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When a research article in JAMA reported “Acupuncture treatment no more effective than sham treatment in reducing migraine headache,” it raised doubts in the minds of the general public and the medical/scientific community as to acupuncture’s efficacy. The online science news journal Science Daily printed what appeared to be a…

There’s no doubt that interest in traditional Chinese medicine is on the rise, not just among consumers, but within the allopathic Western medical community. In order to keep up with this growing demand, more and more medical schools are including discussions of integrated medicine and various CAM therapies.

What keeps a professional athletic team playing at the top of its game? Ask the San Francisco Giants baseball team and part of their response would include giving credit to acupuncture and Oriental medicine. Haro Ogawa, MSOM, LAc, CMT, ATC, serves as the team acupuncturist for the Giants. In addition,…

My understanding of Chinese medical philosophy begins with the rather optimistic belief that, in general, we begin our life in a state of health or harmony. Although this constitutional starting point is relative for each individual, it is our bodies natural inclination to work to sustain this grounded state of…

It is my experience that more and more practitioners of Oriental medicine have left behind the pulse as a method of diagnosis. The reason I hear over and over is this: “Honestly, I don’t know how to do it. There wasn’t a pulse course at my school, and I just…

Acupuncture continues to gain momentum as more of the general population pursues alternative and integrative methods of treatment. Over the past 5-7 years, there have been many legislative bills concerning acupuncture; its definition, who can practice, insurance coverage and the absorption of acupuncture into other medical specialties in order to…

The first reference to infectious disease appeared in Huang Di Nei Jing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic), compiled in the first or second century CE. This text discussed re bing (hot disease), which refers to the various types of infectious disease. The understanding of infectious disease progressed further during the Ming…

Jim

We have had the pleasure to consult, mentor and teach students and practitioners through our role as clinical supervisors, New England School of Acupuncture faculty and CAM research investigators. This month’s Q & A is dedicated to questions from students about to graduate and enter the wonderful world of practice.

In Chinese medicine, we talk about patterns. We understand that over time, people take on patterns of behavior, emotional responses, physiology and thinking, and these become our picture. Think about how a meandering river, over large periods of time can become a canyon. A tree falls in the forest, and…

I have been an advocate for teaching non-needle electro-acupuncture skills using microcurrent for many years. My column in this publication has explored manifold aspects of this specialty. But let’s set the record straight. You won’t get me to give up my needles until you pry them from my dead, cold…

In part 1 of this series of articles, we proposed the idea that the re-vitalization of the facial terrain through facial acupuncture treatments provides the practitioner with unmistakable outward evidence of changes occurring within our patients. The unique topography of the face makes this possible. As we have previously remarked,…

When I attended the Worsley Institute and had the privilege of studying with Dr. JR Worsley and his proteges, a lot of time was spent teaching students how to be with a patient. One of the most important lessons taught was to put the patient first and keep in mind…

An Open Letter to the Acupuncture and Veteran Communities Recently, the Air Force Surgeon General Web site and Acupuncture Today , among other newspapers and blogs, had articles about the Department of Defense decision to teach “battlefield acupuncture” to 44 active-duty physicians. The treatment involves minute, gold-alloy needles retained in…

The traditional medicine profession is on the march. This forward movement was felt and experienced at the recent national conference held in Sacramento, Calif., sponsored by the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM). Members of the profession, the student organization, the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental…

Ku ding cha (Bitter Spike Tea) is a common tea house beverage in China, mostly grown and consumed in the Sichuan and Guangxi provinces, and Hainan Island. It is a single-herb tea made from the wax-leaf hawthorn or ligustrum shrub. It is not made from the more popular Camellia sinensis…

Here is a question for you: Would you rather be debt-free and asset-free, or debt-rich and asset-poor? I am sure that most will chose to be debt-free and asset-free. Debt-free is the dream for many these days. In the race to become debt-free, you forget about building assets. This is…

I want to express my admiration for the acupuncturist/herbalist who maintains a practice, day-in, day-out, every week, save for those few weeks they can manage to get away. They are unsung heroes, often invisible in their communities, successful in their ability to persevere and keep the practice going. It is…

Formal acupuncture and Oriental medicine or traditional Chinese medicine education has been established in the U.S. for more than 30 years. There are more than 60 schools and colleges with accredited or candidacy status with the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM). Even though ACAOM and state agencies…

Understanding the health-rejuvenating principles of qi gong (pronounced chee kung ) and tai ji can be applied as an adjunct therapy to acupuncture. My interests in Daoist principles of health first began with the study of tai ji quan , which guided me to becoming an acupuncturist. After seven years…