By Janet Webb Lee - Center for Health & Wellbeing
The roots of Traditional Chinese Medicine go back more than 5,000 years. Although this ancient form of medicine was developed long ago it has never been more relevant to health care than today.
In China, acupuncturists and physicians work side by side. Many Chinese hospitals have acupuncture inpatient wings and separate departments with such outpatient specialties as pulmonary conditions, obstetrics and gynecology and orthopedics. Inpatients also can receive visits from acupuncturists and may even take Chinese herbs intravenously.
In the U.S., many Americans are aware that acupuncture treats pain conditions like back pain, tendonitis and headaches, but patients often are surprised to hear that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treats hundreds of conditions ranging from hypertension to infertility to anxiety. In fact, most medical and psychological conditions other than medical emergencies are treatable with TCM.
Acupuncture does help treat pain, a new study shows.
German researchers tested pain responses in 24 healthy volunteers and found that acupuncture, which originated in China more than 2,000 years ago, increased pain thresholds by up to 50 percent. The effects occurred in both the treated leg and untreated (contralateral) leg.
By Reuters
Treatment is safer than cosmetic surgery
Forget cosmetic surgery. The ancient treatment of acupuncture is gaining new popularity as a beauty secret in Japan about 1,500 years after it first came from China.
By Paul Taylor
Could acupuncture be a suitable alternative for pregnant women who are suffering from the blues but don’t want to take antidepressant medications?
An estimated 14 per cent of expectant mothers experience depression, but many of them are reluctant to take prescription medication, fearing that the drugs may harm the fetus.
By Reuters
"There is convincing evidence on the effectiveness of using acupuncture to treat pain as it stimulates the production of endorphins and serotonin in the central nervous system," they wrote in a statement.
By Associated Press
The government is taking steps to curb use of some long-acting asthma drugs used by millions, issuing safety restrictions Thursday to lower a life-threatening risk that asthma could worsen suddenly.
By BERNAMA
Chinese herbs have proved effective in the cure of Influenza A(H1N1) in Ditan Hospital, Beijing where 88 out of 117 patients treated for the disease only on the herbs fully recovered and were discharged.
By Editor: Shi Taoyang | Source: CCTV.com
Since July 22, 156 of the 327 confirmed A/H1N1 influenza patients at Beijing Ditan Hospital and Beijing Youan Hospital had taken purely traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a means of treatment. Of these, 125 have recovered and returned home. On July 23, more than 70 foreign journalists came to see the purely TCM treatment of the flu.
By Heather Kohn, Ivanhoe Health Correspondent
Researchers at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York tested a three-herb Chinese formula known as ASHMI as a treatment for allergic asthma. In China, herbal therapy is the standard way asthma is treated.
By Daily Mail, UK
A cocktail of herbs used by the Chinese for thousands of years could combat the painful skin condition eczema, scientists claim. They say a potion containing five raw herbs reduced sufferers' need for conventional medicines and improved the quality of life for those being treated for atopic eczema.
By By Rachel Naud, Canwest News Service - Vanouver Sun
Facial Rejuvenation Acupuncture, also known as Cosmetic Acupuncture, is a painless, non-surgical procedure that is effective in brightening and tightening the skin. Based on traditional Chinese medicine, hair-thin acupuncture needles are inserted in specific locations on the face, ears, neck, hands and feet. Scientifically, acupuncture brings blood and oxygen to the face toning muscles and producing collagen.
By By Amy Norton, Reuters - Vancouver Sun
Young children whose mothers took folic acid supplements in late pregnancy may have an increased risk of developing asthma, a new study hints.
The findings, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, appear to be the first to link mothers' use of folic acid in pregnancy to their children's later asthma risk.
By Kealoha MK.
Nurses require current information about popular complementary and alternative medicine for pediatric asthma. Two themes of maximizing the diet and augmenting conventional therapy with Traditional Chinese Medicine may serve as conduits of patient education.
By Charlene Laino
Traditional Chinese herbal medicine may help to relieve the dry, itchy, scaly skin of eczema in children and adults, two new studies suggest.
By Joanne Lee-Young, Vancouver Sun
North American consumers are increasingly seeking alternative options for their ailments - J.B. Sacallis, a Vancouver-based entrepreneur, got interested in natural health solutions and Eastern approaches slowly, but it has stuck. "I use them because they work," she said. "The problems usually end with results and without side-effects."
By Peter M Crosta
According to a study published in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology, an effective treatment for plaque-type psoriasis can be found in traditional Chinese medicine.Yin-Ku Lin, M.D. (Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan) and colleagues found that an ointment based on the dark-blue, plant-based powder indigo naturalis can be used treat the skin condition.
By Gail Johnson
Two years ago, Christine Davies found herself in a serious emotional slump. Around the same time, the Vancouver resident happened to attend a free talk by Judy Zhu, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, on how acupuncture is used to treat depression. Davies admits she was leery but tells the Georgia Straight she was intrigued enough to see for herself what the ancient practice was all about. She says she never expected such a positive outcome.
By National Institute of Health
Asthma affects millions of adults and children in the United States. Its increasing prevalence, the absence of curative treatments, and concerns about side effects from long-term use of asthma drugs have prompted interest in complementary and alternative therapies such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) herbs.
By Carlito Pablo
After carrying a puffer for 10 years, Nicole Germain decided to try herbal medicine to deal with her asthma. The herbs came in small packages that she soaked in hot water and drank like tea every day. The potion didn’t taste very good, but according to the 39-year-old Vancouverite, after about nine months her asthma was gone.
By By Jake Paul Fratkin, OMD, LAc
Dr. Xiumin Li, a TCM doctor originally from Beijing, has assembled a research team at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine in New York that has created an effective Chinese herbal formula for the treatment of asthma.
By British Association of Dermatologists
A traditional Chinese herbal medicine consisting of five herbs may benefit people with eczema, new research in the British Journal of Dermatology will reveal.
By American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology
New research where traditional Chinese medicine was found to safely and effectively treat patients with persistent atopic dermatitis - or eczema, as it's commonly known - could lead more physicians to prescribe complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat the allergic condition.