Scientists Discover How Acupuncture Eases Pain
June 10, 2010 by Caitlin Allen
Filed under Acupuncture, Pain
Last week, newspapers such as the Guardian and the Daily Mail described a research project in New York that has discovered that acupuncture triggers the release of natural painkillers in the body.
The researchers, headed by Maiken Nedergaard, gave regular acupuncture to mice with sore paws and found that after 30 minutes the mice felt less discomfort in their paws. Their theory is that the acupuncture needles caused local, small-scale tissue damage which stimulated cells to produce adenosine, an anti-inflammatory chemical, that was effective for up to an hour after the therapy was over. The team at Rochester Medical Centre believe that adenosine levels increased more than 20 fold and pain was eased by two-thirds.
This research contradicts the notion that acupuncture produces a placebo effect, as has been previously argued by Western medics and scientists.
Acupuncture Successful For Headaches
June 4, 2010 by Caitlin Allen
Filed under Acupuncture, Pain
Acupuncture is increasingly becoming known for its ability to alleviate headaches and migraine. A new study from Duke University in the US has found that acupuncture provided more relief than medication for people suffering with headaches.
I see a lot of people who complain of headaches and migraine. It is important to find out what each individual’s pain pattern is like. Some people may suffer from a ‘dull head’, others have tension that starts in the shoulders and creeps up the back of the neck, some have a ‘tightening or squeezing’ sensation around their head, some people have nausea and tiredness as main symptoms. The beauty of Chinese Medicine is that it is able to respond to individual symptoms, rather than offering a ‘one size fits all’ approach. It is for this reason that I think it works so well.
A usual course of treatment for headache or migraine would be 6 sessions and I would hope to see some signs of improvement after the first 2-3 treatments. Signs of improvement are either symptoms becoming less strong and eventually fading away completely or symptoms going and returning but the period of time between episodes becomes less and less until they stop completely.
Look at my testimonials from Anna and Sharon who describe their experience of acupuncture for headache.
Acupuncture To Aid Running And Recovery In Athletes
June 3, 2010 by Caitlin Allen
Filed under Acupuncture, Other health topics, Pain
A recent article in The Times Online highlighted what acupuncture may be able to offer to runners. Paula Radcliffe and other athletes like Maria Sharapova are acupuncture fans and use it to complement their training routines.
I have worked with a number of athletes who have had a variety of issues. The most common injuries involve the knee and ankle. Runners can be very anxious that they may not recover from the injury and be able to run again. Acupuncture offers a pain-free treatment which can help strengthen the tendons and sinews, support muscle and tissue repair, promote blood flow and reduce inflammation and alleviate pain.
I have also worked with some runners as part of their preparation for a marathon. The treatment has helped keep them strong and injury-free, has ensured their energy is good and has helped keep them calm. One person ran his personal best after an acupuncture session and put this down to the power of the needles!
Another recent study by Lin ZP, Lan LW, He TY, Lin SP, Lin JG, Jang TR, Ho TJ from MingDao Univrsity in Taiwan and published in the American Journal of Chinese Medicine looked at the effects of acupuncture stimulation on recovery ability of male elite basketball athletes.
Developing effective methods for helping athletes recover from muscle fatigue is deemed essential, particularly on the eves’ important competitions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on athletes’ recovery abilities. Subjects were selected from 30 male elite university basketball players who were randomly assigned to 3 groups: acupuncture group, sham group, and normal (control) group, each containing 10 subjects. Acupuncture was carried out on each athlete in acupuncture group on two acupoints, beginning at 15 min prior to exercise and continuing until exhaustion of the subject. Similar acupuncture was also carried out on each athlete in the sham group but the positions were 1 cm away from the acupoints. No acupuncture was conducted on the athletes in the normal group. During the experiments, each subject performed separate runs on the treadmill. The data of heart rate (HR(max)), oxygen consumption (VO(2max)), and blood lactic acid were measured during the rest period and at 3 recovery points of time (5th, 30th and 60th min) post-exercise. The results showed that the acupuncture group (PC6 and ST36) has significantly lower HR(max), VO(2max) and blood lactic acid than both the sham and normal groups at the 30th min post-exercise. Blood lactic acid of the acupuncture group was also significantly lower than that of the other two groups in the 60th min post-exercise. The reserachers concluded that their findings have shed some light on the development of effective acupuncture schemes to enhance the recovery ability for elite basketball athletes.
Don’t Cut Umbilical Cord Too Quickly
June 2, 2010 by Caitlin Allen
Filed under Fertility and Pregnancy
New research has found that the current practice of cutting the umbilical cord within the first minute after birth may not be as advantageous as delaying that procedure. Valuable stem cells are transported as well as general blood which can help prevent later illnesses and reduce the likelihood of anaemia developing.
Read more from the Daily Telegraph.
New Horizons For PGD and PGS
May 28, 2010 by Caitlin Allen
Filed under Fertility and Pregnancy
Mr Stuart Lacey, Consultant Gynaecologist at Hammersmith Hospital has written about the latest developments in the field of preimplantation genetic analysis in the latest newsletter from the British Fertility Society.
“At the same time that scientific advances continue to progress, changes in regulation and service delivery are bringing this technology to an increasing number of patients. Although we are approaching the twentieth anniversary of the first PGD pregnancies, there are still a relatively small number of PGD cycles performed in the UK. Recent changes in legislation by the HFEA have resulted in the publication of a ‘list’ of conditions for which PGD is licensed. Applications are now available on-line, with the whole process being simplified and streamlined.
Previously PGD was delivered in the UK by IVF units in close collaboration with a genetics service that was usually on site. This was in contrast to the United States where the PGD was performed in hub genetics clinics serving a satellite system of IVF units. This helped conquer the problems of geography and provided an economy of scale that resulted in more diagnosis being available to more patients within a shorter time-frame. Such units have now become established in the UK and there is a potential now for patients to be treated much closer to home , with their biopsied embryonic cells being couriered to the genetics centre for analysis, and the results emailed back to the local treatment team. Agreed standard operating procedures for counselling, consent and communication should lead to easier access and significant savings in time, cost and convenience.
Most cycles (in the past) have been performed using fluorescent in-situ hybridisation for up to 9 chromosomes analysed at either the polar body or blastomere stage. Current evidence has not shown any benefit to patients using this technique. Newer approaches analysing the entire chromosomal complement are currently under evaluation. Preliminary data is beginning to emerge but what is really needed is an adequately powered prospective randomised controlled trial.”