NESA gets grant to study Gulf War Illness
The New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) was awarded a $1.2 million U.S. Department of Defense grant to fund a clinical trial studying the effectiveness of acupuncture for treating Gulf War Illness (GWI). Researchers will study this complex syndrome, which is characterized by many symptoms, including fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, headaches, dizziness, memory problems, indigestion, skin problems, shortness of breath, and mood disorders.
Lead researcher Lisa Conboy, MA, MS, ScD and Co-director of the Research Department and Chair of the Biomedical Department at NESA explained, "Many veterans have received treatment directed towards their symptoms, but reports from five- and 10-year follow-ups show that symptoms remain, including some which are severe and disabling. Clearly, an effective treatment for these conditions could be of great benefit to those suffering from Gulf War Illness."
The trial's participants will include 120 veterans from the New England area. They will be treated by licensed acupuncturists, who have a master's degree in acupuncture, and who have at least five years of clinical experience as well as extensive training in the diagnosis and treatment of the symptoms of GWI.
Katherine Tallman, President of NESA stated, "NESA is excited to have the opportunity to research the effectiveness of acupuncture on Gulf War Illness and hopefully provide veterans with a validated treatment option for GWI and much needed relief," comments. Research has demonstrated that acupuncture is effective in treating fatigue, irritability, anxiety, insomnia, and pain; many of the key symptoms of GWI. Since each acupuncture treatment is customized to address an individual's most distressing symptoms, it is particularly well-suited for treating the myriad of symptoms included in a GWI diagnosis."
Tai Sophia Elects New Board Member
Tai Sophia Institute has elected McCormick & Company Vice President of Research & Development Hamed Faridi, PhD, to the Board of Trustees.
"Dr. Faridi brings to Tai Sophia significant worldwide business experience and expertise in food technology and research," said Tai Sophia Board of Trustees Chairman Sherman L. Cohn, JD. "Weaving together spices, herbs, and foods with health fits very much into Tai Sophia's interest in using food as medicine in the promotion of health and wellness; not only to help restore health when it needs repair, but also to build health so that illnesses are less likely to occur."
"I am excited and honored to become a member of the Tai Sophia Institute Board of Trustees," said Faridi. "Health and wellness is an important focus at McCormick & Company, and I am eager to share our learning and our passion for this crucial area. I believe in the role spices and herbs can play in the improved nutrition and overall wellness of consumers worldwide."
At McCormick & Company Faridi is responsible for providing overall research, product development and technical services. He also is responsible for the McCormick Science Institute, which was created to advance the knowledge on health benefits of culinary spices and herbs.
"Dr. Faridi will play a key role in assisting us as we expand our academic and research programs," said Tai Sophia Institute CEO Frank Vitale. "In particular, we see Dr. Faridi as being instrumental as we expand our capacity for herbal medicine research."
Chronic pain afflicts over 20% of the adult population. Sadly, most MDs have essentially no education in treating pain, beyond offering a few toxic medications. Then they tend to steer people with pain away from those health practitioners who are trained. This puts the acupuncture community on the front lines for addressing this epidemic.
When the body is going through a stressful event, the sympathetic system is activated. This activation will help the body with a life-threatening situation. If this state is activated for prolonged periods of time, it starts to consume energy. These traumatic events that generate stressors in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) will eventually become internalized.
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One of the things that makes acupuncture so difficult to measure is that the medicine actually does contain some esoteric aspects. There have been numerous studies that demonstrate the neurochemical reasoning behind why acupuncture points stimulate the autonomic nervous system to enact change However, not all the benefits of TCM can easily be measured by randomized, controlled trials. But does that make them fundamentally and definitively untrue?
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