A recent study shows that using Chinese herbs and acupuncture with intrauterine insemination (IUI), a common fertility treatment, increases the number of pregnancies and births. http://www2.tau.ac.il/news/engnews.asp
 
This study was conducted at Tel Aviv Medical Center’s Fertility Research Institute, where they treated one group of women with infertility using IUI alone and another group with a combination of IUI and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), specifically acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Among the 29 women in the IUI plus TCM group, 65.5% conceived and 41.4% delivered healthy infants, while in the control group, only 39.4% conceived and 26.9% delivered healthy babies.
 
This research follows a recent study from Adelaide University where women using Chinese herbal medicine doubled their pregnancy rate, achieving “on average, a 60% pregnancy rate over 4 months compared with 30% achieved with standard western drug treatment or IVF over 12 months.” The study also found that the same improvement in pregnancy rates was true whether Chinese herbal medicine was used alone or in conjunction with either Western drugs or IVF. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22036524
 
The surprising thing about the Tel Aviv study is that the TCM group, which had more pregnancies and live births, was made up of older women .This suggests that acupuncture and herbs may make a bigger difference for older women who are having difficulty conceiving.
 
According to the authors, Dr. Shahar Lev-Ari and Keren Sela of TAU’s Sackler Faculty of Medicine, “the average age of the women in the study group was 39.4, while that of the control group was 37.1. Normally, the older the mother, the lower the pregnancy and delivery rates.”

Auricular acupuncture (needles in the ear) helps to control cravings. It’s not a magic bullet, but if someone has the desire to quit, acupuncture is an amazing tool. It’s generally a weaning process. With each visit you have less desire and your body is detoxing. Acupuncturist Marc Herns recommends that people do six treatments over the course of three weeks, and notes that most people have no pain or discomfort and that many experience “a feeling of incredible calmness and peace.”
 
Sessions cost $65 for a one hour treatment.
 
Stopping smoking is a process. Acupuncture can help in that process – help people through the withdrawals.
 
Mr. Herns individualizes his one-hour treatments which involve needles in various points all over the body’s Qi meridians, based on what the client’s goals and needs are. “It’s always a matter of working with the bigger picture,” he said. For those trying to stop smoking, he suggests trying as many methods as possible.

Stress is everywhere! In small doses it is good for you. When you have to handle something unexpected and are challenged to work faster, smarter and more creatively, you feel stress as a powerful burst of energy. But there’s a difference between stress and challenge.
 
“A workplace challenge puts a demand on you that temporarily goes beyond the routine level for your job,” says Laurence Shatkin and the editors at JIST in the book 150 Best Low-Stress Jobs.
 
Meeting a challenge may require you to think harder, exert more physical strength, show more patience, put in extra hours, pay more attention to details and face more competition, they say.
 
But when the demand exceeds your abilities and you have good reason to expect to fail, that’s stress. And when that demand is considered normal, not the exception, it’s stress.
 
It’s beyond a challenge when your “greater effort saps your energy, the demands on your patience leave you burnt out, the longer hours of work feel like a prison sentence,” Shatkin says.
 
When those demands turn into chronic stress, that can lead to problems. But is it possible to minimize the stress you may encounter in the work you do? Yes, but it helps to know what stresses you most.
 
Some workers say they can’t deal with unpleasant people.
 
If that’s you, take a look at the book’s list of 50 jobs that deal the least with unpleasant or angry people. It includes mathematicians, computer software engineers, physicists, animal trainers, massage therapists, curators and hydrologists.
 
The book points out that time pressures and constant deadlines are the single most important cause of workplace stress. Jobs with low time pressures include fitness trainers, computer software engineers, electrical engineers, funeral attendants and political scientists.
 
Jobs with the least consequence of error include bakers, audio-visual collections specialists, survey researchers, sociologists, credit analysts, appliance repairers and commercial and industrial designers.
 
Of course the more responsible a job the higher the economic reward, but that comes with more stress. Is there a perfect mix?
 
Low-stress jobs with the highest overall combined ratings for earnings, projected growth and number of openings include computer software engineers, sales managers, civil and environmental engineers, environmental scientists, construction and building inspectors, set and exhibit designers, zoologists and wildlife biologists.
 
If you are FEELING the STRESS, call or visit Heaven Sent Massage to book your one hour deep tissue, Swedish or sports massage today!
 
Treat YOURSELF, you DESERVE it!

Courtesy of the Chicago Sun Times

Image Courtesy of NASA.gov

Whether it’s applying deep Chinese massage to an aching back or adjusting the temperature of a patient’s drinking water, Marc Herns takes a holistic approach to Acupuncture.
 
“Chinese medicine looks at the whole body and we look at preventing illness in the first place, whereas western medicine will treat the symptoms after you get sick,” said Herns. “But it’s important to note that the two cultures can complement each other.”
 
At his Lake Jackson, Texas clinic, Acupuncture & Alternative Health, Herns offers many treatments including acupuncture and cupping. Using various sizes of glass “cups,” cupping involves creating a vacuum over various parts of the body for therapeutic effects.
 
Cupping is used therapeutically to draw blood flow to areas of pain, thus flushing capillary beds and re-supplying vital nutrients. Suction also mobilizes and stretches soft tissue, loosening areas of restriction. Suction cups are usually placed over disease/injury sites for five to 10 minutes.
 
“Acupuncture and suction cupping follow the meridians, because if you’re in pain, you are blocked somewhere along the way, and we work to unblock the meridians,” said Herns.
 
And for anyone new to Chinese massage, be forewarned: it’s not always comfortable, but it is effective. Herns uses a method known as Tui Na, a method of bodywork therapy that has been used in China for over 2,000 years. Tui Na uses the traditional Chinese medical theory of the flow of Qi (“chee”) through the meridians. Through the application of massage and manipulation techniques, Tui Na seeks to establish a more harmonious flow of Qi, allowing the body to naturally heal itself.
 
“I will look at the tongue and the eyes and feel the temperature of the body,” he said. “With traditional Chinese medicine, there is much to learn about the meridians, the acupuncture points, the muscles, where they start and stop, and then the bones.”
 
Each of Herns’s sessions lasts between 30 minutes and two hours. On their first visit, clients are assessed, with Herns getting to know what it is they need, and adjusting the treatment to each individual.

Despite sounding like an anatomical structure, the term rose hips actually refers to the seed pods of roses. All rose species bear these, but becuase most rose bushes are trimmed and pruned we rarely see them today. Normally, species of the Rosa Canina family will form these small, berry-sized, reddish seed balls after petals fall in late summer.

The seed pods, harvested in the late fall, are prized for their medicinal properties and widely cultivated for their usefulness. According to the ancient literature, the Chinese, Persians, Romans, and Greeks all used the rose seed pod for a variety of purposes and sometimes called it a “hip” or a “haw.”

BACKGROUND

Rose hips are particularly high in Vitamin C content, and are said to contain 10 to 50 times as much of this nutrient as in a normal orange. Historically, the rose was also referred to as the “dog rose” and was so named because ancient lore held that the extract derived from it could cure the bite of a rabid dog.

The dog rose was extremely popular during World War II. The British people were encouraged to gather rose hips to make Vitamin C syrup for children to prevent the development of scurvy. German submarines were sinking most commercial ships carrying imported citrus fruits from the tropics and children were developing nutritional deficiencies as a result.

SCIENCE

Much of rose hips’ medicinal activity has been credited to its high concentration of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an essential nutrient with specific functions as an enzymatic colactor and potent antioxidant. Unprocessed rose hips contain about 1,25- mb/100 g of pure Vitamin C. In addition, rose hips contain large amounts of polyphenols, which are also known to possess antioxidative properties.

Rose hips have been studied for their effect on autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. One double-blinded, randomized controlled trial examined 89 patients with known rheumatoid arthritis. The subjects were given either capsules filled with rose hip powder totaling 5 g per day or palcebo for six months. Outcomes were based on administration of a health assessment questionnaire administered at baseline and at six months. These scores improved in the active treatment group but declined in the placebo group.

However, in a meta-analysis of studies on rose hip use, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions were verified, but the German Commission E did not recommend their use, largely due to a lack of sufficient data.

…

Even though Citamin C seems to be the major reason for rose hips’ activity, basic research has shown that the polyphenolic compounds in rose hips extract also have therapeutic effects. One study tested the effect of rose hips on polymorphonuclear white blood cells in the respiratory tract. Knowig that reactive airway results in the stimulation of these cells and the subsequent production of oxidative by-products, researchers developed a rose hip extract without the Vitamin C. This extract was then tested on the specific respiratory cell lines. The results still shoed inhibition of oxidative pathways, confirming that Vitamin C is not the only antioxidative component of rose hip products.

SAFETY, INTERACTIONS

Since rose hips are a botanical product, allergic reaction is always a possibility and should be monitored for – especially upon first use of the product. For similar reasons, pregnant or lactating women and infants should avoid these products.

Interactions and adverse reactions typically are centered on the Vitamin C content. Excess Vitamin C can cause gastrointestinal distress and fatigue. Rose hips and Vitmain C enhance absorption of any iron-containing supplements and, in large doses, can potentiate warfarin.

DOSAGE AND COST

Rose hips may be found in powder-filled capsules, liquid extract or as a tea. Typically daily doses in tea form are 2.0-2.5 grams steeped in 150 cc of water several times a day. For rheumatoid arthritis, a powder-filled capsule totaling 2.5 g is typically recommended.

SUMMARY

Rose hips are a mild, pleasant supplement that are safe for routine use. While efficacy data are not robust, there is evidence supporting the supplement’s use, and it builds in the long term. Providers may recommend this product as adjunctive therapy for a wide range of conditions or as a routine preventive regimen.

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Information found on The Clinical Advisor

Acupuncture is a relatively simple treatment option veterinarians and horse owners consider for a variety of equine ailments, but little scientific evidence of its efficacy exists–particularly in regards to treating laminitis. Lisa Lancaster, MSc, PhD, DVM, of Lancaster Veterinary Services, in Denver, Colo., explored how this complementary therapy can be used as part of a multimodal approach to treating laminitis at the 6th International Equine Conference on Laminitis and Diseases of the Foot, held Oct. 28-31 in West Palm Beach, Fla.

When treating laminitis, veterinarians’ goals include reducing the horse’s pain and inflammation, unloading the most compromised structures in the foot, and treating the underlying cause of the disease. Acupuncture can be useful and help boost efficacy of traditional treatments, according to Lancaster, with its pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects and with its homeostatic (regulating) influences. The biggest asset this therapy offers for laminitis patients, however, is pain modulation.

“The needles send a message to the nervous system that can interrupt or reduce pain,” Lancaster explained. Acupuncture research (performed largely on lab animals and humans) has shown that it does this by regulating the nervous system. Since the nervous system controls the entire body, she explained, acupuncture can have beneficial effects on the whole horse.

Acupuncture has become more widely accepted as an alternative therapy for horses. Learn more about the history of this ancient Eastern medical technique and its application to horses in Understanding Equine Acupuncture.

Acupuncture “dosing”–how many needles the practitioner uses, what size they are, how long they stay in, and where they are placed–is not an exact science. However, Lancaster noted that placing needles around the hoof and coronary band as well as at other points on the limb might promote blood flow and pain relief in both acute and chronic laminitis cases. In chronic cases where musculoskeletal damage has occurred, pain relief beyond the foot might be warranted, and needles could theoretically be placed in many locations on the horse’s body.

In Lancaster’s experience, clinicians or horse owners typically see a positive response after two to three acupuncture treatments; but as with any treatment method, it’s not going to work 100% of the time.

“Acupuncture can be used in conjunction with standard protocols, both medical and surgical,” she concluded. “The safety profile and lack of contraindications make acupuncture worth trying in all laminitis patients.”

 Information found on The Horse

Tristan Stoch, 21, is now in a Buddhist monastery filming a health clinic run by the Acupuncture Relief Project, or ARP.

ARP is a free community acupuncture clinic that travels to countries that have been impacted by poverty, conflict or disaster, according to the group’s website, www.acupuncturereliefproject.org.

Its primary clinic is located in Chapagaon, Nepal.

In a letter to Force, Stoch said he wanted to show the potential ARP’s model has for primary care in the Third World, to expose caregivers from the health care community to the work that ARP is doing in Nepal and to attract future volunteers and expand ARP’s work to the rest of the Third World.

“What really interests me as a filmmaker about the ARP clinic is the story of humans connecting and learning across cultures, languages and borders,” Stoch wrote.

Stoch is financing the movie through KickStart, an online service used by nonprofits to raise funds for their projects.

Collecting pledges

There are seven pledge levels from $1 to $500, with various incentives from a credit on the final film to a home-cooked meal for two prepared and served by Stoch (though only in the Portland, Ore., area).

The $6,091 KickStart goal represents about half of what is needed to finance the film, Stoch said.

“The project’s exposure is based on the number of people who donate,” Stoch wrote. “In this case, the donation of a single dollar can have more meaning than just the dollar’s monetary value.”

As of Friday, 111 donors had pledged $5,023, according to the website at http://tinyurl.com/cwbtkg8.

If he does not raise the total amount by Dec. 17, no money will be collected from the pledged donors.

Stoch said the pledged money will help cover his medical, insurance and equipment expenses in Nepal and allow him to edit the expected 100 hours of footage into a 20- to 30-minute film.

More information is available at the donation website, http://tinyurl.com/cwbtkg8.

Anyone with questions about the project can email Stoch directly at tristanstoch@gmail.com.

 
How Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture can help you
 
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, can Acupuncture help my face not fall? 
 
Even if you are the type of person that has regularly sought out alternative medicine for your health concerns, it may be a surprise to learn that acupuncture is being used (and has been used for centuries) to give your vanity a lift too!
 
Due to a greater interest in alternative forms of therapy for health improvement, people today are living longer than before and are expected to live more healthfully beyond the age of 70. Men and women not only want to be healthier and have more energy, but want to look younger as well.
 
As compared with invasive plastic surgery procedures, Botox injections, collagen injections and the like, Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine are a holistic, natural, and safe approach to maintaining beauty, radiance and vitality in the face as well as improve overall total body well being.
 
Mainstream media reports celebrities as well as wealthy socialites in Hollywood, New York, and all over the world have adopted acupuncture for facelifts.  This may be discussed currently as a “New Discovery”, but the practice is centuries old.
 
In ancient China, around the time of the Song Dynasty (960 A.D.) cosmetic acupuncture development began. It involves the insertion of thin needles in the facial acupuncture points or body points. Through the acupuncture adjustment, the circulation and energy flow in the facial area is increased, and that results in more nourishing collagen and elastin produced to the facial area. Besides facial rejuvenation, cosmetic acupuncture also helps to decrease stress and improve the immune system creating overall anti-aging benefits throughout the body.