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In 1993 Mark Seem wrote “A New American Acupuncture” in which he popularized and advocated myofacial release using filiform needles. Although much of the book is expository, what he was advocating was the technique that is popularly known as “dry needling.” Dry needling has since become a hot topic within…

The National Association of Hospice and Palliative Care Acupuncturists (NAHPCA) was founded in 2013 by Torii Black, a registered nurse and acupuncturist. “People are sometimes confused about what hospice is,” said Black.

The NCCAOM launched its new website and logo, along with a new designation for those nationally certified—NCCAOM National Board-Certified Acupuncturist. As the profession progresses in 2019 it’s likely that national board certification will be a requirement for more employers.

Addiction is a huge and growing issue for Americans—just take a look at these statistics: The rate of deaths due to drug overdoses more than quadrupled from 1999 to 2017, up to more than 70,000 deaths a year. During that period a total of more than 700,000 Americans died from…

There are many articles that have thoroughly discussed the current state of pain management in our health care system. I won’t bore you with more of the same statistics of pain occurrence, opioid abuse, and medical mistake numbers. However, I will bring some discussion points to the surface hoping to…

BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS) of Tennessee, the state’s largest insurance provider, is starting the year off with some significant changes—they have dropped Oxycontin from their list of covered prescriptions and added acupuncture coverage.

Approximately 50 percent of the Western population suffers from a condition known as metabolic endotoxemia (ME). The condition is characterized by increased serum endotoxin concentration during the first five hours of the post-prandial period. This increase in serum endotoxin concentration then triggers systemic inflammation, resulting in elevated interleukin-6, interleukin-1-alpha, interferon-gamma,…

We often read about violence, despair, and political stalemate between Israelis and Palestinians. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and pessimistic. And yet there are Israelis and Palestinians working together to transform conflict into cooperation. Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB) is part of this hopeful effort. AWB has been providing trauma healing…

The lower back is a generator for a number of types of pain. The lower back involves several different articulations – the lumbar spine with vertebral bodies, discs, and facets – the sacroiliac joints – and the lumbosacral junction.

While classic sages have said a lot on this topic, I will share my own experience with the sensations under the needle with you. You, in turn, will also need to gain your own understanding of them through daily clinical observation, thinking, and practice. The sensations under the needle can…

Movement of planet Earth’s molten iron core generates a weak static geomagnetic field that varies in strength over millennia but currently ranges from 0.25 to 0.65 gauss. This is the native field in which all life has evolved. The field also comes in handy when using a compass to point…

One of the most effective ways to bring in new patients predictably, especially when an acupuncturist enjoys teaching, is by doing talks. It can also bring in another stream of income, beyond just seeing more patients one-on-one.

The drift test, arm rolling and finger rolling are three useful assessments in the identification of upper motor neuron dysfunction. The ability to identify dysfunction of this type is critical to all health care providers in the early diagnosis of patients who may be at elevated risk for an impending…

One of the most common clinical issues I see during the winter season is joint / muscle pain. These issues often appear due to the activities of winter sports or may appear due to seasonal influences on old chronic injuries.

Mental illness is common in the U.S., nearly 20 percent of adults live with a mental illness which vary in degree of severity—ranging from mild to moderate, to severe. It is not exaggerated to say that mental illness is an epidemic. Approximately 1 in 5 adults in the U.S., 43.8…

Water covers 71 percent of the earth’s surface. It’s found in every living organism and is considered the “universal solvent,” yet we take it for granted as the foundation for optimal health.

You, your patients, and people all over the world are sleeping less. In 1979 a team led by American psychiatrist Daniel Kripke did a large-scale study of over a million people, which indicated that most people slept between 7-8 hours.

The first of the new year has passed, and some of our New Year’s resolutions may have already come and gone. Fortunately, we will celebrate the Chinese New Year this month, and will welcome in the Year of the Pig. This special animal, even though last in the 12-year cycle,…

My husband and I have four grown children, but we still sleep with a phone next to our night stand just in case they need us. But nothing could have prepared us for a 1 a.m. call in 2017 when the police informed us that our grown son had overdosed…

Catherine