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HONG KONG (Reuters) - A study involving nearly 3,500 women in several countries suggests that Chinese herbs might be more effective in relieving menstrual cramps than drugs, acupuncture or heat compression.

Australia-based researchers said that Chinese herbs not only relieved pain, but also reduced the recurrence of the condition over three months, according to the Cochrane Library journal.

"All available measures of effectiveness confirmed the overall superiority of Chinese herbal medicine to placebo, no treatment, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), OCPs (oral contraceptive pill), acupuncture and heat compression," said lead author Xiaoshu Zhu from the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney.

The survey involved 39 trials -- 36 in China, and one each in Taiwan, Japan and the Netherlands. Participants given herbal concoctions were prescribed herbs that regulated their 'Qi' (energy) and blood, warmed their bodies and boosted their kidney and liver functions. Some of the herbs included Chinese angelica root (danggui), Szechuan lovage root (chuanxiong), red peony root (chishao), white peony root (baishao), Chinese motherwort (yimucao), fennel fruit (huixiang), nut-grass rhizome (xiangfu), liquorice root (gancao) and cinnamon bark (rougui).

In one trial involving 36 women, 53 percent of those who took herbs reported less pain than usual, compared with 26 percent in the placebo group.

Pain associated with menstrual cramps affects as many as 90% of women and teenage girls, leading to absences from school and work. While the cause is still under debate, it is believed to be linked to an imbalance in ovarian hormones.

Chinese herbal medicine has been safely used to treat menstrual related conditions for over 2,000 years. Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can alleviate the pain associated with menstrual cramps by releasing endorphins, the body’s own natural painkillers, and effecting the functioning of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. This ancient remedy can also improve the circulation of blood and lymphatic fluids, which bring fresh oxygen to body tissues. The increased oxygen flow eliminates waste products from inside the body and boosts the immune system. Chinese medicine has also been proved to decrease the stress hormone cortisol, lower blood pressure, reduce heart rate, and relax muscle tissue, making it a great option for those whose menstrual pain is exacerbated by stress.

American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a non-profit institution, has provided affordable, quality health care to the public and trained professionals in acupuncture and Chinese medicine since 1980. ACTCM has been the recipient of many awards for its curriculum, faculty and clinic, and has been voted “Best of the Bay” by both the San Francisco Weekly and the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

For more information on how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can treat menstrual cramps and other menstrual related pain, please call American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine at (415) 355-1601 x12.

By Valerie Hobbs, DiplOM, LAc

Dry Needling

“Dry needling,” or “Intramuscular Stimulation (IMS),” is a term that was developed to define the technique of placing an acupuncture needle into a muscle trigger point rather than injecting the trigger point with lidocaine or cortisone. It became known as a “dry” needle since nothing was injected. Insurance allows the billing of codes for injection therapy, regardless of whether or not anything was actually injected. PTs are using code 20522 trigger point injection for 2 or less areas at $180 and 20553 trigger point injection for three or more areas at $400. Some case law has established reasonable reimbursement for 20522 at $80-90. PTs are not billing for acupuncture.

Dr. Janet Travell did the pioneering work on injection of trigger points. In the 1980s, in the Los Angeles area, Travell taught seminars with chiropractors and acupuncturists in which acupuncturists demonstrated the use of acupuncture needles to deactivate trigger points. In the early 90s, Dr. Travell and Dr. David Simons lectured at Tri State college of Acupuncture. Mark Seem, acupuncturist, president of Tri-State and himself a published author of the technique, demonstrated how he could get the same response from using acupuncture or “dry’ needles. Dr. Simons has been teaching this technique since that discovery.

In British Columbia and in Europe respectively, Chan Gunn and Peter Baldry began teaching and writing about this technique. Chan Gunn’s initial articles in the 1970s stressed that many trigger points were close to or identical to acupuncture points. His belief was that Western practitioners would better accept the technique if the point locations were described in anatomical rather than traditional Chinese medical terms.

A Google? scholar search of “dry needling” produces over 2800 hits. Some of these articles describe dry needling and acupuncture as the same technique. However, PubMed includes a MeSH (Medical Subject Heading) term of “Acupuncture therapy” for many of the articles that distinguish dry needling as a technique that is separate from acupuncture. Whether or not the technique is acupuncture is highly debatable, even in the scientific literature.

More recently Jan Dommerholt, a leading researcher and proponent of the addition of dry needling to the scope of Physical Therapy, has published several articles describing the technique. He maintains that “trigger point dry needling does not have any similarities to acupuncture other than using the same tool.” Jan Dommerholt teaches the Travell Seminar Series through an organization called Myopain Seminars.

Proponents of the technique re-define traditional Chinese medicine as being based on a traditional system of energetic pathways and the goal of acupuncture to balance energy in the body. They emphasize the channel relationship of acupuncture points, de-emphasize or completely exclude the use of ASHI points, and emphasize that acupuncture is based on the energetic concepts of Oriental medicine diagnosis. They therefore define dry needling as different and distinct from acupuncture because it is based on Western anatomy.

PT Dry Needle Training

The main courses being offered in North America are through iSTOP in British Columbia (taught by Chan Gunn), and the Travell series through Myopain Seminars in Maryland.

Canadian physical therapists are required to show 2 years of musculo-skeletal experience and hold a certificate of acupuncture through a University of Alberta course in acupuncture for Western medical practitioners or an Intermediate Diploma of Manual Therapy from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association prior to attending the iSTOP 54-hour course in dry needling. American practitioners may travel to Canada and take the 54 hour course if they can show that dry needling is in their scope of practice. No other prerequisites are required.

The Travell Series is comprised of an 80 hour course on myofascial trigger points and a 36 hour course on dry needling. The course is designed for licensed healthcare practitioners including acupuncturists.

No standards are available for dry needling education, and no college of Physical Therapy has offered a course in dry needling to date. Georgia State University is set to offer a course in the doctor of physical therapy program in spring, 2008. Information about the course has not yet been released.

In Colorado, multiple people, including LAcs, are teaching courses in the technique to PTs. There is no standard curriculum. Some courses are reported to include more than needling of triggers points, such as the use of distal points and electro stimulation. To date, most courses in Colorado have excluded acupuncturists from attending them. The reason specified for the exclusion is that acupuncturists do not know enough anatomy.

Jurisdictions that have allowed the practice

Letters of inquiry about including dry needling under physical therapy scopes of practice began to surface in multiple state boards in the 2000s. State regulatory agencies in Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, Virginia and Colorado have issued policies that the technique is within the scope of practice of physical therapy. To my knowledge, no statutory authority has been granted to physical therapists to include the technique. This means that a Board is making a policy to include the technique by a rule, rather than the physical therapy profession having to sponsor and pass a bill that explicitly changes state physical therapy law. All of the rulings have clearly specified that “dry needling” is not acupuncture.

Several jurisdictions have ruled that dry needling is not within the scope of physical therapy. Hawaii, California, and Tennessee have flatly rejected the expansion of scope. In Hawaii and California, physical therapists may not invade the skin to apply therapy and therefore the technique was not included in their scope. Tennessee ruled that the practice is acupuncture.

Several countries throughout the world allow for the practice of “dry needling” by physical therapists. The countries include Canada, Chile, Ireland, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and the United Kingdom. It is interesting to note that no Asian country has adopted the idea that “dry needling” is not acupuncture.

Recent Events in Colorado

In 2005, the Physical Therapy Advisory Board heard a presentation by a Colorado physical therapist who graduated from the iSTOP course and began teaching courses in Colorado on dry needling. He asked the PT Board to issue a policy statement that dry needling was within the scope of practice of physical therapists. Without any notification to other healthcare practitioners who practiced acupuncture, and without any further study beyond the original presentation, the PT Board advised the director of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies to issue a policy statement that IMS or dry needling was in the scope of practice of physical therapy. In so doing the only requirements were “The Director expects physical therapists to obtain the necessary training prior to using IMS.” No certification would be required or monitored by the Colorado PT Board.

The Acupuncture Association of Colorado (AAC) began to receive complaints through its members whose patients reported that their PTs had done “acupuncture.” The AAC requested a hearing before the PT Board on the issue.

One of the unique problems in Colorado is a portion of the Acupuncture Practice Act. Colorado law defines acupuncture as:

1. The insertion and removal of acupuncture needles,
2. The application of traditional oriental adjunctive therapies, and
3. The application of heat therapies.

There are also exclusions in the Colorado Acupuncture Practice Act. Acupuncturists are excluded from utilize X-rays, MRIs, ultrasound, osteopathic medicine, chiropractic, and – mostly poignantly – “physical therapy as defined in [the Physical Therapy Practice Act] or therapies allowed as part of the practice of physical therapy.” Should “dry needling” remain as a technique under the Physical Therapy statute and be defined as “not acupuncture” Colorado acupuncturists would be prohibited from using the technique.

A rule-making hearing allowing the practice of “dry needling” under the physical therapy statue will be held in Colorado in October. Colorado acupuncturists intend to challenge such a rule through a process called a legislative review. A legislative review is a review conducted by legislative attorneys to ensure rulings do not create a conflict with existing statutes.

The National Commission for the Certification of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine will be sending a testing expert to the October hearing. Her testimony will present the 2003 Job Analysis survey by the NCCAOM that showed that 82% of acupuncturists use needling of muscle trigger points in their practice.

Issues for the Profession to Consider

Physical therapists have been very proactive in the research involving acupuncture of muscle triggers points and are well published. Acupuncturists have been virtually silent. In allowing the practice in British Columbia in 2001, the Health Profession Council under the Ministry of Health in British Columbia found that physical therapists were within their scope of practice to use an acupuncture needle for the treatment of pain. They also clearly stated that this was distinct from the practice of acupuncture under Traditional Chinese medicine since it did not include TCM diagnosisor any knowledge of the energetics involved in traditional acupuncture. They felt that to avoid confusion of the public, they would define the technique as distinct from acupuncture.

While the debate in Colorado may involve a catch-22 exclusion in the acupuncture act, practice acts in the rest of the country do not involve such conflicts. Once an accredited PT doctoral program graduates doctors of physical therapy who have been taught dry needling in the regular course of their curriculum, additional state legislatures will be looking at and inevitably allowing the practice by PTs.

The acupuncture profession needs to step forward to assert expertise over acupuncture techniques. Research on needling of muscular trigger points must be published, and a clear consensus that ASHI acupuncture is as much a part of our medicine as energetic acupuncture needs to be established.

We live in a modern world. Dommerholt and others describe the basis of meridian acupuncture as an “arcane” and ancient system that is cumbersome and not necessary to know to effectively relieve pain. Such researchers write as if acupuncturists do not integrate Western descriptions of anatomy, and integrate any advances based on Western science is not within the basis of our medicine. In the coming decade, acupuncturists must solidly emerge as practicing an integrated rather than complimentary medicine.

Valerie Hobbs, MSOM, Dipl OM, LAc, is a Colorado acupuncturist. She is the campus director and a full professor at Southwest Acupuncture College Boulder Campus. Dr. Hobbs is working with the Acupuncture Association of Colorado and the AAAOM on the “dry needling” issue.

It is estimated that as many as 43% of Americans have used or are currently using some form of complementary medicine, and that 1 in 10 Americans have tried acupuncture.

As a result of this increasing acceptance of and demand for complementary medicine, October 24 had been named North American Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Day (NAAOMD). NAAOMD is part of an effort to increase public awareness of the progress, promise, and benefits of acupuncture and Oriental medicine. This day is supported through a unique international partnership of organizations in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The partnership includes professional associations, research organizations, and educational institutions.

Some Striking Statistics:

• Nearly one out of every 10 adults in the U.S has tried acupuncture. 60% said they would readily consider acupuncture as a potential treatment option. (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine)
• An estimated 36% of U.S. adults use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Among the common CAM practices identified by the survey were acupuncture, acupressure, herbal medicine, tai chi and qi gong. (National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, a component of the National Institutes of Health)
• Fifteen percent of hospitals now offer Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies and almost 60% of medical schools offer courses in CAM. (American Hospital Association)
• Acupuncture has been cited by the World Health Organization (WHO) to treat over forty-three conditions. The 1997 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Consensus Conference on Acupuncture stated, “The data in support of acupuncture are as strong as those for many accepted Western medical therapies. One of the advantages of acupuncture is that the incidence of adverse effects is substantially lower than that of many drugs or other medial procedures used for the same conditions.” (WHO/NIH)

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine is beneficial for problems such as: pain, arthritis, asthma, upper respiratory conditions, digestive and urinary disorders, insomnia, depression, addictions and more. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine is beneficial for problems such as: pain, arthritis, asthma, upper respiratory conditions, digestive and urinary disorders, insomnia, depression, addictions and more.

For more information on North American Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine Day, or ACTCM’s Community Clinic and academic programs, please call (415) 355-1601 x12.

The Quality Control Crisis in China and Our Profession

Dr. Marcy B. Newman, DOM, MPH, RDH

During your last dental visit, did you experience some pangs of anxiety? Have you ever had a toothache and rummaged through your herbal stash for a more natural remedy? Do you or any of your acupuncture patients exhibit Temporal Mandibular Joint (TMJ) pain?

As a doctor of Oriental medicine and a veteran dental hygienist, I am on a mission to bridge the gap between acupuncturists and dental professionals. Acupuncturists, being holistically-minded and very well trained, still tend to have a minimal amount of training regarding dental conditions/imbalances as well as allopathic dental care (there are exceptions, of course). On the flip side, dental professionals being astute in their world, have little training and awareness of oriental medicine in general.

Let’s focus on the Oriental medical side of things, for the purposes of this article. As I did detailed research of acupuncture and herbs for dental conditions, it was astounding to see the depth and variety of dental tools we have in our bags! The following conditions have been treated or minimized with acupuncture and herbs in the literature: toothache, TMJ disorder, periodontal disease, tooth mobility, dental anesthesia and dental anxiety. I will address some of these.

The toothache syndrome seems at first clear cut, but actually can exhibit itself in a variety of Chinese Medical Diagnosis patterns. The most common, in my opinion, seems to be the Stomach Heat condition complete with a ravenous appetite, halitosis (bad breath), dry mouth, red tongue & yellow coat, rapid pulse and other related symptoms. The Qing Wei San formula¹ has been shown to clear this pronounced and uncomfortable condition. That same toothache might also have either a Yin Deficiency or a Wind-Cold component requiring either Yu Nu Jian² or perhaps a prepared formula by a reputable company such as Head Relief Formula³, respectively. Just remember, we may ease their pain, but a dental visit would be a very good idea, as well, if dental treatment is required.

Another common dental condition seen in our acupuncture clinics is TMJ disorder (TMD), complete with dull-achy or sharp pain in and around the ear, numbness and temporal headaches. It is astounding that “more than 10 million Americans have symptoms associated with TMD.”⁴ There are many theories as to Chinese Medical Diagnosis differentiation that include: Liver Qi Stagnation, Phlegm Stagnation, Qi and Blood Stagnation, Wind-Cold or Wind-Heat lodged in the channels, Liver Fire, Liver Wind, Exuberant Fire of the Heart and Stomach, Qi and Blood Vacuity, or Roundworm Harassing Internally.⁵ As a DOM and a dental professional, the majority of my TMJ acupuncture patients tend towards LR Qi Stagnation with Qi and Blood Yu. Your acupuncture point selection will be dictated by the exhibited pattern. Some of the best points used in most of these scenarios are the Stomach, Gallbladder, Small Intestine and San Jiao local points around the jaw and ear, in addition to various auricular therapy protocols, such as TMJ, Point Zero, Upper Jaw, Lower Jaw, and such.⁶

Holistic Dental Approaches

As an acupuncturist, you might want to use and refer your patients to our counterpart in dentistry - a holistic or biological dentist, who view the mouth as an integrated part of the entire body.⁷ Many of the procedures and philosophies adopted by this valuable set of professionals are not respected by Western-style dentists. One famous theory is that of amalgams (mercury fillings) being a harmful material that must be removed and excreted safely out of the body. The theory is that mercury is released during normal biological activity such as mastication (chewing) and bruxism (grinding) and travels to various parts of the body thus causing immune system disorder, brain deterioration and more. According to the American Dental Association, "Banning amalgam would deprive patients and dentists of an essential treatment option that is clinically and scientifically substantiated to be safe and effective."⁸ However, in Sweden, Germany and Austria they are choosing to ban or restrict the use of amalgams based on research that has been reviewed by European dental professionals.⁹

Prevention is Worth More than Gold

Lastly, prevention is often a crucial, yet undervalued part of dental health. Most conditions can be thwarted with oral hygiene care at home and regular professional dental cleanings in the office. The Kidney Jing factor does often play a role in the prevalence of periodontal disease and its association bacterial evils. I’ve discovered some pretty powerful alternatives for gum care which include: tea tree oil, myrrh, cinnamon, echinacea and green tea, to name a few! I have some recommendations, if you or your acupuncture patients are amongst the more than 80% of the population that do not or cannot adopt flossing to clean the interproximal spaces where periodontal disease can lurk. Toothpicks soaked in tea tree oil (found at your local health food store) can be a tremendous asset for disturbing plaque colonies which cause disease. Also, doing a rinse or Waterpik with cinnamon, tea tree oil and other natural astringents can be of additional benefit to the gum health.

Dusk has fallen on yet another Expo Event – Strength through Unification, held at the Portland Hilton, October 18-22, 2007. We always remark that each event grows stronger and better, and this year is no exception. Beyond the ever-increasing growth of our profession which naturally results in increasingly strong events, the 25th Anniversary of acupuncture and Oriental Medicine as an organized profession in the United States was rejoiced and celebrated collaboratively by the ACAOM, CCAOM, NCCAOM and the AAAOM.

Like the acknowledgments page of a good book, thanks and tributes for all those that contributed are in order. Each year major sponsors come forward and join the AAAOM in supporting the event. This year was no exception: AAC was again a Platinum sponsor, Kan Herb Company and Golden Flower Chinese Herbs were Gold sponsors and KPC Herbs our Bag sponsor. Our attendees may not be aware, but it is your contributions that heighten the amenities and pleasures we experience. Applause to Deborah Lincoln and her faithful conference committee for the eons of hours spent in executing and planning the event; the AAAOM staff for burning the midnight oil in the weeks preceding the conference; Karen Reynolds for the legions of effort given to compiling and honoring our Founders and Leaders in Volume I of this tribute; Marilyn Allen for planning and executing every last detail of our 25th Anniversary Gala – what a party it was!; Ellen Franklin, Donna Carry, Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo for captivating the crowds with singing, chanting and a pealing of Gongs to rejoice in what we have achieved and the open road of opportunity that lies before us; our own Student Organization for their overwhelming support; and our exhibitors – shall we say 63 in number – ahhhhh, the exhibit floor, where the best and finest of products serves and “deals” can be found; our speakers for contributing time and effort in the preparation and execution of your workshops that far outweighed the resources available to support your involvement; to NCCAOM, CCAOM and ACAOM for the hours of co-planning and shared expenses that contributed so significantly to our Gala celebration; and last and most importantly to you, our members and our community for participating and sharing your hard-earned resources by attending this event.

Pre-conference activities opened with a “second-year run” of the Chinese Medical Nomenclature debates, where linguistic experts and scholars discussed translation nuances – from origins to modernity, ranging from ancient Asian tongues to current languages. Miki Shima chaired the panel, with co-chair Dr. Shen and moderator Will Morris. Panelists included Dr. Bum-Sang Shim (the South Korean delegate to the WHO, Pacific Rim Region), Nigel Wiseman, Eric Brand, David Scrimgeour, Doreen Chen and Jeannie Kang.

Always a relevant topic, Ethics and Liability - led by Betsy Smith, Deputy Director of the NCCAOM, and Michael Taromina - generated lively discussion and attendee interaction until late in the evening.

In response to increasing activity pertaining to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) release of its Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing and AAAOM’s ongoing herbal activities, Claudette Baker moderated an informative discussion by the Herbal Update Panel of the impact of the new FDA regulations that included John Scott of Golden Flower Chinese Herbs, Michael McGuffin of the American Herbal Products Association and Mark Thoman.

In an activity the AAAOM uses to assess the pulse of myriad issues upon which our members and the profession place focus, conference attendees participated in a “Chart the Future of OM” session, led by Adam Burke and Chuck Anders. Hand-held input devices allowed participants to register opinions on a series of questions designed to focus AAAOM priorities for the coming year. Results were immediately displayed for discussion. Look for a follow-up report to be published in the next edition of The American Acupuncturist.

Always a favorite for the early risers, AAAOM Board member Bill Reddy led Qi Gong sessions each morning. Bob Duggan’s thought-provoking insights relayed his extensive experience and wisdom on approaching patients with a healing presence and the power of intention and clarity when practicing AOM. Heiner Freuhoff discussed the cosmological and alchemical roots of Chinese Medicine, while Susan Johnson shared her extensive knowledge of Master Tung’s Magic Points. Infertility and chronic viral pathogens such as HIV, Hepatitis C and Herpes were discussed by Miki Shima. Misha Cohen shared the Chinese herbs most effective in treating Endometriosis. Jamie Wu shared his thirty years of experience in an in-depth course on Ying-Wei theory and Honora Wolfe, spoke on starting an herbal pharmacy.

Saturday’s Awards Luncheon honored two Acupuncturists of the Year: Leslie Mcgee and Will Morris, Presidents Emeritus of the AAAOM and AAOM, respectively. The two were an inseparable team in leading the AAAOM reunification efforts, resulting in one of the most significant events in our quarter century history. This year the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) received the School of the Year Award for their administration’s trail-blazing efforts that resulted in the school’s investment of 101 new members in the AAAOM Student Organization as well as an equal number of student attendees at the annual event; OCOM also funded 50% of the students’ annual membership and attendance costs.

One of the conference’s highlights was the incredible 25th Anniversary Banquet hosted by Marilyn Allen. The semi-formal Gala began with a Gong Ceremony. Guests were then greeted personally in reception lines formed by current and former board-members of the ACAOM, CCAOM, NCCAOM and AAAOM. Each received a beautiful book filled with interviews by Karen Reynolds of Pioneers and Leaders of the AOM profession who created and promoted its foundation and growth in its quarter century journey in the U.S.; her contributions to this year’s event touched and embraced both the breadth of time and the expanse of their lives. This historical litany will progress forward with Volume II, as we continue to identify and chronicle this journey through uncharted territory.

A moment of silence and reverence touched the evening’s event as we honored the passing of one of our community’s younger practitioners: Evan Ross. In his short life, Evan left a lasting legacy to this profession, pioneering integrative medicine as the Director of Acupuncture Services for Los Angeles’ Cedars Sinai. Evan was to have teamed in teaching an 8-hour workshop on Integrative Medicine at this year’s event. His partner in this effort, Jeanette Painovich, went forward to teach the workshop through the collaboration and support of Tony Kuo, Director of Senior Health for the City of Los Angeles. Karen Reynolds has written a tribute in which she states: “For those of you who knew Evan Ross, you know all too well one mark of his character was that of sobering practicality in the face of extreme challenges. In the years of our friendship, I repeatedly witnessed his solidly grounded, placid countenance in the face of dire physical, spiritual and emotional circumstances. Not only was this approach present in treating his oncology patient population, but also with respect to those conditions which impacted him personally.”

The AAAOM is known for the diversity and depth of its classes, all designed to expand the horizons and knowledge base of the practitioner community the AAAOM serves. Other workshops taught at this year’s event included: Improving Health Outcomes, by Adam Burke; TCM Strategies for the Relief of Asthma in Children, by Christopher Huson; Diabetes – Treatment and Prevention with TCM, by Xiaotian Shen; Translation of Chinese Medical Terms by Nigel Wiseman; A Case Study of the Community Acupuncture Model by Jeffrey Weih; Codex Alimentarius by Jim Turner and Michael McGuffin; OM Doctoral Programs by Terry Courtney, et al; The Use of Complimentary and Alternative Medicine for Older Adults by Tony Kuo; Music of the Spheres: Sound Healing and OM by Donna Carey and Ellen Franklin; Pills, Powders and Tinctures by Honora Wolfe; Qi-Gong for Healing Heart and Mind – Parts I and II by Master Li Jun Feng; Acupuncture and TCM Treatments by Dr. Gu and translated by Christine Chang; Vision, Nutrition and OM by Marc Grossman, The Yellow Emperor Meets Freud and Piaget by Philip Kosdon; and a two-part Post-Convention workshop on Beauty, Health and Well-Being, with Part 1 taught by Amy Sear and Part II taught by Mary Elizabeth Wakefield and MichelAngelo. Additionally, AAAOM sponsored public tracks for our patient community for the first time: What is Acupuncture and OM; The Use of CAM for Older Adults; OM, Healthy Aging and Facial Renewal; and Breast Cancer and OM - taught by Jeanette Rockers, Tony Kuo, Mary Elizabeth Wakefield / MichelAngelo and Amy Sear, respectively.

Another significant highlight of this year’s event came through the magnitude of student involvement, both in depth of contribution and sheer numbers. Students attended from all over the country, with 118 registered from the Portland area alone. The AAAOM Student organization, AAAOM-SO, has accelerated its growth over the past year – up 139%. Student event highlights from this year’s Expo will be featured in the next Qi-Unity Report as well as in the Winter edition of The American Acupuncturist.

This year’s gathering was especially poignant, witnessing reunification between the AAOM and the AOM Alliance, as well as recognizing the culmination of 25 years’ effort and accomplishment among our community. The record-breaking attendance, the support of so many vendors and the participation of all the national AOM organizations was a tribute to how our profession has grown and thrived, promising a bright future.

AAAOM Activities Introduction: September 2007

In the past month the AAAOM office has been buzzing with a beehive’s activity, coordinated into the complex geometry of a honeycomb’s order. Much as we who support the queen (Bekah Christensen, Executive Director) would love to do, it’s impossible to fully disclose the litany of events that passes through this office each day. That said, we are actively moving towards a greater transparency to our membership. The “AAAOM Activities” category in the Qi Unity report provides a new feature where, if you cannot see the whole hive, you can at least taste some of the honey. In this Activities section you can read what your representation has been doing for you, lovingly and diligently updated each month. The truth is out: we’re sweet on our members!

My name is Douglas Newton. Just over a month ago, I became AAAOM’s new Program Manager. On my first day I asked Bekah if she kept a log of what she does everyday. She almost fell out of her chair: “If I tried to do that, all I would do is write that stuff down. .I’m too busy!” That was my first lesson, revealing Bekah’s total commitment to serving this organization. She is a perpetual motion machine. It’s inspiring, to say the least. I came into this chair expecting a period of training, only to find that I had a ready-made work load awaiting my immediate attention. I lopped the training wheels off my bicycle and have been pedaling hard every day since. O, the rush!

As Program Manager I will work on business development, coordinate advertising, monitor issues, solicit, write and edit contents for The Qi-Unity Report and The American Acupuncturist, compile information and disseminate it to our membership, and keep Bekah’s mug filled with good Taiwanese tea. Because I also do whatever Bekah needs me to do next, this means every day is unique.

I have compiled a list of some of the things I am doing to clarify to our members what you can expect from me. Here are the highlights: I edit The American Acupuncturist, solicit authors for AA, monitor progress of The Qi-Unity Report, edit Qi Unity articles, sell advertising in our publications, brainstorm new directions for membership benefits, monitor scope of practice issues, prepare our annual AAAOM conference, help organize our PAC, answer state association concerns, relate to the public, track health care legislation and reporting, and reporting, write articles, edit the web site, respond to misrepresentation of the profession in the media, help the student association, draft white papers, conduct research, compile an article library, take pictures, internationalize the organization, answer Mandarin calls, consider new publications, construct bibliographies and generally adopt member concerns as my own. Then I go home and play my guitar and pet my cats, Seymour and Phoebe...

I am sure my list will expand. Anything else I can do for you? Are there other ways we here can better represent your agendas as your organization? Would you like a cup of tea? Do you have questions? Contact me. I’m here for you.

We have been compiling field-related articles, gathered far and wide, on AOM for the benefit of AAAOM members. Recent mainstream articles bring into focus an aggregated picture of how the media presents alternative medicine. We ignore this at our peril. We may also consider these articles a barometer of public understanding and acceptance of alternative modalities, in America and beyond.

Each month we will investigate one topic of choice and then provide links to recent articles that characterize perception and research. This week bring you a general inquiry into Kampo medicines to help us consider just how far we can seek to move the alternative toward the center.

Kampo Medicines: A Case Study

When contemplating public understanding of herbal medicine, for example, one may consider the lesson in contrast between the United States and Japan. Let’s consider the universal acceptance of the TCM-rooted Kampo medicines in Japan to bring this distance into a clearer perspective.

What first world country may serve as an example of how integrated approaches might exist in the United States? In Japan, TCM medicines have been standardized and fully implemented into health care, on all levels.

“Extensive modern scientific research in Japan has validated the effectiveness of kampo medicines. In October 2000, a nationwide study reported that 72% of registered allopathic doctors prescribe kampo medicines.” (WHO study on Alternative Medicines Worldwide, 2001. Source: Wikipedia)

Insurance covers prescription of Kampo medicine in Japan. Allopathic doctors prescribe them routinely, and their patients use them with confidence.

Contrast this widespread acceptance and level of organization with the “alternative” status of herbal medicine in the U.S. We have been curious as to why this gulf exists, what its terms are and how we can diminish the knowledge gap between our members and the public they seek to serve. It’s a big job! We need your help.

For those of you who practice acupuncture and understand it thoroughly, please take some time to read the articles you find in the mainstream media. You can get them delivered conveniently to your inbox through Google or Yahoo alerts.

November 2-3-4, 2007
Courtyard Marriot, 1 Polito Ave. Lyndhurst, NJ 07071

17 NCCAOM PDAs Approved

Presented by; Anastacia White, Chinese Herbalist and Deborah Waddell, Dipl, AC, CA

Our commitment is to provide the highest quality, clinically relevant information to enrich and empower the practitioner with the skills needed to successfully treat those with compromised fertility.

We are dedicated to assuring that all TCM practitioners operate in the highest level of efficiency and affectivity in fertility enhancement of our patients.

Utilizing the time-tested benefits of diagnosis via pattern differentiation and understanding the offerings of modern medicine YOU WILL LEARN TO:

• Enable patients to make intelligent decisions and wise choices on enhancing their fertility through diet and lifestyle changes;
• Incorporate the western and TCM physiology of the female reproductive organs;
• Take a reproductive history;
• Read evaluate and adjust treatments based on BBT charts;
• Differentiate patterns in both follicular and luteal phases of a women's cycle;
• Use acupuncture and Chinese patent formulas for each phase of the menstrual cycle;
• Increase the fertility quotient in men by helping to increase sperm counts, motility and improve morphology;
• Recognize and integrate medical terminology with TCM, IVF and IUI procedures.

THE INSTRUCTORS

DEBORAH WADDELL, Dipl, AC., CA, director of the Skylands
Acupuncture, brings a wealth of knowledge and years of experience enhancing a woman's fertility through acupuncture, patent formulas, and diet, lifestyle and mindfulness teachings. Before becoming an acupuncturist, Deborah was a hazardous waste specialist. Published in the Environmental Journal of Toxicology, her research illustrated the effects many commonly used chemicals, herbicides and pesticides have on fertility.

Here is what a few of Deborah's patients have to say:

"I was 43 years old when I started with Deborah. I did one round of ART and was told that my eggs were too old and I should either use donor eggs or adopt. Three and half months after starting acupuncture and herbs and changing my diet I became pregnant and have just delivered a 9 lb. 4 oz. beautiful baby boy." KK

"I had 3 failed IUIs and 5 failed IVFs over the course of 1.5 years. I was told my only chance of being a mother would be to use a donor egg or adopt. Once I stopped all the ART meds, I then began taking the Chinese herbs, continuing with my acupuncture. Thankfully, due to Debbie's expertise we now have a 1 year old perfectly healthy daughter. Words cannot express how thankful we are to Debbie." BB.

"My ART Clinic said I had a 1 in 8,000 chance of conceiving because I was 41 and not responding to the ART meds. Well, Deb proved them wrong and my daughter is now 3 years old." JI.

ANASTACIA WHITE, Chinese Herbalist, has been a practitioner and teacher of Chinese herbal medicine since 1984. She conducts seminars throughout the United States and lectures internationally on Chinese herbs and medical theory. Ms. White has had the good fortune to have apprenticed and studied with Subhuti Dharmananda, PhD, Ted Kaptchuk, OMD, and Giovanni Maciocia, Medical Acupuncturist.