July 2004 [Volume 3, Issue 7]

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:

• Herbal Formula Soothes Irritable Bowels
• Herb of the Month: Flaxseed
• Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights from the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum

Herbal Formula Soothes Irritable Bowels

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder in which the bowel, or large intestine, does not function normally. In cases of IBS, the nerves and muscles of the bowel are unusually sensitive, and may cause the bowel to contract too much after eating. While it does not necessarily damage the bowel, IBS can cause cramping, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, and other symptoms that can severely affect a person's quality of life.

A new study published in the latest issue of the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine has found that an herbal decoction can relieve or reduce most of the symptoms of IBS, in many instances for up to six months or longer. In the study, 60 people (31 men, 29 women) with irritable bowel syndrome were treated with an herbal formula consisting of codonopsis, atractylodes rhizome, poria, psoralea fruit, evodia, siler root, tangerine peel, ash bark, and cardamom. The formula was given twice daily as a decoction, and modified to include other ingredients, depending on the patients' accompanying symptoms, such as constipation and abdominal pain.

The formula was found to be "markedly effective" in 43 patients, meaning that the clinical signs of irritable bowel syndrome disappeared completely, and the subjects had normal bowel movements daily, with normal results in fecal tests for at least half a year after taking the decoction. Improvement in symptoms and bowel movement was seen in another 11 patients. Altogether, the herbal formula had an effectiveness rate of 90 percent.

Herb of the Month: Flaxseed

Flax is one of the oldest cultivated plants in history. The seeds of the flax plant have been used therapeutically for thousands of years. As far back as the first century, Pliny the Elder listed more than two dozen remedies that included flaxseed, for conditions ranging from constipation to inflammation. It is still listed in the official Chinese pharmacopeia as a treatment for constipation and dry skin. In Europe, it is used as a laxative and to reduce skin inflammation. The German Commission E has approved the use of flaxseed (internally) for chronic constipation, gastritis, enteritis, and to treat colons damaged by overuse of laxatives.

The main ingredient in flaxseed is an oil, which contains several essential fatty acids, including linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid. Research has shown that flaxseed oil may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and in some cases, may be a possible replacement to fish oil for people who are allergic to fish. Although it is not used in cooking, some people use small amounts of flaxseed oil, and occasionally whole flaxseeds, on salads or vegetables to add flavor and for dietary purposes.

Flaxseeds are available whole and dried, or ground as a powder for use in decoctions and poultices. Flaxseed and flaxseed oil are safe when taken as directed; however, while there are no drug interactions with flaxseed, its absorptive properties may prevent some drugs from being absorbed into the body properly. As always, make sure to consult with a licensed health care provider before taking flaxseed, flaxseed oil, or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement.

To learn more about the benefits of herbal medicine, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com/herbcentral.

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 had radiation therapy for throat cancer in early 2002. My salivary function was impaired. I was advised at M.D. Anderson Cancer Clinic that there has been some work with acupuncture to restore some salivary function. Do you have any experience or know of anyone who has provided successful treatment?

Answer: Any qualified practitioner (licensed and/or certified) can help restore this function, given he/she can identify the dysfunction from a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) standpoint. Use the "Acupuncture Locator" icon above, or visit the NCCAOM's website (www.nccaom.org) to find a practitioner near you.

Question #2: Recently, my husband was diagnosed with 60 percent loss of his hearing in the right ear. After an MRI and blood work, they told him the damage was permanent, and he would just have to live with the irritating ringing in his ear forever. It is driving him crazy. I just thought about acupuncture and whether it would help him; I would do anything to help him.

Answer: Results with acupuncture treatment for tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, are mixed. Some people are able to be helped, regardless of the Western diagnosis. If it is possible, your husband should have 10 or 12 acupuncture treatments for his condition to determine if it will respond.

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.