Allergies and Chinese Medicine

I have previously written about treating children with allergies (here) but a recent Men's Journal article on the topic caused me to realize that there was no article on this blog addressing the allergic adult's response to Chinese medicine, which is equally wonderful.

A Men's Journal article, which can be read in entirety here, gives an overview of the acupuncture treatment of allergies and then cites an Annals of Internal Medicine study which found that,

...hay fever sufferers who received 12 acupuncture treatments over eight weeks had fewer symptoms and needed less antihistamine meds than patients who didn't do the needles.

 The article goes on to quote a physician who attempted to describe the Western medical basis for Chinese medicine's ability to modulate the immune system in this positive way,

"Acupuncture addresses hay fever symptoms in a few ways," says Dr. Isaac Eliaz, an integrative physician . . . who was not involved in this study. "In general, it has a balancing effect on the body as a whole. Additionally, acupuncture regulates abnormal histamine excretion and allergic responses, so basically, it helps reduce sensitivity and reactivity to allergens. Acupuncture can also decrease the expression of inflammatory proteins."

Eliaz says that receiving a series of treatments over a long stretch of time – much like what these study participants got – can even help reduce the recurrence of hay fever symptoms going forward. Another major perk? Stress relief. "Acupuncture helps regulate energy, so recipients often experience a deep sensation and feelings of well-being and relaxation," Eliaz says. "In our fast-paced modern world and with all of the issues we face as a society, reducing stress is critical for health."

A German study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine which you can read about, here, found that:

Hay fever sufferers who underwent 12 acupuncture sessions experienced fewer symptoms and required less antihistamine medication compared to a control group, researchers from Charite-University Medical Center, Berlin, Germany, reported in Annals of Internal Medicine.

 A recent meta-analysis of many studies which looked at acupuncture and allergies found that, 

The researchers documented that acupuncture “produced significantly greater diminution of nasal symptoms” in the acupuncture group. They add, “Our meta-analysis showed that (the) acupuncture group has superior effect(s) in reduction of both rhinitis symptoms and the requirement for antiallergic medication compared with (the) control group."

Depression and its Treatment by Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine

This afternoon I was treating a new patient whose chief compliant was depression, which is something that we work with quite frequently at the Northside Holistic Center. In speaking with him, he commented that he had read my blog and had only seen postings about pregnancy-related depression as well as articles which I had written related to anxiety and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

It struck me that I hadn't devoted an entire post to the subject of treating depression with Chinese medicine and acupuncture yet, and that it was important to address this, since many clients come to us with either depression as their main concern, or as a secondary issue that we can work on with them.

Treating depression is enormously satisfying to me because of the very high success rates and enormous improvements that the patients see in their lives. Moreover, depression frequently underlies other health issues and resolving it will often aid in the recovery from these other health complaints. People will seek out acupuncturists to work on their depression for one of three reasons: they either want to avoid medications altogether; the medications are not controlling the depression adequately, or they would like to reduce their dose of medication (in which case we strongly recommend that they let their MD know their plans).

Chinese medicine, of which acupuncture is a part, takes any condition and examines it through the prism of the whole body. That is, in coming up with a treatment plan, we take into consideration the person's current and past health history, as well as constitutional tendencies - those things which aren't a problem but define the person's experience of their body. These may include tendencies to run hot or cold, reactions to stress, bowel habits, complexion issues, etc. Thus, two people who have the same western medical diagnosis of depression may each receive a different acupuncture protocol and herbal formula. In this way we are able to taylor our treatment to the individual, which yields superior results.

Research/Other Articles:

An overview of acupuncture and depression along with a few research citations can be found here.

• Time Magazine covered some interesting research looking into the mechanism by which acupuncture treats anxiety, stress and depression. The scientists noted that,

  Rats who got acupuncture showed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than stressed-out rats who didn't get treatment. [and that] Acupuncture may work by targeting the same pathways that stress travels along, according to a new study in rats from Georgetown University Medical Center and published in the journal Endocrinology.

  “There was nothing in the literature about acupuncture for PTSD and chronic stress,” [the researcher said] says, so she decided to study it. To find out if acupuncture was affecting chronic stress, Eshkevari and a team of researchers looked at what happened in a key pathway in dealing with stress for both humans and rats: the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). It’s the same pathway targeted by some anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants, Eshkevari says, and the HPA is involved in the production of the stress hormone cortisol.

• A fascinating study from Britain suggests that when acupuncture is used to treat patients with depression, gene expression governing mood is also corrected. A synopsis of the study can be read here.

The research shows that depression causes “abnormal gene expression” in “a large number of genes” and this affects “multiple brain functions” and nerve cells. Depression causes pathological biochemical changes and these changes cause more depression. The researchers note, this “vicious circle makes it difficult to cure conditions such as depression.” The researchers note that this educational investigation indicates “that electroacupuncture at Baihui and Yintang modulates depression by regulating the expression of particular genes.”

• The Depression Clinical and Research Program at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has demonstrated that acupuncture is effective in the treatment of clinical depression for patients who are non-responsive to conventional pharmaceutical antidepressant therapies. The abstract can be seen here:

The Massachusetts General Hospital study documents that existing clinical evidence supports acupuncture as a stand-alone therapy for depression. This study researched the ability of acupuncture to augment conventional antidepressant therapy when patients did not respond to their medications. The study concluded that acupuncture is effective as an adjunct therapy to antidepressants for both partial and non-responders. Acupuncture was administered one to two times per week during the study and the researchers concluded that acupuncture was “safe, well-tolerated and effective” for patients suffering from depression.

Reference:

Albert S. Yeunga, Victoria E. Amerala, Sarah E. Chuzia, Maurizio Favaa and David Mischoulon. A pilot study of acupuncture augmentation therapy in antidepressant partial and non-responders with major depressive disorder. Depression Clinical and Research Program, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

• A research study in the journal, Complementary Therapies in Medicine, (an abstract of which can be found here) found that a group of women with major depression treated with acupuncture had the same relapse rate as another group treated only with conventional prescriptions. This study suggests that acupuncture may be as successful as drug therapy in helping control major depression.

• The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Therapies published a study in which patients were either given the drug, fluoxetine, at the standard dosage or a low dose of the drug with acupuncture therapy.  The study found that both groups did as well as the other. This suggests that patients may be able to use lower doses of their pharmaceuticals when using acupuncture. This would minimize side effects and drug interactions in those patients. An abstract of the study can be read here.

• Fox News has an article, accompanied by a video which can be seen here. In the article, the experts cited say,

"The functional MRI studies are showing that acupuncture has an influence over brain chemicals, such as dopamine and serotonin"  as well as "And so, what we’re finding is that for these patients that are suffering from mild to moderate depression, acupuncture is just as effective as these antidepressants,” and "Acupuncture is also a good alternative for women who are pregnant and for people who no longer want to rely on antidepressants."

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Stop Smoking with Acupuncture

Acupuncture can work well as the sole treatment but also works well in tandem with other interventions. For example, I have had many patients who will use acupuncture in conjunction with the nicotine patch, Chantix, or hypnotherapy to try to attack the addiction from many angles. 

With most health issues, acupuncture/traditional Chinese medicine makes highly individualized assessments of the client, their health history and their symptoms. From this tailored assessment will spring an equally fitted treatment plan. Smoking cessation is slightly different in that there is an established, time tested protocol which is always used. However, an acupuncturist will still modify this by adding extra points to help strengthen the overall health of the client.

Typically, we will set up several appointment a week for the first 2-3 weeks and then reduce the frequency as the withdrawal symptoms abate. Clients are encouraged to call us, even years after the treatment regime has been completed, if some external stressful event endangers their freedom from the cigarettes.

Articles and Research

Cleveland Clinic advocates acupuncture as very useful modality for smoking cessation, too:

If you are trying to quit smoking, acupuncture is a natural way to help you curb your craving for nicotine. Acupuncture, along with Chinese herbs and hypnotherapy, may not be as well-known as nicotine patches or gum. But they all can offer relief, especially in the acute phase of withdrawal when you’re wrestling with fatigue, irritability and gnawing cravings.

From the Institute for Traditional Medicine Research (ITM) come this lengthy evaluation, which can be read here.  

A study available through the US National Library of MedicineNational Institutes of Health, found that,

This study confirms that adequate acupuncture treatment may help motivated smokers to reduce their smoking, or even quit smoking completely, and the effect may last for at least 5 years. Acupuncture may affect the subjects' smoking by reducing their taste of tobacco and their desire to smoke. Different acupoints have different effects on smoking cessation.

From the famously conservative Chicago Tribune comes this positive article:

Acupuncture and hypnosis are touted as drug-free ways to help smokers kick the habit, and there is some evidence that they work, according to a new research review.

An article from the Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM), reposted in it's entirety here states:

Each year, people across the globe vow to finally quit smoking for good only to watch their resolution go up in smoke. If you have tried to quit smoking, you know how difficult it can be. It is hard because nicotine is a powerful addiction. For some people, it can be as addictive as heroin or cocaine.

Acupuncture as an alternative approach to smoking cessation has a growing number of converts. In fact, acupuncture is often a court mandated treatment for drug addicts because of its ability to curb withdrawal symptoms and manage cravings.

It is estimated that most smokers will attempt to quit 2 or 3 times, or more, before finally kicking the habit. When conventional methods to quit smoking, such as nicotine gum or patches, have failed, smokers often look outside the mainstream and turn to alternative medicine.

Acupuncture is not a panacea or a magic cure in the treatment of any addiction, including smoking. But, acupuncture is effective in making it easier to quit and remain smoke-free. If you are highly motivated and ready to quit, acupuncture can empower you to take control and begin a healthy and smoke-free life!

A Formidable Addiction 
More than 50 million Americans smoke, and nearly 7 million more use smokeless tobacco. The numbers are even higher in other parts of the globe, with worldwide statistics showing that one out of three men and women over the age of 18 are smokers.

The reasons to quit smoking are endless. Cigarettes have 4000 known poisons, any of which can kill in high enough doses. One drop of pure nicotinic acid can kill a man. According to the CDC, tobacco kills more than 440,000 people each year, in the US alone. Not to mention the chronic illnesses and diseases that are associated with smoking. Emphysema, lung cancer, high blood pressure, shortness of breath, chronic cough, an increased frequency of colds and flu; these are just a few of the widely known risks associated with smoking.

Many people decide to quit because of the enormous expense of a cigarette habit or are just plain tired of being dependant on a substance. There is also considerable social pressure not to smoke. I am sure that most smokers can recall a dirty look or rude comment from someone that was nearby when they lit up.

How Does Acupuncture Help Break the Cigarette Habit?
Acupuncture has turned a growing number of cigarette cravers into permanent ex-smokers. As said before, acupuncture is not a panacea or a magic cure in the treatment of smoking. It can, however, reduce the cravings and lessen the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting. A successful acupuncture program will include patient preparation, patient commitment, and education about what acupuncture will and will not do.

Oriental Medicine aims to treat the specific symptoms that are unique to each individual using a variety of techniques such as acupuncture, Chinese herbs, bodywork, lifestyle/dietary recommendations and energetic exercises to restore imbalances found in the body.

Your acupuncturist may do an interview to learn about your unique smoking habits and perform a physical examination including blood pressure, taking the pulse and observing the tongue. The emotional and physical symptoms that you are experiencing will help create a clear picture on which your practitioners can create a treatment plan specifically for you.

The acupuncture treatments will focus on the jitters, the cravings, the irritability, and the restlessness that people commonly complain about when they quit. It will also aid in relaxation and detoxification.

Are There Herbs To Help Me Quit Smoking?
Often you are prescribed herbs or supplements to control cravings or withdrawal symptoms. 
There are three areas to address for herbal support; dryness and tissue repair, irritability and cravings.

*          A Lung Yin Tonic such as Ophiopogonis Combination (Mai Men Dong Tang) is often used to moisten the lungs and mouth which can prevent cravings and repair tissue damage caused by smoking.
*          A Chinese herbal formula to calm the spirit may be used for irritability. Bupleurum plus Dragon Bone and Oyster Shell (Chai Hu Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang) can help relieve irritability and anxiety associated with detox. Many people use this formula to help them through stressful situations and prevent relapses. 
*          Lobelia Tea (Ban Bian Lian) or Green Tea can be sipped daily during the detox period to keep tissues flooded with elements that discourage nicotine cravings. (Lobelia is traditionally used to rid the body of a strong toxin such as a snake bite.)

NOTE: The improper use of Chinese Herbs can be dangerous. Please consult with a licensed acupuncturist and herbologist before taking any herbal products.

What Lifestyle and Dietary Changes Should I Make?
Exercise is encouraged and dietary and support systems are recommended to rid the body of toxins and avoid relapses:

*          Get plenty of fresh fruit and vegetable juices and miso soup to neutralize and clear the blood of nicotinic acid and to fortify blood sugar.
*          Carrots, Carrot juice, celery, leafy green salads and citrus fruits promote body alkalinity and decrease cravings.
*          Avoid junk food, sugar, chocolate, coffee and cooked spinach. They can upset blood sugar levels and increase blood acidity which can aggravate smoking-withdrawal symptoms.
*          Lobelia Tea (Ban Bian Lian) or Green Tea can be sipped daily during the detox period to keep tissues flooded with elements that discourage nicotine cravings. (Lobelia is traditionally used to rid the body of a strong toxin such as a snake bite.) 
*          Drink water - Research shows that dryness causes cravings. Sip water frequently throughout the day. 
*          Deep Breathing Exercises – to increase body oxygen
*          Support Person - The decision to stop smoking can elicit uncomfortable emotions. Ask someone who is available to you in the next few weeks to act as a sounding board and provide encouragement when needed. 
*          Affirmation - An affirmation is a positive statement repeated often to create desired changes in your life. Repeating the affirmation helps not only to remind you why you are no longer smoking but imprints a new image of health so that the body can then produce health. Examples: "I am a non-smoker. I make healthy choices in my life."
*          Setting Boundaries - Set up contracts with other smokers to refrain from smoking in your presence. This includes spouses. When possible, stay away from smokers during the first few weeks.
*          Managing cravings – Plan what you will do during a craving. Examples: Chew licorice root sticks or gum; repeat your affirmation; breathe deeply; exercise; sing a song; dance; call your support person.

How Many Treatments Will I Need and How Long Do they Take?
The length, number and frequency of treatments will vary. Typical treatments last from five to 30 minutes, with the patient being treated one or two times a week. Some symptoms are relieved after the first treatment, while more severe or chronic ailments often require multiple treatments.

A stop smoking program will often consist of 4-6 initial treatments scheduled in the first few weeks followed by monthly treatments for four to six months.

Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Very Effective for Migraine Sufferers

Frequently acupuncturists are called upon to address the unpleasant group of syndromes known, collectively, as vascular headaches. These frequently include migraine headaches and cluster headaches, but may include other types such ashemiplegic migraines, ophthalmoplegic headaches, basillary artery migraines, benign exertional headaches, status migrainosus, and even 'headache-free' migraines. Regardless of the subcategory, all of these types of pain usually respond extremely well to acupuncture and Chinese medicine and we see a lot of patients at the Northside Holistic Center who come specifically for these types of ailment.

There are two basic strategies that are employed: if a client is acutely suffering from a migraine at the time of their appointment, we work to eliminate the pain at that time. However the most important means of using acupuncture and herbal therapy is to break the cycle of heachaches. An acupuncturist will evaluate the patient and using the diagnostic tools honed over thousands of years, establish a treatment plan which will work to modify the patient's system in such a way that migraines become gradually much less likely to plague that individual. Usually  we can help the client's see an almost complete cessation of headaches over the course of treatment.

Research and other articles about Migraines and Acupuncture:

• An Italian anesthesiology journal published a research study evaluating acupuncture treatment for the headache sufferers vs. a commonly used drug for migraines and found that the acupuncture group did much better when they were re-examined after six months. The scientists concluded,

our data show a lower pain intensity and lower Rizatriptan intake at six-months follow-up with no adverse events in acupuncture patients compared to those treated with valproic acid. 

• A new study reveals the degree to which acupoints must be extremely accurately located – that the point specificity makes a dramatic difference in physiological effect upon the body and the brain. The researchers looked at the acupuncture treatment of migraines and the specific changes which occur within the brain. The article can be read about here.

New MRI research demonstrates that acupuncture “induce(s) different cerebral glucose metabolism changes in pain-related brain regions and reduce(s) intensity of pain” for patients with migraines. In this randomized-controlled study using PET-CT neuroimaging (positron emission tomography - computed tomography), acupuncture was shown to be effective for migraine pain reduction and acupuncture raised glycometabolism in the middle temporal cortex, orbital front cortex, middle frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, post cingulate cortex, the precuneus and the middle cingulate cortex. Acupuncture simultaneously lowered glycometabolism in the parahippocampus, hippocampus, fusiform, postcentral gyrus, and the cerebellum in migraine patients. The study also showed that the choice of acupuncture points used determined the changes in brain glycometabolism. The researchers note that this measurable phenomenon indicates acupuncture point specificity; specific acupuncture points have specific effects.

• Published in the journal, Pain, comes an research study which compares a commonly used drug for migraine headaches against acupuncture, with acupuncture handily beating the drug in effectiveness. You can read about the study here. The researchers found that,

... acupuncture is as good as the drug flunarizine at reducing pain and improving quality of life for migraineurs, and more effective than the drug at decreasing the number days on which patients experience migraine attacks. 

• From WebMD.com, an overview of treatment options using acupuncture as a prime means of addressing both the pain itself, as well as the propensity many people have towards having such headaches: webmd.com/

• From Medical News Today, a review of two studies which have systematically found substantial benefit treating migraines with acupuncture: medicalnewstoday.com/

• A New York Times article summarized studies, including an NIH consensus, on acupuncture and migraines, finishing the article by saying,

People who get acupuncture prefer it to medication, because of the potential side effects of drugs,” said Dr. Tong J. Gan, a co-author of the review and a professor of anesthesiology at Duke. “This is an alternative treatment that is starting to move into the mainstream.

• From Acupuncture Today, a report of a large Italian study finding that acupuncture was not only extremely effective in treating vascular headaches, but was also markedly more cost effective than pharmaceutical methods: acupuncturetoday.com/

From a 2009 Medscape article, (Full article here: http://www.medscape.com)

Acupuncture is at least as effective as prophylactic drugs for migraine and may also benefit some patients with frequent tension-type headache, 2 large reviews conclude.

From the British Medical Journal study evaluating not only the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbs for migraines but also how well using acupuncture reduced the number of days absent from work. The conclusion states, "Acupuncture leads to persisting, clinically relevant benefits for primary care patients with chronic headache, particularly migraine. Expansion of NHS acupuncture services should be considered." Full article here: bmj.com

 From the journal, Headache, a small and interesting study of acupuncture and headaches at, interscience.wiley.com

Encouraging Evidence for Acupuncture Treatment of Prostatitis

Acupuncturists frequently treat pelvic, urinary and genital problems arising from a variety of causes. This recent study, which can be read about here provides western medical reinforement of something that those of us in the field have always known: that chronic prostatitis generally responds extremely well to acupuncture and herbal treatment.

Chronic prostatitis may manifest with symptoms such as pelvic and/or perineal pain which last longer than three months. These symptoms may wax and wane and the pain may range from mildly annoying to debilitating. Pain may radiate to the lower back and rectum, making sitting difficult. Dysuria, arthralgia, myalgia, unexplained fatigue, abdominal pain, constant burning pain in the penis, and frequency may also be present. Frequent urination and increased urgency may suggest interstitial cystitis. Equally disturbing, there may be post-ejaculatory pain.