The Yin and the Yang: the West and the East medicine

yin and yang

Recently Suzanne Somer released a book about alternative approaches to cure medical conditions as cancer. She went on TV explaining that traditional therapies -aka chemo and radiation- are not the only treatment available. She even went further declared that those show very dismal results and we should not call it a cure for cancer. Cancer is a serious condition that can be, in most cases, efficiently treated if diagnosed early and followed by a rigorous protocol. Cancer is nasty and in those circumstances you should apply a response equal to the treat: burly and potent.  

 

Somer is right the drugs used against cancer have heavy side effects -even though it’s getting better and better. The actual treatments are based on the paradigm: kill the cancer before killing the healthy tissue. We are far from having won the war but we are winning battles. Doctors and scientists are working very hard to change the deal.Nonetheless this controversy made me think. As a scientist I’m trained to ponder all the aspects, both sides of the story – as in journalism.  So I decided to see what was out there for those who want a alternative approach to medical conditions.  

 

 Here are the results of my journey…I decided to take advantage of all the potential of that multimedia journalism can offer: hope you will learn more about  alternative medicine either by reading the post, watching the videos (bellow in the post), participating (answer the poll at the end), going to other websites to find more information or leaving a comment. Let be interactive and explore all the forms that information can take to inform you, my dear reader.   

 

 A center for an alternative

 

I started my journey wondering how “traditional’ medicine answers to those who doesn’t belive any more in it. As  everyone I started by googling alternative medicine. I found that the National Institute for Cancer evaluates the impact, the efficiency of such therapies by conducting scientific studies. As a scientist working at UCLA I wondered whether UCLA had to offer: either to patients or by doing studies to establish the potential of such treatments.   

 

UCLA has a Center for East and West Medicine. I went there to find out more about the center. Dr Malcom Taw and Suzie Lee answered my questions about the center and Eastern medicine. This center exists since 1993 offering Chinese medicine for those in pain, depressed, stressed or when traditional approaches have failed. The center is based on a combination of the best of both medicines.  As Lee enlightened ” Eastern medicine needs western medicine and western medicine needs eastern medicine’.  Like the Yin and the Yang. In order word medicine is entering a new word: integrative medicine is the way to go ie combining different approaches.   

 

However she regrets that some patients may not be able to benefit from their approach, mostly those is financial difficulties as many health insurance companies don’t offer it. As Lee pointed out, “it should be a primary care. And not what people try after they tried everything else.” If you want to know more about the center: http://www.cewm.med.ucla.edu or if you want to find how and which insurances are covering Chinese medicine: http://www.daan.com/alternative-therapy-insurance-and-you/ 

 

The Center for East and West Medicine at UCLA the clinic of the last resort?     Dr. Malcom Taw, M.D. Assistant Professor and Suzie Lee, nurse, both working at Center for East and West Medicine

Even though mentalities are changing referring patients to chinese medicine is still difficult.  Dr. Meeyro Choe, M.D. fellow at UCLA, and her family employ Chinese medicine. However she still have conflicting thoughts when referring a patient.  

 

Alternative medicine well named?   

Meeyro Choe, M.D. fellow at UCLA. 

 

 

Your opinion

 

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My Conclusion

After this journey I am convinced that other alternative exits,that the future of medicine lies in integrative medicine i.e a combination of multiple and different approaches. Everyone should found what works the best for each of us. But once again the key words: BE INFORMED when you take a decision.

 

[Via http://frenchtouchinscience.wordpress.com]

Hope...

Some time ago, I had received en email from a website, NewDoctor.com.  It was written that they had recently ran a poll asking the professionals listed what online informational resources they use to keep up to date or even to simply find great information. It many of their users had labeled my blog as an excellent source of Medical information. They had decided to make my blog as part of our top medical blogs and award me with a Top Medical Blogs award banner. This had really give me encouragement and support… Lately, again, I received a wonderful news…
Another foreign website had listed my blog as one of the “Top 50 Blogs for Holistic Health and Wellness”. It provides people with ideas, thoughts and spirits different from those of Western Medicine. It also contain information about healthy treatment and health care. The Top 50 blogs listed there were categories into 10 groups, with one of them is for Traditional Chinese Medicine. My blog was listed in this category. It had commented my blog as a site providing health information including information about Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture. From these two notifications, I had an inspiration: “True and Traditional Chinese Medicine has a wide range of market, where it is popularly accepted by Western countries. “ I was also deeply impressed by people’s urgent desire to seek for knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine. I do hope that the launching of my new personal website – http://YeSenAcupuncture.com can bring more comprehensive information on Traditional Chinese Medicine, and helping  everyone to be healthy.

New Book Release

I am thrilled to announce the release of my new book, Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine for Women’s Health: Bridging the Gap Between Western and Eastern Medicine.

The book demystifies and explains acupuncture.  It describes how the body works and how it  benefits from Traditional Chinese Medicine.  Your body is like a circuit board with all of the organ systems connecting; treatment opens up the flow of energy through your body and blood so that the body and mind work optimally and in balance.

My book discusses nutrition, diet, and lifestyle, all which contribute to imbalances and disease.  Our bodies are often exhausted and toxic and these crucial issues are under addressed in Western medicine.

We need to educate doctors to better help their patients.

We need to bridge the gap and improve the healthcare for women.

We need to help ourselves and our daughters from these issues…Your first wealth is your health!

To learn more, please click on the “New Book Release” tab above, and to read a chapter or buy my book, please visit my website: www.orangecountyacupuncture.com

Here’s to your health!

Prescription: Spa

I am fortunate enough to work in an industry that accepts alternative healing remedies as gospel and encourages participation in indulgences such as beautification and stress relief.

Science tells us that an estimated 90% of our maladies are stress-related, and yet many continue to view the spa as a frivolous luxury. If a traditional spa therapy such as massage has been clinically documented to reduce stress, why, then, do we not proactively treat our troubles?

I would like to share a story about a spa guest who understood the value of the healing spa environment. Andrea was diagnosed with breast cancer and had just finished her last round of chemotherapy when she walked into the spa. Her doctor recommended that she incorporate various stress-reducing activities into her daily life so that her body would, in turn, continue to heal itself without distraction. As most would, she turned to the spa for regular massage therapies.

In today’s spa world (fortunately for Andrea!) most spas are also true wellness centers, and can therefore provide even more support than at first glance. Because Andrea was so forthcoming with her intentions and goals for visiting the spa, she was recommended other expertly acknowledged stress reducing disciplines such as meditation, Yoga, and acupuncture.

Having been an athlete much of her life, Andrea recognized the value in cross-training, and applied that same concept in her recovery. She started taking private Yoga sessions and working with a massage therapist and acupuncturist weekly. After 4 weeks, I received a call from her doctor, who was very carefully monitoring her condition, thanking me for our dedication and special attention to his patient. I assured him that her progress had everything to do with her dedication to making stress-reduction a priority in her life.

Clearly this stress-reduced living has its merits, but for many who are time-starved in this stressful world, adding another ‘to do’ to the list seems very Catch22-ish. Unfortunately, it often takes a ‘have to’ situation to nudge us in the right direction. Andrea’s situation, however extreme, demonstrates the importance of incorporating stress-reducing elements into our daily lives for the betterment of our general health. Identifying wellness centers is as easy as a Google search, yet some of the most well known healing centers exist as destinations (Miraval, Canyon Ranch, Golden Door).

While it’s important to maintain a stress-free life, you can jumpstart this by scheduling a week or more in some of these reputable places, all while being monitored by medical doctors. Whichever wellness path you take, remember that your goal is to make you feel better for your greater good, and though it may feel indulgent and extravagant, it doesn’t lessen the therapeutic benefits of stress management.

The fact that stress management via the spa environment is increasingly more accepted by the medical community speaks volumes; are you listening?

How do you manage your stress on a daily basis?

The Benefits of Cupping Therapy For Fibromyalgia

Just as it is important to know what medical treatments will be most beneficial to treating your fibromyalgia symptoms, it is equally important to know what alternative therapies can offer you relief. Why? Unlike medications, the vast majority of alternative therapies do not cause negative side effects.

There are different alternative remedies that have effectively alleviated pain in some fibromyalgia sufferers. One such therapy that has become a popular treatment for fibromyalgia sufferers is known as cupping therapy.

What is cupping therapy? Cupping therapy is an adapted form of traditional Chinese medicine that involves applying glass cups to the skin to help alleviate pain, expel toxins, and restore proper circulation to the body. Each glass cup acts as a vacuum through the use of heat or a suction pump. The cups are positioned on a variety of specific trigger points (the same as those used in acupuncture) on the body, and are typically left on the body for ten – fifteen minutes.

There are two main types of cupping therapy used:1. Massage cupping – During treatment, the glass cups are moved in a massage pattern around the skin to help massage sore joints and muscles.2. Stationary cupping – During treatment, glass cups are applied to the skin and not moved until the end of the session.

How is a cupping session performed? A cupping session is generally performed using the following tools: glass cups, cotton balls, rubbing alcohol, candles and matches. Each of these tools is applied during a session as follows:

- A cotton ball is soaked in alcohol and lit on fire by a burning candle- A vacuum is created inside a glass cup by holding the lit cotton ball inside the cup.- Once the vacuum is created the cotton ball is removed and the cup is immediately applied to the designated acupuncture point on the skin.- Four-six cups are applied during a session and are not left on the skin for longer than fifteen minutes.

Although a cupping session may sound painful, it is nothing of the sort. In fact, usually the only thing a person feels is a slight suction where each cup is placed. After a session, you may have circular red marks on your skin from the cups. These red marks will fade and are a sign that the cupping therapy has successfully increased the blood flow within your body.

How does cupping benefit fibromyalgia? After each session, patients usually report feeling deeply relaxed, and their specific target cupping areas feel light and agile. This is due to the fact that cupping works to improve circulation, helps release toxins form the body, and promotes quicker healing of muscles, tendons and ligaments.

Other benefits reported by fibromyalgia sufferers include:- Relief from pain or stiffness in the muscles and tissues- Reduction of painful trigger points- Improves flexibility in muscles and overall range of motion- Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety- Relieves stress

Cupping is a safe treatment for fibromyalgia sufferers as it does not aggravate their condition.

You should not perform cupping treatment on your own, nor should you let a person not qualified. If you are interested in finding a cupping therapist, the best place to start your search is at local spas or holistic treatment centers. It's also a good idea to ask your massage therapist about cupping therapy. If you don't have a massage therapist, try searching online by using your city and “cupping therapy” as the main keywords.

Next just head on over to Eliminating Fibromyalgia to sign up for a FREE newsletter and to discover other suggestions for relieving and treating fibromyalgia symptoms naturally.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jane_Thompson
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Benefits-of-Cupping-Therapy-For-Fibromyalgia&id=494751

Chinese Medicine, Nutritional Cleansing, and Mind-Body Wellness

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can further assist in weight loss, in addition to a sound, healthy diet, regular exercise, and nutritional cleansing. Although acupuncture was first popularized in the United States in the 1960s (though Chinese laborers were utilizing acupuncture while building railroads and while working in western coal mines as early as the mid-1800s), it was not noticeably recognized as an efficacious healing modality until the early 1970s.

Along with the additional scientific research demonstrating the effectiveness of Chinese medicine, many in the US began paying greater attention to the positive contributions of this medicine beginning in the early 1990s. Since then, acupuncture and Chinese medicine have been used as reasonable–and increasingly popular–alternatives to treat many health-related issues and disorders, including pain syndromes, depression, insomnia, weight loss, and even addictions and drug abuse.

The theory behind acupuncture for weight loss is that it may help to control appetite, reduce cravings, eliminate excess water retention, promote circulation, and stimulate the pituitary gland to burn off extra calories. In addition, acupuncture can help to address the emotional issues that very often underlie eating disorders. Also, Chinese herbs, specifically, are an energetic medicine that can help with stabilizing metabolism and thereby reduce food cravings. Importantly, however, Chinese herbal prescriptions should be customized only by a trained and knowledgeable Chinese medicine practitioner, to fit an individual’s unique life circumstance and bodily constitution.

Acupuncture “points”–the specific locations acupuncturists utilize when determining treatment–are located on both the body and within the ears. Ear, or auricular, acupuncture usually is applied for weight loss and, if needed, detoxification. Five tiny, hair-thin needles are placed in both ears corresponding to specific body organs such as lung, kidneys, liver, and the nervous system.

Other points can be selected for relaxation because, according to scientific research, acupuncture stimulates the production of endorphins, a natural pain-killer or “feel good” chemical that can help to fight cravings for carbohydrates, decrease appetite, and reduce withdrawal symptoms in the case of addiction.

The All About Wellness Weight Loss Program is individualized to fit the patient’s unique life situation and regularly incorporates the scientifically-formulated Isagenix Nutritional Cleansing System. If you are deemed a suitable candidate, our 9-Day, 30-Day, or Total Health and Wellness Program Cleanse may be suggested as an important part of your weight loss program. One very positive by-product of nutritional cleansing and liver detoxification is the losing of undesirable weight, in many of our committed patients.

In short, when one is continually exposed to the barrage of toxins in our air, food, and water, toxins are absorbed into the body and isolated by the body’s fat cells. This isolating of toxins within the body is the body’s very intelligent attempt to prevent the free distribution of harmful substances. Weight gain due to increased fat supply is noted. When we detoxify and nutritionally cleanse the body at the cellular level, the body no longer requires the protection of its fat-level defense and therein excess weight very often is removed.

It is always important to remember that healthy weight loss always combines proper exercise and healthy diet, in addition to needed clinical treatments and support in order to achieve a sustainable result. Although our weight loss program may incorporate the proven Isagenix Nutritional Cleansing System, it is important to remember that there are no “quick fixes” or shortcuts to losing excess weight. The patient must be committed to following the program guidelines and be an active participant in their cleansing.