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Tiffany

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the primary federal agency spearheading research on integrative health, has awarded a five-year, $1.8 million grant to study the effectiveness of shan zhu yu (Fructus corni / Cornus officinalis) in treating type 1 diabetes.

Lenore

As a practitioner of Chinese medicine, I am always thinking about the best ways to treat the whole person, and how to link qi, jing, and shen in treatment plans. Often patients come into my office seeking acupuncture, but leave with a comprehensive approach to their health and multiple ways…

Arthur

Coffee (Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora) is humanity’s most widely used psychoactive substance. Tea and coffee are similar, though the use of tea, specifically in China, predates that of coffee by well over 1,000 years. With regard to cultural use, however, the two share many characteristics.

Jason

PPIs function by targeting and inhibiting the stomach’s acid-producing proton pumps, thereby reducing gastric acidity. This decrease in stomach acid can compromise the absorption of key nutrients, leading to deficiencies. Absorption of essential nutrients like vitamin B12, magnesium, calcium, and iron is particularly affected due to their reliance on gastric…

With thousands of years of theory, method, and ideologies combined with modern research, new techniques, and an ever-expanding knowledge base, how is it possible to know which strategies and theories are the “best” for that patient at that moment in time, with that particular collection of signs and symptoms? Most…

Tom

Most patterns of codependency, or addiction of any sort, have a tap root down to the abandonment of the self and the destabilization of the earth element. Making sense of a dependence on a substance or a person to fill a void left by the inability to truly occupy the…

The Small Business Association’s Vermont district office recently announced the Vermont Small Business Person of the Year for 2024: Dr. Kerry Boyle, a doctor of acupuncture and the owner of Integrative Acupuncture in Montpelier, Vt. She is also the founder of Chi Chi Wellness, “a chocolate company that infuses Chinese…

According to 2020 U.S. census data, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) affects nearly 23% of the population, with the percentage expected to rise dramatically in the coming years as the baby-boomer population continues to age. With MCI an increasingly common problem, and no current medications proven useful as treatment, results from…

Understanding why we chose this career – and realizing it’s important to view this as a career choice and not only as a practice or as a way to help people – is a mindset. There are five things any person I know who has been impactful (substitute any word…

We know from clinical experience that acute severe pain is a common patient presentation. In these unfortunate presentations, patients and clinicians alike are hoping for quick resolutions. In this installment, let’s discuss an interesting acupuncture case that features the always-welcome and somewhat miraculous rapid resolution of acute pain.

The stomach, known as “The Official of Rotting and Ripening Food and Drink,” with its paired official, the spleen, represents the earth element within us. I discussed the stomach official in detail in the June 2017 issue, including its manifestations at the physical, mental and spirit levels. This article covers…

On March 9, 2024, the Medicare conversion adjusted upward 1.69%. This increase means approximately $1.00-$4.00 per unit depending on manual or electroacupuncture. Reimbursements for therapies increased from 50 cents to $4.00, depending on the code, while rates for Evaluation and Management services increased $5-$15, approximately.

In recognition of the potential of AI to transform acupuncture practice, the NCCAOM has established an AI Taskforce. This taskforce aims to explore the responsible integration of AI into acupuncture practice, with a focus on ensuring patient safety, maintaining ethical standards, and promoting the highest quality of care.

California State “Governor’s Proposed 2024-25 May Revision” cuts acupuncture as Medi-Cal Benefit, starting January 2025. This cut will stop the existing acupuncture services for millions of much-needed Medi-Cal beneficiaries, and negatively impact the acupuncture profession in California. Due to the short window to make any change, the profession's immediate assistance…

The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) has announced it is closing after 41 years. Pending accreditor approval, OCOM will cease offering classes after September (fourth-year OCOM students graduate Aug. 26). All current / incoming OCOM students have the option of continuing their education at the National University of Natural…