January 2009

Greetings AOM Members and Colleagues:

We at the AAAOM wish you a hearty (if somewhat belated) Chinese New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai! The beginning of any year is a time to reflect on where we have been and where we are going. Economic concern is flowing through society these days, and everyone is musing over how terms of life in the US may change under the Obama administration. As such many of our articles focus on ways to cope with the current state of economic affairs. The Qi-Unity Report checks in once again with practitioner Jean-Paul Thuot to follow up on how well acupuncture insurance coverage for lower income British Columbia residents is going. The AAAOM-SO announces the scholarship exhibition for the forthcoming AAAOM “Transitions” Conference in Sacramento in April 2009. Michael Max reports from China, exploring the contemporary landscape of common cold approaches in Beijing. WAOMA President George Whiteside writes about the current laws under consideration in Washington State.

We continue to offer you practice management tips; this issue from practitioner Nina Price, who writes about the advantages of finding a niche market. Whether you are looking for the latest trends in the field or tips on how to advance your practice and hone your skills, we hope to serve your needs in the Qi-Unity Report.

Those of you who enjoy The Integrator Blog as much as we do will have to exercise some patience on that account. John Weeks has been called away to concentrate on his own health, and we look forward to his return as faithful steward of integration matters. Look to the Qi-Unity Report for information on the issues that affect your life and practice in AOM.

We hope this edition of the Qi-Unity Report keeps you informed of the various issues that affect your life and practice in AOM. As usual, we’re here for you and would love to hear what you think.

The AAAOM is interested in your feedback. We invite you to use our General Feedback page to let us know your opinions and insights.

International News
Practice Management
Continuing Education and Events		 State Legislative Activities
AAAOM Activities
AAAOM Student Organization		 National AOM Issues
Links
Products, Services, and Member Savings

Table of Contents:

International News



State Legislative Activities


Sponsors of:

National AOM Issues



Practice Management


Sponsors of:

AAAOM Activities



Links


Sponsors of:

Continuing Education and Events



AAAOM Student Organization


Products, Services, and Member Savings

 

International News

Common Cold in Beijing

By Michael Max, LAc

“Bie zhao liang!” Don’t get cold! It is the war cry on everyone’s lips as the season swings into the deep freeze of the Chinese north. Parents scold children about not wearing scarves; wives, lovingly or otherwise, remind husbands to put on a sweater, and the daily text message weather report points out seven times a week that “cold” is dangerous stuff and must be guarded against.

I’m a Chinese doctor, and I agree with these principles and sentiments, especially as I have somewhat of an ephedra constitution—and those of us with that constitution hate cold. However, if even a quarter as much attention was given to those globs of phlegm, which look like some lost exotic jellyfish that polka-dot the street, or if there was an awareness of basic sanitation (soap in the bathrooms) or an effort made to clean plates and bowls, then I suspect that what here in China is referred to as “gan mao,” which we in the West call the common cold, flu, nose full of goo, tired and the achy just don’t want to move seasonal disorder, might not spread so fast. In China they are very clear—this is the result shäng hán; this is damage by cold.

As Zhäng Zhòng-Jîng pointed out 1800 years ago, Ephedrae Herba (má huáng) is the herb around which to build a formula that will take that invasive cold and show it the door. But if you go to any of the local pharmacies here in Beijing, it is quite rare to find a Ephedrae Herba (má huáng) formula that treats “gan mao.” First of all, while the Chinese are rightly proud of their traditional medicine, it tends not to be what they reach for when the sniffles and sore throat first appear. There is a saying here in the middle kingdom “for fast results use Western medicine, for chronic illness use Chinese medicine.” The truth of this is on the pharmacy shelf, where there are a wide variety of Western medicines for “gan mao,” but a limited selection of herbal solutions. The ones that are available are mixes of hot and cold herbs—shotgun solutions for a population that thinks Isatidis/Baphicacanthis Radix (bân lán gën) is always the cure for a sore throat.

This concept in China of zhöng xï jíe hé, the combining of Eastern and Western medicine, may have at one time been well intentioned, but, now the result is that graduates fresh from Chinese medicine schools knowing more about prescribing Western meds than Chinese formulas and a population that is both ignorant of their own traditional medicine and that has a dangerously limited understanding of Western meds, run off for IV antibiotic drips at the first sign of getting sick.

Shäng hán is a real thing. I know because I’ve spent the past three days with a chest frozen with phlegm, chills, and an achiness beyond belief. Ephedrae Herba (má huáng) has been the key to that lock—this along with some fine warming cupping that I picked up from Bruce Bentley last fall. (Check him out at www.healthtraditions.com.au. He is the master of the cupping universe.)

I’m not against the combination of Eastern and Western medicine; one of the cornerstones of Chinese medicine is grasping the gestalt of a patient’s condition and applying whatever is necessary to treat that unique presentation. I do have concerns that both in the China and the West we use the yardstick of Western technology to measure Chinese science; it is like giving a Kalahari bushman a WAIS intelligence test. If we demand that Chinese medicine fit into the form and perspective of Western science we will lose sight of our medicine’s more subtle gifts and end up with “Chinese medicine like” prescriptions that are a mimic of Western drugs, common to what I’ve been finding here in Beijing.

In English we say it well with this phrase, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and indeed avoiding cold and protecting the body’s yang defensive qi is a good idea. Combining that with basic public health awareness and sanitation is an even better idea. Now there is an application of Eastern and Western medicine that makes sense.

International Links for January, 2009

Dr Patau Rubis claims that the herbal antidote, derived from various leaves from the jungle and based on the traditional Bidayuh healing practices, could cure anyone who have been attacked or bitten by poisonous snakes, insects, bees or wasps or those who accidentally drink chemically-made poisons such as paraquat and weed killer.

The 62-year Dr Patau, a qualified medical doctor now in the midst of documenting Bidayuh traditional healing practices for medicinal purposes, said it was high time to protect the ingredients of many traditional healing practices in Sarawak to preserve them for the younger generation to do the research and market them commercially.
www.bernama.com

China's traditional medicine watchdog has issued a blacklist of 74 Beijing-based websites suspected of selling fake herbal medicines online and warned consumers not to buy their products. "During the past year, following reports from citizens and investigations by our administration, we have discovered a lot of websites selling fake herbal medicines," the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicines said.

"In order to safeguard the health interests of the people and protect the image of traditional Chinese medicine... we are publicizing the names of the websites," the administration said in a statement on its website.

Among the websites selling fake herbal concoctions were organizations claiming to be affiliated with real institutes such as the China Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, it said.
www.google.com/hostednews/

With over 50 years of practicing and teaching Vietnamese traditional medicine, particularly acupuncture, Prof. Nguyen Tai Thu has become a renowned name in the field at home and around the world.

With his master-of-art acupuncture skills, Prof. Thu has helped thousands across the world and taught acupuncture to a large number of local and foreign doctors.
english.vietnamnet.vn

The immediate effects of local and adjacent acupuncture on anterior muscle: a human Background: This study compares the immediate effects of local and adjacent acupuncture on the tibialis anterior muscle and the amount of force generated or strength in Kilogram Force (KGF) evaluated by a surface electromyography. Methods: The study consisted of a single blinded trial of 30 subjects assigned to two groups: local acupoint (ST36) and adjacent acupoint (SP9).
7thspace.com

Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center is the recipient of the 2007 International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Award of Shanghai Municipality (ISTCASM) and the 2008 Magnolia Memorial Award for his contributions in furthering research into the use of traditional Chinese medicine in cancer therapies. Joint clinical studies currently underway include examining the ability of HuaChanSu (a form of dried toad venom) to treat advanced pancreatic, liver and lung cancer. Energy-based practices such as qigong are also being investigated as a way to promote relaxation among breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

"Dr. Cohen and the researchers in Shanghai have championed a 21st century research program dedicated to studying the mainstays of traditional Chinese medicine and its application to cancer," said John Mendelsohn, M.D., president of M. D. Anderson. "Their continued work in this area exemplifies our commitment to the exchange of knowledge across continents to benefit cancer research and treatment."
www.eurekalert.org

Isabella Yan, who runs the Golden Needle Wellness Centre in Ajax, a suburb of Toronto, is about to share an ancient Chinese secret about how to combat the signs of aging. Cosmetic acupuncture, or acupuncture facelift, is finding growing popularity in North America as people look for anti-aging alternatives to plastic surgery and Botox.
www.thestar.com

Socialized Chinese medicine in British Columbia?

By Jean-Paul Thuot, RAc

It has been about a year since the British Columbia government started covering acupuncture under its provincial health insurance. This coverage has been extremely limited, offered only to those households whose combined yearly income equals $28,000 or less, and only for ten visits (combined with other “alternative” therapies such as chiropractic, physiotherapy and massage), and paying, out some would say, a paltry $23 per treatment.

It was estimated at the time that the cost to the province for this coverage would be in the $2-3 million range, based on an average usage of five visits per person taking advantage of the coverage. Compare that to the total annual health care budget of close to $15 BILLION!

Realistically, however, the $23 creates little incentive either for the potential user or the acupuncturist to take advantage of this service. For the practitioner there are two choices: the “opt in” option, which means that the acupuncturist can not charge more than the $23 per visit, or the “opt out” option, which allows the practitioner to charge their regular fee and have the subsidy from the government be just that—a subsidy to the patient. When you consider that $45 is the low end of the scale per treatment (my rate) and the average being in the $60-80 range, $23 hardly seems like much of a difference at all for those with already-thin wallets.

A quick poll of Victoria area acupuncturists reveals that no one has really seen much of an increase in business since this coverage began. Many practitioners simply didn't bother to jump through the governmental hoops in order to get on the registry, feeling that it was more trouble than it would be worth. Those that did either find that the subsidy is still too little for people to get treatment or, like myself, they lower their price per treatment for those on assistance such that those people can get the healthcare they need.

The truth is, this small pile of breadcrumbs thrown out to all those professionals in the “alternative medicine” field, and to the public at large who have been calling for greater access to those professionals, is just that—bread crumbs. While the medical establishment continues to soak up the vast majority of the resources from a budget that is already stretched thin, the government is clearly missing one key way to reduce its overall costs—namely that healthy people are less of a drain on the system than sick ones.

Old sayings stick with us for the simple reason that they're often very true. Consider the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” If the government really wanted to reduce its medical spending, it would actually need to increase its spending in one area—that of preventative medicine. Preventing disease before it gets a hold on the body, easing the pain in a manner free of further side-effects for those already suffering, and helping people take responsibility of their own health (through education, which is something we alternatives must become very good at to thrive) can only be a boon for the bean counters in the provincial ministry of health. It's a shame that there doesn't seem to be a cure for inertia, however, and so far there does not seem to be much support for this line of thinking within the halls of provincial power.

As a health care practitioner I don't care how my patients get better—so long as they do. If chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, herbs, or even surgery work, then all power to you! However, it is clear that equal weight needs to be given to each of these modalities, within a framework of professional regulation if those who need care can afford to get it. Canadians are often very smug when it comes to their socialized medicine, especially when looking at the horror that is the medical insurance culture seen south of our border. I have never understood that smugness; to me, our medical care, when you can get it, is extremely good. It's the “getting it” part that is so terrible—waiting lists of over a year for necessary tests, MRIs, etc., are the norm.

A man recently died while waiting 34 hours for care at the Health Sciences Centre in what some are now calling the worst emergency room failure in Manitoba's history. Thirty-four hours! How could this have happened? I would posit that it is a clear indication that the medical establishment is too far over-stretched, caring for people who in many cases would never need to be in the ER if they could find and afford care elsewhere.

If some of these patients were able to receive preventative care when their condition was relatively minor, perhaps they would never have ended up in the ER. Fewer people in the ER quite obviously means that those heroic doctors and nurses in the ER could then focus their attention and resources on the real emergencies.

Until someone in the government takes real action, and offers real incentive for people to seek out alternative medical care, we will continue to see the degradation of our much-vaunted socialized medicine. People will continue to suffer unnecessarily, and those of us who could help keep our increasingly aged population stay healthy and out of the hospital longer will continue to soldier along in the margins.

Jean-Paul Thuot, RAc is an acupuncturist practicing in Victoria BC. He can be reached at www.stillpoint-clinic.com

State Legislative Activities

Acupuncture Scope of Practice and Professional Nomenclature Considerations in Washington State

By George Whiteside, IV, MS, LAc, President WAOMA

While we have enjoyed a broad scope of practice here in Washington state for over 23 years, a move to clarify and further strengthen our scope of practice has begun gaining momentum. Changing our title in particular has become one of our considerations. This focus on our title has prompted us to examine the broad trends in the use of professional terms that define who we are, what we do, and how we practitioners are perceived by regulators, other professions and the public. The use of the umbrella term "acupuncture"—in professional titles as well as state and national organization names—began shifting in the late 1990's to "Acupuncture and Oriental medicine." Almost everyone championed this change as a step forward, since we have been practicing the system of Oriental medicine through acupuncture and the many other modalities we commonly have in our scope of practice. The pitfall, according to our attorney here in Washington state, is that by using two terms to describe our medicine, we can inadvertently create vulnerabilities for the professional in practice. As we have considered simply adding "Oriental medicine" to our title, we have been warned that retaining the word "Acupuncture" and adding the word "and" could risk inadvertently creating a legal and ideological distinction between Acupuncture and the broader term "Oriental medicine". The use of the term "Oriental medicine" by our educational institutions has inadvertently blurred the true distinction.

To many educational institutions, "Oriental medicine" has come to be a convenient way to refer to the addition of herbs in training. "Oriental medicine" is a title more and more often reserved for diplomas for those who graduate with education in acupuncture and in depth training in herbs. As our meetings with the Department of Health have revealed, regulatory bodies have begun seeing this as a change in the standard of practice and questioning whether those who do not have "Oriental medicine" on their diploma really do practice Oriental medicine. This is creating potential for a new spin on the interpretation of legal boundaries, making it less clear as to whether Acupuncturists practice a series of procedures or a system of medicine. To many of us it's plain and simple, we all practice Oriental medicine, but, according to our attorney, not having a single overarching term in our professional title to reflect this is likely to become increasingly restrictive over time, particularly when we go to expand our scope to new modalities, as we are now setting out to do here. While the profession makes the transition from the use of the term "acupuncture" as a system of medicine to "Oriental medicine", we must be sure that making this transition does not inadvertently downgrade acupuncturists to the role of technicians, as this would be a disservice to the many who use Acupuncture primarily, but also many other modalities, as a way to apply the theories of Oriental medicine.

In Washington state, we are now attempting to create a universal term that is a better "umbrella" for the medicine than "Acupuncture" and are finding this a bit challenging. In our current statute, "acupuncture" is defined simultaneously as a series of modalities and a system of medicine. Our statute describes acupuncture to mean a system based on Oriental medicine as well as the practices of acupuncture, moxibustion, acupressure, cupping, dermal friction techniques, infra-red, sonopuncture, laser puncture, point injection therapy, and dietary advice (which most practitioners assume includes Chinese pharmacopoeia up to the level of their education, and a late 90's unofficial AAG opinion concurs). To those us who understand this medicine, the modalities are simply a way of applying the system, but to health law attorneys, its technical interpretation opens up a can of worms. Using a procedure to be synonymous with other modalities and at the same time with a system of medicine is unusual for a health profession and problematic in establishing a solid identity both legally and ideologically, according to our attorney. As the boundaries of the term "acupuncture" appear to becoming more distinct from the term "Oriental medicine", we are attempting to correct the focus of our title onto the true system rather than the term that is best used to describe a single modality. There has been great debate as to whether "Asian" or "East Asian" should be the term but "Oriental medicine" has been deemed appropriate in this context and the ideal term given it's prevalence in the industry.

I understand there were many reasons for leaving the term acupuncture in the various national and state organization titles, and it was probably the right thing to do at the time. However, I see "acupuncture and Oriental medicine" as a bridge term now--a way to transition the emphasis to the system of medicine practiced through acupuncture and many other modalities and practices, including herbs. I think it is critical for our profession's leaders to complete the transition so as not to get "stuck on the bridge" and inadvertently divide our profession. Let us not forget that acupuncture was an umbrella term. As we make this transition in graduate and doctorate titles, professional organization names, and professional titles, let's keep everyone under the same umbrella of "Oriental medicine", regardless of which specialties they study and choose to practice. By clarifying in statute and rule, states can assure that we can all continue to use the term "acupuncturists" and not loose all the valuable branding we have invested in the term, while at the same time, assuring that adequate education is required for the practice of additional modalities.

After all I have witnessed during the last five years of being a board member of this state's professional organization, I have become a strong advocate for the profession finishing the transition to "Oriental medicine" in all professional titles and organizations to further help the profession be more unified. A change to the more simple term "Oriental medicine" would assure that we are all understood for who we really are: doctors/practitioners of Oriental medicine, no matter which modalities we wish to focus on in practice or how high up the educational ladder each of us aspires to climb.

Let us be sure that as the profession grows and changes that this tide of change unifies and lifts us all!

George M. Whiteside IV, MS, LAc, graduated from Bastyr University in 1997 with a MS in Acupuncture and completed Chinese herbal certification the following year. He is currently the president of the Washington Acupuncture and Oriental Medical Association (WAOMA.org) and practices at the University Health Clinic, an integrative care facility in Seattle (theUHC.com).


National AOM Issues

Thinking Big

By Douglas Newton, Program Manager, AAAOM

Some ideas are specific and tangible, while others take time to open up, find their footing, and evolve. The latter category includes the idea that far more specialized markets must exist for AOM than readily apparent to the recently graduated practitioner or those looking beyond the sole-proprietor business model. Many of you already have found opportunities that make use of your skills but employ them differently, either through academic opportunities, through insurance or government work, or other models. Let’s examine additional means to move alternative medicine into the mainstream economy.

This article in the San Francisco Gate outlines what may be a growing health-care trend in the U.S. As health care costs rise, companies are looking to take matters into their own hands.

tinyurl.com/7ke3me

Consider the following:

“Nearly 30 percent of large employers had a clinic on campus or planned to open one by 2009, according to a 2008 survey by Watson Wyatt Worldwide Inc., a human resources consulting firm, and the National Business Group on Health.”

These clinics will be hiring acupuncturists, and those practitioners who can communicate the preventative health benefits of AOM to employers in a straightforward way will be able to enter into this market.

How can acupuncturists open the door? Point out how much money larger companies will recoup in potential lost productivity through the health maintaining balance acupuncture provides:

"’Part of the challenge is it's difficult to put a value on increased productivity,’ Wood said. ‘While you can count the number of hours they didn't miss by not having to go to the doctor's office, you can't count how much more productive they are because they got their stress under control, they lost weight or quit smoking.’”

Making the case for including AOM in larger companies hinges on the persuasive powers and marketing organization of the practitioner seeking this opportunity. The potential is there and growing, but acceptance of AOM by Americans will depend on one’s ability to make a clear case for inclusion in such clinics. If Missouri is the “show-me state,” then America is the “show-me” country.

Consider carefully how you represent yourself when you pursue these larger companies. Do your homework, approach with confidence because you know they need what you do, and then check back with us. And let us know if we can help.

Douglas Newton, the AAAOM Program Manager, spends a fair amount of time brainstorming about how acupuncturists can thrive in the evolving American economic and health care landscape. He may be reached at dnewton@aaaomonline.org.

Practice Management

How to Get Past Your Own Objections and Create the Best Niche for You and Your Practice

By Nina Price, LAc

Among the practitioners whom I coach, I hear a lot of objections when I encourage them to develop or define their practice niche. They tell me that:

This is why they’re leaving money on the table—they are not defining a niche. This is how I answer these objections:

If you don’t now whom you serve how can you find the right clients?

Knowing who you want to serve is crucial in a service business. If you don’t know this, how can you find the right clients? Many practitioners resist niche marketing because they find it too confining. While this may be true on the surface when it comes to investing money in a website, marketing collateral, giving workshops, promoting information products or doing other marketing tactics to help promote your business, if you don’t know whom you’re communicating with, how will you develop products or messages that address their needs? You could find yourself wasting a lot of time and money and find it hard to know where to spend your marketing dollars for the biggest return on your investment.

When you know whom you want to serve and can clearly articulate who they are (e.g. women who want to get pregnant who are struggling with infertility, menopausal women, bicycle commuters, people with back pain, cancer patients) you begin to have a picture of exactly who they are. The more specific the picture, the more details you have to use in treating them. What does a specific picture of your ideal prospect or client look like?

A clear definition of your niche can help you make decisions:

With your specific ideal-client picture you can make decisions about where you locate your office, how you dress when you meet with clients, how and where you communicate with your potential clients, what your logo and card look like, what groups you attend or present to, and what topics you speak and write about. What decisions could a clear definition of your niche drive in your practice?

Does having a niche mean that I only work with clients in that niche?

It’s true that many practitioners have clients they enjoy working with who are outside their niche. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s really about how you spend your marketing dollars. Your ideal clients are the people you attract with your marketing dollars. A family therapist I know works primarily with parents and their school-aged children. She has an established practice and gets plenty of referrals for this kind of family therapy work. However, she wants to do more work with cancer patients and cancer survivors. Clearly she needs to spend her marketing dollars on attracting these new clients while maintaining her existing client base. She may want to have two niches for a while and then choose the one she finds most satisfying, or she may continue to have two niches for the long term. In this case she may need to develop a whole new referral network and build partnerships with new people and organizations.

Multiple niches:

Is having more than one niche a problem? Not necessarily, especially if the two are in some way related. An acupuncturist I know is an expert at women’s issues, but recently she’s decided that she wants to also work with specific digestive issues as well. Since both of these areas are addressed by traditional Chinese medicine, she is planning to tell her existing and potential clients that in addition to working with women’s issues, she can also work with specific digestive issues. Then she can help her current clients see how the new work she’s doing can benefit them. She may also need to develop a new referral network and new partners, but she can also build on the established practice she has.

If the niches you want to work with are related, you may be able to use one website and one set of marketing collateral. But be careful. Multiple niches can confuse potential clients. Multiple niches can cost you more marketing dollars, so you may prefer having separate websites and marketing collateral for each niche. If you’re determined to have more than one niche, which approach will work best for you?

How having a niche helps you grow your business more effectively:

Focusing your marketing dollars on getting your ideal prospects to become paying clients is a compelling reason to have a niche. But how does having a niche help you grow your business more effectively?

When you know exactly who your ideal client is, it is easier to find them because you can become an expert on everything about them. When you understand how they think, how they choose the services they buy, where they look for information about your expertise, you can offer them what they need at the right time and place. What matters to your ideal client when they look for the services you offer? How can you provide this to them in an appealing way?

About the Author

Nina Price is a licensed acupuncturist and a business and wellness coach who helps people “push the reset button” on their health, their careers, and the rest of their lives. She helps them prevent burnout and have the professional life they want, no matter what.

Nina is a former Silicon Valley high tech marketing exec who teaches coaches and service professionals how to become incredibly good at marketing themselves and their practices so they can rapidly gain more clients and increase their income.

www.rampyourpractice.info

www.ninaprice.com


AAAOM Activities

January 12, 2009

Dear AAAOM Member and Colleague:

At the upcoming April 2009 Sacramento AAAOM International Conference & Exposition elections for two 3-year terms to the AAAOM Board of Directors will be held. Serving on the AAAOM Board of Directors (BOD) is an important way to make a significant difference in the profession. We welcome those who choose to make the commitment to serve in this manner.

Please follow the links below for detailed information about AAAOM BOD Position Description, AAAOM BOD Candidate Code of Ethics, AAAOM BOD Nomination Application and supporting materials. Nominations are now being accepted via the interactive link below. To be considered as a candidate for nomination, applications must be received via the interactive nomination application by 2/21/09.

Election Links:

AAAOM BOD Position Description (PDF)
AAAOM BOD Candidate Code of Ethics (PDF)
AAAOM Nomination Committee Structure and Responsibilities (PDF)
AAAOM BOD Nomination Application
AAAOM Code of Ethics (PDF)
AAAOM Action and Mission Statements

Thank you for considering contributing to the AOM profession in this way. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at atroelsen@comcast.net.

Best regards,

Amanda Troelsen, LAc
AAAOM Nominations Committee Chair

Links

January National Links

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in complementary and alternative healthcare interventions, with a specific emphasis on those that elucidate biological mechanisms of action. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (ISSN 1472-6882) is indexed/tracked/covered by PubMed, MEDLINE, CAS, Scopus, EMBASE and Google Scholar.

The initiative marks the first high-level endorsement of acupuncture by the traditionally conservative military medical community, officials said.
www.baltimoresun.com
www.eurekalert.org
www.thaindian.com
www.medindia.net
www.airforcetimes.com

People with Raynaud's syndrome really suffer in the winter. In this condition, blood vessels in the hands and feet constrict. Fingers may turn white or blue and be painful or numb. The colder the temperature, the worse the symptoms.

Acupuncture may be helpful. One small study found that acupuncture reduced attacks by 63%, compared with a 27% reduction in the control patients (Journal of Internal Medicine, February 1997).
www.latimes.com

As director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health, Dr. Mitch Katz faces the largest cuts of any city agency. He's already sliced $17 million out of his budget, and has now been asked by the mayor to find another $100 million in savings - 25 percent of his budget. He noted that earlier this year he proposed cuts to AIDS programs that provide services like acupuncture and herbal therapy, but those cuts were rejected by Newsom. They're now back on the table. "We're not against complementary therapy (for AIDS), but it's my job to make sure people get primary medical care first," he said. "We may have to let go of some of these programs. It doesn't mean we can't get them back someday.
www.sfgate.com

A new nationwide survey reveals 41% of U.S. adults, ages 60 to 69, use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). As a result, these consumers can learn the basics of CAM therapies—including massage therapy, meditation, chiropractic, acupuncture, vitamins and herbal supplements—by reading “Complementary and Alternative Medicine,” the latest topic on NIHSeniorHealth, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Web site designed especially for older adults.

A leading organization of gastroenterologists has released new guidelines on the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The guidelines, issued by the American College of Gastroenterology and published in the January issue of The American Journal of Gastroenterology, essentially replace a 2002 document.

The new guidelines encompass existing evidence on conventional treatments for IBS as well as new therapies (probiotics, for example) and alternative therapies (acupuncture and more).
www.14wfie.com

Cisco Systems' sleek new on-site health clinic looks more like a pampering day spa than a medical facility for the company's employees and their dependents.

The clinic, which opened for patients Nov. 24 at the networking equipment-maker's San Jose headquarters, is part of the company's new $38 million LifeConnections Center, which also includes an employee child care center that can accommodate 400 children and a 48,000-square-foot gym.

The Cisco clinic is staffed with four family-practice physicians and an internist, and the center hopes to add a pediatrician. It also offers physical therapy, acupuncture, chiropractic services, health coaching and a pharmacy operated by Walgreens.
www.sfgate.com

A herb used in Chinese therapy may provide succour to HIV patients as well as help in other immuno-deficiency and age-related diseases, according to researchers.

"The ability to enhance telomeric activity and anti-viral functions of CD8 T-lymphocytes suggests that this strategy could be useful in treating HIV disease, as well as immuno-deficiency and increased susceptibility to other viral infections associated with chronic diseases or ageing," a researcher said in a study conducted at UCLA AIDS Institute, Los Angeles.

The study has found that a chemical from the astragalus root, often used in Chinese herbal therapy, can prevent or slow the progressive telomere shortening, which can make it a key weapon in the fight against AIDS.
timesofindia.indiatimes.com

“In July, I encouraged people to start using their flexible spending account funds to avoid the predictable year-end 12 Days of Christmas-style spending spree (three flu shots, two pairs of glasses, and a refill of Metamucil). Chances are you didn't pay attention.

So, I combed through the IRS list of eligible expenses to find options you may not have considered (Here's the full IRS list). Check with your employer before proceeding, because companies can edit the list of expenses their employees can claim.

Newly eligible this year: pregnancy test kits, annual check-ups, and full-body scans. Other possibilities:”

Acupuncture: Hurt your back schlepping gifts around? Try this alternative.
www.usnews.com

The Journal of Accord Integrative Medicine (JAIM) (ISSN 1932-4642) is proud to announce the latest issue. This is a free online journal. If you would like to view the current issue, here is the link:
www.accordinstitute.org



Continuing Education and Events

Addiction Conference

Drug-Free and Cost-Effective, Acupuncture Is Useful for Addiction Say Experts

Sacramento, CA - January 20, 2009 - Lianne Audette, LAc, ND, whose pioneering work with addicts on the streets of Santa Monica led to the creation of one of the first community acupuncture drug detox treatment programs, opens the conference Brain Repair for Addictive Disorders: Cost-Effective, Successful, Drug-Free Therapies which takes place in Sacramento, CA April 17-19th, 2009.

Audette, a longtime trainer for the National Acupuncture Detoxification Association (NADA) will speak twice: on the benefit of acupuncture for patients in denial about their addiction, and about the use of ear seeds for addictive and mental health disorders. She joins 19 others whose research or clinical practices reveal simple changes, including nutritional supplements, quality food, acupuncture, exercise, or self-administered acupressure, that can quickly improve results in public and private treatment programs for everything from eating disorders to addictions to sex, gambling, prescription drugs, and street drugs.

"In a sea of despair, we offer an island of good news," says Carolyn Reuben, L.Ac., Executive Director of Community Addiction Recovery Association (CARA), the conference host. "A recent State-funded Cost Benefit Analysis of our Sacramento County Adult Drug Court program with its daily acupuncture, nutritional supplements, and nutritious food and weekly acupressure, qigong, tai chi, and yoga added to the conventional mental health and addictions counseling model found 83% of our graduates stayed out of the criminal justice system during the two years following graduation, and saved Sacramento County $20 million. Our Brain Repair conference will teach others how to see such results quickly in their own programs and private practices."

The California Dept. of Alcohol and Drug Programs (ADP) is co-sponsor. ADP Director, Renée Zito, is the Saturday luncheon banquet speaker. Student rates available. Early Bird registration discount is available until February 1st and then a 15% discount for groups of three or more applies. Exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities are also available. CEUs from the California Acupuncture Board and NCCAOM are pending.

See www.carasac.org for information and registration.

Learn to apply 21st century science and nature's wisdom through qi balancing and nutrition for addiction treatment.

Contact:
Marina Roy, Administrative Services
Community Addiction Recovery Assoc. (CARA)
Supporting Recovery Naturally

Correction

In the Winter 2008 Volume 46 News Edition of The American Acupuncturist, a printing error compromised an ad from The Oregon College of Oriental Medicine. We include the ad at the link below to acknowledge our error, with apologies:
IOM Conference.

OCOM Events

February 28th, 2009 at 08:00 AM - February 28th, 2009 at 06:00 PM

Doctoral Student for a Day

Topic: Gynecology Overview and Menstrual Disorders with Hong Jin, DAOM, LAc

Come and see what our students and graduates are raving about!

You are welcome to join us for the entire day or stop by at your convenience. Please RSVP to admissions@ocom.edu or 503-253-3443 x201.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:00 AM – 8:50 AM: Biomedical Perspectives Lecture (Beth Burch)
9:00 AM- 11:50 AM: Gynecology Overview and Menstrual Disorders (Hong Jin)
Noon – 1:00 PM: Complimentary Lunch
1:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Clinic Theater (Hong Jin, Beth Burch)
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Biomedical Perspectives Lecture (Beth Burch)
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM: Case Presentations & Analysis (Beth Burch) OR TCM Diet Therapy (Tsueyhwa Lai)

For further information, please go to the following link:

http://www.ocom.edu/index.php?action=show_item&type=events&item_id=117

Increasing Natural Care Accessibility for Elderly

Focus of pilot project conducted by Northwestern Health Sciences University

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Northwestern Health Sciences University is working with the Volunteers of America of Minneapolis, Minn., to provide more accessible natural health care to the elderly in the community. Volunteers of America has provided $150,000 to Northwestern’s Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies to produce a one-of-a-kind project, focusing on the organization’s services for the elderly. According to Roni Evans, MS, DC, dean of research at Northwestern, this is more of a demonstration project versus a research study. She says, “The primary goal is to determine the feasibility of developing a sustainable and replicable model for providing integrated chiropractic, acupuncture and massage services for Volunteers of America’s elderly residents.”

According to Dr. Evans, the integrated services will be offered to elderly residents with varying degrees of impaired physical and mental function. Some of the residents are in transitional care and are expected to return to their own homes; others are in assisted living, long-term care, or memory care.

“Everybody is working very hard so that we can begin offering services to Volunteers of America residents by the end of January 2009,” says Dr. Evans. There are several things to be accomplished before services are offered. According to Dr. Evans, “Among the most important is learning more about the Volunteers of America’s facilities and how we may best help them meet their needs in caring for their elderly residents. We are also spending time educating Volunteers of America personnel about the types of services our care providers can provide, and learning what we need to do to fit into the Volunteers of America system,” she says.

Kristine Westrom, MD, associate professor at Northwestern, says “The Volunteers of America funded this pilot project because they believed treatment with acupuncture, Oriental medicine, chiropractic and massage could positively affect the lives of geriatric patients; especially regarding pain, sleep, medication use, balance, strength and function.” Mark Zeigler, DC, president at Northwestern, believes that having a set of standards will help to “show how effective natural health care can be in providing treatment to the aging population.” The educational programs at Northwestern will benefit from this knowledge and will strengthen the programs at the University.

The expected completion date of the project is December, 2010. For some people, it might be hard to focus for such a long period of time on one project, but Dr. Evans is continually inspired by this one. She says, “I’m inspired by finding ways to meet the needs of patients. If we can establish viable integrated models of care, and then evaluate their effectiveness, I think we will come closer to having our professions meet their full potential in serving society’s needs.”

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 900 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.

For information: Kate Martin, public relations coordinator at Northwestern, at (952) 888-4777, ext. 172, or kmartin@nwhealth.edu.

Southwest Symposium

March 6 – 8, 2009

This premier acupuncture continuing education conference, held on the shores of beautiful Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas is also near the heart of the city’s live music and arts district. Our world-class lineup of presenters will provide you with an engaging experience and prepare you to take your practice to the next level of excellence. Speakers and topics include: Susan Johnson - Master Tung's Points: Wisdom of an Influential Master, William Morris - Mai Dao, Path of the Pulse: An Exploration of Wang's Six Channel Method and Existentialism, Lillian Bridges - Face Reading - Jing, Qi and Reproductive Health, Neil Gumenick - Balance Through the Five Elements, Nigel Dawes - Secrets of the Japanese Herbal Masters - Kampo Herbs, Sam Liang - Occupational TCM for Neck & Shoulder Pain; Low Back Pain, Lorne Brown, Paul Magarelli & Diane Cridennda - Integrating TCM and Allopathic Reproductive Medicine, Samuel Collins -2009 Acupuncture Insurance Billing A to Z, and more.

For more information and to register online visit www.aoma.edu/southwest-symposium/. Early registration ends February 9th.

Key Concepts from the DRAFT Wellness Initiative for the Nation (WIN)

Wayne Jonas, MD and the Systems Wellness Advancement Team

The Wellness Initiative for the Nation (WIN) will align with overarching goals of the Blueprint and Healthy People 2010 (Increasing Quality and Years of Healthy Life and Eliminating Health Disparities), link to recommendations such as the Wellness Trust, a Federal Health Reserve, and the Institute of Medicine’s reports on health care quality, transformation and integrated medicine; and reflect the recommendations of the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Wellness Initiative for the Nation (WIN) is to prevent disease and illness, enhance health and productivity, and create well-being and flourishing for the people of America. WIN can also prevent the looming fiscal disaster in our health care system. In fact, effectively addressing preventable chronic illness is probably our only hope for changing a system that costs too much and is delivering less health and little care to fewer people.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The primary recommendation is to create a Wellness Initiative for the Nation (WIN) within the new “independent agency” proposed to guide and oversee health reform in the new administration, as described in the recent report, The Health Care Delivery System: A Blueprint for Reform (the Blueprint). WIN will provide program analysis; develop policies, guidelines and curriculum; set standards; and establish incentives and mechanisms focused on prevention of key chronic diseases and the promotion of health through lifestyle change and integrated health practices. WIN will establish a series of evidence-guided programs on prevention and wellness linked to policy changes that support the efforts in national health care reform. The initial step of WIN is to create a working group and coordinating office within a new health care agency, the sole purpose of which is to develop policies and programs for chronic disease prevention and health promotion through comprehensive lifestyle and integrated health care approaches with specific demonstrated effectiveness. Other specific recommendations are as follows:

  1. Systems Wellness System
    • Create a national innovation network to continuously evaluate and translate effective prevention and health promotion practices into delivery tools and policy changes.
    • Create a learning community that evaluates and translates these innovations in lifestyle and integrated health practices into new settings and populations.
  2. Health and Wellness Coach Training
    • Establish standards in comprehensive lifestyle and integrated health care approaches, and train individuals with qualifications to focus full-time on prevention, creating health and healing and enhancing productivity and flourishing.
    • Facilitate any qualified and licensed health care practitioner or educator to gain specialist certification in prevention, health and wellness delivery, or attain sub-specialist status for integrated health care delivery in specific settings and populations, for example, schools, worksites, the military, health care settings, and long-term care facilities.
    • Create a Health Corps to provide an army of young and older people that would learn and model wellness behavior and support delivery of wellness education and training by the coaches.
  3. Health and Wellness Information Technology Toolkit
    • Create an advanced information tracking and feedback system (an applied wellness technology toolkit) for delivery of personalized wellness education, customized to each person’s level of readiness and stage of life.
    • Interface this applied wellness toolkit with electronic health records, for use by the public and the health and wellness coaches, practitioners, educators, the Health Corps., and the medical and health delivery systems.
  4. Economic Incentives
    • Create economic incentives (through bundling, capitation and other methods) for individuals, communities and public and private sector institutions to create and deliver self-care training, wellness products and preventive health care practices.
    • Establish intellectual property protection policies that reward wellness innovations using the latest technologies with evidence-based and comparative cost-value determinations.

AAAOM Student Organization

You Are at the Root of Healthcare Reform

By Elisa Behnk

On a recent Sunday morning, around a dining room table in Eastern Maryland, a dozen AOM students, practitioners, and allopathic colleagues sat down to a potluck brunch. The topic soon turned to healthcare. It was no accident; this group convened expressly to respond to the Obama transition team’s request for new perspectives on current healthcare concerns and possibilities for the future.

Like the organized “meet-ups” the Obama campaign encouraged and facilitated in the months leading up to the election, grassroots groups are now meeting post-election to develop concerted feedback for the new administration. Specifically, the transition web site change.gov posed three questions:

  1. What is the biggest problem with healthcare in the U.S. today?
  2. What is the best way for policy makers to develop a plan to develop a sound healthcare policy?
  3. What additional input and information would best help you to continue to participate in this great debate?

“We’re lucky,” said Deborah Hardin, MAc, a recently licensed practitioner and graduate from Tai Sophia Institute, who helped bring the Maryland group together. “In school we’re exposed to ideas outside the medical mainstream. We’re already asking, ‘What is the picture of health we want to promote in our community and the larger world?’”

With this in mind, the group’s focus during the meeting was as much on personal responsibility as it was on general ideas for the Obama team. Chris Fadgen, another recent Tai Sophia acupuncture graduate and co-host of the Maryland group, asked attendees to consider, “What’s one thing I take responsibility for and will go out into the community to do?”

Individual responses varied from focusing on pro bono acupuncture treatments in community health settings to creating childcare and eldercare environments that promote health in keeping with AOM principles.

“A number of people around the table said that they’d like to keep the momentum going, and to meet again, perhaps on a monthly or quarterly basis,” Fadgen said.

Halfway across the country in Minnesota, another group of fifteen participants met in early January as an “Alternative Healthcare Forum.” The demographics of this gathering were remarkably different.

“I wanted to have a group that didn’t know much, if anything, about alternative health,” said AAAOM-SO President Jolene Habeck, acupuncture student at Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, NWHSU, in Bloomington Minnesota. “I wanted a group that hadn’t formed a specific opinion. If they had tried an alternative treatment, I wanted to find out why they sought it, how it affected them, and if they still use it.”

This group concluded that people do have a desire to discuss healthcare, but do not have an outlet. “It was surprising,” said Habeck, “because while the group was widely divergent socio-economically, it was not confrontational. It was a great way to realize that we’re all on the same page when it comes to illness. We all have the same needs, no matter where we live and what our background is,” Habeck concluded.

AAAOM-SO encourages AOM students and practitioners to engage in this feedback process by hosting or attending a grassroots healthcare policy discussion in your area. Click here to join a discussion thread on the AAAOM forum website and announce or find a group in your area. Then, share your individual and collective perspectives with the new administration through change.gov.

Student Organization Round-Up

This is a new monthly column reporting on current events, doings, and concerns of the AAAOM-Student Organization Committee (SOC). If you ever wonder, “What’s up with the Student Organization?”then this column is one place to look. Each month we’ll report on issues at the top of the SOC’s agenda. You can also directly contact us. The Committee members are listed below. Let us know what you think, feel, or want…what you want to know, or want to do.

More Active Student Participation in this April’s Convention…
We are publishing this issue of The Qi-Unity Report just after Barack Obama took the oath of office in Washington, calling for active service by everyone and greater participation in public life.

Students will have a chance to do just that during the AAAOM Convention in April.

The Student Organization Committee (members listed below) has planned big changes for more active student involvement in the AAAOM 2009 Conference and International Expo that will take place in Sacramento, California, April 23-26.

You can read the 16-page convention program (PDF). And you can register for the convention.

Five Ways to Get Involved…
Indeed, there are five new ways students can actively get involved during the AAAOM Convention. Three of the five involve the chance to earn scholarship money or a free registration to the Convention. A fourth involves making a presentation about your school at the student caucus. And a fifth involves participating in the AAAOM’s Acupuncture Awareness Day at the grounds of the California State Capitol.

  1. Scholarship Dollars for Scholarly Competition…Enter your scholarly work in the exhibition taking place during the morning before the Student Caucus on Saturday, April 24. You might enter a research project on AOM, a look at allopathic or integrative medicine, or your research into public health care policy or the Classics. Three entries will be selected, and each will be awarded $250. (Contact: Jolene Habeck president, AAAOM-SOC, at jhabeck@nwhealth.edu)
  2. Scholarship Dollars for Chapter Projects…Get recognition for the work of your college chapter of the AAAOM-Student Organization. Perhaps your chapter mounted a PR project, fundraiser, or membership drive. Submit your project to the exhibition. Three entries will be selected to win $250 each. (Contact: Jolene Habeck, president, AAAOM-SOC, jhabeck@nwhealth.edu)
  3. Free Convention Registration if You Volunteer for Four Service Hours…Students who volunteer to work for four hours in a classroom, at the registration desk, or at the silent auction table will be able to attend the Convention for free. We are looking for 45 students to volunteer four hours apiece. (The first student-member who has volunteered for service hours during this year’s Convention is last year’s SOC president, Mandy Troelsen, a graduate of the Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.) Slots are available for each day of the Convention, from Thursday, April 23, to Sunday, April 26. (Contact: Kimberly Benjamin, VP-Events, soundacupuncture@gmail.com)
  4. Make a Presentation About Your School During the Student Caucus…The afternoon session of the student caucus (Saturday, April 24) will showcase the individual schools that make up AOM in the U.S. Each has a unique structure and size, academic philosophy, and clinical experience. Each school will field one or more student-representatives to stand before the caucus and make a presentation about what makes your school unique. (Contact: Kimberly Benjamin, VP-Events, soundacupuncture@gmail.com)
  5. Participate in Acupuncture Awareness Day at the California State Capitol…This event (Thursday, April 23) is designed to offer a blueprint for conducting public awareness campaigns in your own state capitals and communities. More details on participation will be coming soon.

Members of the Student Organization Committee (SOC) Want to Hear from You…
The changes being made to the 2009 Convention are the direct result of requests made by students for greater participation. The SOC encourages ongoing feedback and dialogue. Below is a list of the officers of the SOC through April 2010. Please feel free to contact us:

Jolene Habeck, President
Minnesota College of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine (MCAOM)
952-594-4273
jhabeck@nwhealth.edu

Jim Pastore, Vice President
Tai Sophia Institute
202-669-8945
jimpastore@gmail.com

Marlene Baczek, Secretary
Midwest College, Racine
847-361-6398
marlene@lafandluv.com

Earnest Mounce, Treasurer
National University of Health Sciences
312-399-5255
earniemo@gmail.com

Amanda Troelsen, President Emeritus
Minnesota College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Alumni
612-382-1937
atroelsen@comcast.net

Patty Fullin, President Emeritus
Midwest College, Racine
262-945-3634
pfullin@aol.com

Austin Homrighaus, Vice President of Membership
Tai Sophia Institute
202-271-4472
beaneedle@gmail.com

Elisa Behnk, Vice President of Communications
Tai Sophia Institute
202-436-1547
behnk@mac.com

Kimberly Benjamin, Vice President of Events
Five Branches Alum
970-214-6683
soundacupuncture@gmail.com

Nosh Marzbani, Southwest Regional Director
Samura
503-438-0448
serenehealer@gmail.com

Irwin Tjiong, Northwest Regional Director
Five Branches
415-794-8817
hitjiong@gmail.com

Ryan Secor, Central Regional Director
National University of Health Sciences
920-562-8778
jetleg26@hotmail.com

Anna Suter, Mountain Regional Director
ITEA
303-877-7061
goatsngarlic@hotmail.com

Cathlene Scoblionko, Southeast Regional Director
Jung Tao School of Classical Chinese Medicine
813-376-2490
cscoblionko82@gmail.com

Candice Holt, Northeast Regional Director
Tai Sophia Institute
410-978-3508
candiceholt73@yahoo.com

Products, Services, and Member Savings

Dear Prospective Advertiser:

Investing your advertising dollars in The American Acupuncturist and the Qi-Unity Report makes good sense for so many reasons:

Join our current advertisers to infuse growth into the field your products and services benefit. The reunified organizational force behind the AAAOM means more power toward serving the growth of alternative medicine.

With so much to gain, what better time is there to advertise in The American Acupuncturist and the Qi-Unity Report? Please contact me to learn more at (866) 455-7999.

Yours in Health,

Douglas Newton
Manager, Program Development and Business Services, AAAOM
866-455-7999
916-443-4766 (fax)
info@aaaomonline.org

ENCLS: AA/QUR Ad Card (PDF); Adv. Contract (PDF)

In closing,

As always, your feedback serves as a useful lens through which we may look at how well we are serving our members. Please take a moment to express your thoughts to us.

General Feedback

In Health,


Rebekah Christensen,
Executive Director
Douglas Newton,
Managing Editor