tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124Thu, 04 Mar 2010 01:22:58 +0000Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine: latest acupuncture research, news, thoughts.http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/noreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)Blogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-7800828991833803549Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:20:00 +00002010-03-04T14:22:58.401+13:00acupuncturedepressionpregnancyA new and largest study to date published in Obstetrics & Gynecology confirms acupuncture to be effective for pregnancy depression. Meanwhile another study examining antidepressant use in pregnancy says they may affect brain development of the fetus. Since 2008 NZ Medsafe has been warning that SSRI antidepressant use in pregnancy may increase the risk of congenital abnormalities, and that in http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2010/02/depression-during-pregnancy-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-8076647688509656209Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:54:00 +00002010-02-20T20:23:22.686+13:00acupuncturefemale infertilitypain reliefNew Zealandacupuncture meridiansIVFMedical researcher Dr Shaun Holt used to belong to New Zealand skeptic society, an organisation known for being critical of acupuncture. Dr Holt reviewed a lot of research on natural medicine and as a result has changed his opinion about some of the natural medicines. Yesterday he appeared on TV endorsing acupuncture as very safe and effective treatment for back pain, headaches and improving http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/10/skeptic-doctor-endorses-acupuncture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-8803755721666018933Tue, 15 Dec 2009 22:18:00 +00002010-01-28T20:21:00.631+13:00acupuncturedepressioninsomniaanxietyThe largest study on acupuncture and insomnia to date found acupuncture to be more effective than orthodox sleeping medications in improving your sleep and relieving insomnia. The researchers also found that combining acupuncture with medication was more beneficial than medication alone. Acupuncture plus herbs also improved sleep better than herbs alone. This study (meta-analysis) included 46 http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/12/acupuncture-for-insomnia.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-3760016897886190625Thu, 09 Jul 2009 08:43:00 +00002009-07-09T20:56:12.983+12:00Chinese medicineendometriosisChinese herbal medicine following laparoscopic surgery in Endometriosis patients achieved better symptom controll compared to conventinal medication danazol and was comparable to gestrinone. Furthermore, it the patients taking Chinese medicine reported fewer side-effects. The pregnancy rate was similar with either treatment. Andrew Flower, PhD, of Southampton University in Ringmer, England, http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/07/edometriosis-chinese-medicine-superior.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-3317887564668003888Mon, 27 Apr 2009 08:49:00 +00002009-04-27T23:03:10.603+12:00acupunctureinflammationstressanxietyasthmaI don't see many asthma sufferers in my clinic. I do see many patients affected by stress, anxiety and depression. Some of these patients also suffer from asthma and often tell me that their asthma improves significantly following acupuncture treatment. I used to get surprised by this, as studies on acupuncture and asthma provide mixed results.Now at last I think I found an explanation for this. http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/04/asthma-and-stress-link-explains-how.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-8225160156210881068Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:28:00 +00002009-03-18T15:10:27.221+13:00acupuncturefemale infertilityinfertilityIVFAmong the good strategies of dealing with stress of infertility and IVF (apart from acupuncture, of course!) is getting more information about your condition and what you can do.Another one is reading stories of people who have been in your situation. I can recommend you a couple of good books.One, The Infertility Cure, is on acupuncture and infertility, but it also gives you a good roundup of http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/02/fertility-ivf-and-acupuncture-books.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-2001029945129426481Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:54:00 +00002009-02-27T15:20:46.057+13:00acupuncturehayfeverallergic rhinitisA seriously large controlled trial on acupuncture and allergic rhinitis or hay fever was performed in Germany by Charité University.4,743 of 5,237 patients suffering from allergic rhinitis patients received 15 acupuncture sessions. 494 patients were assigned to control group.The researchers used Rhinitis Quality of Life Questionnaire evaluate the results after three and six moths following the http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/02/acupuncture-hay-fever.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-338568116419346010Sat, 21 Feb 2009 05:27:00 +00002009-11-25T16:02:16.028+13:00acupuncturecarpal tunnelA group of researchers from Department of Neurology, Kuang Tien General Hospital in Taiwan decided to compare the efficacy of acupuncture and steroid treatment in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.They found acupuncture to be as effective as steroids and improved symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling, weakness and clumsiness. Acupuncture improved sleep and was significantly better than http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/07/acupuncture-carpal-tunnel.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-8420230844185497861Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:56:00 +00002009-02-18T21:28:27.513+13:00neck painpain reliefcochraneQuality science supporting the acupuncture use for neck pain is catching up with the practice. A systematic review by scientists from Cochrane collaboration confirmed that acupuncture is significantly more effective than sham acupuncture for neck pain relief.The scientists from Southern California University performed nine meta-analyses. Seven of them yielded positive results.The systematic http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/02/acupuncture-for-neck-pain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-9024629639465120688Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:43:00 +00002009-02-21T15:16:03.646+13:00acupuncturepregnancydiabetesElectro-acupuncture restores learning and memory impairment induced by both diabetes mellitus and cerebral ischemia in rats, conclude researchers from Beijing.Previous studies have shown electro-acupuncture can improve peripheral neuropathy and diabetic encephalopathy. If you are suffering from diabetes, acupuncture is a word to remember!Recent studies have shown maternal diabetes to be linked http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/02/acupuncture-diabetes-acupuncture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-2661145061690056271Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:57:00 +00002009-02-03T11:12:01.245+13:00Polycystic Ovary Syndromeweight lossIn a study published in the current issue of International Journal of Obesity, researchers found acupuncture was effective and significantly reduced body weight in obese patients. The researchers compared acupuncture to placebo or sham treatments. Acupuncture also showed more improved outcomes than conventional medication.My comment: Maintaining optimal weight for otherwise healthy individuals http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2009/01/acupuncture-weight-loss.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-4001471805730884848Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:34:00 +00002009-07-22T19:45:39.046+12:00acupuncturepain reliefsurgeryUS Air Force doctors will have a new medical weapon in their arsenal: acupuncture. Military physicians, pleased with the success of treating wounded troops at home, will begin teaching battlefield medics how to fight severe or chronic pain by inserting tiny acupuncture needles under soldiers’ skin, the Baltimore Sun reports.“This is one of the fastest pain attenuators in existence,” a surgeon http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/12/acupuncture-pentagons-new-weapon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-2695765355718909723Tue, 25 Nov 2008 23:22:00 +00002008-11-26T13:21:32.445+13:00acupunctureheadachemigraineAcupuncture is superior medication therapy for headaches. Acupuncture is more effective than sham acupuncture (fake acupuncture or placebo) in reducing headache intensity and frequency. More people respond to acupuncture than to medication. These are the conclusions of this massive systematic review, which included 31 studies on acupuncture for chronic headache, including migraine and http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/11/acupuncture-for-headaches-and-migraines.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-8319512144278869099Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:44:00 +00002008-08-02T23:37:27.830+12:00acupuncturedepressionIf you are in New Zealand, you may have read the article on stuff.co.nz titled "Needles ease depression". The article cites a small Australian study, which shows that acupuncture can effectively relieve severe depression. A quick web search has shown that the results of this particular study, even though quite dramatic, are still preliminary. The study is not completed yet. I did a bit more http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/06/acupuncture-depression.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-9222660440684812876Tue, 03 Jun 2008 03:49:00 +00002008-12-15T12:05:13.763+13:00acupunctureneck painpain reliefsurgeryneck musclesIt is hard to quantify the effect of acupuncture. This is why this study reported by scientists from Cancer Center in New York is so interesting.After four weeks, 39 percent of neck surgery patients who got acupuncture reported improvements in pain and mobility, compared with only 7 percent in people who got typical care. This means that a patient after neck surgery and radiotherapy is five http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/06/acupuncture-five-times-better-than.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-3348636689417053228Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:18:00 +00002008-03-11T18:44:53.211+13:00performanceacupuncturesport acupunctureAcupuncture can improve cyclists performance, Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine reports.Acupuncture gave higher RPE scores.  And the higher RPE scores gave lower time and VAS scores. Have I confused you? In other words, the cyclists receiving acupuncture before the 20km ride achieved greater levels of exertion, cycled faster and had less pain.Image by iainrhttp://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/03/acupuncture-improves-athletic.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-840024352035829525Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:20:00 +00002008-04-08T18:42:24.379+12:00acupunctureneck painpain reliefneck musclesmanual therapyManual therapy, mobilisation and acupuncture are better choices for managing most common neck pain than many current practices, a seven year study finds.Researchers conclude that neck collars and ultrasound are not recommended. Corticosteroid injections and surgery should only be considered if there is associated pain, weakness or numbness in the arm, fracture or serious disease.Reference: http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/02/7-year-neck-pain-study-acupuncture-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-7366638076374011519Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:20:00 +00002008-06-12T16:21:48.279+12:00placeboacupuncturedepressionAcupressurecancerPeople exhausted by chemotherapy felt better and had the energy to walk to the shops and to socialise, so their quality of life improved significantly after six sessions of acupuncture in a study conducted by Alex Molassiotis, professor of cancer and supportive care at the University of Manchester.In this randomised placebo-controlled trial, the chemotherapy patients were randomly assigned tohttp://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2008/01/acupuncture-chemotherapy-cancer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-4730210463718363023Fri, 19 Oct 2007 01:03:00 +00002007-10-19T14:39:38.559+13:00acupuncturepain reliefsurgerynauseaside effectsDuke University Medical Centre in North Carolina analysed the results of 15 clinical trials on the effectiveness of acupuncture. The researchers concluded that patients getting acupuncture before or during various types of operations had significantly less pain afterwards than patients who did not get acupuncture.Acupuncture also reduced other side effects associated with the pain drugs and http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/10/acupuncture-surgery-less-pain-less.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-5183837660198258044Thu, 18 Oct 2007 23:30:00 +00002007-10-19T13:53:00.540+13:00Chinese medicinemenstrual crampsdysmenorrhea Chinese herbal medicine provides significant pain relief for women with menstrual cramps, researchers from University of Western Sydney show.Women with period pains are often offered either non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or oral contraceptives. Both of the options have drawbacks including the short and long term side-effects. Many women find these treatments don't work or that they http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/10/chinese-medicine-superior-to-drugs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-6091535626732045975Wed, 26 Sep 2007 21:37:00 +00002007-09-27T11:13:51.279+12:00acupuncturepain reliefback painI have mentioned to you before that acupuncture is more effective than conventional treatment for pregnancy back pain, that acupuncture relieves lower back pain long term and that you don't even necessarily need the needles, acupressure for back pain alone is more effective than conventional therapies. Now scientists from Germany have clearly spelled out that acupuncture is almost twice as http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/09/acupuncture-best-therapy-for-back-pain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-6382611900064607845Tue, 18 Sep 2007 05:45:00 +00002009-03-02T11:06:17.120+13:00acupuncturehayfever80 patients who participated in a acupuncture for hayfever study had a very long history of allergies and have tried almost everything. Half of them were receiving fake acupuncture, other half were receiving real acupuncture to rule out the placebo effect in this well designed study by World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre of Chinese Medicine at RMIT University.After eight weeks of http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/09/hayfever-acupuncture.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-771417304878787724Wed, 15 Aug 2007 03:34:00 +00002007-08-16T15:34:10.958+12:00acupunctureneck musclesmigrainehypertensionResearchers at University of Leeds, UK, have found a direct neural connection between neck muscles and a part of the brainstem (called the nucleus tractus solitarius), which plays a crucial role in regulating heart rate and blood pressure. (The Journal of Neuroscience)This finding could explain why blood pressure and heart rate sometimes change when the neck muscles are injured - through whiplashhttp://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/08/bad-posture-blood-pressure-and-migraine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-5451110907944736274Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:56:00 +00002008-06-04T12:23:40.564+12:00acupunctureHPCA Actacupuncturistsacupuncture regulation/registration/lawNew ZealandThis Wednesday New Zealand Minister of Health has approved acupuncture as an additional profession for inclusion in the scope of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act (HPCAA) 2003.Once acupuncturists are regulated and required to be registered, the standard of acupuncture in New Zealand will significantly improve. Currently one does not need any formal qualification to practice http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/08/acupuncture-to-be-regulated-under-new.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7524124.post-4561531799487209351Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:29:00 +00002007-08-04T12:57:14.037+12:00Chinese medicineeczemaResearchers from Hong Kong confirmed that Chinese medicine effectively relieve eczema in children. 42 kids who took the Chinese medicine had their eczema improved and their use of corticosteroids was reduced. Other 43 kids suffering from eczema took a placebo did not observe the same effect.The paper was published in the August issue of the British Journal of Dermatology.The Chinese medicine (http://acupuncture.vitalis.co.nz/2007/08/chinese-medicine-relieves-eczema-in.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (vitalis.co.nz)0