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In several of my previous columns, I have discussed the clinical implications of blood stasis and its impact on the progression of joint disease. In this column, I would like to examine the role of blood stasis in cardiovascular disease and explore ways to integrate two key TCM formulas with…

Robert J. Kiltz, MD, is founder and director of central New York’s first successful IVF center, the CNY Fertility Center. He is also owner/director of CNY Healing Arts Center, an accomplished artist and a motivational speaker. His practice embraces both the newest Western technologies and the oldest Eastern philosophies. It…

Once, at an acupuncture conference, someone asked about my practice. When I answered his question he said, “Oh you do that easy acupuncture.” Easy compared to what , I thought, but it wasn’t the first time a private practice acupuncturist had taken a disparaging tone due to their perception of…

I recently had a practitioner ask me about what the World Health Organization (WHO) is doing within the AOM community in the United States and why practitioners should contribute money to this cause. I found out the answers to these questions at a recent a WHO plenary session in Hong…

After my last article was published in Acupuncture Today, where I asked for licensed medical practitioners’ help in studying the effect of double-helix water on many different illnesses, I received 17 responses. In particular, I received an e-mail from one reader, who said: “I currently have a patient who would…

If you have followed my work at all over the past few years, you know that I harp on the importance of developing your business-building and money-making skills. I say this because there are many highly qualified, very smart acupuncturists out there who are struggling to generate the patient volume…

Q: I have a patient who has a limitation of acupuncture services for 20 visits per year but has 45 visits for physical therapy. Is it possible to access and get paid for doing “physical therapy,” which for my state is under my scope of practice as an acupuncturist, when…

Qing Bi Tang is one of the most commonly used herbal formulas for treating sinusitis, rhinitis and sinus infection. It clears nasal obstruction caused by damp heat: stuffy nose, yellow and sticky nasal discharge, sneezing, headache, itchy nose and throat, decreased sense of smell and energy level, and fatigue. The…

I cannot count the number of times I have patients who blame their ailments on “genetics.” In some ways, it has become more of an excuse than a valid reason. “Well, my Dad had a bad back. I must have inherited it from him,” or “Everyone in my family is…

On my first official trip to China in 1973, I was fortunate to have attended lectures in acupuncture at the Tai Chung Medical College in Taipei. While there, an illustration caught my eye. The original had been an etching on the breast plate of a tortoise shell from 3,500 years…

Today, we have the very real opportunity to make our profession great, our practitioners successful, and Oriental medicine much more accessible to those who desperately need our services. By changing our approach to governance, we can embrace transparency and accountability. We can tap our valuable intellectual, financial and organizational resources…

One easy way to be more healthy and cut the risk for diabetes is ask for brown rice instead of white rice the next time you order take-out from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Brown rice is the whole grain before it has been stripped of its bran outer layer, which…

In an effort to foster better collaboration between the AOM communities in China and the United States, the World Federation of Acupuncture-Moxibustion Societies (WFAS) and the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences (CACMS) will be hosting an international conference on Nov. 6-7, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.…

On Feb. 27, the nation of Chile experienced a devastating earthquake of 8.8 magnitude. The epicenter was in the Bo Bo region. The quake affected 80 percent of Chile’s population and sparked tsunamis across the Pacific. As the world was in the throes of responding to the Jan. 12 Haitian…

A number of questions may be on the minds of most American AOM practitioners regarding the recently passed health care reform bill. What impact does this have on the AOM profession? Is wellness adequately addressed? Can our government effectively manage health care in the United States? The list goes on.…

I am reaching out to the profession regarding the issue of the H1N1 virus and swine flu. Regardless of your perspectives on the illness, I ask that you consider an idea that may have a profound impact on both this disease and our profession.

As an acupuncturist for more than 15 years, I have seen that there are many layers to every patient’s case. That can make treatment complicated. As a result, compliance with that treatment can be difficult for the patient and a frustration for the health care practitioner. In these cases, I…

The traditional method for teaching Oriental medicine is one-way; faculty present the material through slide presentations or handouts. This method is be pretty common in Asia, but do we in the U.S. really evaluate the effectiveness of this teaching method? Do we ever try to find out the characteristics of…

Q: Why is it that many patients with pain don’t respond to skilled treatments? A: The body is a very sensitive electrical entity that operates in accordance with the subtle energy fields of the earth. Pain is a cry for help when physical, energetic or emotional blockages are restricting the…

I had no idea when I began receiving acupuncture that there can be such animosity between practitioners of various systems. However, as I have attended symposia and training events, I’ve started to hear the squabbles between “camps,” from arguments that break out after conference presentations to snide remarks made in…