Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION REDUCES CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE

Transcendental Meditation ™, a widely practiced, stress-reducing meditation technique, significantly decreases the severity of congestive heart failure, according to a first-of-its kind study.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Geriatric Medicine evaluated 23 African American men and women, average age 64, who were recently hospitalized with New York Heart Association class II or III congestive heart failure. Participants were randomized to either the Transcendental Meditation technique or health education in addition to standard medical care.

Changes in heart function were measured with a six-minute walk test and additional measures were evaluated for quality of life, depression and re-hospitalizations. Changes in outcomes from baseline to three and six months after treatment were analyzed. According to Ravishankar Jayadevappa, Ph.D., lead author and Research Assistant Professor in the University of Pennsylvania’s Division of Geriatric Medicine, the TM group significantly improved on the six-minute walk test after both three and six months of TM practice compared to the control group.

The TM group also showed improvements in quality of life measurements, depression and had fewer re-hospitalizations. “The results indicate that TM can be effective in improving the functional capacity and quality of life of congestive heart failure patients. These results also suggest long-term improvements in survival in these individuals, “ said Jayadevappa. TM most likely improves heart functioning by reducing sympathetic nervous system activation associated with stress that is known to contribute to the failing heart, according to the authors. The report appears in the Winter 2007 issue of Ethnicity & Disease.

This present finding is consistent with previous research demonstrating that TM reduces factors that contribute to the cause or progression of heart failure, such as high blood pressure, stress, metabolic syndrome, left ventricular hypertrophy (enlargement of the heart), and severity of arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries). The American Heart Association estimates congestive heart failure accounts for more than 2.5 million hospital admissions per year in the U.S. For more information about Transcendental Meditation for health and well-being contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

TAI CHI BOOSTS IMMUNE SYSTEM IN OLDER ADULTS

Tai chi chih, the westernized form of the 2,000-year-old Chinese martial art, may protect against the shingles virus by boosting the immune system, according to a new UCLA study. The 25-week study of 112 adults ages 59 to 86 showed practicing tai chi chih alone boosted immunity to a level comparable to having received the standard vaccine against the shingles-causing varicella zoster virus.

The study divided individuals into two groups. Half took tai chi chih classes three times a week for 16 weeks, while the other half attended health education classes—including advice on stress management, diet and sleep habits—for the same amount of time and did not practice tai chi chih. After 16 weeks both groups received a dose of the shingles vaccine Varivax. At the end of the 25-week period, the tai chi chih group achieved a level of immunity two times greater than the health education group. The tai chi chih group also showed significant improvements in physical functioning, vitality, mental health, and reduction of body pain.

When tai chi chih was combined with the vaccine, immunity reached a level normally seen in middle age. The findings demonstrate that tai chi chih can produce a clinically relevant boost in shingles immunity and add to the benefit of the shingles vaccine in older adults. Approximately one-third of adults over 60 acquire the infection. The report appears in the April issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

“These are exciting findings, because the positive results of this study also have implications for other infectious diseases, like influenza and pneumonia,” said lead author Michael Irwin, the Norman Cousins Professor of Psychiatry at the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. “Since older adults often show blunted protective responses to vaccines, this study suggests that tai chi is an approach that might complement and augment the efficiency of other vaccines, such as influenza.” The results, said Irwin, confirm a positive, virus-specific immune response to a behavioral intervention.

Dr. Richard Browne has practiced and taught tai chi for over 20 years. For more information about group and private classes, contact Dr. Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

HOSPITAL MASSAGE

Massage therapy is currently the most frequently utilized nontraditional therapy offered in hospitals. Therapeutic massage therapy types included as components of patient health care within clinical settings include: Shiatsu, deep tissue, acupressure, Swedish, trigger point, neuromuscular, myofascial release, and reflexology. Massage programs are common on surgical, cardiac, obstetrical, oncology, and general medicine units.

Hospital massage therapy programs offer massage therapy to patients for pain management and comfort. Massage therapy is effective in alleviation of discomfort and assists in patient recovery. Many massage school programs are now offering medical massage therapy training and courses in massage therapy therapeutic techniques to enable massage therapy students to broaden their skills and ability to work with health care teams in acute health care settings.

Hospital-based massage therapy is the application of compassionate touch by massage therapists with a professional massage therapy training background. Massage therapy is utilized as a comfort measure, which is presently the goal of most hospital massage programs. Massage therapy patient applications might include: Myofascial massage therapy to ease a sore back, shiatsu massage therapy to increase energy, acupressure massage therapy pressure point techniques to relieve nausea, or Swedish massage therapy to induce relaxation.

Massage therapy supplements conventional medical treatment to improve clinical outcomes. Massage therapy training offered through massage programs at massage schools includes techniques which are effective in alleviating the symptoms of a number of medical conditions. Massage therapy training offered at several massage schools prepares massage therapists to effectively treat hospital patients in pre- and postnatal care, geriatric care, cancer patients, surgery patients, and those suffering from chronic pain conditions.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

SENIORS NOT DISCUSSING CAM USE WITH THEIR DOCTORS

Among people age 50 or older, 69 percent of those who use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) do not discuss it with their doctors, according to a new study conducted by AARP and the NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). The telephone survey, administered to a nationally representative group of 1,559 people age 50 or older, examined patient-doctor communication practices regarding CAM use.

Reasons for non-communication vary. Respondents most often did not discuss their CAM use with doctors because the physicians never asked (42 percent), they did not know that they should (30 percent), believed that their doctor wouldn’t know anything or would be dismissive (29 percent), or there was not enough time during the office visit (19 percent). “We know that people 50 and older tend to be high users of complementary and alternative medicine, but this study was the first to explore gaps in communications regarding the use of CAM between patients and their physicians,” said Cheryl Matheis, AARP Director of Health Strategies.

The topics most often discussed with doctors were the effectiveness of a CAM therapy (67 percent), what to use (64 percent), how a CAM therapy might interact with other medications or treatments received (60 percent), advice on whether to pursue a CAM therapy (60 percent), and safety of a CAM therapy (57 percent). When those surveyed did speak to their doctors, conversation tended to focus on effectiveness, safety and potential interactions. Safety and potential interactions are important due to the high-incidence of polypharmacy among surveyed seniors.

Of the individuals surveyed, 63 percent have used one or more CAM therapies, often for mixed reasons including treatment of specific conditions (66 percent), overall wellness (65 percent), conventional treatment supplement (45 percent), and illness prevention (42 percent). “An open dialogue between consumers and their physicians is critical to ensuring safe and appropriate integrated care,” said Margaret A. Chesney, Ph.D., NCCAM’s Deputy Director. For more information about CAM for therapeutic and preventative therapy contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

REIKI HEALING

Reiki, or “universal life force energy,” is a Japanese energy healing system, often categorized with massage therapy therapeutic techniques in many massage school programs offered at massage schools. Developed in the early 1900s, reiki principles are closely aligned with those of shiatsu massage therapy and massage training. Reiki, is based on the main premise similar to that of shiatsu massage therapy; that we have a life force energy flowing through our bodies.

This energy flows along pathways, known in massage therapy training and massage therapy programs as meridians. Reiki channels universal life force energy, or Japanese ki, through the Reiki practitioner to the recipient. Like shiatsu massage therapy, reiki seeks to balance energy within the body. Similar to shiatsu massage therapy training taught in massage school programs, when this energy is out of balance in the body, or is depleted, then an individual becomes susceptible to physical and emotional ailments.

In a Reiki session, the practitioner places hands over key areas of a recipient’s body, with the intent to channel universal life force energy through his or her hands to the recipient to induce healing. Several massage therapy training programs instruct on how this hands-on touch can be combined with massage therapy techniques and visualization in a bodywork session for a powerful synergistic effect. The channeled reiki energy is effective in opening up meridians and improving energy imbalance, similar to the intent of shiatsu massage therapy acupressure techniques taught at massage schools which instruct on how to balance energy in the body.

Practitioner intent is an important aspect in the practice of Reiki, and is closely related to the massage therapist’s focus on patient healing taught in shiatsu massage therapy training in massage therapy programs. The places where ki flow is restricted results in physical organs at these locations becoming restricted in their functioning. If these energy blockages are not eliminated, illness results. Reiki can be combined with conventional medical treatments without contraindications. For more information on Reiki Training contact Dr. Browne for private classes at 305 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

MORE THAN 1.6 MILLION USE CAM FOR INSOMNIA AND SLEEP DISORDERS

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are used by over 1.6 million American adults to treat insomnia and related sleep disorders, concludes a recent study appearing in the Archives of Internal Medicine September 18 sleep theme issue. Those using CAM are more likely to use biologically based therapies including herbs and vitamins, or mind-body practices such as guided imagery, meditation, yoga, Taijiquan, visualization, hypnosis, or other relaxation techniques.

Researchers at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), part of the National Institutes of Health, analyzed information on 31,044 U.S. adults from the 2002 National Health Interview Survey to examine how common sleeping disorders were and how often people used alternative techniques to treat them. Findings revealed that 17.4 percent of adults reported difficulty sleeping in the last 12 months and 4.5 percent of those, or an estimated 1.62 million people, used some form of CAM to treat their condition.

Insomnia or sleep difficulties are most often associated with significant health conditions, including hypertension, congestive heart failure, anxiety and depression, and obesity, according to the survey data. The study findings could have implications for treating these comorbidities rather than alleviating insomnia as a health condition unrelated to other chronic illnesses.

The two most common reasons people gave for using CAM to treat insomnia were they thought it would be interesting to try (nearly 67 percent) and they thought CAM combined with a conventional treatment would be helpful (nearly 64 percent). Of those using herbal medicine or relaxation techniques, almost half reported an improvement in their sleep condition. The 2002 survey findings indicated that five relaxation techniques and imagery, biofeedback, and hypnosis were used by more than 30 percent of the adult U.S. population.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

OVER ONE-THIRD OF AMERICANS USE ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

More than 37 percent of U.S. households now use alternative medicine for therapeutic or preventative health care, according to a Thomson Medstat consumer healthcare survey of 23,000 adults. Alternative medicine practices include acupuncture, massage therapy, homeopathy, naturopathy, chiropractic, and herbal medicine.

The primary reasons for use were general wellness (40.8 percent), treatment of an illness (32.5 percent), supplement traditional care (10.2 percent), and prevent an illness (9.9 percent). The survey results are consistent with a 2002 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey, which found that 36 percent of Americans were using some sort of “complementary and alternative” therapy. Alternative medicine use is most prevalent among those with incomes over $100,000 per year (49.9 percent) and those with post-graduate degrees (49.6 percent).

“Despite widespread concern about the lack of FDA oversight over the alternative healthcare marketplace and the potential for adverse reactions between traditional medications and alternative supplements, the most highly educated and well paid Americans continue to drive the growth of the alternative medicine movement. It is instructive to note that the demographic group with arguably the most healthcare resources at its disposal is the most likely to seek alternatives outside the bounds of traditional Western medicine,” the survey authors conclude.

The most common alternative treatments were herbal supplements (23 percent), massage/chiropractic (22.1 percent), mind-body practices (6.5 percent), a category of acupuncture/naturopathy/Ayurveda (3.2 percent), and energy therapies (2.6 percent). Nearly two-thirds of respondents said their physicians were aware of their use of alternative medicine. Alternative medicine was used for lower back pain (45.9 percent), skin problems (44.7 percent), heartburn (40.1 percent), osteoporosis (36.2 percent), cancer (35.8 percent), and diabetes (32.1 percent). The survey found that people in the 35- to 64-year-old age group were the most prevalent alternative medicine users.

For more information about complementary and alternative therapies for treatment and wellness contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

TCM FOR DIABETES HAS SCIENTIFIC BACKING

Reports of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) having beneficial effects for people suffering from type 2 diabetes now has some scientific evidence to back up the claims. A collaboration between Chinese, Korean and Australian scientists at Sydney’s Garvan Institute has revealed that the natural plant product berberine could be a valuable new treatment.

Berberine (plant alkaloid) is found in the roots and bark of a number of plants used for medicinal purposes including wound healing and has been documented as having anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-tumor properties. Berberine is a component of goldenseal, marketed in the combination herbal supplement of echinacea and goldenseal. It has been used in TCM as a remedy for diabetes (among other medicinal purposes) and documented in Chinese literature as having glucose-lowering properties when administered to diabetics, but its mode of action was unknown.

The study, published in a recent issue of Diabetes, investigated the metabolic effects of berberine in two models of insulin-resistance and insulin-responsive cell lines. “Our studies in models of diabetes show that berberine acts in part by activating an enzyme in the muscle and liver that is involved in improving sensitivity of the tissue to insulin—this in turn lowers blood sugar levels. In addition, it seems berberine can reduce body weight,” said Garvan scientist Jiming Ye, M.D. The next step is to investigate how berberine activates the enzyme that mediates these ‘insulin-sensitizing’ effects.

Type 2 diabetes is a growing health concern that requires development of new therapy treatments. A large number of patients cannot tolerate current medications (metformin) and the TZD group of drugs cause weight gain. “Berberine has been used for decades, if not centuries, with few reported side effects. Given the limitations of existing medicines we are excited to have evidence that berberine may be a new treatment for type 2 diabetes,” said Professor James, head of the Garvan’s Diabetes & Obesity Research Program and co-author of the Diabetes paper. For more information about TCM treatment for diabetes contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

ACUPUNCTURE CAN REDUCE HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE PAIN

According to the National Headache Foundation over 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches and migraines. Acupuncture can treat tension, sinus and migraine headaches. Acupuncture physicians determine cause of headaches as due to an imbalance in the body’s flow of energy (qi). They utilize acupuncture to reestablish equilibrium.

Although headaches are one of the most frequent health conditions leading to medical visits, allopathic treatment may be ineffective in pain management. Most types of headaches occur as a mixed headache disorder in which tension, sinus and migraine headache arise at different times and under different circumstances. Acupuncture releases endorphins, (natural painkillers) and stabilizes levels of serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain. After as few as 12 treatment sessions, patients experience fewer headaches and migraines.

TCM does not recognize reoccurring headaches and migraines as one particular syndrome. Headaches may be accompanied by stress and may be complicated by other health conditions causing pain such as degenerative arthritis, structural or chemical abnormalities in or around the brain, spine disease, and musculoskeletal dysfunction. Acupuncture activates the parasympathetic nervous system to decrease stress and treats the causes and symptoms that are unique to each individual.

Acupuncture can reduce the intensity and frequency of headaches as well as analgesic consumption, and is frequently effective in cases where patients experience little pain relief from medication. Acupuncture improves cerebral circulation, allowing the afflicted region to obtain sufficient blood supply, oxygen and nutrition. Chinese herbal formulas prescribed in conjunction with acupuncture are effective in maintaining health and preventing headache reoccurrence.

When headaches occur more than a few times a month, treatment is recommended. For more information about acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for headache prevention and treatment contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”

THAI MASSAGE

Nuat phaen boran, as Thai massage is known in Thailand, translates as ancient or traditional massage and is also known as Thai ancient massage, traditional Thai massage, Thai yoga massage, and Thai bodywork. Originating from Ayurveda and tracing back over 2,500 years ago, it draws from reflexology, passive yoga therapy and acupressure.

A technique that involves stretching using range of motion and yoga like poses, Thai massage is based on the Ayurvedic concept of the three doshas (elements). According to Ayurveda, each individual is composed of one or a combination of the three doshas of vata (air-ether), pitta (fire-water) and kapha (earth-water). Practitioners treat each person according to the tridoshas as related to individual constitution.

As a person is brought into a yoga posture during massage, one or all of the doshas is activated. Each pose is guided by Ayurvedic principles of constitution. A recipient’s energy is balanced by applying postures of the opposite nature, which strengthen the weaker dosha(s). Fast-paced individuals with a vata type would be treated with a slow, gentle massage. Pitta types would have relaxing, nonvigorous massage and kapha types, more earth-based individuals, would receive energetic massage.

The massage follows the Sen energy lines on the body, similar to Chinese meridians and Indian nadis. Compression and stretches are applied along ten of the central Sen lines to open and balance the flow of energy, assist the body’s self-healing properties, adjust skeletal structure, and increase flexibility. This ancient massage is beneficial for all ages and can effectively treat degenerative conditions as well as enhance wellness. By releasing energy blockages, Thai massage can alleviate conditions including lower back pain, headaches and arthritis.

Through emphasis on breath, joint release and deep muscle stretching, Thai massage offers many of the same benefits as yoga. For more information about Thai massage or for information on Acupuncture & Massage College’s Massage Therapy certification program offering a specialization in Japanese Shiatsu, contact Dr. Richard Browne or Joe Calareso at (305) 595-9500.

thai massage

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. It can be used as long as credit is attributed to the author by including the following section :

“Written by Rev. Dr. Richard Browne

http://www.amcollege.edu

http://www.acupuncturistmiami.com”