The Acupuncture Blog: News and Opinion of the world of Oriental Medicine

May 04, 2008

Chinese Herbal Compound Regulates Collagen Synthesis

Herbal compound 861 (Cpd 861) is an extract of mixed Chinese herbs that have been used for liver disease treatment in traditional Chinese midicine. Recent studies have characterized how the compound regulates collagen.

The study was published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 07:31 PM

April 26, 2008

British Columbia the First Canadian Province to Provide Acupuncture Health Coverage

The British Columbia province of Canada, started providing acupuncture related medical coverage to low-income citizens as of April 1st. While the amount of money provided to patients for acupuncture services is modest at best, the fact that coverage has now started is a first step.

"It's a real milestone for the B.C. health care system and for traditional chinese medicine," as quoted from Dr. Harvey Hu, president of the B.C.'s Qualified Acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine Association.

Details on the story can be read at the Times Columnist website, a Victoria Island, B.C. Canada newspaper.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 07:49 PM

April 19, 2008

Mushroom Extract May Prevent Growth of Breast Cancer Cells

A mushroom (Phellinus linteus) used in traditional Chinese medicine has recently been found to have anticancer properties. Cell culture studies conducted at Indiana University show that extracts from the mushroom work by either stimulating immune system or inducing cell death.

The study abstract can be found in the April 2008 British Journal of Cancer.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 07:28 PM

April 12, 2008

Acupuncture Reduces Migraine Symptoms

A study conducted at the University of Padua shows that traditional acupuncture methods are effective at reducing migraine symptoms as compared to sham acupuncture and drug treatment groups.

The Study was published in the March edition of the journal Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 11:20 PM

April 04, 2008

Australian Government Supports Alternative Medicine Research

Australia will provide enough funding to create three new research collaborative groups to research various aspects of alternative medicines with the goal of "bridging the gap" between current alternative medicine usage and quantitative research.

"More than $2 billion is spent nationally, with up to two-thirds of the Australian adult population using at least one product and one in four using complementary medicine services," Senator McLucas said in a statement.

"There is growing testimony that complementary medicine can make a significant, cost-effective contribution to public health in chronic disease management and in preventative care.

"Until now there has been a gap between those who believe in and use complementary medicine, and the strength of the evidence to support that use. Today's announcement is intended to help bridge the gap."

The complete story is located at the The Australian news.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 08:38 PM

March 29, 2008

First Hand Accounts

This week, several Canadian individuals describe a little bit about their personal journeys that led them to Traditional Chinese Medicine - here and here.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 10:24 PM

March 21, 2008

Herbal Treatment Effective for Child Dermatitis

An undescribed concoction of five herbs was found to be effective in a double blind study of eighty-five children with atopic dermatitis. Capsules were given twice daily for a twelve week period.

An abstract of the study can be found at the British Journal of Dermatology website.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 09:14 PM

March 15, 2008

US Department of Defense Uses Acupuncture for Pain Relief

The US Department of Defense has forty licensed acupuncturists providing treatment and training throughout the military.

A recent article published by the Air Force describes patient accounts of their impressions and successes. The acupuncture is a stylistic variant of ear acupuncture, militaristically named "battlefield acupuncture," that uses gold studs inserted into the ears.

Several interesting quotes -

"In the beginning, many people were skeptical, but after seeing it demonstrated on patients and the benefits achieved -- especially in the area of pain -- the majority of physicians embraced it and learned how to use it in their practice as an adjunctive therapy"

and

"I don't know how it works and I don't really care as long it keeps working."

The full story can be found here.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 04:40 PM

March 07, 2008

Coca-Cola Searching for New Beverages

The Coca-Cola company has initiated The Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine at the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences in Beijing. One of the goals of the center is "strengthening our innovation pipeline for beverages that contribute to well-being."

So soon you may be seeing Chinese herbal ingredients and formulas instead of the traditional carbonated sugar water.

The full story can be found here.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 03:33 PM

February 29, 2008

Acupuncture Cost-Effectively Relieves Menstrual Cramping

A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that patients (649 women, 201 randomized) given fifteen treatments over three months had a significant decrease in average pain intensity during their menstrual cycle as compared to the control group. The costs were slightly higher, but the pain was successfully treated, making the treatment cost-effective.

Interestingly enough, this study was funded by a group of German health insurance companies.

A summary of the study can be found here.

Acupuncture News Update by mpence at 01:35 PM