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In the wake of the June release of the FDA’s current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) for Dietary Supplements, the AAAOM has been compiling a detailed analysis of what this rule will really mean to practitioners, educators, students and patients of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. On Sept. 13, 2007, it released…

Specialty board development is an area that I have actively supported. Yet, specialization is not an area that interests me; I don’t specialize, at least not now. Curiously, I see the value in generalism as well as specialism. Further, I see them as yin and yang components, mutually defining each…

As an acupuncturist, you probably already realize that the world is entirely made up of energy. As such, you are energetically attracting the circumstances you now have in your life, based on your beliefs, opinions, attitudes and values. The universe is constantly reinforcing what you believe to be true. This…

A growing number of clinics and practitioners worldwide are choosing to specialize in disorders of the ear, including tinnitus, hearing loss and Menière’s disease, with laser therapy as the leading modality. Laser therapy has had spectacular reviews in this area. Lutz Wilden writes, “Even serious impairments such as the most…

Most of us who joined the ranks of alternative medicine practitioners share the feeling that somehow the mainstream way of doing things is seriously off-kilter. We became wholistic practitioners because we sensed this approach to healing was in alignment with the way of nature - the Tao . It was…

Recently I have begun to utilize more herbal remedies in my practice. Is there a code to bill for the time I spend with the patient, as well as for the herbs themselves?

In this column, we historically have focused much of our attention on a potential reconfiguration of aging. Such a profound cultural shift seems to be on the agenda as our predominantly baby boomer generation approaches those incontrovertible milestones of seniority.

AT received considerable e-mail following the publication of “Money Is Qi Is Money” (Felice Dunas, PhD, September AT ). Although several e-mails praised her article, the overwhelming majority criticized it. What follows is a representation of the latter type of correspondence, along with a detailed response from Dr. Dunas.

Wuyi Mountain ( Wuyi Shan ), located in the far northern reaches of the Fugian province, is famous for oolong teas as well as some of the most rural, scenic and pristine mountainous areas of the entire tea-growing region in China. Our first trip there was in 2002, and I…

Over the years, I have volunteered my expertise to help raise money for AIDS research and awareness. I have been involved with many programs for more than a decade, including California AIDS Ride, AIDS LifeCycle and Shifting Gears. I have treated thousands of cyclists ranging from elite-level racers to those…

This is the final article in a four-part series on xiao chai hu tang . Part three appeared in the September 2007 issue. Part one , with a complete list of references, is available online in the July 2007 issue.

As a teacher of acupuncture and Chinese medicine on the post-graduate level, it is my impression that once-per-week acupuncture treatments are the norm among many North American practitioners. However, nowhere within the Chinese acupuncture literature (pre-modern or contemporary) have I read any suggestion that acupuncture should be given once per…

Acupuncture needles have been proven to introduce low-level electrical discharges into the body, especially when manipulated. These discharges semi-conduct through the facial planes of the body, which are the primary physical substrate of the meridian system. They also no doubt affect all other tissue systems. Applying bioelectricity through specific points…

Herbal treatment is at the core of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), accounting for more than 75 percent of TCM practice. It also is the major emphasis in TCM facial rejuvenation treatment which dates back as early as 2,500 years ago in The Divine Husbandman’s Classics of Materia Medica . Chinese…

Japan is one of those countries with a very dynamic tradition of acupuncture and has taken a markedly different approach from that of the Chinese. While Chinese acupuncture has taken the lead in the practice of Oriental medicine in the West, interest is increasing in some of the other traditions,…

One of the great challenges of aging is that ailments frequently descend on individuals for no apparent reason. People who generally have been healthy and fit suddenly find themselves confronted by pains and other limitations. Sometimes, serious illnesses arise without discernable precipitating factors. Many people are left with the awful…

This month of October is filled with many special events. October brings a change of season as we wrap up the memories of summer and welcome the annual Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day, celebrated on the 24 th . Congratulations to the American Association of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (AAAOM),…

The 2007 AOBTA Convention, held at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel over Labor Day weekend, centered on metal, the third of the organization’s Five-Element convention themes. Participants agreed that the qi generated by the meetings, workshops and social events at this convention was powerful, positive and inclusive, and will help…

During the month of July, 300,229 unique visits were made to the Acupuncture Today Web site ( acupuncturetoday.com ). This resulted in almost 1 million page views. With more than 6,000 pages, the Web site provides a number of important features to educate the public.

One of the best ways to demonstrate the effectiveness of acupuncture is by looking not only at clinical results, but also at potential cost reduction compared to standard medical treatment. A study from Spain, published in the June 2007 issue of the journal Acupuncture in Medicine , showed there is…