New Pennsylvania Law

When I was practicing in Texas, we had a similar law that required a patient has been referred to an acupuncturist. One of the sneaky ways that I was told by the local board to get around this was to have a separate form where the patient gave the name and address of their PHP, verified they had seen an MD for the condition, and was referred by the physician to get acupuncture. Since most patients see acupuncturists after they exhaust all other possibilities, it was never a problem. Last time I checked, neither acupuncture, chiropractor, or naturopathy were extensively covered in med school, yet we had to be given "permission" while chiropractors and naturopaths were allowed to practice unencumbered. At least in Pennsylvania, the scales are beginning to balance.

PA Law Change Makes Alternative Medicine Easier to Obtain
Pennsylvania - Senate Bill 1235, eliminates the requirement for patients to obtain both a written referral and their last physical exam results to keep on file with their acupuncturist to take effect on January 28, 2007

January 24, 2007 - Backed by both Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate, "[S.B.1235] takes away a tremendous burden to our patients, who often waited weeks to procure a referral while their ailments were left untreated," Steven Mavros, Licensed Acupuncturist and representative of the Association for Professional Acupuncture stated.

Since a patient cannot be denied access to their own medical records [HIPAA], this means that the power to choose acupuncture as a complimentary therapy is now in the hands of the patient.

The original 1986 bill required acupuncturists to obtain physician referrals before providing treatment. Now, patients can come in for same day treatment with no paperwork in hand. Treatment may take place for up to 60 days without any diagnosis or referral.Governor Edward Rendell signed S.B.1235 into law on November 30, 2006.

Feel Good Acupuncture, located at 301 Montour Boulevard in Bloomsburg provides acupuncture and herbal services. "It will be a pleasure to be able to take patients for same-day visits. It's very frustrating to turn away a patient that is in pain, because they did not know that they needed to have a referral prior to treatment."

Points for Plants

Wow - better botany through acupuncture - who would have thought?

Researcher patents use of acupuncture on plants

LONG-TERM PROJECT: Hsiao Gui-wen spent eight years drawing up a comprehensive map of plant acupuncture points and another seven years perfecting the treatment By Chung Li-hua
STAFF REPORTERS Sunday, Jan 07, 2007, Page 2

Can acupuncture be used on plants?

After experimenting for 15 years, Hsiao Gui-wen (蕭貴文), a researcher of Chinese medicine, has uncovered the acupuncture points on plants.

When applied to fruit-bearing plants such as peach and apple trees, acupuncture not only advanced the harvest time by a month and a half, but also decreased damage by blight.

The technique has been patented, and many interested businesses now are in negotiation for the rights to use the technology.

Hsiao originally ran a chiropractic clinic in Yonghe. After he witnessed ginger lilies change color upon absorbing dyes, he toyed with the idea that plants may have acupuncture points like humans.

Read More

Hypertension

Hypertension, commonly referred to as "high blood pressure", is a medical condition where the blood pressure is chronically elevated. Persistent hypertension is one of the risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, heart failure, and arterial aneurysm, and is a leading cause of chronic renal failure. Hypertension is often without symptoms. The simplest and easiest way to see if you are at risk or have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked regularly.

Acupuncture is becoming more widely known as an alternative therapy for curbing high blood pressure. It provides an excellent complement to other medical treatments for high blood pressure and other heart-related conditons. During acupuncture, needles are inserted into specific body points to help relieve pain and disease. Studies have shown that acupuncture excites brain cells, causing them to release neurotransmitters that can inhibit or heighten the heart's activity.

When a needle is inserted at specific points, opioid chemicals in the brain that reduce excitatory responses in the cardiovascular system are released. This results in a decrease in heart activity and need for oxygen, which can lower blood pressure and promote the healing of heart-related conditions like myocardial ischemia (insufficient blood flow to the heart) and hypertension.

In the Journal of Applied Physiology from March 2005, researchers from the University of California applied electroacupuncture to sites on the forelimbs of rats. Low frequencies lowered elevated blood pressure rates by 40 percent to 50 percent. A 30-minute treatment was able to reduce blood pressure by 25 mmHg, and the reduction lasted for nearly two hours.

Researcher Professor John Longhurst, a specialist in heart medicine at the University’s Irvine campus, said: "This type of electroacupuncture is only effective on elevated blood pressure levels, such as those present in hypertension, and the treatment has no impact on standing blood pressure rates.

"Our goal is to help establish a standard of acupuncture treatment that can benefit everyone who has hypertension and other cardiac ailments."

He added: "This study suggests that acupuncture can be an excellent complement to other medical treatments, especially for those treating the cardiac system. "

Not all research studies on acupuncture and hypertension agree. In my experience, acupuncture depends on proper diagnosis, proper choice of acupuncture points, and proper needle technique. These are difficult factors to control in research studies, and may be why results often differ.

A trained Acupuncturist can recognize the origins of high blood pressure by observing certain symptoms. Headache, dizziness, eye disorders, and numbness suggest a Liver imbalance. Palpitations, poor memory, and insomnia represent Heart distress. And ringing in the ears and accumulation are resultant of Kidney disorder. Control studies prefer to use the same acupuncture points on all test subjects, which is not a proper test for acupuncture.

Conflicting studies are why it is important to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture for yourself. In addition, if one acupuncturist is unable to help, consider trying another who may be better able to help you. In any case, don't give up on your health, or accept the results of a single strategy. There are many health options and you need to find the one that is right for you.

New Year, New Face . . . Sort of

In Louisville, there are at least two new plastic surgery offices opening near my practice in addition to the several "botox beauty boutiques" that promise to smooth out any flaw you can think of with laser, syringe, or scalpel. Acupuncture facials can be a hard sell - people who are considering botox or face lifts are probably not going to embrace acupuncture because the results are too slow. The occasional Hollywood personality testimonial may bring some of these people in, but the majority are going to be existing clients or those who would not try anything more invasive than Oil of Olay. Here is some help in bringing that awareness.

Put a New Face on the New Year
Written by Staff
Friday, 05 January 2007

Okay, that may be a bit extreme, but with all of the natural and less invasion alternatives to plastic surgery now offered inn the Denver area, it might not be as impossible as it sounds. If you’ve been looking for a way to rejuvenate and start the year with confidence, you may be ready for an overall overhaul. There are ways to get the fresh glowing skin you are seeking without spending exorbitant amounts of money or committing to invasive plastic surgery. An easy first step is a consultation with a dermatologist and/or an acupuncturist.

Cosmetic acupuncture has been around for centuries. In the early Chinese dynasties, treatments were reserved for the wealthy, though luckily today it is available for common folks like us, and both men and women alike. Cosmetic acupuncture can eliminate fine lines and wrinkles and diminishes deeper lines. Sagging skin lifts and develops a healthy glow. rhytids (lines between the eyes) can completely disappear. Puffy eyes and sagging lids improve noticeably. Rosacea has diminished in most patients and acne becomes less of a problem. Women report that makeup slides on smoothly and less moisturizer is needed. Men have reported noticeable differences in “smile lines” and sagging jowels. Men also love the treatment because it is subtle and gradual.

Read More