Acupuncture & Massage BLOG

TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) represents a broad system of medicine that includes acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, tui na (massage), exercise, breathing therapy (qigong), and diet. TCM emphasizes a holistic approach to understanding normal function and disease processes and focuses on prevention as well as treatment of illness.

From the TCM viewpoint, the body is a balance of two opposing forces (yin/yang). Health is achieved by maintaining the body in a balanced state. Disease is a sign of yin/yang internal imbalance, which is reflected in various mind-body aspects including: Qi (energy) and blood flow, jing (essence) and shen (spirit). Disease-related imbalance could be due to excess of yin, excess of yang, deficiency of yin, and deficiency of yang. Chronic illness is yin dominance; acute illness is yang dominance. TCM focuses on treating the underlying causes of the imbalance as well as the disease symptoms.

Based on the four diagnoses of questioning, observation (tongue), palpation (pulse being most characteristic), and listening, individualized treatment consists of primarily acupuncture, Chinese herbs and tui na to correct the imbalance and restore health. Diagnosis and treatment are conducted with reference to models of the body in addition to yin/yang including: Five elements (related organs and senses), zang fu theory (organ syndromes), the meridian system (qi flow), and others to further differentiate energetic imbalances, syndromes, symptom patterns and the nature of a patient’s condition.

TCM can be more effective than allopathic remedies in the treatment of chronic and routine ailments including: Fibromyalgia, chronic pain, allergies, arthritis, stress, common cold, headache, PMS, toothache, sciatica, sinusitis, and digestive disorders. Today TCM is practiced in allopathic hospitals and in conjunction with conventional medicine. TCM practitioners may be doctors as well as licensed acupuncturists. For more information on acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, contact Dr. Richard Browne at (305) 595-9500. if you are interested in TCM as a student ask for Joe Calareso.

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”

LESS ADDICTIVE SLEEPING PILL MAY CAUSE FEWER SIDE EFFECTS

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore note in a recent study that a new sleeping pill, Rozerem (known generically as ramelteon), approved last year for insomnia treatment does not appear to have any characteristics that might cause dependence. Acting in a similar way to the natural sleep-inducing hormone melatonin, ramelteon may be less addictive and have fewer side effects by working through a different pathway in the brain involving melatonin receptors.

Dr. Roland Griffiths and colleagues conducted the study involving 14 patients with a history of sedative abuse, over a period of 18 days in a residential research unit. In random order and on different days, the participants received three different doses of ramelteon, three different doses of the sedative triazolam, or a placebo. Motion control and cognitive performance measures were taken to determine medication effects, including psychomotor and memory tests and a standing balance task. Ramelteon had no significant effects on cognition or movement control and no apparent potential for abuse, according to the report findings. The study appears in the October issue of the journal Archives of General Psychiatry.

“Ramelteon represents a useful alternative to existing insomnia medications that could have broad appeal to patients who are otherwise reluctant to use such compounds,” Griffiths concluded. About 10 to 15 percent of adults regularly experience chronic insomnia, according to the study. Pharmacists filled 43 million prescriptions for sleep drugs in 2005.

Traditional Chinese Medicine views almost all sleep disorders as originating from either a deficiency or an excess of qi in body organs, primarily the kidneys and heart. Chinese herbal medicine can be effective for both long-term chronic and transient insomnia.

Jing herbal tonics may be used to strengthen the kidneys. For chronic insomnia the Chinese herbal remedy ‘six-flavored tea’ (Liu wei di huang wan) may be effective in rebalancing the sleep-wake cycle. Chinese herbal insomnia remedies can be tailored to treat individual symptoms. Herbs for insomnia commonly prescribed may include sour jujube seed, golden thread, longan fruit, fossil bone, mimosa bark, or polygonum vine.

Shen formulas or tonics for the heart and digestive system can also be effective in treating insomnia. Several formula base foundations include the Chinese healing herb biota, (bai zi ren). Biota seeds have a sedative effect. When used as a formula component, it relieves fatigue and stress. Another common formula that contains biota is ginseng and zizyphus (tian wang bu xin dan). This formula treats anxiety-induced insomnia, disruptions to the sleep-wake cycle caused by restlessness and disturbed sleep patterns such as frequent nocturnal awakenings.

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”

NOVARTIS PLANS NEW INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE RESEARCH CENTER FOR SHANGHAI

Swiss pharmaceutical firm Novartis announced Monday plans to build a $100M research and development center in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the eighth in the company’s global research network. The R & D center, to be built in two phases in May and July 2007, will work to integrate traditional Chinese medicine with modern drug research, and will initially focus on infectious causes of cancer endemic to China and Asia.

“The Shanghai center will allow us to combine modern drug discovery approaches with those of traditional Chinese medicine that have been used to treat patients in China for thousands of years,” said Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO of Novartis. “This new research center will help Novartis contribute to the needs of patients in China and elsewhere and has the potential to become a global center for biomedical innovation.”

In recent years, all the major Western pharmaceutical drugmakers have established some type of manufacturing or marketing presence in China. With a population of more than 1.3 billion, China is also one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets for prescription drugs. Novartis estimates the country to be among its top 10 markets by 2010. The government’s efforts to correct intellectual property deficiencies have also strengthened China’s pharmaceutical industry and drawn foreign investors.

Novartis has a six-year research partnership with the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica (SIMM) to identify and test traditional medicines for pharmacological properties. Additional partners include drug manufacturer WuXi PharmaTech, the Chinese University of Hong Kong National Institutes of Biological Sciences and Kunming Institute of Botany.

The center’s laboratories will accommodate 400 scientists recruited primarily from Shanghai’s academic, biotech and pharmaceuticals research institutions. “Shanghai is clearly emerging as a new epicenter of science globally, and is a magnet for the best and the brightest investigators. It is a perfect location for exploring novel scientific approaches for the discovery of new medicines,” said Dr. Mark Fishman, President of the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research.

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”

CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE MAY IMPROVE ANGINA SYMPTOMS

Tongxinluo, an herbal medicine used to treat cardiovascular diseases in China may improve angina symptoms when integrated with conventional treatment, according to a new systematic review in the October 18 issue of The Cochrane Library. Tongxinluo, composed of eight herbs and insects in capsule form, was found in several of the review studies to reduce the frequency of unstable angina symptoms, such as irregular chest pain, and improve angina patients’ electrocardiogram (ECG) results.

The review authors analyzed data from 18 randomized controlled trials of 1,413 angina patients aged 25 to 88. Conducted in China, a majority of the trials examined the effect of tongxinluo when used in addition to traditional angina treatment in comparison to traditional treatment alone. In seven of the review studies, patients with unstable angina treated with tongxinluo and conventional treatment had improved ECG results compared to patients treated with conventional treatment alone. Findings from 10 of the studies indicated that the herbal medicine improved angina symptoms. In three of the studies, tongxinluo appeared as effective as conventional nitrate medication.

“Tongxinluo is one of the most successful traditional Chinese medicines on the market in China,” said lead author Wu Taixiang, an associate professor at Sichuan University, West China Hospital, in Chengdu, Sichuan. Taixiang and other co-authors said that they felt a “social responsibility” to investigate possible clinical benefits of tongxinluo, after seeing the popularity of this medicine among cardiovascular patients in Asia.

Prior to the current review, evidence on tongxinluo’s effect has not been thoroughly analyzed. The authors concluded that tongxinluo in combination with routine angina therapy appears to reduce the frequency of angina attacks and severity, improve symptoms and ECG results, but that further trials are necessary to determine recommendations for tongxinluo’s use for angina patients. Taixiang considered the review “an encouraging exploration” regarding tongxinluo’s beneficial effects for patients experiencing unstable angina.

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”

U.S. FLU VACCINE SUPPLY ESTIMATED AT 115 MILLION DOSES

Flu shots may currently be difficult to get, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says there is currently no shortage, and they do not expect there to be one this season. CDC increased its estimate of the flu vaccine supply for this season to 115 million, the most ever, but said many healthcare providers don’t have their full supply yet because of distribution issues.

Manufacturers have already begun to ship this season’s influenza vaccine, with almost all of the vaccine expected to be shipped and distributed in October and November. “Given the number of manufacturing plants in the U.S. and the large number of doses currently being produced each year, it isn’t possible to complete the production and distribution process prior to the vaccination season,” said Dr. Jeanne Santoli, deputy director of the CDC’s Immunization Services Division.

According to Santoli, 40 million doses had already been distributed as of the second week of October. By the end of October, a total of 75 million doses will have been distributed. Healthcare providers should start vaccinating as soon as they get vaccine supplies and keep offering inoculations as late as January and beyond, CDC advises. “Flu season typically peaks in February or later and even when disease is present in the community, an individual can benefit from vaccination, Santoli added.

Acupuncture can provide an alternative to safeguard against this season’s flu. Four acupuncture treatments administered during the summer-fall change of seasons can boost the immune system and protect against constitutional weakness that can lead to onset of flu symptoms. Acupuncture works best as a preventative healthcare method. With the flu season peak occurring in February or later, there is plenty of time to plan ahead for acupuncture treatment, which may occur on a weekly basis over a month’s time span.

When combined with herbal remedies to prevent catching the flu, acupuncture strengthens the Wei Qi, or energy that protects against illness. The Jade Windscreen Formula, (Radix Astragalus, Atractylodis Macrocephalae and Radix Ledebouriellae) and Yin Qiao San, (Lonicera and Forsythia Formula) are two Chinese herbal formulas commonly used during the flu season that can strengthen the immune system and reduce fever, sore throat and coughing.

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”

MARIJUANA MAY SLOW PROGRESSION OF ALZHEIMER’S

The active compound in marijuana, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can help treat the symptoms and slow the progress of Alzheimer’s, finds a new study reported in the October 2 issue of the journal Molecular Pharmaceutics, a publication of the American Chemical Society. Investigators from the Scripps Research Institute found that THC appears to block an enzyme that causes the formation of amyloid plaques in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The study findings indicate THC is also effective at blocking clumps of protein that can inhibit memory and cognition in Alzheimer’s patients. The researchers note that THC may provide a “drug lead”—a model for developing new and more effective prescription drugs for treating AD. THC may provide an improvement in treatment for both the symptoms and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the researchers concluded. Alzheimer’s is the leading cause of dementia among the elderly. The Alzheimer’s Association estimates 4.5 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease.

Diagnosis of AD in traditional Chinese medicine indicates there may be many possible causative factors for the disease, categorized as lao nian xing chi dai, or senile dementia. This disease is characterized by an insufficiency of Qi of the Zang-Fu organs in addition to obstruction by stagnations of phlegm and blood stasis.

Acupuncture can be effective in promoting normal mental activity in people who have Alzheimer’s through removal of obstructions in meridians and collaterals, and regulation of Yin and Yang of the Zang-Fu organs. Acupuncture points effective in the treatment of Alzheimer’s are selected from the Yin channels, including main points: Neiguan (P 6), to nourish the heart and promote circulation of Qi and blood, renzhong (Du 26) to stimulates the brain and sanyinjiao (Sp 6) for kidney nourishment. Local points effective in AD treatment are Jiquan (H 1), chize (Lu 5), weizhong (UB 40), and hegu (LI 4), which have the benefit of opening up channels and collaterals and improving circulation of Qi and blood.

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”

Treating Allergies with Chinese herbs can be both safe and effective. Millions of American suffer each season from allergies. In the fall season the main culprit is the pollen from the ragweed plant. The most common signs and symptoms are: runny, stuffy and itchy nose and eyes. And in some cases sneezing and wheezing.

The discomfort can be covered up with over the counter antihistamines or prescription drugs. In any case the allergies come and go from season to season. The fundamental cause of allergy is still not known. The problem has a tendency to run in families. An allergic individual is more likely to have relatives who are allergic. One interesting fact is that infants who are breast-fed are less likely to develop allergies than bottle-fed babies.

In Oriental Medicine the primary organs that are affected by allergies are the Lungs.and Liver. When the Qi of the lungs is disturbed the Lung function of regulating water passages are impaired. Hence we see the watery discharge from the orifice of the Lungs and the Liver, the nose and eyes.

Two ancient Chinese herbal formulas that have proven to be effective for seasonal allergies are Powder of Xanthium ( Cang Er Zi) and Decoction of Magnolia ( Xin Yi San).

Clinical studies have shown Xanthium to have vitro inhibitory antimicrobial effects on staphylococcus aureus. The most telling study of this herb involves 207 clinical cases of chronic rhinitis. Local applications of this herb were applied to the nasal passages of these patients for 2 to 3 times daily for three weeks.

Only 3 out of 207 cases showed no improvement. The remaining 204 cases showed cessation of the symptoms. In these cases there was no recurrence during the follow-up period which lasted for three years.

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”

The FDA announced last week that the German pharmaceutical company Bayer withheld data from a retrospective study it had commissioned to investigate the cardiovascular safety of its antibleeding heart drug Trasylol. Preliminary results of the study suggested that the use of Trasylol increases the risk for death, kidney failure, congestive heart failure, and stroke.

As part of an ongoing review of the drug’s risk-benefit profile, the FDA’s cardiovascular and renal advisory committee convened on September 21 to determine if any additional safety measures needed to be taken. The advisory panel’s opinion was sought after two studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine and Transfusion earlier this year suggested Trasylol was linked to heart attack, stroke and kidney problems. The agency said it was unaware of the new study at the time the panel deliberated.

The new Bayer study examined hospital data from 67,000 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Of those, 30,000 patients were treated with Trasylol and 37,000 with other drugs. The study concluded that patients given Trasylol were at greater risk. Bayer said it did not immediately provide the FDA with findings from the study because it had questions about the methods used to conduct the research and the results were preliminary. The company said it has since given a copy of the study to the FDA.

An alert was issued by the FDA on September 29 similar to its alert issued last February of this year stating that Trasylol may increase the risk for serious side effects in some patients. The announcement reiterated previous warnings that the drug’s use should be limited to patients in whom the risks of blood loss outweighed the drug’s risks. The agency is evaluating the studies more closely to determine if labeling changes or other actions are warranted. The drugmaker may face a second U.S. advisory panel review on the safety of its antibleeding drug. Approved by the FDA in 1993, Trasylol was administered to about 150,000 patients in

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”