This column will help keep you updated and informed about the newest developments at the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. The AAAOM "was formed in 1981 to be the unifying force for American acupuncturists committed to high ethical and educational standards, and a well-regulated profession to ensure the safety of the public.
According to the AAAOM, "there was a split in our profession in 1993, when two organizations formed: The American Association of Oriental Medicine (AAOM) and the AOM Alliance. On February 1, 2007, the two organizations again reunited to form a new organization, The American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM). By taking the name of the organization that split in 1993, the new organization has signaled that events of the past that led to the division have been resolved, and that a new era in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine leadership has arrived."
For more information about the AAAOM, please visit www.aaaomonline.org.
Structured water (H3O2) can be considered a fourth state of water between liquid and solid. It has the hexagonal structure of ice; however, missing a critical bond, it behaves more like a gel than a solid, but retains some of its crystalline structure.
In the past five years of my clinical practice, I have seen an astonishing upsurge in the chronic use of proton-pump inhibitor (PPI) medications for the gastrointestinal issue diagnosed by allopathic medicine as GERD. It is not uncommon to encounter patients taking these prescriptions for five-plus years.
Working with chronically ill patients entails acknowledging the reality that not all patients will survive their diagnosis. Chinese medicine and acupuncture play a crucial role in palliative and end-of-life care, addressing medication and disease side effects, alleviating pain associated with death, reducing anxiety and stress, and helping patients find peace during the dying process.
