AcupunctureToday.com | To Your Health Newsletter

This issue features a number of articles you will want to share with your family, friends and co-workers. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to them via e-mail. If you have received this e-mail newsletter from someone else, you may subscribe free of charge and begin receiving your own copy by going to:

A National Institutes of Health consensus panel recently concluded that acupuncture was effective in relieving or decreasing pain resulting from a variety of conditions, including headache, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome. While the NIH panel focused primarily on pain suffered by adults, a new report presented at a meeting of the World Congress of Anesthesiologists has found that acupuncture can also be used successfully to manage various types of pain in children.

In the report, researchers from Massachusetts presented data on 368 children (average age: 13.1 years) who received acupuncture treatments over a two-and-a-half year period. The children were usually treated once a week for approximately six weeks. Acupuncture was used to treat conditions ranging from pain in the back, shoulders, neck, and other areas. The researchers used an 11-point visual analog scale (VAS) to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment.

Of the 191 children who completed six treatment sessions, there was a reduction in mean VAS score from 8.3 prior to treatment to 3.3 at the end of treatment. There were no reported adverse effects or complications related to acupuncture.

The researchers noted that their results "suggest that acupuncture can have a significant positive effect in managing pediatric pain." They added that additional randomized studies will need to be conducted to assess the short- and long-term effects of acupuncture in children.

Reference

Lin YC, et al. Acupuncture for pediatric pain: less pain, more gain. Abstract #438. Presented at the 13th World Congress of Anesthesiologists, Paris, France, April 20, 2004.

Siegesbeckia is a small shrub native to eastern Asia. It is comprised of a large, greenish stem with green, ovoid-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers that are covered with sticky hairs. Its leaves secrete a sap-like substance which contains a compound similar to aspirin. Both the aerial parts and the sap are used in herbal preparations.

Siegesbeckia can be used either internally or externally. Externally, the sap is used to treat rheumatic pains and skin conditions like eczema. Internally, siegesbeckia has been used as a sedative and (with other herbs) to treat hypertension.

The typical dosage of siegesbeckia is between 6 and 15 grams, depending on the condition being treated. Dried, cut pieces of siegesbeckia stems and leaves are available at many herbal pharmacies and specialty stores, as are siegesbeckia extracts.

As of this writing, there are no known drug interactions with siegesbeckia; however. However, it should not be used by patients who have been diagnosed with deficient blood syndromes. As always, make sure to consult with a qualified health care provider before taking siegesbeckia or any other herbal product or dietary supplement.

References

Guo DA, Zhang ZG, Ye GQ, et al. Studies on liposoluble constituents from the aerial parts of siegesbeckia orientalis L. Yao Xue Xue Bao Apr 1997;32(4):282-5.
Hwang WJ, Park EJ, Jang CH, et al. Inhibitory effect of immunoglobulin E production by jin-deuk chal (siegesbeckia orientalis). Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol Nov 2001;23(4):555-63.
Kim MH, Lee JH, Won JH, et al. Inhibitory effect on immunoglobulin E production in vivo and in vitro by siegesbeckia glabrescens. Phytother Res Nov 2001;15(7):572-6.

Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum

The "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum provides a place for interested parties to ask questions about acupuncture and Oriental medicine and have them answered by a licensed acupuncturist. This month's questions:

Question #1: I want to ask you if acupuncture really helps in the treatment of depression and anxiety, and in which ways. Also, is it a painful technique?

Answer: It (acupuncture) helps by balancing the neurotransmitters that circulate through the nervous system. It is an imbalance of these chemicals that the body is supposed to manufacture that causes these symptoms, and the goal of drug therapy is to balance the same chemicals - only drug therapy has side-effects, and acupuncture treatment does not. Seven to 10 treatments is a therapeutic course; results usually appear sooner. It is not a standard treatment, and the sensation will vary from person to person. In general, it is not painful; at the most, irritating.

Question #2: I am having severe stiffness in the wrists, arms and hands, and have been seeing a chiropractor. I did have some relief for a bit, but it is back again. Would acupuncture be beneficial, and could you suggest one in my area?

Answer: As a doctor of chiropractic as well as a licensed acupuncturist, I can tell you that the two disciplines would work very well together. You can use the Acupuncturist Locator (www.acupuncturetoday.com/locator) to find a practitioner near you.

Have a question about acupuncture and Oriental medicine? Visit AcupunctureToday.com's "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum at www.acupuncturetoday.com/ask.

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May 2004 [Volume 3, Issue 5] To Your Health is brought to you by:

This issue features a number of articles you will want to share with your family, friends and co-workers. Please feel free to forward this newsletter to them via e-mail. If you have received this e-mail newsletter from someone else, you may subscribe free of charge and begin receiving your own copy by going to: www.acupuncturetoday.com/newsletter/TYH/subscribe.php In this issue of To Your Health: Children's Pain Eased With Acupuncture Herb of the Month: Damiana Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum Children's Pain Eased With Acupuncture A National Institutes of Health consensus panel recently concluded that acupuncture was effective in relieving or decreasing pain resulting from a variety of conditions, including headache, tennis elbow and carpal tunnel syndrome. While the NIH panel focused primarily on pain suffered by adults, a new report presented at a meeting of the World Congress of Anesthesiologists has found that acupuncture can also be used successfully to manage various types of pain in children. In the report, researchers from Massachusetts presented data on 368 children (average age: 13.1 years) who received acupuncture treatments over a two-and-a-half year period. The children were usually treated once a week for approximately six weeks. Acupuncture was used to treat conditions ranging from pain in the back, shoulders, neck, and other areas. The researchers used an 11-point visual analog scale (VAS) to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Of the 191 children who completed six treatment sessions, there was a reduction in mean VAS score from 8.3 prior to treatment to 3.3 at the end of treatment. There were no reported adverse effects or complications related to acupuncture. The researchers noted that their results "suggest that acupuncture can have a significant positive effect in managing pediatric pain." They added that additional randomized studies will need to be conducted to assess the short- and long-term effects of acupuncture in children. Reference Lin YC, et al. Acupuncture for pediatric pain: less pain, more gain. Abstract #438. Presented at the 13th World Congress of Anesthesiologists, Paris, France, April 20, 2004. Herb of the Month: Siegesbeckia Siegesbeckia is a small shrub native to eastern Asia. It is comprised of a large, greenish stem with green, ovoid-shaped leaves and small yellow flowers that are covered with sticky hairs. Its leaves secrete a sap-like substance which contains a compound similar to aspirin. Both the aerial parts and the sap are used in herbal preparations. Siegesbeckia can be used either internally or externally. Externally, the sap is used to treat rheumatic pains and skin conditions like eczema. Internally, siegesbeckia has been used as a sedative and (with other herbs) to treat hypertension. The typical dosage of siegesbeckia is between 6 and 15 grams, depending on the condition being treated. Dried, cut pieces of siegesbeckia stems and leaves are available at many herbal pharmacies and specialty stores, as are siegesbeckia extracts. As of this writing, there are no known drug interactions with siegesbeckia; however. However, it should not be used by patients who have been diagnosed with deficient blood syndromes. As always, make sure to consult with a qualified health care provider before taking siegesbeckia or any other herbal product or dietary supplement. To learn more about the benefits of herbal medicine, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com/herbcentral. References Guo DA, Zhang ZG, Ye GQ, et al. Studies on liposoluble constituents from the aerial parts of siegesbeckia orientalis L. Yao Xue Xue Bao Apr 1997;32(4):282-5. Hwang WJ, Park EJ, Jang CH, et al. Inhibitory effect of immunoglobulin E production by jin-deuk chal (siegesbeckia orientalis). Immunopharmacol Immunotoxicol Nov 2001;23(4):555-63. Kim MH, Lee JH, Won JH, et al. Inhibitory effect on immunoglobulin E production in vivo and in vitro by siegesbeckia glabrescens. Phytother Res Nov 2001;15(7):572-6. Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum The "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum provides a place for interested parties to ask questions about acupuncture and Oriental medicine and have them answered by a licensed acupuncturist. This month's questions: Question #1: I want to ask you if acupuncture really helps in the treatment of depression and anxiety, and in which ways. Also, is it a painful technique? Answer: It (acupuncture) helps by balancing the neurotransmitters that circulate through the nervous system. It is an imbalance of these chemicals that the body is supposed to manufacture that causes these symptoms, and the goal of drug therapy is to balance the same chemicals - only drug therapy has side-effects, and acupuncture treatment does not. Seven to 10 treatments is a therapeutic course; results usually appear sooner. It is not a standard treatment, and the sensation will vary from person to person. In general, it is not painful; at the most, irritating. Question #2: I am having severe stiffness in the wrists, arms and hands, and have been seeing a chiropractor. I did have some relief for a bit, but it is back again. Would acupuncture be beneficial, and could you suggest one in my area? Answer: As a doctor of chiropractic as well as a licensed acupuncturist, I can tell you that the two disciplines would work very well together. You can use the Acupuncturist Locator (www.acupuncturetoday.com/locator) to find a practitioner near you. Have a question about acupuncture and Oriental medicine? Visit AcupunctureToday.com's "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum at www.acupuncturetoday.com/ask. Unsubscribe Thank you for subscribing to To Your Health. If you have received this newsletter in error or wish to unsubscribe, you may remove your name from our e-mail subscription list at www.acupuncturetoday.com/newsletter/TYH/unsubscribe.php. Update your e-mail address To update the e-mail address your newsletter is sent to, click here. If you have any questions regarding your subscription, please complete this form at www.acupuncturetoday.com/newsletterhelp/TYH.