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Ear Acupuncture Works for Obesity

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Auricular (ear) acupuncture successfully treats obesity. A new study concludes that a special 5 point combination of auricular acupuncture points is effective for weight loss in overweight individuals. A one point auricular treatment was also found effective but not to the degree of clinical success as the 5 acupuncture point combination.

A randomised controlled clinical trial of a total of 91 patients with a BMI (body mass index) of 23 or greater were divided into 3 groups. Group 1 received the 5 acupuncture point combination. Group 2 received only one acupuncture point and group 3 received sham acupuncture. At both 4 and 8 weeks following the treatment regime, measurements were taken to determine clinical effectiveness. It was discovered that the 5 acupuncture point combination was the most effective yielding over a 6% reduction in the body mass index. The one point acupuncture treatment regime yielded just under a 6% improvement in BMI. Both groups 1 and 2 showed significant improvements in BMI and weight loss.


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Group 1 received 5 auricular acupuncture points: shenmen, spleen, stomach, hunger, endocrine. Group 2 received only one auricular acupuncture point: hunger. Group 3, the sham group, was needled at the 5 auricular acupuncture points but the needles were then immediately removed. The unilateral application of the acupuncture needles was applied once per week. Both groups 1 and group 2 retained a total needle time of 8 weeks using the ear tacks, tiny acupuncture needles attached by tape. Group 3 only received local auricular stimulation of the acupuncture points to simulate the experience but the needles were not retained.

A special type of tape retained the needles over the 8 week period for groups 1 and 2. The same tape hid the absence of needles in the sham group. The needle depth was 2 millimeters in the auricular acupuncture points. The 5 point acupuncture treatment caused the most significant reduction in waist circumference and BMI. Body fat percentage dropped significantly in the 5 point acupuncture treatment but not in the other groups.

The 5 auricular acupuncture point combination is commonly employed for digestion issues. Gastric and duodenal ulcers are commonly treated with a similar combination. The 5 acupuncture point weight loss combination used in the study includes auricular shenmen.

The spleen auricular point is traditionally used for strengthening the spleen and harmonizing the stomach. It helps to produce yin-blood and benefits the muscles.

The endocrine point used in the 5 acupuncture point combination is located in the cavum concha in the intertragic notch.

The hunger point can be used to up-regulate or down-regulate sensations of hunger. It is used for issues of anorexia, bulimia and digestive disturbances.

At Acupuncture of Iowa we use safe and reliable techniques when we use needles that are left in the ear between visits. Our ear needles are just 1 mm or less in length and can be stimulated by gentle rubbing to reinforce the effect at home. Our weight loss treatment also includes coaching on behavior change and dietary change to support health.

Call Acupuncture of Iowa at 319-341-0031 to schedule a weight loss consultation and treatment!

Battlefield Acupuncture

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http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturist-news-online/709-battlefieldacupuncture

A new investigation concludes that Battlefield Acupuncture (BFA) is effective in relieving pain and can be implemented in the aeromedical evacuation system for wounded warriors. The study notes that the United States Air Force primarily implements pain control through the use of opioid medications in the evacuation system. The study was conducted using Battlefield Acupuncture techniques when transporting wounded warriors from a US medical center in Germany to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The Battlefield Acupuncture was administered by nurses and physicians to the patients with pain.

Battlefield Acupuncture

Battlefield Acupuncture is a simplified version of auricular acupuncture. Small acupuncture needles are placed on the outer ear tissue. The researchers concluded that it is feasible to train nurses in Battlefield Acupuncture techniques. The medical staff also concurred noting that the application of Battlefield Acupuncture did not interfere with preflight preparations and inflight operations. The patients reported a clinically significant drop in pain levels as a result of the acupuncture. The researchers documented that Battlefield Acupuncture can be integrated into wounded warrior transport without difficulty and has significant clinical benefits in enhancing pain relief.

Acupuncture has a long history in the US military. In 1967, an Army surgeon published an article on the efficaciousness of acupuncture in Military Medicine Magazine. Doctors at Walter Reed Army Medicine Center in Washington have long recommended acupuncture for the treatment of pain due to trauma. Dr. Stuessi, a Navy physician specializing in the treatment of concussions, noted in Stars and Stripes that, “I’ve found phenomenal, off-the-charts results doing acupuncture for sleep, for dizziness and headaches.” Col. Niemtzow began offering acupuncture treatments in 1995 at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. Since that time, he has been running a full time acupuncture clinic at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. Recently, the Department of Defense has funded research at the New England School of Acupuncture in Massachusetts. The goal is to determine the effectiveness of acupuncture for the treatment of Gulf War Illness in a double-blind, randomized investigation.

Reference:
Wong, V., D. K. L. Cheuk, and V. Chu. “Acupuncture for newborn babies with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE).” Health (2012).

– See more at: http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturist-news-online/709-battlefieldacupuncture#sthash.VG4o3tug.dpuf

Acupuncture for Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal

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http://www.healthcmi.com/acupuncturist-news-online/705-acupuncturedrugalcoho-withdrawal

New research concludes that ear acupuncture helps reduce anxiety and other symptoms caused by drug and alcohol withdrawal. The new study  published in the Journal of Psychiatric And Mental Health Nursing notes that the patients experienced increased relaxation and well-being. Anxiety reduction and reduced drug and alcohol consumption were directly related to the use of the ear acupuncture therapy.

Ear AcupunctureEar Acupuncture

Ear acupuncture, also known as auricular acupuncture, is the placement of needles on the tissue of the outer ear. The acupuncture protocols used in the study followed those created by NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association). The study noted that no negative side-effects were reported and the study notes that the ear acupuncture had an overall positive physical impact on the patients. Given the success of acupuncture therapy for the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction in this study, the investigators suggest continued research into the use of the NADA acupuncture techniques for addiction withdrawal.

Another recent study finds acupuncture effective for the treatment of withdrawal symptoms and anxiety associated with heroin addiction. In this controlled study, the use of two acupuncture points located on the arm, HT7 and P6, were investigated. The research concluded that both acupuncture points were successful in the treatment of heroin withdrawal symptoms.

The use of acupuncture point HT7 is widely used for the treatment of anxiety. Also known as Shenmen, Spirit’s Gate, HT7 is valued by licensed acupuncturists for its ability to induce sustained relaxation and benefiting sleep. Another recent study found HT7 had a “markedly reduced reinstatement of cocaine-seeking” in lab rats. The inhibition rate exceeded 85%. In yet another study of human subjects conducted at Yale University it was discovered that acupuncture is significantly effective in the treatment of cocaine addiction. The subjects were much less likely to return to cocaine use if they had received acupuncture treatments.

References:
Bergdahl, Lena, A. H. Berman, and Kristina Haglund. “Patients’ experience of auricular acupuncture during protracted withdrawal.” Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursing (2013).

Journal of Acupuncture and Tuina Science. Volume 10, Number 3 (2012), 155-159. Therapeutic efficacy observation on acupuncture for post-withdrawal syndrome of heroin dependence. Yan Liang, Lei Zong, Yu Li, Bo Cheng, Jing Xu and Yue-lai Chen.

Psychopharmacology. Effects of acupuncture on stress-induced relapse to cocaine-seeking in rats. Seong Shoon Yoon, Eun Jin Yang, Bong Hyo Lee, Eun Young Jang, Hee Young Kim, Sun-Mi Choi, Scott C. Steffensen and Chae Ha Yang.??

Arch Intern Med. 2000;160(15):2305-2312. Randomized Controlled Trial of Auricular Acupuncture for Cocaine Dependence. S. Kelly Avants, PhD; Arthur Margolin, PhD; Theodore R. Holford, PhD; Thomas R. Kosten, MD. Yale University School of Medicine and Department of Psychiatry. New Haven, Connecticut.

Penelope Cruz with Acupuncture Ear Beads

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http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2013/01/24/penelope-cruz-sports-acupuncture-beads/

 

Cruz was spotted wearing auriculotherapy at the January 10 premiere of “Venuto Al Mondo.” (Image credit: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images)

The swath of tiny studs in Penelope Cruz’s ear isn’t the latest piercing fashion – it’s auriculotherapy, a form of acupuncture used to fight stress, pain and infertility.

The gold beads were spotted Jan. 10 at the Madrid premiere of “Venuto Al Mondo,” sparking rumors about whether the 38-year-old actress and husband Javier Bardem were hoping to give their toddler son a sibling.

“Auriculotherapy can be used for fertility, but those are not fertility points on her ear,” said Jill Blakeway, director of the Manhattan-based YinOva Centerfor complementary medicine. “Hers is a very standard protocol for people with stressful, busy lives.”

CLICK HERE to read about other celebrity remedies.

Auriculotherapy uses relexology points on the ear to tap into distant parts of the body, according to Blakeway.

“It’s almost like there’s a little homunculus; a little representation of the body that comes during embryonic development,” she said, describing how points in Cruz’s ear help calm the heart, mind and spleen, and bring the body into balance. “Auriculotherapy is remarkably effective,” she said.

During a treatment session, auriculotherapy needles are inserted about a quarter inch into the outer ear. When the session is over, Blakeway said the needles are removed and replaced with tiny gold or silver beads affixed with a sticky bandage that “potentiates the treatment.”

“It’s quite popular for relaxation,” Blakeway said of auriculotherapy. “We also do a lot for hunger, for people on diets.”

Acupuncture is gaining popularity in the U.S. as patients — and doctors — embrace a more holistic approach to medicine.

“Western medicine is very good for some things and not very good for others,” said Dr. Tony Chon, a medical acupuncturist with the Mayo Clinic’s Complementary and Integrative Medicine Program. “Treatments like acupuncture and stress management therapy look at patients as more of a whole rather than their individual parts.”

But studies on acupuncture have yielded a “hodgepodge of results,” Chon said, because the gold standard placebo-controlled trial doesn’t always work. “It’s hard to study because people have pain and stress for different reasons,” he said.

Blakeway said acupuncture is “particularly good for treating chronic long-term imbalances like arthritis, irritable bowel, asthma, allergies and hormonal imbalances that cause infertility.” Her husband, YinOva Center co-director Noah Rubenstein, performed acupuncture on Kristen Davis during an episode of  ”Sex and the City.” Davis’ character, Charlotte, was undergoing in vitro fertilization.

“Some studies have shown that acupuncture increases IVF rates,” said Dr. William Hurd, division chief of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland. “Based on the limited data, we don’t recommend it, but we do offer it.”

Acupuncture’s stress-relieving effects in some patients can also boost the odds of becoming pregnant, Hurd said.

“The stress of not getting pregnant makes it less likely to get pregnant, so we encourage everyone to try anything they find helpful for stress as we help them with the medical side of it,” said Hurd.