Dr. Lisa Conboy has conducted health research and taught research methodology to students of sociology, biomedicine and complementary medicine for over 30 years. With degrees in public health and sociology, she specializes in the study of traditional and complex health systems. She is published in the areas of women’s health, integrative medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, qualitative research methodology, and complexity science. An instructor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, she is also the director of research at Seattle Institute of East Asian Medicine. Dr. Conboy also chairs the Research Committee of the American Society of Acupuncturists (ASA), and is active in the education special interest group for the Society of Acupuncture Research (SAR), the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA), and the Global Council for Ayurvedic Research (GCAR). She holds a Doctor of Science in Public Health from Harvard University. Contact: lisaconboy@gmail.com.
One of the longest nerves in the body is known as the vagus nerve (VN). The VN is the 10th pair of cranial nerves that originates at the brain stem in the medulla oblongata. This nerve is part of the parasympathetic nervous system, which is a part of the ANS. Research suggests ear acupuncture can activate the VN.
Migraines are unilateral, throbbing headaches, often with concurrent nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia. Approximately 10% of the global population suffers from migraines, with women more than three times as likely as men to experience them. Medication remains a mainstay treatment option, making nondrug alternatives critical to safer practices. New research suggests auricular acupuncture may be one such alternative.
| Digital Exclusive
How much training in gua sha did you get in acupuncture school? If it was not much more than an introduction, now is the time to revisit this powerful healing modality. I’ve found gua sha to be one of my go-to skills to address myofascial dysfunction, all sorts of pain, limited range of motion, and even to promote general well-being. Let’s discuss the keys to effective gua sha treatment, which I hope will get more acupuncturists using it in the clinic.