Acupuncture for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

I get quiet a number of clients with problems of anxiety. Often people come to me for issues linked to physical body, but they will also have issues of anxiety that they have putting up with for many years. It is always good to see more research in this area.  Please see article below for more information.Special acupuncture points have been shown to relieve anxiety and produce tranquilizing clinical patient outcomes.

Article published by HealthCMi Feb 2014:

A recent study concludes that acupuncture relieves generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), a condition characterized by excessively intense and debilitating chronic anxiety. GAD sufferers cannot relax, startle easily and have impaired concentration. Overall, GAD sufferers are chronically worried and anxious.

In this new study, researchers note that “a number of Meta analysis and system evaluations point out that acupuncture treatment has more advantages than drugs in the treatment of anxiety disorders….” The researchers also note that acupuncture has a fast effective action and high compliance. In addition, acupuncture has a relatively minimal risk of side effects compared with drug therapy.

At the Healthcare Medicine Institute (HealthCMi), we promote acupuncture continuing education with acupuncture CEU and acupuncture PDA courses online. Our news division reports the latest in acupuncture and herbal medicine research. Most news is based on modern scientific reports. This recent study stands out because its basis is both in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) classical theory and modern biomedical research.

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Acupuncture for Side Effects of Cancer Treatments

Photo: Traditional acupuncture & the side effects of cancer treatmentCan traditional forms of medicine including acupuncture help people with the side effects of cancer treatment. In addressing this question this piece will look at the use of traditional acupuncture in pain relief, palliative care as it relates directly to cancer patients, fatigue, and the management of cancer related lymph-oedema, although there are many other side effects of cancer treatment.Fatigue is a very common symptom for cancer patients, as is moderate to severe pain. This becomes an important aspect of palliative care, the goal of which is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and one aspect of conventional treatments here is pain relief. Lymph-oedema is an obstruction of the lymphatic vessels causing localised fluid retention and swelling. The area of the swelling is then at risk of infection. The cause in this instance is from injury to the lymphatic vessels from surgery or radiotherapy administered as part of cancer treatment. This is often seen in women with breast cancer.How does traditional acupuncture approach these issues? Acupuncture is a holistic treatment, and so seeks to look at the person as a whole. Any symptoms observed give clues to the internal environment of the body, and are observed together to make the diagnosis.What evidence is available to show the effectiveness of traditional acupuncture in addressing fatigue and pain as they relate specifically to cancer care? The British Acupuncture has produced a number of fact sheets about acupuncture treatment and a variety of conditions, and the sheets relating directly to fatigue and pain in this regard can be found at:http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions/cancer-care.htmlhttp://www.acupuncture.org.uk/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions/palliative-care.htmlThese 2 fact sheets discuss a wide variety of research relating to acupuncture treatment for cancer care and palliative care, but a couple of headline examples are:a study found that acupuncture was more effective than cobamamide, which is an active form of vitamin B12 and is used to relieve the symptoms of peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy.a couple of randomised controlled trials comparing acupuncture with sham acupuncture to relieve fatigue showed that acupuncture may be more effective.In the case of using acupuncture to manage lymph-oedema, care is needed because needling may introduce infection or exacerbate the lymph-oedema. The in house journal for the BAcC, the European Journal of Oriental Medicine, published in 2011, a study in which cancer survivors who participated in an exploratory study investigating the use of acupuncture and moxibustion as an adjunct to the usual care for lymph-oedema to promote wellbeing and improve quality of life, (EJOM Vol. 6, No. 6, 2011. ‘Treating the Person Not the Disease: Acupuncture in the Management of Cancer Treatment-Related Lymph-oedema’, de Valois & Peckham). A link to the abstract can be found at:http://www.ejom.co.uk/vol-6-no-6/contents/contents.htmlThe underlying principle of traditional acupuncture is that all the body’s functions are connected by the flow of qi or vital energy around the body. The purpose of diagnosis, as with Western doctors, is to identify the nature and cause of the imbalance, and is carried out using observation, questioning and palpation. Specifically, observation of the development and strength of the body, whether wasted or thin, robust or weak, and how the patient moves, either with rapid movement or lack of movement. Questioning, will address the full medical history, including the presenting symptoms. Palpation includes pulse diagnosis where the acupuncturist will read up to 28 different pulse qualities, on both wrists. By assessing the strength, depth, rhythm and rate of the pulse, different types of disharmony and imbalance of the qi can be identified. Observation also involves examining the tongue. Having diagnosed the nature and cause of the imbalance a treatment plan will be devised which will be specific to the patient and their condition, and the treatment is carried out by inserting ultra fine sterile disposable needles into selected acupuncture points on the body to regulate the flow of qi in the meridians or channels.The British Acupuncture Council (BAcC) was formed in 1995. With around 3000 qualified members it represents the largest body of traditional acupuncturists in the UK and guarantees excellence in training, safe practice, professional conduct and continuing professional development.BAcC registered acupuncturists are trained in relevant aspects of Western medicine including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology and aetiology. In addition, all BAcC registered acupuncturists are trained to recognise in their patients warning signs known as ‘red flags’. Red flags may indicate the presence of a life-threatening condition and such patients are immediately referred on to other healthcare practitioners for tests and treatment where appropriate.To find a qualified acupuncturist or to ask a question about acupuncture please visit www.acupuncture.org.uk

Traditional acupuncture & the side effects of cancer treatmentCan traditional forms of medicine including acupuncture help people with the side effects of cancer treatment. In addressing this question this piece will look at the use of traditional acupuncture in pain relief, palliative care as it relates directly to cancer patients, fatigue, and the management of cancer related lymph-oedema, although there are many other side effects of cancer treatment.

Fatigue is a very common symptom for cancer patients, as is moderate to severe pain. This becomes an important aspect of palliative care, the goal of which is to achieve the best quality of life for patients and one aspect of conventional treatments here is pain relief. Lymph-oedema is an obstruction of the lymphatic vessels causing localised fluid retention and swelling. The area of the swelling is then at risk of infection. The cause in this instance is from injury to the lymphatic vessels from surgery or radiotherapy administered as part of cancer treatment. This is often seen in women with breast cancer.
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The Official Clinic Launch of AKUEN Medical Therapies

Today my clinic officially launched,  I thank everyone for attending this bench mark in my life and feel absolutely blessed to have all the support that i have had in bringing this venture to life. Special thanks to both of my tutors Dr Dan Tan and Qikan Yin for being my guest of honor and giving speeches on the event.  See below of some of the photo taken during the event.  To see more photos and comments of the event please visit my Facebook and YouTube channel thank you.

2013-09-15 08.41.412013-09-15 20.56.292013-09-15 20.56.492013-09-15 20.47.47 (more…)

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Acupuncture Effective for Reducing Osteoarthritis Knee Pain

(Photo : REUTERS/Andrew Wong) Knee pain is a very common occurrence acupuncture has been effective for reducing Osteoarthritis knee pain.  Please click on picture for research report from Nature World…

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