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The Acupuncture Poll’s question for March 2006 was: What type of practice do you operate?

I am confused by section 24 of the CMS 1500 form - specifically, sections 24B and 24C, which ask for place of service and type of service. I’ve heard that it should be “O” for office and “A” for acupuncture, but that seems incorrect, as I have had a claim…

I have often heard acupuncture practitioners addressing the approximately 24,000 doctors of chiropractic in the U.S. who, by individual state law, have clinical meridian acupuncture (not TCM) included as part of their scope of practice with the question, “How would the chiropractic profession like it if acupuncture practitioners were to…

My practice has evolved to a rhythm and pace that allows me to rarely feel fatigued or stressed and keeps me looking forward to my days in the office. Although I frequently work with patients dealing with cancer, autoimmune disorders and other chronic illnesses, I see fewer and fewer insurance…

In my last article, 1 I introduced the Taoist concept of the “Gate of All Wonders,” the mystical connection between differing realities that might have been the inspiration for China’s ancient namesake (“The Middle Land”) and is directly related to Chinese medicine’s concept of a holistically interconnected universe. Holistic philosophy…

Our profession has a wonderful history of cultural diversity in its practice and theory. The teaching faculty at our educational institutions reflects that diversity, which rewards us with a rich weave of Oriental medicine information and teaching skills. Many of our finest faculty are practitioners first and teachers second; their…

The National Oriental Medicine Accreditation Agency (NOMAA) has announced it will submit an application to the Department of Education for recognition as an accrediting body. NOMAA will officially petition the department for initial recognition at a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity in Arlington, Va.…

As May begins, I look forward to enjoying the full effects of spring, with all of its wonderful bright-colored flowers and sunny days. Sometimes I also like to look backward; on this occasion, I look back to the Southwest Symposium, which was held in Austin, Texas, in mid-March. The venue…

The ancient Romans built such an excellent system of highways and bridges throughout their empire that it led to the popular saying, “All roads lead to Rome.” This May, all roads - at least for the acupuncture and Oriental medicine community - will lead to Keystone, Colo., the location of…

Welcome to the first installment of a new column exploring one of the most important issues facing humanity today: the symbiotic relationship of man and the earth. What we want to do in this column is examine how Oriental medicine can be a tool to help assist in healing and…

From the spring of 2002, when he succeeded Stuart Watts as president, until he stepped down at the end of 2005, Col. Jim Coombes helped the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin reach new levels of excellence. Under his leadership, the school won numerous awards for the quality of its…

By now, most of the acupuncture profession is aware of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day. Held every October 24 th , AOM Day was established by a group of leading acupuncture and Oriental medicine organizations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Its purpose is to serve as part of a…

In the United States, obesity has been described by some researchers as “a worrisome epidemic.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of people who meet the definition of obesity has more than doubled over the past two decades. At present, approximately 31 percent of the…

Recurrent infections help make acute otitis media (AOM) the number-one reason for visits to a family doctor or pediatrician in this country. 1 The routine treatment for AOM in the United States is oral antibiotics. 2 In some instances, chronic infection is even treated prophylactically with antibiotics. 3 In fact,…

Will a deadly avian flu pandemic spread across the globe, killing hundreds of thousands - if not millions - of people? From reading the newspapers or scanning the Internet, one would certainly think so. At present, avian flu is confined to wild birds, domestic fowl and a few humans who…

Case studies have a long and distinguished history in Chinese medicine. In 90 BCE, the Imperial historian Sima Qian recorded a case that had been transmitted orally for several hundred years. It reported the illness of the crown prince of Guo, and his cure after treatment by Bian Que, who…

To treat this condition, one must understand the dynamics of the swimming movements and the key muscles involved with this particular stroke. First, one needs to focus on scapular stability. There are no other muscles that can really compensate for the serratus anterior, as it fires continuously throughout the stroke.…

Chronic lower back pain is one of the most commonly encountered complaints in a student or professional clinic. The traditions of traditional Chinese medicine and ayurveda offer a diverse array of effective therapies for addressing this painful condition. In this article, I will discuss ways to manage chronic lower back…

While lecturing in Viet Nam last year, I ran into a great story that begs retelling. Walking down a commotion-filled back street of Hanoi with a Malaysian friend, I smelled moxa. On one side of the narrow street, in a store typical of northern Vietnamese standards (five feet wide and…

The effects of cha herbal formulas are well-known and varied. In this three-part article, we will discuss 24 of the most well-known effects of cha herbal formulas including ingredients, dosage, how the formulas should be prepared, and functions.