to die soon. It is estimated that this sort of death accounts for around 150,000 deaths each year in the United States. Generally researchers have struggled to understand the relationship between normal cardiovascular risk factors and the chance of dying from a sudden cardiac issue.

Over 150 patients are being involved in the study which is going to be using traditional acupuncture which was a popular treatment in ancient China and is gaining more authority in modern medicine. The study is being run over 12 weeks and patients are going to receive acupuncture treatments three times a week.

Patients are going to have their heart rate variability measured as part of the study and this is going to be recorded while to patients do different activities, such as a stress test and also a forehead pressure test.

The paper has been sponsored Scientific advisory Committee of RCOG and aims to evaluate and analyse evidence of any reliable alternative or [...]]]> George Lewith, a professor at University of Southampton’s CIMRU (Complementary and Integrated Medicine Research Unit) has authored a paper named “Chinese Herbal Medicine and Acupuncture for women suffering from serious pain in pelvic bone”.

The paper has been sponsored Scientific advisory Committee of RCOG and aims to evaluate and analyse evidence of any reliable alternative or complimentary medicine being used for treating diseases caused by or linked to CPP.

CPP is the condition of constant and intermittent pain in pelvis or lower abdomen region that remains for more than six months. Due to its long duration, many people prefer to use alternative medicinal treatment to relieve the symptoms. One of the options is Acupuncture which is considered quite safe and involves needle insertion at particular locations on body. It is believed that these needles stimulate joints and create a healing effect.

The literature researched by the authors of the article did not lead to any acupuncture studies directly linked to CPP but some of the related conditions like pelvic inflammatory disease, dysmenorrhoea and IBS were being treated with Acupuncture. All of these conditions are believed to be causes of CPP.

Recently two trials of small magnitude during a Cochrane review performed recently concluded that there was significant reduction in menstrual symptoms as a result of acupuncture treatment when compared with other anti inflammation drugs of non-steroidal nature. But more research is still required in this domain.

The paper has recommended that any acupuncture treatment should be performed by a registered. CHM stands for Chinese Herbal Medicine and it also evolved many centuries ago in China along with Acupuncture.

The paper has concluded that the evidence in support of acupuncture or CHM ( Chinese Herbal Medicine) is not compelling , however, women should have knowledge about these alternative possible treatments to CPP and related diseases.

The recovery centre have several alternative therapies on offer and they have recently added acupuncture to their drug rehabilitation programme.

The centre focuses on treating [...]]]> Located in Northern California, in the Santa Cruz Mountains, is the Camp Recovery Centre, and it is a fully accredited drug rehabilitation unit, which is set in 25 acres of beautiful scenery.

The recovery centre have several alternative therapies on offer and they have recently added acupuncture to their drug rehabilitation programme.

The centre focuses on treating drug addiction in a holistic way and they cater for a large variety of different client’s preferences and needs. The centre focuses on encouraging addicts to use alternative treatments to cure their problems. These various treatments are particularly useful during the first stages of their recovery.

Acupuncture is just one of the many therapeutic treatments that the centre embrace, the others are biofeedback therapy, yoga, amino acid therapy and various herbal remedies. Acupuncture has long been recognised in the West as a safe way for treating certain conditions, such as back pain. It is also known to have a soothing effect that can help people get over major changes in their life, such as a withdrawal from drugs.

The medical director for the Centre is Dr Amy Solomon and she has stated, “We are encouraging our clients to move away from drugs, whatever form they are, and move to safe alternatives that will not encourage them to form a habit. We find that they are very receptive to the different treatments that we offer as an alternative to drugs.”

The centre believes that acupuncture is capable of aiding in drug recovery because it stimulates the production of dopamine and endorphins, which often decrease during drug withdrawal. The process also helps to reduce body aches, sweats, headaches and limits a client’s craving for the drug. Furthermore it can help them sleep and enhance their ability to relax.

A member of staff at the site is Cally Haber and she has commented, “I have been using acupuncture as a treatment for over two decades and I’m always amazed by how effective it is. The amount of peacefulness that can come over people when they are receiving this sort of treatment is quite remarkable. We have recently completed a trial period of using acupuncture at the centre and so far the feedback we have got has been immensely positive.”

Many clients at the centre have said that the acupuncture treatment gives them peace when it was only their addiction that could do that before. Others have said that it allows them to relax and helps eliminate some of the pains they feel that are associated with withdrawal.

The staff at the centre recognise that acupuncture is not a perfect treatment for everyone and that many people still require the more traditional treatments for addiction. However, they have said that they do find many people do very well with alternative therapies.

The centre is part of a larger health group in the United States which specialise in providing behavioural healthcare services. The group was founded in 1995 and has had great success treating people with a wide variety of addictions.

A controlled study has recently been conducted which suggested that certain applications of acupuncture may significantly improve the amount of sleep people are getting. The study involved pigs and their sleeping was monitored through analysis of their urine to monitor their catecholamine count.

The [...]]]> A recent study has shown that acupuncture may help people get better sleep.

A controlled study has recently been conducted which suggested that certain applications of acupuncture may significantly improve the amount of sleep people are getting. The study involved pigs and their sleeping was monitored through analysis of their urine to monitor their catecholamine count.

The researchers have, however, highlighted that the nerve cluster they used for insertion of the acupuncture needle is in a different place on pigs than it is in humans. They also inserted an acupuncture needle in another nerve, which is in a very similar location in both pigs and humans. The acupuncture needles used in the study were inserted up to depths of two centimetres and left there for around 20 minutes.

In the pigs who had been given the acupuncture treatment, they were found to sleep more soundly. The researchers on the study have commented, “What this study shows is that when acupuncture is done to a specific part of the body, it can change how an animal sleeps. This study shows us that when an acupuncture needle is inserted, it has a direct effect on the central nervous system. It stimulates it in a way that promotes good sleep”.

The researchers think that the reason the acupuncture works is because it has an effect on the greater occipital nerves and the trigeminal nerve. The animal subjects had significantly lower levels of norepinephrine, but their levels of epinephrine did not change by a clinically significant amount.

The group of doctors from [...]]]> Acupuncture is one of the few alternative therapies which has scientific backing to prove that it can be an effective treatment for many physical and mental conditions. Yet according to a report in the British Medical Journal infections caused by practitioners re-using acupuncture needles are a problem that is seriously under-reported.

The group of doctors from the University of Hong Kong who carried out a study of the industry from the 1970s until the present day have called for tighter infection controls to be applied to clinics which offer the treatment and for those who offer the therapy to require training in infection prevention.

Since the 1970s, when acupuncture first became widely popular, there have been a number of cases of infection outbreaks caused by cross-contamination from the needles used during treatment, even though they only lightly puncture the skin.

According to the report, there were more than 50 cases of infections caused by contaminated acupuncture needles during the 1970s and 1980s. Over 70% were minor skin infections, as a result of the practitioner failing to sterilise the needle or the skin prior to treatment. Of the other cases between 5% and 10% of those affected died from their more serious infections, which included Hepatitis B.

As time has gone on, standards do seem to have improved slightly; yet the first case of an acupuncture needle causing an MRSA infection was only reported in 2009. The report’s authors claim stricter rules regarding the training and accreditation of acupuncturists, as well as new guidelines about sterilisation and where the treatment can be carried out would reduce the risk of any further infections being spread by a procedure which is, after all, supposed to make us feel better.

Figures from the UK were included in the report but were not listed separately. Patients undergoing acupuncture treatment or who are considering trying the therapy are being advised to take the usual precautions to avoid the risk of infection, and only attending clinics run by licensed and trained practitioners. At the moment, people trained in acupuncture are not required to register with a professional body, but many are members of one of the UK’s acupuncture accreditation systems as it attracts more customers.

If you have any concerns you can contact one of these organisations, and they will be able to help you find a registered practitioner in your local area. If you want to make your own checks that a clinic is safe, acupuncturists should always use disposable needles and sterilise the skin with a wipe before the needle is inserted.