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The Acupuncture Poll question for August 2005 was: In your opinion, is the randomized, controlled trial an appropriate format for measuring the effectiveness of acupuncture?

The Eighth World Congress on Qigong and the Eighth American Qigong Conference will hold a joint convention this November at the Golden Gateway Holiday Inn in San Francisco. The theme of this year’s event is “Qigong for Individual and Planetary Health: An Essential Balance,” and is designed to help attendees…

In the October issue, Acupuncture Today spoke with Dr. Will Morris, the president of the American Association of Oriental Medicine, on a variety of issues related to the AAOM and the creation of an entry-level doctoral program. In this issue, we conclude our interview by addressing topics such as the…

Stroke or brain attack is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the United States today. It is the third leading cause of death, and the leading cause of long-term disability. According to 2001 statistics from the American Heart Association, each year more than 500,000 Americans experience…

I recently read an official report from Canada which estimated that almost one in nine women will have breast cancer during their lifetime. One in 27 will die from it. It is a chilling picture for any woman. Breast cancer is, indeed, one of most serious diseases that we have.…

A week after the deadly Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, I worked as a volunteer, providing survivors medical assistance in a shelter located in the Daphne-Mobile area of Alabama. The hurricane victims came from all areas of the Gulf Coast, including Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. They were transferred by…

In order to bring about consistent and successful results with acupuncture therapy, it is essential that the acupuncture points and meridians are located correctly. Each acupoint possesses a specific energetic profile, an energetic signature that endows each point with a unique set of clinical capabilities. When points are stimulated through…

The acupuncture and Oriental medicine community has a history of responding in times of crisis. Perhaps it’s the compassionate nature of the care we provide, or a reflection of who we are as people. More than likely, it’s a wonderful combination of the two.

Depression is a prevalent and serious illness. In the United States, approximately 4.9 percent of the population experiences depression.

Greetings from the land of tea (and fair tea maidens). The fall harvest is being plucked, and the weather along China’s east coast has changed from the torrential hot rains and high humidity of summer into the welcome, cooler and drier fall season. This weather takes its toll on our…

The national board of the American Organization for Bodywork Therapies of Asia™ (AOBTA®) has experienced a recent sea change, as Barbra Esher completed her term as director of education, and I have stepped down as director of the Council of Schools and Programs. Our respective replacements are Gonzalo “Gonzo” Flores,…

Hello, faithful readers. When I began writing this article, I was thousands of miles out of the country, and looking forward to writing about a recent trip I made to South Korea. Admittedly, I was not entirely aware of the devastation Hurricane Katrina was unleashing on the residents of Louisiana,…

The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (ACAOM) is seeking public input on the final report of the commission’s Doctoral Task Force. The report is designed to create the basis for the development of accreditation standards for such programs.

SANTA ANA , Calif. - Philip Stump, president of the American Acupuncture Council (AAC), has announced that all AAC members living in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina will be receiving refund checks equal to 3 months of malpractice insurance premiums to tide them over during this difficult time. In…

Officials from the Canadian province of Ontario have announced their intention to introduce legislation later this year that will regulate the practice of traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture. If passed, the legislation will make Ontario the second Canadian province to have established formal rules for the regulation of traditional Chinese…

In the first part of this series, we examined the treatment of injuries associated with rock climbing from the perspective of Western healing. In part two, we will look at rock climbing and related injuries from the Eastern perspective.

Dr. Bob Xu’s essay on mathematical herbal medicine in the June issue was both well-articulated and timely. Applied mathematical models of herbs and herbal formulas are on the horizon, and promise to become useful tools for understanding the healing powers of herbs.

The National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) recently celebrated 20 years of applying the principles of Oriental medicine to the Western treatment of addiction. NADA has trained more than 10,000 acupuncture detoxification specialists (ADSes) in North America. An estimated 1,500 facilities around the world use the NADA-style of acupuncture detoxification (“acu…

As acupuncture continues to grow in this country, hospitals and Western health institutions will increasingly incorporate acupuncturists as staff members of the institutions or as contractual providers. This article will attempt to identify key elements to a successful union of Eastern and Western medicine.

“Sarah” was almost 42 years old when she came to see me for her initial consultation regarding her infertility. It is not uncommon for infertility patients to come to see me who are over 40 years old. My private practice is directed exclusively at the treatment of reproductive disorders, or…