Boo !

Happy Halloween!

More Scientific Evidence Of How Acupuncture Works

U.S. News and World Report’s Health Day section had a fascinating article in the August issue entitled, “Imaging Sheds Light on How Acupuncture Works”The writers acknowledge that acupuncture has become increasingly popular in the U.S. and cites a study published in the September issue of NeuroImage that concludes that acupuncture eases pain by regulating key receptors in the brain.Acupuncture

Insomnia Is Harmful; Chinese Herbs Can Help

By Cathy Margolin L.A.cAccording to several recent studies from the National Sleep Foundation and Science Daily the answer to that question is a resounding “yes”. Insomnia seems harmless enough. Perhaps you simply have a hard time falling asleep at night. Or perhaps you toss and turn for a few hours, and then wake up the next morning and drink an extra cup of coffee to make up for it. How could

New Study; A Mind/Body Approach Improves Fertility

This past week Reuters had an article about the benefits of stress management for fertility. Research presented at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine in Atlanta suggests that including a mind/body approach while undergoing IVF treatments increases the chances of getting pregnant. Below are some excerpts from the article. "Alice Domar, who runs a fertility center in

Today Is National Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine Day

Acupuncture Relieves Low Back Pain for Pregnant Women

The September, 2009 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, carried the results of a study that is of particular importance to pregnant women.Dr. Shu-Ming Wang and colleagues from the Yale School of Medicine, used pressure needles taped to the ear acupuncture points of pregnant women and found that they experienced significant reductions in lower back and pelvic pain as compared

疾病预测

欢迎阅览我为你们所准备的博文 (blog articles) ，身为中医工作者之一，我向你们表示崇高的敬意，在未来的日子里，我将与你们分享中医养生之道，并且盼望你能从中受惠。

我是何医师(Master Ho)，着手研究中医疾病预测学及个人化体质治疗学，这两个课题四年多了，实际上，我是继续父亲和老师的工作。好了，太难理解的大道理就不说了，先问大家，疾病的先兆可以被早期发现吗？

很多人都认为只要借着现代医学仪器定期化验血液、尿液或进行相关的X-光、超声波、磁共振等检查，必发现疾病的踪影。实际上，在社会人群里，有50%被现代医学标上〝健康〞的人，其实在若干层度上自觉身体不适，但是却说不出所以然。也有些人活得好好的，怎么突然录暴毙身亡或突然患上了不治之症，难道人生真的无常吗? 难道疾病真的好象突然降临的死神，谁也阻挡不了？

其实，疾病在初始阶段可以透过中医诊断的手法发现。有的时候，那些高明的中医还可以预知疾病的传变的规律性。病位在浅表时，可用推拿、刮莎、拔罐疗法；病邪在皮部与肌肉之间，可用针灸之法疏通经络气血；如果病位在内脏，就一定要使用汤药了。这种把疾病消灭于早期的治疗手段，我称之为〝截断治疗〞。

过去的一年半，我曾旅居泰国及马来西亚的柔佛州和沙巴州，仔细地研究当地的气候、居民的饮食及起居作息方式，当中的乐趣，日后有机会，一定会多写一些文章，告诉大家。特别是在亚庇(Kota Kinabalu) ，沙巴--我的故乡，调理一位高年龄的政治人物夫人长达8个月里，差不多每一个星期都在观察她的舌象、脉象、掌纹变化及经络气血检测，并且作了详细的记录。我们在掌握了她的体质概况和疾病的规律后，同时也〝创造〞对她身体有很稳定疗效的个人化--强效药物(Personalized Mega Medicine) 。

是的，这种费时、又吃力的诊治工作没有人愿意去作，我们甚至花时间免费培训好几个中、西医都没有得到太大的回响。不过，每当我们的仔细诊治的结果帮助到病人恢复健康时，我觉得一切的辛苦都是值得的！

曾经有一位大企业的执行人员还认为这种那么费心丝的治病服务，最适合政治人物、大企业CEO等权贵之士。起初我不明白他的用意，后来他才说，他们这些人，日理万机，饭局应酬又多，大鱼大肉之际，烟酒也很难离口，再加上睡眠不好，运动又少……身体健康都很差，所以他才渴望我们能长期在他们的身边，帮助他们恢复健康，要知道一个上下最少500人的大企业领导人如果突然中风或心脏病发倒下，企业的损失何其大呀！

当然我也希望每一个人都要多留意自己的健康，有些时候疾病是不会给你发出感觉症状，当你观察到时也许巳经病入膏盲了。在过去的5000年至今，中医在治疗疾病及养生的道理，还是很前卫的，以后我会一一地告诉大家。

Welcome to the world of TCM with Master Ho

Welcome to my blog! As one of the key member in Chinese physicians, I pay high tribute to you in the coming days, because I will be sharing my knowledge and experiences of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) with you, and I am sure you will be able to live better with the philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)!

I am a Chinese physician and acupuncturist, they call me Master Ho or Mr. Ho, I had been working on a few researches which related to the topic of “Disease prediction by TCM theory” and “Personalized TCM therapy” for about 4 years. Before that, my father and my master had being working on these many many years ago, and now I am the one who continue their works.

This is the first time for me to write about TCM in both English and Chinese languages, my writing skill might not be that good, but I believe if I practice more, I will become a better writer. Well, let me ask you a question, do you think disease can be predicted at a very earlier stage?

Many people may agree that regular health check such as blood test, urine test or the associated X-ray, ultrasound, MRI are good enough to tell a story of our health. What if the modern medicine diagnosis system is right, why are there many healthy people still not feeling “excellent” at all time? And what happen to those who living a healthy lifestyle and one day, they go into sudden death or suffering from incurable disease. Does illness really seemed suddenly upon without any signs?

In fact, in the initial stages of the disease can be found through TCM diagnosis methods. A wisdom Chinese physician has eyes for detail; their strong observation can help them to predict the change regularity of disease in a human body (I will write more about this interesting topic in the future).

If the disease’s Qi (or we called it the negative energy) located in the superficial, the Tui Na (Chinese Massage), scraping “Sha” or cupping therapy can help; if the disease’s Qi reaching the layer of the skin and muscles, the acupuncture and moxibustion can use to detoxify meridians channel in order to promote good Qi; If the disease’s Qi located in the viscera, it is necessary to treat with herbal soup. The Chinese physician viewing the treatment of eradicate of the disease at an early stage as a very important solution for recover health.

This reminds me of a true story that happened in Nan Jin, China 2 years ago. An old patient was send to Dr. Chou Zhong Yin (a famous Chinese physician in Nan Jin) for treatment. According to the modern medicine diagnosis report, this patient’s cancer marker CA50 is more than 150, that indicated tumor appear in his body. But the strange thing is, doctors from the hospital couldn’t find his tumor by the latest medical equipments, they also don’t know the reason of causing this old patient become so weak and so sick. Dr. Chou using the Traditional Chinese Medicine theory to diagnose this patient, he come to a conclusion that this patient has weak kidney’s Qi (according to TCM theory),therefore he prescript herbal soup which formulated to revitalize kidney’s Qi. After 1 year of treatment, this patient not only becomes healthier than before, his cancer marker CA50 rating has drop down to the normal level! This is really amazing, isn’t it?

Over the past year and a half, I have lived in Thailand and Malaysia (Johor state and Sabah state), I study the local climate, diet and the living lifestyle of residents. In Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, I had treated a politician wife (about 76 years old) for about 8 months, I carefully observe and recorded her Tongue, pulse, palm line and the meridian changes weekly. After analyzed her body type for such a long time, we are now become more confidence to select a series of herbs which can heal her body effectively, we called it “The Personalized Mega Medicine”.

People often ask me, why I have to do such a time-consuming job? My answer is: the more effort we put in, the more confidence we gain for treating a disease, and there isn’t any short cut for it. The moments when we see our patient restore their health, I believe everything we do is really worth it!

I remember one of my client (a company director) tell us that he like our program very much, he believe that our health program suitable for politician, corporate CEO and leaders. As far as he concerns, these people not only spend a lot of effort in managing their works or company, but also have to attend a lot of appointments, and it all end up with too much foods, alcohol and tobacco. Of course, the worse scenario is to cope with poor sleep or lack of sleep and lack of exercise for a long period of time, this can really jeopardized their health. If they are not feeling well or facing the worse health condition, their businesses may affected and they will need to taking the risk of losing a lot of opportunities in their life.

Therefore, I strongly believe that health should come first. What we are doing now, will affecting the quality of our senior life in the future. Let’s work together, and I will ensure you have a quality and prosperous life Through TCM!From,Master Ho

Halloween In China?

I love Halloween! It may be my favorite holiday.Countries in the East do not have Halloween, but they do celebrate something similar. Just as the Western festival focuses on ghosts and ghouls, the Eastern celebration is about the departed spirits of the underworld, also known as The Feast of the Hungry Ghosts. It is celebrated in July in China, Singapore, Malaysia and other countries.The

Wanna Be Like Madonna???

You don’t have to sit in ice, you probably are not dating a model half your age, but you can have acupuncture and feel like dancing!!!In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 51-year-old performer admitted she has to sit in a bath of ice and have acupuncture treatment after her concerts. She said: "My ankles get taped before the shows and I have treatments and physical therapists…."It's from years

I wanted to sneak this in here because after walking around the polytrauma unit in the VA this week, my aspirations to use my nurse practitioner and acupuncture skills in this population grew exponentially. The Louisville VA is one of the best in the country - the staff is always smiling and polite and the hospital itself is holding up well when they could have let it go to pot since plans are in the works for a new facility. The time may be ripe for a proposal, especially since it is a growing trend.

Acupuncture Today November, 2009, Vol. 10, Issue 11

Comprehensive Military PTSD Treatment Programs

By Joe C. Chang, MAOM, Dipl. OM, LAc

So far, there are four comprehensive posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and combat stress treatment programs in the U.S. Army that have incorporated different CAM approaches in their treatment programs.

Many of these comprehensive programs started as a result of the Ft. Bliss Restoration and Resilience Center, near El Paso, Texas. This integrative approach treats many of the symptoms of PTSD that are not addressed through the standard mental health protocols that included cognitive-behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy. The Ft. Bliss program incorporated medical massage, meditation, yoga, acupuncture, marital/family therapy and Reiki with standard treatment protocols . Additionally, soldiers go through a daily 45-minute "power walk" and play water polo three times a week.

At the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Program at Ft. Hood (near Killeen, Texas), their intensive, combat-stress three-week program focuses on the reduction of hyperarousal and reactivity. Reducing these core symptoms of combat stress and posttraumatic stress disorder allows other treatments to be more effective. The program includes group counseling, biofeedback, individual counseling and alternative therapies (massage, acupuncture, yoga and Reiki).

Read More

Chinese Herbal Medicine For Insomnia

By Cathy Margolin L.A.c.According to a USA Today article, in the 1950s approximately 7.5 hours of sleep a night was the norm for most Americans. These days, the average American sleeps for around 6.5 hours a day, and if you’re a full time student chances are you get even less. So how DO we all function with so much less sleep? That’s a whole night of sleep, missing from our lives each week.

More Research On Why and How Acupuncture Works!

This is a very interesting article from the Examiner.com. It not only talks about exciting new research into acupuncture, but also about acupuncture's use in the military and scientific research going back to the 1960's. Check it out!New Scientific Breakthrough Proves Why Acupuncture WorksBy Tima Vlasto - NY Holistic Science & Spirit ExaminerNew groundbreaking research shows that the insertion

Hallelujah, Proof Is Here!

Some said they did not believe in bacteria until they saw it under a microscope. Later others doubted the atom until the advent of the electron microscope. Now, we have the chance to prove meridians exist through light conduction studies. Can proof og Qi be far behind? We shall see!

New scientific breakthrough proves why acupuncture works

New groundbreaking research shows that the insertion of an acupuncture needle into the skin disrupts the branching point of nerves called C fibres. These C fibres transmit low-grade sensory information over very long distances by using Merkel cells as intermediaries. Dr. Morry Silberstein of the Curtin University of Technology will publish his research in the Journal of Theoretical Biology later this year.

Dr. Silberstein mentions that they have known, for some time, that the acupuncture points show lower electrical resistance than other nearby areas of the skin. His research specifically pinpoints that the C fibres actually branch exactly at acupuncture points. Scientists don’t know exactly what role C fibres play in the nervous system, but Dr. Silverstein theorizes that the bundle of nerves exists to maintain arousal or wakefulness. The insertion of the acupuncture needle disrupts this circuit and numbs our sensitivity to pain.”

Russian researchers in 1991 at The Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Novosibirsk, USSR, in a research project lasting several years, discovered how the human body conducts light. They found that the light conducting ability of the human body exists only along the meridians, and can enter and exit only along the acupuncture points. Dr. Kaznachejew, a professor of physics said:

“This seems to prove that we have a light transferal system in our body somewhat likeoptical fiber. It appears that the light can even travel when the light canal is bent, or totally twisted. The light appears to be reflected from the inner surface, appearing to go in some sort of zigzag track. You can explain this through traditional electromagnetic light theory as it is used in optical fiber communications.”

This finding has been confirmed by a 1992 study in the Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a 2005 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine where moxibustion and infrared thermography were used to trace meridian pathways.

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What Is Traditional Chinese Medicine Used For?

Many ailments can be treated by Traditional Chinese Medicine. TCM is also used in prevention of illness and to stimulate the immune system.Some Commonly Treated Conditions Are:HeadachesDigestive and urinary disorders DiarrheaConstipationIBSBloatingAcid refluxNauseaMorning sicknessGynecological disorders PMSIrregular periodsInfertilityDiscomfort during pregnancyPCOSMenopausal

Emerson On Health And Wealth

"Health is the First Wealth" Ralph Waldo EmersonThis is so true!

Acupuncture for Caesarean Prevention and Healthy Delivery

Given the generous litigation latitude in Kentucky that is driving competent OBGYNs out of the state and preventing Midwifes from practicing in it at all, I doubt we will see acupuncturists in the hospital delivery room here anytime soon. With an unpublished C-section rate of 40% in one of our area hospitals and a total disdain for natural childbirth from many staff members (I have actually heard comments such as "there is nothing natural about natural childbirth" and "you have to push harder, I don't have all day"), I abhor having to tell moms to be that I can't help them out with pain management on the special day. With hope, there will be more advocates like Debra Betts who can help women have safe, healthy childbirth without having to go under the knife.

Oct 09, 2009 03:30 ET

Studies Show That Acupuncture Decreases Caesarean Rates

Acubalance Wellness Centre of Vancouver presents Debra Betts, an international expert, educator and author of the Essential Acupuncture for Pregnancy and Childbirth.

There are more and more studies showing that acupuncture can decrease the rates of caesarean delivery. This fits right into the new campaign launched by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) to 'normalize' childbirth and reduce Canada's soaring caesarean section rate."

The SOGC claims 20% fewer caesarean sections could be performed if doctors and hospitals followed guidelines aimed at lowering unnecessary surgeries and if women had support during labour.

Studies have shown that women receiving prebirth acupuncture compared to a control group had:

- An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their first baby this was a 43% reduction)

- A 31% reduction in the epidural rate

- A 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery

Breech birth, where the baby is delivering bottom-first rather than head first, is one area under scrutiny by the SOGC. They say that women should have an option to deliver vaginally with a breech presentation rather than have an automatic caesarean delivery. Moxibustion, an ancient Chinese treatment that involves heating acupuncture points with the Chinese herb called mugwort, has been used to turn breech babies for centuries. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that, at 35 weeks gestation, 75.4% of the babies in the intervention group (whose mothers had received moxibustion) had changed to a head-down position versus 47.7% in the control group.

According to Betts, acupuncture during pregnancy helps numerous conditions, including: nausea, high blood pressure, back pain and cervical ripening (which helps shorten labour), and can naturally induce labour.

One thing that Betts is particularly excited about teaching is acupressure for pain management during labour. "We know that if women can manage their pain there is less drugs, less intervention and far fewer C sections." says Betts. "What's important is that these acupressure points are easy to use, can be used at the beginning of labour by the support people, and that there are consistent effects. From my own clinical followup, 86% used it successfully in labour to significantly reduce their pain."

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Professor Wins Award For Her Pioneering Research On Acupuncture For Women

I am happy to report that Associate Professor Caroline Smith, from the Centre for Complementary Medicine at the University of Western Sydney, recently won the inaugural Award for Translational Research at the National Institute of Complementary Medicine's symposium in Brisbane. This is a major award and she earned it for her pioneering clinical research into acupuncture techniques for women.One

Professional Footballer Kenny Miller Is Using Acupuncture

Scottish professional footballer Kenny Miller is using acupuncture as part of his plan to recover from a hamstring injury. Kenny is a Striker for the Rangers and had to sit out a couple of big games. His team has not done well without him. While he was able to play recently against the Celtics and scored the winning goals for his team, it took a toll on his health. "His Manager Walter Smith was

Have A Headache? Try Some Ginger Tea

Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine can significantly reduce headaches and relieve the often crippling pain. Ginger is a wonderful spice and herb often used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. I often recommend it to my patients for many ailments. The information below, is from acufinder.com and shows how ginger can help headache sufferers."Numerous clinical studies have shown that ginger can be