What is the difference between Medical Acupuncture and Chinese Acupuncture

And what’s the difference between Medical Acupuncture
and Traditional or Chinese Acupuncture?

As more and more people are looking into receiving acupuncture for their health complaints, it has become that much more important to know what type of acupuncturists are in practice and what type of qualifications they have.

Acupuncture is a component of a complete medical system called Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Acupuncture originated in China several thousand years ago.

ACUPUNCTURE TRAINING

Acupuncture is performed by licensed acupuncturists with a minimum of 3-4 years of study. This is a rigorous program of acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine that includes intense study and an internship. Credentials can be seen after their name with an L.Ac.

Most often when you see the initials L.Ac., you can be confident that the acupuncturist had some serious training of at least a few years.

Medical Acupuncture is performed by a doctor (MD) or other licensed health care professional such as a chiropractor, dentist, and physical therapist.

Medical acupuncture was created for these health practitioners (MD, DC, etc.) without the lengthy study that licensed acupuncturists (L.Ac.) take. In fact, some of these courses only require 100 hours of acupuncture study!

Often, when you see the initials MD or DC or any initial without an L.Ac., more often than not, they have had much less acupuncture training.

In fact, it is in the nature of Medical Acupuncture to offer a less comprehensive course of acupuncture study to their trainees. Some states offer a minimum of ONLY 100 hours of acupuncture study while licensed acupuncturists (L.Ac.) have over 3,000 hours.

If you have received acupuncture by an MD, DC, or someone not fully trained like an L.Ac. and have not benefited from the treatment, you should consider going to a licensed acupuncturist (L.Ac.) to experience the full potential that acupuncture has to offer.http://www.medicalacupuncturefacts.com/

Antioxidant activity of 45 Chinese herbs

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Antioxidant activity of 45 Chinese herbs and the relationship with their TCM characteristics
Here, 45 Chinese herbs that regulate blood circulation were analyzed for antioxidant activity using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. A recent publication by Ou et al. identified a close relationship between in vitro antioxidant activity and classification of Chinese herbs as yin or yang.

The 45 Chinese herbs in this study could be assigned the traditional characteristics of natures (cold, cool, hot and warm), flavors (pungent, sweet, sour, bitter and salty) and functions (arresting bleeding, promoting blood flow to relieve stasis, nourishing blood and clearing away heat from blood). These characteristics are generalized according to the theory of yin and yang. We identified a broad range, 40–1990 µmol Trolox Equivalent/g herbs, of antioxidant activity in water extracts. There was no significant correlation between ORAC values and natures or functions of the herbs. There was a significant relationship between flavors and ORAC values. Bitter and/or sour herbs had the highest ORAC values, pungent and/or sweet herbs the lowest. Other flavors had intermediate values.

Flavors also correspond with the yin/yang relationship and our results are supportive of the earlier publication.

We reported for the first time antioxidant properties of many Chinese herbs. High antioxidant herbs were identified as Spatholobus suberectus vine (1990 µmol TE/g), Sanguisorba officinalis root (1940 µmol TE/g), Agrimonia pilosa herb (1440 µmol TE/g), Artemisia anomala herb (1400 µmol TE/g), Salvia miltiorrhiza root (1320 µmol TE/g) and Nelembo nucifera leaf (1300 µmol TE/g). Antioxidant capacity appears to correlate with the flavors of herbs identified within the formal TCM classification system and may be a useful guide in describing their utility and biochemical mechanism of action.

Keywords: flavor – function – herbs – nature – oxygen radical absorbance capacity (orac) – traditional Chinese medicine
Hui Liao, Linda K. Banbury and David N. Leach
Centre for Phytochemistry and Pharmacology, Southern Cross University, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia and 2Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030012, China
http://ecam.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/nem054v1#B2

Acupuncture for Parkinson's Disease

A friend of the family had recently brought her aunt to see me for treatment. She told me that she had Parkinson's Disease along with shoulder pain. I accepted to treat her with some hesitancy because I thought this would be a difficult issue. However, as soon as I treated her, everything just seemed to flow smoothly. We were seeing each other for a period of five non-consecutive sessions for two and half weeks.
My friend's aunt whom we will address as "Mrs. Patel," was 77-years old and was visiting her family from London, England. She was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1991. However, her main complaint was her shoulder pain that resulted from an accident during yoga practice which happened a long time ago.
After seeing how Mrs. Patel was unable to move her arm overhead (and only to the level of her collarbone forming a ninety degree angle), I immediately remember seeing this as frozen shoulder because of my past clinical experience. The pain quality ranged from dull and achy to sharp and stabbing. The pain was made worse with cold air emitted from central air conditioning to ingestion of cold foods. Her surgeon back in England did whatever he or she could to do to fix the problem after the accident. After the surgery, she was unable to move her arm. Furthermore, the surgeon had said that there was a piece of bone from the shoulder that got chipped off and was circulating inside the shoulder joint; thus making the shoulder pain even worse.

In regards to her Parkinson's Disease, it was heartbreaking to see. She had a shuffling gait while walking. She would clutch onto the side-railings with both hands to walk up and down a flight of stairs. Her body frame was frail and thin. Her visage looked very haggard and looked very tired. During the inquiry, she would often speak in a low tone of voice and she felt like sleeping all the time. All the muscles in her body felt very rigid and tense. She was on ten different medications; nine out of ten of them were for Parkinson's Disease and one of them was for bone and joint care.
In addition to that, Mrs. Patel said that the tremors in her hands were exacerbated with emotional and mental stress. One of her medications for Parkinson's was making her constipated; her stools were too dry and were happening once every day. Other signs and symptoms consisted of heavy eyelids and burning sensation in the eyes, vertex headaches, pain upon breathing, and lower back pain. Her pulse was thin, rapid, long and palpable at all three depths. The liver position as well as both kidney positions was very vacuous. While I was examining her pulse, Mrs. Patel and her niece mentioned that she had acupuncture done while she was on a cruise ship. Mrs. Patel said that the other acupuncturist said her liver and kidneys were very weak. It brought a smile to my face to know that there was someone in our field that I can concur with. While examining her tongue, the body was short and thin. The color of the tongue body was light red and the coating of the tongue was thin and white. After examining everything that I found, her diagnosis was "cold painful obstruction" (also known as Han Bi Zheng) and "wasting syndrome" (also known as Wei Zheng). Her pattern was internal wind due to systemic qi and yin vacuity and localized qi and blood stasis.
During the first treatment, getting her to come onto the table was difficult since I didn't have a step stool available at the time so I lifted her onto it. The first set of needles that went in the right shoulder was inserted into the local points and ashi points. Then I inserted needles into Zu San Li (ST-36), San Yin Jiao (SP-6), and Rang Gu (KID-2) for the qi and yin vacuity that was related to her Parkinson's. Next I used direct moxibustion on Qi Hai (CV-6) to help treat her fatigue using three cones. Also I manipulated the needles by hand using the reduction method to release the stagnated proteins her right shoulder and using the supplementation method to address the metabolic vacuities. After thirty minutes of needle retention and manipulation, I took out the needles and used pole moxibustion over her right shoulder. However, I used it in a way that was only taught to me by one my big influencing teachers. I took a paper towel, draped it over the right shoulder (the deltoid), and started tapping the lit end of the moxa pole onto the paper towel. This technique (which is not taught in TCM schools in the US) is much more powerful because the heat from the moxa penetrates deep to the tissues. The last part of the treatment involved tui na (medical massage) onto the shoulder.
This approach I used was the same approach I used in the other treatments that followed with a few modifications such as needle-head moxa over the right shoulder. After her first session was over, Mrs. Patel felt like her vitality had returned back. We continued treatment four more times. After she left my office after our first session with her niece, I noticed that Mrs. Patel was no longer walking like a frail, ill woman. She was walking like a twenty year old. I was worried thinking that the next time I'd see her she would be back to square one. However, when she came for her second session, she was walking the same way as she did after her first session. She did feel some level of trepidation walking up and down a flight of stairs. Despite that, she was still walking smoothly.

After our last session together on August 21st, Mrs. Patel's could now lift her right arm to a one-hundred and twenty degree angle. That showed tremendous amount of improvement than when I saw her for her first session. Unfortunately, with the constraints of time, we couldn't see each other anymore since she had to leave for London the next day. Before Mrs. Patel left, I gave her the name of an acupuncturist and an herbalist in London.

Billy Shonez Singh is a licensed acupuncturist and a board certified Chinese herbalist by the NCCAOM.  He is currently practicing in Commack, NY.  His primary focus with East Asian medicine is stress, pain management, diabetic complications, and treating chemotherapy side-effects

Billy Singh, L. Ac. is a graduate of New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine's Herbal Certificate Program for Acupuncturists.

Clinical Research on Treating Senile Dementia by Combining Acupuncture with Acupoint-Injection

Yemeng Chen, L. Ac., FICAE, President, New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

Formerly Yemeng Chen, M.D.,Acupuncture Department,
Huashan Hospital Shanghai Medical University, Shanghai 20040, P. R. China
Abstract: Combining acupuncture with acupoint-injection of aceglutamidi has been used in treating 38 cases of senile dementia. The experiment showed that the therapy is effective for the cases of multi-infarct dementia, the rate of success being 42.82% and of improvement 42.86%. The rating was based on the revised Hasegawa Dementia Scale and the Functional Activity Questionnaire. In addition, it has been observed that the component of high density lipid-cholesterol increased (HDL-C) significantly after treatment.
Key Words: Acupuncture, acupoint-injection, aceglutamidi, senile dementia, multi-infarct dementia, high density lipid-cholesterol (HDL-C)
Senile dementia, its main types being Alzheimer ’s disease (senile dementia of Alzheimer’s type, SDAT) and multi-infarct dementia (MID), is a special disease found only in the aged. IT is characterized by impaired memory and intellectual decline. Being unable to take care of themselves, patients suffering from severe dementia are a heavy burden to the family and community. With the increased proportion of aged people among the populace, the morbidity of senile dementia has also increased. Therefore the disease has been listed as one of the most important items in the research of geriatrics. Beginning from 1988, we tried to combine acupuncture with acupoint-injection of aceglutamidi to treat 38 cases of senile dementia. Having analyzed the clinical data, we found the multi-infarct dementia is an effective indication of acupuncture. The observation is as the follows.
[read more - .pdf ]

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Acupuncture License Requirements - New York

General Requirements

The practice of acupuncture or the use of the title "licensed acupuncturist" within New York State requires licensure as an acupuncturist, unless otherwise exempt under the law. Licensed physicians and dentists may be certified to practice acupuncture in New York State, but the requirements and application process are different from those for licensure in acupuncture. Physicians and dentists who seek certification to practice acupuncture should contact the Office of the Professions at 474-3817 ext. 560 for additional information.

To be licensed as an acupuncturist in New York State you must:

* be of good moral character;
* be at least 21 years of age;
* meet education and examination requirements; and
* demonstrate proficiency in English if you are a candidate whose application is based upon credit granted for the completion of courses of study in a country where English is not the principal language spoken.

General Requirements

The practice of acupuncture or the use of the title "licensed acupuncturist" within New York State requires licensure as an acupuncturist, unless otherwise exempt under the law. Licensed physicians and dentists may be certified to practice acupuncture in New York State, but the requirements and application process are different from those for licensure in acupuncture. Physicians and dentists who seek certification to practice acupuncture should contact the Office of the Professions at 474-3817 ext. 560 for additional information.

To be licensed as an acupuncturist in New York State you must:

* be of good moral character;
* be at least 21 years of age;
* meet education and examination requirements; and
* demonstrate proficiency in English if you are a candidate whose application is based upon credit granted for the completion of courses of study in a country where English is not the principal language spoken.

Examination Requirements

You must successfully complete the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's (NCCAOM) Acupuncture, Foundations of Oriental Medicine and Point Location Modules examinations and the Clean Needle Technique course. If you successfully completed NCCAOM's Acupuncture Written examination, Point Location examination, and Clean Needle Technique course prior to June 2004, you meet the examination requirement for licensure.

For information regarding the examinations and course, including costs, dates of administration, and content, contact:

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
11 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 300
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
Phone 703-548-9004
Fax 703-548-9079
E-mail info@nccaom.org
Web www.nccaom.org

English Proficiency Requirement

If your licensure application is based upon credit for the completion of courses of study in a country where English is not the principal language spoken, you must demonstrate English proficiency. If you took the NCCAOM licensing examinations in English and passed them, you have met the requirement. Otherwise, you must pass an examination in English proficiency acceptable to the Department (such as TOEFL). Additionally, you can present proof of credit-bearing postsecondary study offered in English at a university or college if the study was in an area such as humanities or English. Courses in mathematics, computer science, and English as a Second Language cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. An acceptable course must be worth at least 3 semester hours or the equivalent. It is your responsibility to see that verification of English proficiency is submitted directly to the Department from the testing agency or college or university.

View Full article at Office of Profressions, New York State Education Dept., Acupuncture

Admission requirements to NYCTCM Acupuncture School

Moxibustion for Shoulder Pain

In this video, I am also showing how I treat shoulder issues with another modality known as moxibustion. I am putting Ai Ye (mugwort herb) on top of the needles. Once this herb is ignited, the heat emitted is transferred through the needles and into the joint. From there, the heat has a dispersive effect through the joint to allow for pain reduction and proper blood circulation through the joint.

Visit my website.

www.billysingh.com

Healthy Chinese Recipes

In the New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine Eastern Nutrition Class a study of nutrition is presented from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine. The recipes include the healthful function of each dish and each ingredient. Try some of these Healthy Chinese Recipes.

• Dragon Chicken and Stars
• Boiled Escarole
• Fried Rice - Flour Noodle
• Green Bean Pancake
• Healthy Salad
• Jap Chae
• Korean BBQ
• Nourishing Carrot Walnut Bread
• Mung Bean Pancake
• Stewpendous
• Winter Mushroom and Chicken Soup
• Yin Yang Bean RIce

Acupuncture in Huffington Post - Acupuncture & TCM Blog

Anyone considering an alternative treatment for their health problems should read this article "Should you try acupuncture? from the Huffington Post. It explains what acupuncture is, addresses insurance concerns, and says that the new medical model of integrative medicine in patient centered and embraces any and all effective solutions to patient's health problems.

"According to the TCM view, a vital energy called qi flows through the body along channels called meridians. I like to think of these channels as a sprinkling system for the body, bringing qi to vital organs and extremities in much the way hoses bring water to your garden. In the TCM model of health and disease, when qi flow is blocked it stagnates. Stagnating qi causes illness. Acupuncture therapy unblocks the qi flow, strengthens or weakens the qi (think opening and closing the garden spigot) and directs it to areas of need."

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reBlog from nyctcm.edu: Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for Digestive Disorders

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Eliminating Waste in Practice: Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for All Digestive Disorders

By Lisajeanne Potyk, LAc

Acupuncture Today
December, 2005, Vol. 06, Issue 12

Most of the patients I see in my clinic suffer from a variety of digestive disorders. They do not effectively process their food. They have diarrhea, heartburn, and acid reflux disease. They're nauseated.And who would expect any different? In this fast-paced, high-technology culture, we're overrun with time constraints and stressors of all kinds.People unaware of what a good diet consists of rely on processed fast foods and meats packed with hormones and antibiotics. In the West, we're overprescribed antibiotics and other medications; women are reeling from the side-effects of birth control pills; and we regularly take any of a myriad of anti-inflammatories for the slightest ache. It's no wonder so many people are experiencing internal disharmony. And if all of that wasn't enough, most people either don't know how to, or are afraid to, release their emotions. Opting for a sense of control, they "hold." And they get constipated.

The digestive system is a mirror to how we process our external world on every level. Are we assimilating good nutritional, emotional and spiritual nourishment, and effectively eliminating what is toxic to us? Are we letting go of negative situations and allowing ourselves to be nurtured by positive ones? Without the foundation of a healthy, properly nourished body, we can't find the strength to feed into our emotions. If there's a backlog of undigested emotions, any digestive symptom can manifest. Once balance in the body is established by poor nutrition and digestive functions, we gain the platform to integrate our internal and external worlds.Traditional Chinese medicine teaches us to properly diagnose and treat our patients using staid, ancient teachings recorded thousands of years ago. People don't change from century to century, but their circumstances do.

The environment, food, medications, and stressors affecting our patients are very different today, and since the disharmonies that cause them are rampant, digestive disorders are also rampant. Diagnosis and treatment according to the TCM model, written in (and for) a different time, can therefore be complicated and confusing.Now, imagine a group of acupuncture points that could be used to balance every kind of digestive disorder, including irritable bowel syndrome, bloating, ulcerative colitis, indigestion, and more. Imagine that the points are simple, easy to follow, and quite effective. There is no need to take the pulse, no need to consult a textbook, and no need to fumble through myriad causes. Wouldn't that be magic? It is, thanks to Dr. Teh Fu "Richard" Tan.

Dr. Tan has dedicated his life to experimenting with combinations of points, which are used with excellent clinical results, often instantaneously. Isn't that what we, as practitioners, want - to insert our needles, see an immediate change, and know our treatment is working? With the eight magic points, Dr. Tan offers the ability to elicit consistent, positive results.One could consult any number of the core books written on TCM theory, but isn't the practice of acupuncture - of healing - about how much better the patient feels after being treated? Better to learn the laws of acupuncture, become skilled at them through knowledge and discipline, and then break out into your own successful expression of them.

Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points

nyctcm.edu, Dr. Tan's Eight Magic Points for Digestive Disorders, May 2010



You should read the whole article.

Chinese medicine acupuncture for chronic fatigue and heart palpitations

NYCTCM Acupuncture School New York

NYCTCM Acupuncture School New York

Now is a good time to consider a professional career in Chinese Medicine —Acupuncture and Chinese Herbology — since these centuries-old healing arts continue to gain acceptance among American health practitioners and patients. The New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine is New York’s premier institution of authentic Chinese Medicine. NYCTCM teaches Traditional Chinese Medicine much as it is taught in China, while helping students relate this approach to the practice of Western Medicine in the U.S.

NYCTCM is fully accredited and our programs have been shown to thoroughly prepare our students for the NCCAOM national certification examination in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. NYCTCM accepts new and transfer students at the beginning of each trimester, in January, April and September. Prospective students must have at least 60 college credits and proficiency in English before applying. Please visit the NYCTCM website for complete information about our programs.

The excellent faculty, most of whom were trained in China and have extensive teaching and clinical experience in both China and the U.S., combined with small classes and master - apprentice type teaching relationships in the school’s teaching clinics, mean that this ancient knowledge is carefully transmitted to the students who will make up the next generation of master practitioners.

NYCTCM offers flexible scheduling with classes mostly on weekends and a friendly family-style atmosphere that encourages stress-free learning. The main campus, located in Mineola, Long Island, is easily accessible by LIRR, bus and auto. (Mineola is 1/2 hour by LIRR from Penn Station).

For Manhattan-based students, the Manhattan clinic/classroom facility offers the possibility of completion of up to 50% of the program in Manhattan. The Manhattan Clinic is open 5 days per week, and a limited number of classes are offered there on weekday evenings.

Please see our website for a schedule of Open Houses. Saturday Open House sessions include an opportunity at the end of the session to sit in on classes and receive a complementary treatment in the NYCTCM Teaching Clinic.

Or you may arrange to visit NYCTCM as a guest student on another day (Saturday is the best day) — attend classes, meet with faculty and students, and speak with our Admissions and Financial Aid staff.

Acupuncture treatment on back to calm internal wind

Acupuncture treatment on back to calm internal wind
Originally uploaded by NYCTCM

Patient, a 63 year old female, is being treated for shoulder pain and shaking of the right shoulder.

Patient has been coming for treatment of this condition for 6 months. To date, the patient reports that since treatment her shoulder pain has improved 80% and the shaking has also gotten better. The duration of the shaking has decreased.

The treatment is geared towards balancing the body to reduce the pain and calm the internal wind which is causing the shaking.

NYCTCM Clinic Senior Intern AnnaMaria DiLisio

Uploaded by NYCTCM on 14 Jun 10, 4.55PM EDT.

Acupuncture for Detoxification CE Seminar

Speaker: Dr. Yong En Shi, LAc
Date & Time: 1:00 PM – 6:00 PM, Sun., 06/27/2010
NCCAOM PDA Points: 5

Dr. YongEn Shi will teach the Auricular Acupuncture Theory Resources and Auricular Acupuncture - Master Points.

He will how to use Auricular acupuncture for detoxification of drug problems, tobacco addictions, relief of withdrawal symptoms, general relaxation and homostasis, and the apparent enhancement of mental and physical functioning through activating the reserve capabilities of the body. With demonstration of Auricular acupuncture.

About the Speaker:

Dr. YongEn Shi, LAc, is a Chief Acupuncturist/Clinical Coordinating Manager at Adult Continuing Day Treatment Program (ACDTP) Department of Psychiatry of Harlem hospital and New York College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (NYCTCM) Faculty. He graduated from Beijing Traditional Chinese Medical College, Tongji Medical University, WuHan, China

Following the Mother Nature Dao (Tao)

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Five Yuns and Six Qis

Through observation, ancient Chinese learned that every thing in universe including the universe itself could be described by using five elements, which are called Mental, Water, Wood, Fire, and Earth. These five elements constitute the universe and they interact to each other. The relationships between these five elements form the Five Elements Theory. These five elements are also called five Yuns in the Constitution Theory of the Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM). Yun in Chinese means changing, moving, and continuing.

Land is part of the universe. Besides constitutes by the five Yuns, the land is also influenced by six climates, which are called Tai Yin, Shao Yin, Jue Yin, Yang Ming, Tai Yang, and Shao Yang. These six climates are related to the temperature changes on the land due to the influence of the universe. These six climates are called six Qis in the Constitution Theory.

Since people live on the land, all the influences to the universe and the land are also affected to the people. From the philosophy of Five Yuns and Six Qis, the theory of Heaven Stems and Earth Branches has been developed to describe the health of people and to predict the future of people.

Read complete article at Steve Chang's Yong Kong Blog

All in this Tea - Documentary

All In This Tea (2007)

All In This Tea takes us into the world of tea by following world-renowned tea expert David Lee Hoffman to some of the most remote regions of China in search of the best handmade teas in the world.

Hoffman is obsessed; during his youth, he spent four years with Tibetan monks in Nepal, which included a friendship with the Dalai Lama, and was introduced to some of the finest tea—that golden nectar with which we can taste the distant past.

Unable to find anything but insipid tea bags in the U.S., Hoffman began traveling to China to find tea for himself. In the process, he discovered the rarity of good, handmade tea, even in China, where the ancient craft of making tea has given way to mass production. This craft cannot be learned from a book, but has been handed down through generations of tea makers for thousands of years.

Hoffman tries to convince the Chinese that the farmers make better tea and that their craft should be honored and preserved. He drags the reluctant tea factory aficionados up a lush, terraced mountainside in their blue suits and bring them face to face with those “dirty” farmers. In an ironic twist, Hoffman reintroduces them to their own country and one of its oldest traditions.

Images of the farmers standing streetside, selling a week’s harvest for three dollars, in the shadow of China’s increasing number of high rises illustrate the paradox that stepping into the modern world imposes. But, Hoffman is even a step ahead of his own country in that he is advocating “fair trade” and organics. Despite Hoffman’s at times argumentative and condescending manner, we become increasingly empathetic to him; he is only one small voice against a vast and complex machine.

Common Cold Treated with Herbal Tea

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Acupuncture in Wall Street Journal

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This article describes how scientists are using ultra-sound, thermal imaging, and neuroimaging to show the effects of acupuncture. Scientists found that many of the 365 acupuncture points correspond to nerve bundles or muscle trigger points and several meridians track major arteries and nerves. Acupuncture is being used by U.S. Army and Navy doctors for musculoskeletal problems, pain and stress in stateside hospitals and combat zones, and by Acupuncturists without Borders in Haiti after the earthquake. Major medical centers like M.D. Anderson in Houston to Memorial Sloan-Kettering in New York use acupuncture to counteract the side effects of chemotherapy.

"Studies at the Martinos Center have shown that patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful compression of nerves in the wrist, have heightened activity in parts of the brain that regulate sensation and fear, but after acupuncture, their brain patterns more closely resemble those of healthy subjects. Brain scans of patients with fibromyalgia show that both acupuncture and sham acupuncture (using real needles on random points in the body) cause the release of endorphins. But real acupuncture also increased the number of receptors for pain-reducing neurotransmitters, bringing patients even more relief."read complete article at Wall Street Journal, Decoding an Ancient Therapynyctcm.edu, Acupuncture in Wall Street Journal, Mar 2010

You should read the whole article.

reBlog from nyctcm.edu: Acupuncture Needle Techniques: Tonifing and Reducing CE

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NYCTCM presents the Continuing Education Course for Acupuncturists - Acupuncture Needle Techniques
Speaker: Grand Master Dr. Yongjiang Xi
When: 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Sun., 05/23/2010
(NCCAOM PDA Points: 3)

Dr. Xi will discuss needle quality and evaluation of acupuncture manipulations related to tonification and reduction, the relationships between strength of needle manipulation and tonification/reduction, differences between puncturing Qi points and puncturing muscle knots. He will also demonstrate needle techniques for some muscle-skeleton disorders, as well as needle techniques of hot-tonification/cold-reduction in both simple way and complicated ways. His son, Dr. Depei Xi will assist his teaching.nyctcm.edu, Acupuncture Needle Techniques: Tonifing and Reducing CE, Mar 2010

You should read the whole article.

reBlog from nyctcm.edu: Frozen shoulder

I found this fascinating quote today:

Chris Giordano, a student at NYCTCM, gave an overview of Frozen Shoulder from a TCM perspective for his Clinical Acupuncture Practice II class "Treatment of Modern Diseases with Traditional Chinese Medicine". He describes the basic bioscience of frozen shoulder, then tells us the basic TCM knowledge about frozen shoulder, including major pattern differentiation and major treatment points and needle techniques. He gives techniques for prevention of frozen shoulder, then summarizes current research on the treatment of frozen shoulder with Traditional Chinese Medicine. "The cause of frozen shoulder is unknown, but it probably involves and underlying inflammatory process. The capsule surrounding the shoulder joint thickens and contracts. This leaves less space for the upper arm bone (humerus) to move around. Frozen shoulder can also develop after a prolonged immobilization because of trauma or surgery to the joint... The symptoms are primarily pain and a very reduced range of motion in the joint. The range of motion is the same whether you are trying to move the shoulder under your own power or if someone else is trying to raise the arm for you. There comes a point in each direction of movement where the motion simply stops as if there is something blocking the movement. The shoulder usually hurts when movement reach the limit of the range of motion, and can be quite painful at night. Major Treatments or Medications Treatment of the frozen shoulder can be frustrating and slow. Most cases will eventually improve, but it may be a process that takes months. Initial treatment and increasing the range of motion of the shoulder with a stretching program. Anti-inflammatory medications may be prescribed. It is critical that a Physical Therapy program be started and continued to regain the loss of motion. An injection of cortisone and long-acting anesthetic, similar to novocaine, may bring the inflammation under better control, and allow the stretching program to be more effective. In some cases, injecting a long-acting anesthetic along with the cortisone right before a stretching session with the Physical Therapist can allow the therapist to break up adhesions while the shoulder is numb from the anesthetic. If  progress is slow, your doctor may recommend a manipulation of the shoulder while you are under anesthesia. This procedure allows your doctor to stretch the shoulder joint capsule, and break up the scar tissue while you are asleep. In most cases, a manipulation of the shoulder will increase the motion in the shoulder joint faster than allowing nature to take its course. It may be necessary to repeat this procedure several times. Related terms in TCM The first description of frozen shoulder was provided by the French physician E.S. Duplay in 1872. During the 20th century a corresponding Chinese term arose: "50-years shoulder" (wushi jian), referring to the typical age of onset of the disorder; the term frozen shoulder (jianning) is also used in China. While there are numerous references to traditional style Chinese medical treatments for problems of the shoulder area, investigations into the use of the therapies specifically aimed at frozen shoulder have only been described in the last few years. Pathogenesis Traditional Chinese Medicine differentiates frozen shoulder into three types:nyctcm.edu, Frozen shoulder, Feb 2010

You should read the whole article.

Dr. Tung's Acupuncture Continuing Education class

NYCTCM is proud to present the Continuing Education Course "Dr. Tung's Acupuncture" on April 3 & 4 2010. This course represents the culmination of Dr. Young Wei-Chieh's forty years of clinical expertise and his study with Master Tung.

Who is Master Tung

Master Tung Ching Chang has been referred to as The Greatest Acupuncture Master who ever lived. He was born in the Shangdong Province in Northern China. When China was occupied by communists, he moved to Taiwan with Chang Kai-shek's army and settled in Taipei. He was a traditional Chinese physician famous for the miraculous and spontaneous results he would obtain by using few needles. The acupuncture points and techniques he used are unique while in accord to orthodox acupuncture. In most cases, the patient notices instant relief upon insertion of the needle. From 1953-1975, there were over 40,000 patient visits in his clinic.

Master Tung's Points were a treasured family secret, handed down and refined over generations. Master Tung was benevolent that he aimed at mass patients' benefits and decided to reveal his secret acupuncture system. He was the first one to break his family tradition and began to teach his acupuncture system to outsiders. He selected all his students, 73 of them, without any charge. He even offered boarding for those students if in need. Dr. Young, Wei-Chieh is one of the 73 students. Master Tung passed away in 1975. He left behind his point book and his legacy. 

For details about this CE class for acupuncturists, visit NYCTCM CEU page. 

reBlog from nyctcm.edu: TCM in America

I found this fascinating quote today:

Kelsey Dixon, a NYCTCM graduating acupuncture student, wrote on how she will contribute to the future of Chinese medicine in an American culture which is so different from the Taoist principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. nyctcm.edu, TCM in America, Jul 2009

You should read the whole article.

TOEFL� Go Anywhere Website Now Available in Chinese

Online English-Language Resource Designed Specifically 

for Chinese Students

Beijing, China (January 6, 2010) —

This press release is also available in Chinese (PDF).

Educational Testing Service (ETS) has launched a new Chinese-language version of the TOEFL® Go Anywhere website to assist students in preparing for the TOEFL® test, the most widely accepted English-language assessment worldwide. The newly released TOEFL Go Anywhere website, available at www.toeflgoanywhere.org/cn, presents an informative overview of the TOEFL test, valuable test preparation tips, and user-friendly academic tools for students.

Created specifically for Chinese students, the interactive portal serves as an effective planning tool and comprehensive resource to address frequently asked questions regarding the TOEFL test. Through the site’s multimedia platforms, students also have the opportunity to learn best practices and study tips from English-language teachers and international students around the world.

Acupuncture for Horses

"Acupuncture restores the body’s balance by relieving the pain. Acupuncture should preserve the length of the horse’s performance life and make him/her happier. Everyone uses horses for purposes for which they are not built. We ask them to do things they may not be anatomically designed to do. So, as a result, we inadvertently cause some of the damage. Much of that damage can be overcome through the use of acupuncture which decreases pain, increases joint flexibility, improves muscle function, and facilitates overall movement. Before inserting the needles, a diagnostic check of the horse’s body should be run to see where there are tender or sore areas are. Using a smooth dowel or a pen diagnostic lines should be traced along the horse that pick up the positive acupuncture points and muscle trigger points. By the way, the insertion of the acupuncture needles is quite literally painless for those who are squeamish about needles."

read more tcmdirectory - equine-acupuncture/

How to help your horse with acupuncture

Dr. Joanna Robson walks you through the steps of an equine acupuncture treatment. Many horses react positively by becoming relaxed as the treatment progresses.

Equine Acupuncture

Dr. Reed Holyoak, OSU equine veterinarian, demonstrates how he is using acupuncture and acupressure to treat horses for a wide variety of ailments and the research being done to determine how effective these treatments really are. From SUNUPTV

Introduction to Acupuncture

Janus Lee has a masters degree in traditional Chinese medicine and is a certified acupuncturist. She discusses acupuncture and demonstrates with acupuncture needles. She talks about acupuncture points, how acupuncture works, what types of things acupuncture can address or treat the body, and how conventional medicine treatments are different from acupuncture.

She explains the movement of Qi in the body and explains TCM treatment of pain. She works on acupuncture points on the feet to treat headaches in order to move the Qi.

Howard Zinn gives advice to President Obama

Howard Zinn gives advice to President Obama at Boston U in 1999; video