Quintell Williams is getting ready for what may just be the most relaxing part of her day. Believe it or not, it’s being poked with a dozen or so acupuncture needles.

Quintell is a two time breast cancer survivor. She’s gone through a mastectomy, reconstruction, chemotherapy and radiation. But what’s really hurting her now is a side effect of her breast cancer medicine.

“There’s joint pain. Sometimes you feel like your joints are on fire actually, you know. That’s the basic side effect that I would feel more than anything,” said Quintell.

Even though these drugs can reduce the risk of breast cancer recurring by almost 50 percent, the joint pain and stiffness cane be so severe.

“That a lot more women are stopping their medication than we originally realized and adherence is a big problem, which is unfortunate for a medication that works so well,” said Dr. Dawn Hershman, of New York Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center.

But rather than add yet another drug like a painkiller, Dr. Hershman decided to see if acupuncture might help. Quintell volunteered for a study where half the women got acupuncture for their pain, and the other half got the acupuncture needles placed in a sham or fake way.

“To get your desired treatment effect you have to hit certain acupuncture points with the acupuncture needle and that is real acupuncture,” said acupuncturist Jillian Chapodice.

“There was about a 50 percent reduction in pain and stiffness in women that have gotten true acupuncture compared to the women that had gotten sham acupuncture, or fake acupuncture,” added Dr. Hershman.

Quintell was in the group that got real acupuncture and real pain relief.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, I would say maybe a 3. It had been a 10 because it was very painful,” said Quintell.

NEW YORK (CBS)

PHOBIA

Acupuncture may lessen fear of dentist

THE QUESTION When fear and apprehension keep someone from going to the dentist, might acupuncture help relieve the anxiety?

THIS STUDY involved 20 adults who had struggled with moderate to severe dental anxiety for an average of 10 years. Most had cancelled earlier appointments; a few had gotten some treatment under general anesthesia or after taking sedatives. When they arrived for a scheduled appointment for routine dental work, such as a cleaning, they first were given a five-minute acupuncture treatment, at two points on the head that have been shown to evoke relaxation. Their anxiety was measured before the acupuncture, which they did not know would be available, and after their dental treatment. On average, their scores on a standardized anxiety scale dropped from 28 (severe) to 11.5 (mild). Two people reported sleepiness. All of them completed their dental exam.

WHO MAY BE AFFECTED? People who avoid getting dental care because of anxiety, sometimes called odontophobia for severe cases. Relaxation techniques, behavioral therapy, biofeedback, hypnosis and sedatives help some but not all who have these fears.

CAVEATS The study included a small number of participants. Acupuncture was administered by dentists who had been trained in the technique.

FIND THIS STUDY March issue of Acupuncture in Medicine.

by Linda Searing

Acupuncture, a form of alternative medicine used to treat everything from back pain to weight control, is becoming more popular as a smoking cessation tool.

Though the idea may conjure up images of protruding needles, Springfield chiropractor Dr. G.T. Daubenspeck uses an electrical stimulator that resembles the instrument physicians use for ear checkups.

“It doesn’t hurt,” he said. “You may feel a tingle, but there is no pain involved.”

Daubenspeck became a licensed acupuncturist a year ago, not long after a law granting chiropractors the option was passed, he said.

He uses the electrical stem unit to stimulate ear points that he says are directly related to the smoking craving.

“The ear points decrease the sensation,” Daubenspeck explained. “You’re dealing with an addiction, so (the acupuncture) helps take away the craving.”

Because smoking is a “two-pronged attack” of craving and habit, Daubenspeck’s patients are also instructed on behavioral management to help break the habit of smoking.

“You’ve got to fight the addiction part and the habit part,” he said.

Studies cited by the National Cancer Institute state that success rates for acupuncture are not conclusive.

But Daubenspeck said more and more positive results are coming in about the procedure every day.

“We’ve always known that it works,” he said. “But now we’re starting to learn more about why it works.”

Daubenspeck said his patients typically have two acupuncture sessions a week for three weeks, at $50 per session.

His clinic at 2141 Park Road has offered acupuncture for about a year, but Daubenspeck hasn’t really advertised the addition.

He’s had three patients so far who “seem to do well,” he added.

By Bridgette Outten, Staff Writer http://www.springfieldnewssun.com

by Personal Liberty News Desk

According to a new study, acupuncture may be an effective way to treat depression in pregnant women.

Currently, nearly 20 percent of women report symptoms of despair during pregnancy, while approximately 10 percent meet the criteria for major depression. Coping with the disorder can be extremely difficult for many women who do not want to take anti-depressants during pregnancy out of concern for the developing fetus.

“Depression during pregnancy is an issue of concern because it has negative effects on both the mother and the baby as well as the rest of the family,” said study author Rosa Schnyer.

In the study, a total of 150 pregnant women meeting the standards for major depressive disorder were separated into three groups. One-third of the respondents were given acupuncture specific for depression, another one-third was given control or “sham” acupuncture and the others were treated only with massage.

The researchers found that the women who received depression-specific acupuncture experienced a significantly greater decrease in symptoms related to the disorder.

Acupuncture may also be used to help alleviate symptoms associated with headaches, lower back pain and menstrual cramps.

A new study has shown that acupuncture not only helps reduce hot flashes, but also improves sex drive of breast cancer patients.

The Henry Ford Hospital study revealed that acupuncture, when compared to drug therapy, has a longer-lasting effect on the reduction of hot flashes and night sweats for women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer treatment.

Women also report that acupuncture improves their energy and clarity of thought, and improve their sense of well-being.

“Acupuncture offers patients a safe, effective and durable treatment option for hot flashes, something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors. Compared to drug therapy, acupuncture actually has benefits, as opposed to more side effects,” said study lead author Eleanor Walker, M.D., division director of breast services in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Henry Ford Hospital.

Ads by Google Menopause Is Easy A method that really works Natural, effective and lasting.www.maytree.netCancer Ayurveda Treatment STOP Cancer, live health long life no side effects, permanent resultswww.cowurine.com/CanStop Hot Flushes Cold Night sweats & mood swings too. Olivia’s Secret. Guaranteed.www.oliviasecret.com

During the study, Walker and her research team recruited 50 patients tested the use of acupuncture to combat vasomotor symptoms in breast cancer patients as an alternative to drug therapy.

The patients were randomly assigned to receive either acupuncture or venlafaxine treatment for 12 weeks.

At the end of 12 weeks, all patients stopped their therapy and were followed for one year.

The study found that both groups initially experienced a 50 percent decline in hot flashes and depressive symptoms, indicating that acupuncture is as effective as drug therapy.

However, the acupuncture group continued to experience minimal hot flashes, while the drug therapy group had a significant increase in hot flashes.

The acupuncture group did not experience an increase in the frequency of their hot flashes until three months post-treatment.

The study is published online in the Journal of Oncology.

Source: Indian Express

By Dr. Connie Clemons-Chevis,

THE SUN HERALD (Biloxi, Miss.)
Monday, January 4, 2010

In September 2009, I evaluated a 13-year-old cat for an abdominal mass. The cat was not eating, had lost weight and was very weak. The cat could barely pick up its head and was very dehydrated. A large, softball-size mass was palpable in the abdomen. A poor prognosis was given for the cat and various options were discussed including further work-up for the mass, surgery, euthanasia or palliative treatment.

In addition, the use of Chinese herbs was suggested as another alternative. Neither I nor the owner expected the cat to live very long, but we wanted to give the cat another chance.

Subcutaneous fluids were given for the dehydration, aqua-acupuncture was done and two Chinese herbs were prescribed to boost Qi and energy and to boost the immune system to fight the tumor. As the prognosis was so poor, only a two-week supply of herbs was given.

Two weeks later, the cat was brought in for a recheck. The cat was eating better, drinking water and acting normal. It was strong enough to go outside. A third Chinese herb was prescribed to resolve the stagnation and try to break down the tumor.

Even at this point, there was some doubt as to how long the cat would live. Imagine my surprise when after two months, the owner called for a refill on the herbs. The cat was doing much better.

I saw the cat this week, when it was brought in for acupuncture for chronic sinusitis. The cat looked like a completely different cat. It had gained weight, was eating well and was feeling much better. The abdominal mass is still present but seemed slightly smaller. On this visit, we were able to ultrasound the mass and take measurements. It will be interesting to see what happens with time. Both the owner and I can’t believe this cat is still alive.

TCVM is another alternative available for cancer patients and can include acupuncture, Chinese herbs and food therapy. Complete regression of tumors has been reported using TCVM but doesn’t occur in every case.

The most common benefit seen is an improvement in the quality of life and many clients are very pleased to see their beloved pet feel better.

TCVM can also be used with patients undergoing chemotherapy and can help decrease the side effects.

TCVM is available to pet owners on the coast through Alternative Medicine for Pets.

Dr. Connie Clemons-Chevis, certified in acupuncture, Tui-na and Chinese herbology through Chi Institute in Reddick, Fla., and China National Society of TCVM, offers TCVM services in Bay St. Louis, Escatawpa and Pascagoula, Miss., at Alternative Medicine for Pets.

ScienceDaily (June 8, 2009) — A drug derived from the hydrangea root, used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine, shows promise in treating autoimmune disorders, report researchers from the Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine and the Immune Disease Institute at Children’s Hospital Boston (PCMM/IDI), along with the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In the June 5 edition of Science, they show that a small-molecule compound known as halofuginone inhibits the development of Th17 cells, immune cells recently recognized as important players in autoimmune disease, without altering other kinds of T cells involved in normal immune function. They further demonstrate that halofuginone reduces disease pathology in a mouse model of autoimmunity.

Currently there is no good treatment for autoimmune disorders; the challenge has been suppressing inflammatory attacks by the immune system on body tissues without generally suppressing immune function (thereby increasing risk of infections). The main treatment is antibodies that neutralize cytokines, chemical messengers produced by T cells that regulate immune function and inflammatory responses. However, antibodies are expensive, must be given intravenously and don’t address the root cause of disease, simply sopping up cytokines rather than stopping their production; patients must therefore receive frequent intravenous infusions to keep inflammation in check. Powerful immune-suppressing drugs are sometimes used as a last resort, but patients are left at risk for life-threatening infections and other serious side effects.

Through a series of experiments, the researchers show that halofuginone prevents the development of Th17 cells in both mice and humans, halts the disease process they trigger, and is selective in its effects. It also has the potential to be taken orally. “This is really the first description of a small molecule that interferes with autoimmune pathology but is not a general immune suppressant,” says Mark Sundrud, PhD, of the PCMM/IDI, the study’s first author.

Recognized only since 2006, Th17 cells have been implicated in a variety of autoimmune disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes, eczema and psoriasis. They are genetically distinct from the other major categories of T-cells (Th1, Th2 and T-regulatory cells).

Th17 cells normally differentiate from “naïve” CD4+ T cells, but when Sundrud and colleagues cultured mouse CD4+ T-cells along with cytokines that normally induce Th17 development, there was a pronounced decrease in Th17 cells – but not in Th1, Th2 or T regulatory cells – when halofuginone was added. Similarly, in cultured human CD4+ T-cells, halofuginone selectively suppressed production of IL-17, the principal cytokine made by Th17 cells.

And in mice with experimental autoimmune encephalitis (EAE), an artificially-induced immune disease resembling multiple sclerosis in humans, and marked by infiltration of Th17 cells into the central nervous system, low-dose halofuginone treatment significantly reduced both the development of EAE and its severity. (In mice with another form of EAE that doesn’t involve Th17 cells, halofuginone had no effect.)

Wondering how halofuginone works, the researchers did microarray studies of the halofuginone-treated cells to examine patterns of gene expression in response to the drug. Unexpectedly, many genes involved in stress responses were turned on. Eventually, they found that halofuginone acts by activating a biochemical pathway known as the “amino acid starvation response,” or AAR, which typically protects cells when amino acids, essential building blocks of proteins, are in short supply. When excess amino acids were added to cultured T-cells exposed to halofuginone, the AAR didn’t switch on, and Th17 cells were able to develop. Conversely, the researchers were able to inhibit Th17 differentiation simply by depleting amino acids, thereby inducing the AAR.

Why would the AAR prevent Th17 cells from forming? The researchers propose that the AAR has an energy-saving function, slowing down a cell’s building activities to conserve amino acids. “When a cell senses amino acid deprivation, it tries to conserve amino acids by preventing specific types of responses that are energetically expensive,” says Sundrud. “In inflamed tissues, a lot of cells are producing a lot of protein, so it would make sense that a cell with amino acid deprivation would want to block signals that promote inflammation.”

Halofuginine is one of the 50 fundamental herbs of traditional Chinese medicine, and has been used as an antimalarial agent. Decades ago, the U.S. Army tried to improve upon its antimalarial properties, without success. It has been in clinical trials for scleroderma, but because it is now in the public domain, the pharmaceutical industry has not shown interest in further developing it therapeutically.

But halofuginone, or some yet-to-be developed derivative compound, could potentially be used to address any autoimmune or inflammatory disease related to Th17 cells by activating the AAR, the researchers say.

“Remarkably, halofuginone evokes the AAR in all cells but selectively inhibits T-cell inflammatory responses,” says Anjana Rao, PhD, of the PCMM/IDI, a senior investigator on the study. “This recalls the actions of cyclosporin A and FK506, two other immunosuppressive drugs that block the activity of calcineurin. Calcineurin is present in all cells, but selectively prevents the rejection of heart, lung, liver and bone marrow transplants when given to patients. These drugs revolutionized transplant medicine when they were introduced over 20 years ago, and halofuginone may herald a revolution in the treatment of certain types of autoimmune/inflammatory diseases.”

Malcolm Whitman, PhD and Tracy Keller, PhD, of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, and Anjana Rao, PhD, of the PCMM/IDI, were the study’s senior investigators. The study was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Cancer Research Institute.

Chinese traditional medical techniques, like acupuncture and Tai Chi, start to spread successfully in Pinar del Rio province, west Cuba, local media reported on Thursday.

Carlos Callaba, Coordinator of the Natural Medicine Program, said that these techniques are applied in the integral rehabilitation rooms, the health centers and hospitals in the province for the recovering of the patients.

The aim is to preserve or restitute health with the balance of the vital energy, a main concept of these kind of therapies, said Callaba.

Callaba said that the acupuncture is one of the varieties most used in Pinar del Rio due to its efficiency as anti-inflammation method, analgesic and relaxing.

Tai Chi is also among the therapeutic options to combat the stress and keep the organism on good physical and mental conditions.

“It is a martial art of balance preferred mainly by youngsters and elders,” Callab said.

The medical techniques developed in China arrived in Cuba during the 1980s.

Source:Xinhua

Acupuncture can help people with chronic low back pain feel less bothered by their symptoms and function better in their daily activities, according to the largest randomized trial of its kind, published in the May 11, 2009 Archives of Internal Medicine. But the SPINE (Stimulating Points to Investigate Needling Efficacy) trial raises questions about how the ancient practice actually works.

Compared to the group that got usual care, results were similar for all three of the SPINE trial’s acupuncture groups: individualized, standardized, and simulated (without going through skin). Of the people who got any kind of acupuncture, an extra one in five were functioning significantly better at the end of the seven-week treatment – and an extra one in eight were still functioning better at one year.

“This study suggests that acupuncture is about as effective as other treatments for chronic back pain that have been found helpful,” said SPINE trial leader Daniel C. Cherkin, PhD, a senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle. “But we found that simulated acupuncture, without penetrating the skin, produced as much benefit as needle acupuncture – and that raises questions about how acupuncture works.”

The SPINE trial included 638 adult patients at two nonprofit health plans: Group Health Cooperative in Seattle and Northern California Kaiser Permanente in Oakland. They all rated the “bothersomeness” of their chronic low back pain as at least a 3 on a 0-to-10 scale. None of them had received acupuncture before. They were randomly assigned to one of four groups:

• Individualized needle acupuncture, involving a customized prescription for acupuncture points from a diagnostician
• Standardized needle acupuncture, using a single prescription for acupuncture points on the back and backs of the legs, which experts consider generally effective for chronic low back pain
• Simulated acupuncture on those same standardized points, mimicking needle acupuncture but instead of a needle using a toothpick in a needle guide tube without penetrating the skin
• Usual care, which is the standard medical care they would have gotten anyway – and that all patients in all groups received

Everyone in the three acupuncture groups (individualized, standardized, or simulated) was treated twice a week for three weeks, and then weekly for four weeks. At eight weeks, half a year, and one year, researchers measured back-related dysfunction and how much symptoms bothered patients.

The SPINE team found that at eight weeks all three acupuncture groups were functioning substantially better, while the group getting only usual care was functioning only slightly better. Dysfunction scores improved significantly more for all three acupuncture groups than for the usual care group. These benefits lasted for a year, although they waned over time.

Notably, the outcomes for groups that received the needle and simulated forms of acupuncture did not differ significantly. So, although acupuncture effectively treated low back pain, that therapeutic benefit seemed to require neither tailoring acupuncture needle sites to an individual patient nor inserting needles into the skin.

“We don’t know precisely why people got back pain relief from the simulated acupuncture,” said Cherkin’s co-author Karen J. Sherman, PhD, MPH, a senior investigator at Group Health Center for Health Studies. “Historically, some types of acupuncture have used non-penetrating needles. Such treatments may involve physiological effects that make a clinical difference.” Or it might be all about the mind-body connection, she said: “Maybe the context in which people get treatment has effects that are more important than the mechanically induced effects.”

Western medicine does not have highly effective medical treatments for chronic back pain, Cherkin said. Back pain is the number-one reason that Americans use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), including acupuncture.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), part of the National Institutes of Health, funded the SPINE trial.

“The findings of this research show that acupuncture-like treatments, including simulated acupuncture, can elicit positive responses,” said Josephine P. Briggs, MD, director of NCCAM. “This adds to the growing body of evidence that something meaningful is taking place during acupuncture treatments outside of actual needling. Future research is needed to delve deeper into what is evoking these responses.”

Cherkin and Sherman’s SPINE trial co-authors were Richard A. Deyo, MD, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland; Partap S. Khalsa, DC, PhD, of NCCAM’s Division of Extramural Research; Andrew L. Avins, MD, MPH, Luisa Hamilton, MD, and Alice Pressman, MS, of Northern California Kaiser Permanente in Oakland; William E. Barlow, PhD of Cancer Research and Biostatistics and Group Health Center for Health Studies; and Laura Ichikawa, MS, Janet H. Erro, RN, MN, Kristin Delaney, MPH, and Rene Hawkes of Group Health Center for Health Studies.

Source:
Rebecca Hughes
Group Health Cooperative Center for Health Studies