Portland Monthly magazine (January Issue)

Photo from: www.portlandmonthlymag.com

If it's not too late to find a hard copy, have a peek online at Portland Monthly magazine. The January issue has a fantastic articles about alternative medicine, including an article entitled, "Hippocrates, meet Lao-Tzu." The article discusses a difficult case which was successfully treated by one of my instructors at OCOM, Dr. Yunpeng Luo.

There's only a few days of January left, so get it while you can! This issue also recommends top physicians in the Portland area, so it will be good to have around if you are looking for a new health care provider

Technorati Tags: Dr. Yunpeng Luo, Portland Monthly Magazine

Veterinarian acupuncture article

Check out the link below to read an amazing story about veterinarian acupuncture and a healing process that changed many lives. I went to school with Kelly for a year- she is truly an amazing healer. Click HERE to read.

Juniji Mizutani Seminar

Photo by: maricarnjerry

During my time at the weekend seminar with Junji Mizutani, I learned more efficient and painless ways to use moxibustion with our patients. And, even better, we had a good deal of practice time with the instructor, including individual time. As a student, it was also nice to be able to work with other more experienced practitioners.

We were taught several new methods of moxibustion, and I learned a lot of new ways to help patients with specific illnesses. For example, moxa can be used to treat diabetes, gynecological problems, sciatica, pain, neuralgia and so much more. As a practitioner, moxa is a great way to help nourish, heal, and warm the body. It can be used to supplement the healing process, or even instead of needles if patients aren't into needles.

Here are a few things I learned about the art of moxibustion this weekend:

• Moxa should be pleasant, as this warming technique is a powerful healing tool.
• Acute conditions may take 3-4 daily treatments to notice a difference, while chronic problems may take longer, depending on the injury or problem.
• The use of moxibustion can temporarily double the white blood cell count as well as the platelet count.
• Moxibustion can assist the function of the renal glands.

Junji Mizutani has written several articles for the North American Journal of Oriental Medicine(NAJOM). I recommend reading them, as his teachings are invaluable. I use moxa regularly at the OCOM clinic, but now I feel that I have a deeper appreciation and understanding of this powerful medicine.

This seminar was the first of many put on by the Traditional Japanese Medicine Seminars of Portland (PDXTJM), and I look forward to their future seminars.

Moxibustion Workshop with Junji Mizutani

photo by benegesserit

This weekend I was fortunate to attend Junji Mizutani's workshop on applying moxibustion in clinical practice. Moxibustion is a technique in which a cone of mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris), is placed on or over an acupoint or affected area of the body. The cone is then lit and burned, and is usually removed before burning the skin. It is used to stimulate and strengthen the qi, blood in the body.

This seminar was organized through the Traditional Japanese Medicine Seminars of Portland (PDXTJM). As I am currently taking a Japanese Meridian Therapy (yet another wonderful form of acupuncture) class at OCOM with Bob Quinn, DAOM, I felt incredibly fortunate to be able to attend this workshop.

This is the short biography of Mizutani Sensei on the PDXTJM website:

"Junji Mizutani is the director of the North American Journal of Oriental Medicine (NAJOM). He is a leading authority on traditional approaches to moxibustion and has extensively researched and reported in the scientific literature. He graduated from the Japan Central Acupuncture College in 1983, and in 1984 he moved to Canada where he has taught shiatsu, acupuncture, and moxibustion for many years. He has produced a DVD on his moxibustion technique and has authored many articles published in NAJOM (North American Journal of Oriental Medicine). He also served three years as the president of the Shiatsu Therapy Association of Ontario. Currently he practices in Vancouver B.C. and lectures regularly at acupuncture schools throughout North America.

I'll be writing more about this great seminar later in the week- stay tuned for more!

East Meets West in Portland Hospitals

Having finished finals (my apologies for the month delay in blogging), and most of my intern sites, I'm a little sad that my time as an acupuncture intern at OHSU is over. Perhaps it was the excitement of working in a "real" hospital. Or maybe it was the respect garnered by friends and family when I told them that I had an intern shift on the new OHUS South Waterfront tower.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the integration of Eastern and Western medicine is really coming up, albeit slowly, and that we are on the forefront of it all. I understand that I was working in an integrative medicine department, but it was really incredible to see interesting cases where acupuncture worked it's magic, even if it wasn't in a dimly lit, soothing atmosphere, but a cold, stark white room on an exam table. Last week we were asked to assist Dr. Lu in giving sample treatments to residents up on the hill, and it was really great to see how interested they were not only in receiving treatments, but also referring patients to the integrative medicine practitioners.

There are several practitioners at hospitals around Portland, such as Dr. Zhaoxue Lu, at the OHSU waterfront and Dr. Yupeng Luo, and Roger Lore, DAOM at the Richmond center. All of these practitioners also have private practices at OCOM. Dr. Lu was the practitioner I worked with this term, and he works at OHSU in the Family medicine department three days per week. There are also other physicians at OHSU who integrate acupuncture in to their treatments on a regular basis.

I know that the idea of integrating acupuncture and western biomedicine is still a foreign idea to some health care practitioners. However, I feel fortunate to have chosen this medicine and to be a part of the integration of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Oregon. I hope to one day be able to work in a hospital setting again, whether it's in-patient care, assisting with deliveries, or simply providing the best possible care in a hospital setting.

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Medical Assistance, Without Borders

Photo: Larry Towell/Magnum, for The New York Times

On the off chance you've realized that something is very wrong with health care in the US, the New York Times magazine published a very interesting series of photos. These photos were taken here in the U.S. of people receiving health care in fairgrounds and barns. Those obtaining care had no way of paying for a doctor or a dentist, and traveled many hours or even days to get to the medical "facilities." The majority of them appeared to have major health problems which they could not afford to pay for at home.

A quote from the Helfgott Blog:

"There is little doubt that poverty and health are closely linked. According to the Center for Disease Control, poor adults in the United States – defined as persons whose family incomes are below the Census Bureau’s poverty threshold - had higher levels of heart disease, respiratory conditions, diabetes, pain, depression, and anxiety than non-poor adults."

Remote Area Medical (RAM), an all volunteer organization, was the one who set up sites in the U.S. RAM helps those in need all over the world. There are other organizations that do similar work, Acupuncturists Without Borders, and Doctors without Borders. So many people depend on free medical care all around the world.

I think a lot of us never knew how bad it was here in the United States. The New York Times brought to light a huge problem that must be taken care of as soon as possible.

What Can Acupuncture Treat? (Part 3- Psychology and Addictions)

Photo by jbalynas45

With winter on the way and the recent changing of the clocks, a lot of us in the Nortwest are spending more time inside and less time in the sun. This is the time of year when depression, SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), and general fatigue become more frequent complaints. Acupuncture, moxibustion and herbs can help with these issues. Acupuncture and herbs help to redirect the flow of energy and help to "lift the spirit" and nourish the body, and the moxibustion helps to support and warm the body. A regular weekly treatment can help with these issues whether they are felt in the winter or year round. And on the topic of psychology, addictions are another thing that acupuncture can help with. The NADA protocol has been studied and is used in addiction treatment centers throughout North America. Whatever the patients drug of choice may be, addictions are serious subject, and can occur in any city, or community. Fortunately for us, Portland has a wealth of treatment centers to help with surviving addiction. Go to centralcityconcern.org to find more information about the Old Town Clinic and Hooper, and here to check out Project Quest. Help is always available at one of these incredible places.....

Acupuncture and post-surgical pain

Photo by:Broken Haiku There was an article today in the news that discussed acupuncture and the treatment for post-surgical pain! You can read it here. Also, check back to my blog post about pain and TCM.

Sorry for the delay in posts- midterms are upon us already!

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, post-operative care, pain management, tcm

News Radio with Dr. Richard Hammerschlag

A New York public radio station WYNC interviewed Dr. Richard Hammerschlag, Dean of Research at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, on Friday! Listen to the discussion between Leonard Lopate, Dr. Hammerschlag, and Martin Feldman, LAc. http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/explain.html - Look under Please Explain: Acupuncture October 10, 2007

Technorati Tags: Dr. Richard Hammerschlag, acupuncture, Martin Feldman

Acupuncture Research in the News

Photo from:http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7011738.stm

In light of my series about what acupuncture can treat, please check out these acupuncture articles making the news! CNN, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (the CBC), and the BBC all showed results of a low back pain clinical trial. Although I have my own feelings about sham acupuncture and the way we have to use it, I'm excited to see the research making mainstream news.

I work in the research department at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine, and seeing these articles in the news proves to me that Traditional Chinese Medicine is making headway within our culture and all around the world. Read on!

Click here for the CBC article Click here for the CNN article Click here for the BBC article

Technorati Tags: TCM, acupuncture articles, acupuncture, low back pain

Introduction to Chinese Herbs

How do Chinese herbs work? How do they compare with pharmaceuticals? Kevin answers your herbal queries....

Photo by: yusheng

When people think about Oriental Medicine, acupuncture often comes to mind first. Yes, practitioners in the United States typically focus on using acupuncture. However, Oriental Medicine contains five branches: acupuncture, herbs, nutrition, qi gong and massage. In China, herbs may be the most widely used. Hospital patients in China routinely receive herbs as part of their medical treatment, and many Chinese intentionally use herbs in cooking to provide medical benefits. Within the university setting, herbalists spend five years or more studying before they can treat patients.

The list of Chinese herbs, known as the Materia Medica, includes over 400 substances, including not only plants but also minerals and animals products.  If you are interested, check out The Chinese Herb Academy (http://chineseherbacademy.org/databases/databases.html) for a database of herb information. Herbalists have used these substances for thousands of years, refining the list to include the herbs that most effectively treat a wide range of conditions. Scientific studies have looked at some of these substances, although much of the pharmaceutical research goes into isolating single compounds that can get patented.  Many of these herbal substances have complex effects, making them challenging to isolate and study from a biomedical perspective.

So how do herbs differ from pharmaceutical drugs?  Most pharmaceutical drugs contain a single active ingredient that targets a specific physiological process. Since they target a single process, dosage is often used at a relatively high level so it will significantly alter that process. They can achieve dramatic results but can also cause significant side effects. Chinese herbs contain multiple active ingredients, sometimes in the hundreds, but at a much lower dosage level. Because of this, they can affect a range of processes in a much milder way. One master herbalist said comparing pharmaceuticals to herb is like comparing jet fighters to bicycles.

Nevertheless, Chinese herbs can have a huge impact. At our school, we have seen a range of difficult conditions, from thyroid problems to skin disorders, brought under control.  So when you think of Oriental Medicine, remember that the Chinese have used herbs as a safe and effective treatment for thousands of years.

What Can Acupuncture Treat? (Part 2- Colds and Immune System)

Well, I'm sorry to say it, but it's fall here in Portland. Summer seemed to fly by, and autumn is on it's way in. The colder air, falling leaves, and the abundance of colds seem to represent the element of Metal, which correlates to the Lungs in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. Each season is connected to an element, and that element is connected to a specific organ in Chinese medicine. I know it's a quick reference to what takes years of studying to comprehend and use efficiently, but here is a chart for your reference.

	WATER	WOOD	FIRE	EARTH	METAL
Season	Winter	Spring	Summer	Late Summer	Autumn
Climatic Qi	Cold	Wind	Heat	Damp	Dryness
Yang Organ	Bladder	Gallbladder	Small Intestine	Stomach	Large Intestine
Yin Organ	Kidney	Liver	Heart	Spleen	Lung
Sense Organ	Ears	Eyes	Tongue	Mouth	Nose
Body Tissue	Bone	Sinews	Blood Vessel	Muscles	Skin
Emotion	Fear	Anger	Joy/Shock	Worry	Sadness
Color	Black	Green	Red	Yellow	White
Taste	Salty	Sour	Bitter	Sweet	Spicy

Chart borrowed from: http://www.chinesemedicinesampler.com/theory5elements.html

Finding ourselves in autumn, it truly does seem as though a lot of people tend to is get sick in one way or another. It's important to boost our immune systems, and TCM is a perfect way to avoid overusing antibiotics due to lung and sinus infections this year. There are a lot of great acupoints that boost the immune system, not to mention help with insomnia so we are able to get a good night's sleep to help our bodies heal.

There are also some really amazing Chinese herbal formulas that help stave off colds and sore throats. There are two patents medicines that I really like are Yin Qiao San and Gan Mao Ling. Taking Yin Qiao San at the first sign of a sore throat and stuffy head helps the cold not enter too deeply in the body, and Gan Mao Ling has some amazing anti-bacterial properties that help with sinus problems. There are a lot of formulas out there, so do some research or ask a practitioner which would be best for you. You can also buy these herbs at Portland stores such as FuBonn, Uwajimaya, and Wing Mings.

Colds and coughs aside, fall is such a beautiful time here in the City of Roses. Be sure to keep yourself and your family warm and healthy so you are able to enjoy it!

Technorati Tags: immunity, colds, TCM, TCM theory, immunity, chinese herbal medicine

What Can Traditional Chinese Medicine Treat? Pain

Acupuncture Photo by: ExpertVillage.com

There are so many different aspects to Traditional Chinese Medicine, and acupuncture is an integral aspect of this medicine, along with the herbs, other methods, and energy work. I'm going to use TCM and acupuncture interchangeably in this blog, as I've noticed that they are often used that way in conversations about what it is and how it heals.

I would think that the most common reasons people come to acupuncturists is for pain control. Upper, middle and lower back pain, shoulder, knee and ankle pain, fibromyalgia (a chronic syndrome often characterized by fatigue and pain throughout the body), and headaches to name several. Migraine and tension-headache treatments can also be quite successful, and even if the initial outcome is simply reducing the amount of medication. I know many ex-migraine sufferers have been more than satisfied with the results acupuncture produced.

A lot of sports injuries such as ankle and wrist sprains, fatigued or pulled muscles, broken bones, and other serious injuries are also successfully treated by acupuncture. My personal experience was lateral knee pain when I was training for a half-marathon, and I was experiencing it at least once per week for three weeks. I went into the acupuncturist for a treatment with needles, some bloodletting (more on that later-it's not as bad as it sounds!) and an herbal patch. The next day there was no pain at all. With acute injuries, the healing time is often faster, as the injury is recent.

Having said that, keep in mind that it does take time to see results with chronic injuries. There is a somewhat "tried and true" formula that for however many years you have experienced the pain or headaches, it will take treatments twice a week for the same amount of months to achieve a realistic result. For example, I had serious allergy and asthma symptoms for around 4-5 years. I was able to get treatments in Korea 2-3 times per week for four months, and I experienced a significant decrease in symptoms.

Enough to make me apply to acupuncture school.

Check back soon for more information on the many, many other conditions that Traditional Chinese Medicine can treat!

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, pain, migraine, headache, sports injuries, acupuncture treatment

Asian Food Markets in Portland

In China, a lot of what people eat has a lot to do with healing an ailment or keeping healthy. Instead of what sounds good for dinner, they may be thinking of how the food will make them feel, and how it may affect their health.An Dong - my instructor said An-Dong was the best place to find vegetables.

Fubonn Shopping Center also has an amazing array of spices, sauces, and even has a small pharmacy

If you are on the other side of town, my favorite is the big Uwajimaya store on the Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway.

West Coast Acupuncture Schools

As I am entering my internship at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in less than a week, I began to think about why I chose OCOM over other schools that were options to me in the northwest. Once I decided that my career would be in alternative medicine, I realized that there were a lot of great schools in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

It came down to several reasons: First off, most of my family lives near the Portland area, and I wanted to be closer to them. Second, I hadn't lived in the States for almost three years, and it seemed like a good idea to try it again (though I still miss Korean health care). And last, but not least, OCOM offered a structured three-year program, had a great research department, and seemed to be a well known acupuncture school across the United States.

One Canadian school I had considered is the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. They have a great location in Vancouver, and there is another branch of the school in Victoria. Another Canadian acupuncture school is Pacific Rim College, which I recently discovered has a great online presence in a fantastic newsletter for students, prospective students, and the community.

In the the US, both Bastyr in Seattle, or NCNM (National College of Natural Medicine) in Portland were both possibilities for me. While they are both extremely good schools, I just felt the OCOM had the focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine in the way that I would be able to learn the medicine best. Also, the two of the founding members of OCOM are still teaching at the school, which says a lot to me.

If you are looking for a school to begin a career, or want to try acupuncture (usually at a reduced rate) and help a student learn, look here for a list of schools. There are so many great schools out there to meet individual needs.

Acupuncture in the US: Miriam Lee

Miriam Lee (left) with her student, Susan Johnson, L.Ac. Photo taken from: www.tungspoints.com/miriamlee

Miriam Lee is an innovative and amazing woman who was at the forefront of helping acupuncture and TCM become a common practice the U.S. Those of us who experience the benefits of acupuncture have her to thank for her hard work, belief, and perseverance in Chinese medicine.

She was arrested for practicing acupuncture in California, but the incident led to the legalization of acupuncture in the state of California and eventually other states. Lee also introduced innovative as well ancient traditions of TCM in North America, such as bloodletting, Dr. Tung acupoints, and other insights for practicing acupuncturists. More information is on the website of Susan Johnson (see photo above), who was one of her students.

You can read more about the history of acupuncture in the United States on the Insights for Acupuncturists website where Lisa Hanfileti, LAc, MAcOM, also discusses the famous acupuncturist.

Two of her books are: Insights of a Senior Acupuncturist: One Combination of Points Can Treat Many Diseases, and Master Tong's Acupuncture: An Ancient Alternative Style in Modern Clinical Practice can both be found on amazon.com, and Insights can be found at Portland's powellsbooks.com.

Acufinder Magazine

Acufinder started a magazine! I happened to stumble upon their second publication last month, and I think it's a great idea. Like the website, it's a handy source of information about CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicines) modalities such as massage, qi gong, and naturopathy. If you are unable to find a copy in your neighborhood, you can order it online on theacufinder.com website.

Acupuncture in the Treatment of Strokes

NOTE: This post was written by my colleague, Kevin Wrathall. He'll be writing more posts in the weeks and months to come. Welcome to the Portland Acupuncture Blog, Kevin!

Photo by: graceycat

People who survive a stroke often face debilitating effects with serious impact on their lives. Last year, my mother in-law suffered her second stroke and now finds it difficult to talk, with a fair amount of slurring and misspoken words. Allopathic medicine saved her life but the doctors told her they could do nothing to help with the speech problems. This formerly gregarious woman now acts subdued and quiet.

Neither acupuncturists nor acupuncture schools advocate using acupuncture and herbs as the only treatment modality for a stroke. Allopathic medicine provides life-saving, treatment for strokes that would have claimed many lives in prior years. However, acupuncture and herbs also offer effective treatment for patients recovering from strokes.

Dr. Ming Qing Zhu, a well-known acupuncturist practicing in San Jose, California, specializes in using scalp acupuncture to treat patients recovering from strokes. In theory, inserting acupuncture needles in the scalp stimulates neural connections that restore functions of the central nervous system. It would be great if research money were available to investigate this, but for now we can look at the anecdotal evidence from his very popular clinic, where patients show significant improvements through his treatments. Check out a scene in the movie “Fierce Grace” where Dr. Zhu treats the guru Ram Dass, helping him to walk for the first time after suffering a stroke.

Patients seem to find their way to an acupuncturist through word of mouth or research, as many allopathic practitioners are unaware of the significant effects of acupuncture in treating strokes. In addition, many acupuncturists do not have experience in doing this type of treatment. OCOM offers a short course that teaches the basics to students. Despite this, more and more stroke patients do receive effective acupuncture care in the Portland area.

If you or anyone you know is a recovering stroke patient, the sooner you get treatment (whether acupuncture, herbs or other modalities) the better the results.

Acupuncture Needles

When you think of acupuncture needles, what's the first thing that comes to your mind? Nails? Tacks? I understand that many people have an intense fear of needles, but the rumor I'd like to start spreading about acupuncture needles is one that I learned from David Eisen, LAc, MSW, OMD(am), the Executive Director at the Quest Center for Integrative Health in NE Portland. He told us that an acupuncture needle is roughly the size of three human hairs. That's it!

While some needles are longer for different parts of the body, the size of needles aren't anything like what they used to be! Different styles often use different needles, such as a Japanese style, which is more superficial needling. The needles are lighter, thinner and coated to make insertion easier. Not to say that Chinese needles aren't like that, but a lot of techniques requires a slightly thicker needle due to a different technique that's applied. I'll discuss different techniques and styles in a future blog, but for now here are a few pictures for your perusing enjoyment.

Artistic shot of the handle of needles (really, they're quite small!)

Photo by: howaye

Flexible yet so efficient...

Photo by: ExpertVillage.com

Needling LI-4

Photo by: Girla Obscura

Single packaged needles

Photo by: ~crea

Technorati Tags: David Eisen, needles, acupuncture needles, acupuncture needle pictures

Cupping

Cupping is one of my favorite TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) techniques to receive and to treat patients with. Although the outcome often looks quite scary (the round suction marks go away in a few days), it's actually an amazing therapeutic method that we can use to expel a variety of different diseases. A practitioner may decide use it if you present with the beginnings of a cold, asthma, pain, gastrointestinal problems and or one of many other issues. What you can expect: If a practitioner decides that cupping is the best therapy for you, he or she may first smooth a layer of a balm or salve on the area they will be working on in order to move the cups around smoothly. They will then light a piece of alcohol-soaked material or simply use a lighter, place it into the cup then rapidly pull it out and place the cup onto your skin. This creates a negative force which causes congestion and creates the suction where the cup has been placed. The practitioner may then slide the cups around to move the energy or stagnation in your body.

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Here is another cupping method called "flash cupping."

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Make sure you cover up the area that has been cupped for a few days- preferably until the cup marks heal. This is to prevent getting sick....again! Oh yes- please don't try this at home. There are potential burning risks involved and cupping should be performed by a trained practitioner.

Technorati Tags: cupping, chinese cupping, cups, TCM, flash cupping