Controversial Research Sparks Heated Acu Debate in China

Acupuncture is an ancient practice that originated in China millennia ago. It is an incredibly popular form of medical treatment in China, not only because of its effectiveness for treating a number of ailments, but because it is an important part of Chinese culture.

Perhaps there’s no better sign of how important acupuncture is to Chinese history and society than the reaction to a recent study in one of China’s most respected medical journals.

Last year, the journal Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion published an article written by three respected doctors from Dongzhimen Hospital in Beijing. The article claimed that a new study conducted by the doctors that acupuncture that is administered to a parent could benefit that parent’s child. That is, if I a child is feeling ill, the parent undergoing acupuncture—not the child—could help treat the child’s illness or pain.

The doctors claim that the concept of “quantum entanglement” is responsible for this phenomenon. Quantum entanglement says that “two particles, no matter how distant from each other in space and time, can be inextricably linked, in a way that defies the rules of classical physics.” 

The authors backed up their theory with an experiment of 15 patients with pain symptoms and their direct relatives. Fourteen of the patients were in the room alongside their relative who was receiving acupuncture, while one patient was in a separate room. The study claims that all 15 subjects reported a decrease in pain, while four subjects said their pain disappeared altogether.

The article has caused a wave of backlash, with many doctors coming out and disavowing its conclusion. One doctor said he was “speechless” after reading the article…and not in the good way. On Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, one popular comment read “The only thing that the researchers of this paper prove, is that they themselves need to be treated,” and one hashtag around the controversy received over 4 million views.

While we know acupuncture is an effective treatment for numerous ailments and pain management—for adults and children alike—we’re holding off on the whole “quantum entanglement” idea…for now!

College Football Team Using Acupuncture To Stay on the Field

It’s that time of year—the leaves are changing, the temperatures dropping, pumpkin spice lattes are being drank, and of course football is in high season.

Football is one of the most physically demanding sports for its participants, and it’s understandable that many players are often seeking as many different types of treatments to deal with their injuries and overall pain. And while most college and all professional teams employ big medical staffs that include doctors, trainers, and massage therapists, not too many have a team acupuncturist on staff. Boise State University is one of them.

A few years ago, a player on the Boise State team was dealing with a hamstring issue. The team medical staff had an idea—the player should try acupuncture to see if his injury would heal faster. They called on local licensed acupuncturist Dana Logan.

“They were flying out the next day, and I thought, ‘If this doesn’t work, acupuncture isn’t happening again.’ I had that session to make an impression, and it obviously worked,” Logan recalls.

The treatment was a success, and that that moment was the beginning of a fruitful relationship between the team and Logan. Logan’s treatment regiment isn’t just about helping heal players’ one-off injuries. She has developed treatments that help players with everything from improving range of motion, to properly functioning muscles, to helping players’ bodies be better prepared for post-football life, something we know many former football players struggle with after their playing days are over.

“Acupuncture in football is going to become more and more mainstream,” Logan said. “I think it’s awesome Boise State is ahead of it and has given it a chance.”

Many individual athletes utilize acupuncture to help stay on the field. As acupuncture gets more popular, there’s no doubt that more teams and organizations will encourage their players to seek it out.

Acupuncture for Psoriasis

Dry, flaky or itchy red spots on the skin are an unfortunate dermal condition that affects up to 7.5 million Americans.

More common amongst adults but also known to afflict children too, its caused by rapidly multiplying skin cells that result in a build up of the dying cells beneath the skin’s surface. Typically, it looks like raised and red plaque with white scales ans is commonly found on the knees, elbows and scalp but can also affect other parts of the body.

Though frustrating and uncomfortable, there are a variety of treatments — mostly topical, — that can help to treat plaque psoriasis. But before you head to the pharmacy, you just might want to try acupuncture first.

According to a systemic review published in JAMA Dermatology as explained by Healio, alternative therapies are sought by up to 51% of patients with psoriasis. Popular among them — acupuncture.

Upon reviewing articles published between 1991 . and 2017, researchers shared the following findings:

• “one meta-analysis that concluded acupuncture improved psoriasis.

• three randomized clinical trials that found meditation and guided imagery therapies showed modest efficacy in psoriasis treatment.

• five randomized clinical trials that concluded topical indigo naturalis application significantly improved psoriasis treatment.

• three randomized clinical trials that found curcumin provided statistically and clinically significant improvements in psoriasis plaques.

• 20 studies that concluded that though fish oil treatment was not effective in randomized clinical trials in treating psoriasis, fish oil was effective when used daily.”

The powers of holistic therapy are nothing new, but any time the healing power of acupuncture and other noninvasive therapies are discovered, it’s worth celebrating.

If you are struggling with psoriasis or any other frustrating skin conditions, schedule an appointment with us today!

How Acupuncture Can Help Lupus Patients

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a form of the autoimmune disease also known as Lupus.

A difficult and often frustrating autoimmune disease, Lupus affects nearly 1.5 million people across the US with symptoms including inflammation, pain and tissue damage.

Patients are often willing to try anything to combat their symptoms and restore their immune systems. Thankfully, acupuncture can play a significant role in their efforts.

A recent article by Very Well explains how the ancient art of acupuncture just might help a Lupus patient.

It’s long been believed (and proven) that acupuncture can help reduce inflammation and pain by improving circulation and the proper flow of qi, and this can be especially importnat for someone with a Lupus diagnosis.

In fact, the 2008 study entitled 'Acupuncture for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A pilot study RCT feasibility and safety study' published in Sage Journals examined the role of acupuncture as a means of pain treatment within the Lupus population.

Twenty four patients with the SLE manifestation of Lupus were given either standard acupuncture treatment, acupuncture treatments performed with less needles, or to remain on their existing treatment plan without treatment.

The results?

“At the end of the trial, 40% of the patients in both the standard acupuncture treatment group and the minimal needling group experienced an improvement in their pain levels of at least 30%.”

Interestingly but perhaps unsurprisingly, “the group that remained on their usual care plan reported no improvement in their pain levels.”

Ultimately, “the study concluded that acupuncture is a valid, safe and effective method to treat pain in patients with SLE.”

If you hare struggling with a lupus diagnosis and the pain, inflammation and malaise that can typically come with it — you’re not alone. Let NJ Acupuncture Center help.

PCOS + Acupuncture

While it’s well understood that acupuncture can help a variety of ailments, many women may not know that the treatment can be especially helpful in treating Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, commonly known as PCOS.

The syndrome, which is unfortunately common — affecting about 1 in 10 women of childbearing age — causes irregular periods, polycystic ovaries, and excess androgen levels. It can lead to infertility, pain, diabetes, depression/anxiety, abnormal bleeding and more.

Thankfully, acupuncture can help, and a new study further supports the notion.

A recent study released by the Maternal and Child Healthcare Hospital of Hengfeng County China is explained via HealthCMi, Healthcare Medicine Institute.

In the study, researchers compared the efficaciousness of acupuncture and drug therapy and found incredibly encouraging results.

Within the study, 124 women who had been diagnosed with infertility because of PCOS participated, with the control group receiving conventional drug therapy, and the study group receiving both drug therapy and acupuncture treatments.

As outlined in the study, women who received acupuncture therapy received the treatment at the following points:

• Baihui (GV20) – raises yang and benefits qi

• Tianshu (ST25) – raises clear yang qi and descends turbid fluids

• Qihai (CV6) – supplements the kidneys, benefits essence and original qi

• Guilai (ST29) – regulates blood flow and menstruation

• Geshu (BL17) – tonifies qi and blood

• Xinshu (BL15) – invigorates blood and calms shen

• Shenshu (BL23) – tonifies the kidneys and nourishes essence

• Pangguangshu (BL28) – regulates the lower burner, warms yang, and promotes the transformation of qi

The results?

Women who received both treatments showed improvement in, "regulation of hormone levels and ovarian blood flow, which are significantly greater improvements than using only conventional drug monotherapy.”

Overall, it’s safe to say that, “acupuncture has the potential to improve clinical outcomes for women with PCOS when combined with usual care.”

If you are struggling with PCOS or other female reproductive health issues, NJ Acupuncture is happy to help. Call the center to begin treatment today.

Evidence of Primitive Acupuncture

History buffs and acupuncture aficionados — you’re going to love this.

According to LiveScience.com, Otzi the Iceman (if you’re not familiar, he’s the incredibly preserved Tyrolean Iceman mummy of a man who met his death via murder 5,300 years ago. He was found in 1991 in the Alps of Italy and has been thoroughly studied by science ever since) just may have undergone acupuncture.

How cool is that?

While we have long known acupuncture has been around for quite some time, having actual evidence that demonstrates the possibility of the treatment being used on Otzi is quite fascinating.

After carful study of his anatomy, researchers discovered that he was covered in tattoos — 61 to be exact. Simple in design, mostly strips and two crosses, they weren’t exactly decorative or artistic which led researchers to conclude they were possibly medical treatment.

Albert Zink, head of the Eurac Research Institute for Mummy Studies in Bolzano, Italy said, "The tattoos are all located at body regions where the iceman had some health issues and probably experienced periods of pain. For example, he had degenerative diseases of his hip, knee, ankle joints and lower back. Most of the tattoos are located [on] the legs and the lower back," Zink said.

Furthermore, some of the tattoos correspond. Directly to traditional acupuncture points, which Zink says suggests to some researchers, “that the iceman underwent some form of acupuncture.”

This seems to challenge. The notion that acupuncture first began in China about 2,200 years ago — with Zink acknowledging it could have earlier routes in Europe.

Regardless of whether acupuncture was actually used on Otzi, there is strong enough evidence to conclude that even 5,000+ years ago, people were practicing medicine, holistic treatment, and pain management

For more information on this discovery, you can read the full journal article from the International Journal of Paleopathology, here.

5 Busted Myths About Acupuncture

While acupuncture has been utilized in eastern medicine for centuries, the practice is still relatively new in the United States. Human beings are, understandably, often slow to adapt to change, and we look at new things with a skeptical eye. That goes doubly for anything involving medicine and our health. Why try something new when it involves our body and our health?  

But acupuncture has finally started to gain popularity here as a safe, effective and lasting treatment for a variety of disorders and the pain and discomfort associated with them. Still, some inaccurate myths surrounding acupuncture are out there. It’s important that everyone knows what’s true and what’s not about acupuncture so they can make their own informed decisions about whether or not acupuncture is right for them. Here are 5 of the most popular but inaccurate thoughts about acupuncture:

1 – Acupuncture is expensive

Firstly, many states are beginning to offer acupuncture as part of their medicare plans, and more and more private insurers are coming around to covering the treatment in various plans. Regardless, even if you pay out of pocket, acupuncture is affordable, especially in contrast to the other visits, treatments and drugs people use to treat their pain otherwise.

2 – Acupuncture hurts

It’s understandable that some people think needles equals pain. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Acupuncture needles are very thin, resulting in a calming sensation. Many patients are so relaxed they fall asleep during treatment.

3 – Acupuncture is nothing but a placebo

Acupuncture has been scientifically proven to alleviate pain, through redistributing and restoring the energy in the body, targeted to the specific parts of the body based on the patient’s needs. It is simply not a faux pain treatment.  

4 – Acupuncture is addicting

Acupuncture is not addicting, and ironically, acupuncture is also an effective treatment for addition itself. Although some patients depending on their treatment may need a few sessions before they see results, that doesn’t mean that there are any addictive properties inherent to acupuncture.  

5 – Acupuncture is a miracle treatment

We extoll the virtues and plentiful benefits of acupuncture, its ability to treat pain and other ailments holistically and lastingly. But it is not a magic cure-all. It’s important to remember that while we encourage everyone to seek out acupuncture for their pain management needs, acupuncture is just one important piece of the puzzle that makes up a healthy lifestyle.

Skin Problems? Go Under the Surface

It may only be the very beginnings of fall, but it’s never too early to prepare for the harsh winter months.

For many people, the return of cold temperatures brings about some negatives s to go along with the holidays, hot cocoa and building snowmen—dry skin. Whether its on your face, hands, feet, or really anywhere, dry skin can be one of the most irritating ailments to deal with. And for some, it can affect them year round, and lead to painful cracks and bleeding.

Most people think of dealing with dry skin and other skin conditions with expensive and chemical-laden creams and serums. For some these medications may work, but there is another, more natural way to heal dry and affected skin: acupuncture.

Our skin is actually the biggest organ in our body. If something is wrong with our skin on the outside, that means that something needs fixing on the inside.  So it only makes perfect sense that acupuncture is a proven remedy for a number of skin ailments and general skin dryness.  

Skin conditions are a result of internal imbalances between Qi, blood flow, yin, yang, and blockages of different energy pathways within the body. When those pathways are opened up and the energy of the body is allowed to balance, our skin operates in a much healthier way.

Diana Hermann, a board-certified, Colorado-based acupuncturist explains further why acupuncture is a viable solution for many skin conditions: “Acupuncture clears heat from the lungs and stomach to reduce flushing and heat rising to the face,” Hermann explains, adding that a pooling of heat in the face and head inhibits proper circulation throughout the rest of the body.”

Whether you suffer from general dry skin or other more intense disorders like rosacea, eczema, acne, etc. acupuncture is here to help you look and feel revitalized, and refreshed.  

Acupuncture and Herbs for Autism?

Diagnoses of disorders along the Autism Spectrum continue to rise throughout the United States, now affecting nearly one in 68 children, according to the CDC. 

As more and more children struggle with the wide range of social, emotional and intellectual struggles that come along with living with Autism, treatment options are seemingly rising to the occasion to help, too. 

While we're well aware of the physical benefits of acupuncture treatment, a recent study from Hebei Province has yielded some promising results — that acupuncture combined with herbal medicine can help children with autism. 

How? According to the study, acupuncture has shown to be able to potentially improve, “communication, language, physical movement and sensory perception.” Additionally, it reports that children whom participated in the study also demonstrated improvements in self-care, another area that some children on the spectrum struggle with.

Within the study, 92 children were randomly assigned to either receive “standard rehabilitation” or treatment that included acupuncture and herbs. With results measured using the ABC Checklist (Autism Behavior Checklist) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) both groups showed significant improvements, but the effective rate in the group that received acupuncture was 89.96%, versus 65.22% in those who did not receive the added holistic therapies.

Overall, the conclusion is that the addition of acupuncture and herbs are, “both safe and effective for the treatment of children with autism.”

If your child, or someone you know has been diagnosed on the spectrum, acupuncture may help to provide supports in addition to traditional therapies including speech, physical and occupational therapy, and education.

While acupuncture may not be for every child, it’s worth considering and speaking with providers to find a potential fit for your child’s unique needs.