I have a medical condition known as stenosis, which is the narrowing of the spine.

When aggravated it can cause difficulty walking, numbness in legs and arms and severe pain. Often times my stenosis would require me to take extended time off from work due to the intolerable pain. In the past my doctors treated me with a combination of anti-inflammatory or pain medication and on severe instances with back injections.

I started seeing Kirk because there just wasn’t anything more the doctor could do for me.

I’d never had acupuncture but I was in such pain and discomfort that I was willing to try anything.

I found Kirk and Uptown Acupuncture San Diego, using my insurance directory for optional treatment.  Then I read his reviews on Yelp and felt he would be the one for me.  My doctor told me that because of the stenosis I would always have some sort of pain. So I wasn’t sure what to expect but hoped acupuncture could at the very least make the pain manageable.

What I got was much more than I could have ever imagined.

Within a few treatments not only was the pain gone but also I could feel all my fingers and all my toes again.

My doctor told me I probably wouldn’t ever get that feeling back. In addition to helping the stenosis his treatments helped me sleep better at night, which made me feel more energized during the day.  I had a history of poor sleep. So much so I would dread the night because I knew it would be another struggle to fall asleep.  Now I just LOVE sleeping and look forward to it everyday.

I’m feeling so much better that recently I started working out again.

Something I had been terrified to do because it would only be a matter of time before it would aggravate the stenosis and I’d be back to my pain pills and back injections.  Thanks to my regular acupuncture appointments, pain pills are a thing of the past.

I cannot say enough about Kirk’s treatments; he has absolutely changed my life!

I’m more active and energetic and feel healthier and stronger than I’ve ever felt. The whole experience has left me feeling renewed and revived. The only side effect I know of is that I can’t tell when it’s going to rain anymore.  And that’s a side effect I can certainly live with.  He has such a fun personality that I look forward to and enjoy our sessions.  He will walk you through the entire process so you are comfortable and at ease.

I highly recommend Kirk and Uptown Acupuncture San Diego to anyone considering acupuncture.

Dina Muller

El Cajon, CA

2/2010

Symptoms include sneezing, congestion, runny nose and red, itchy eyes. Western medicine typically prescribes antihistamines, decongestants, or drugs that act on the nervous system. Dovetailing these efforts are steps to avoid the allergens altogether. While these may be effective in treating the allergic response, they often have undesirable side effects, such as drowsiness, immune system suppression or over-reliance on medications.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer an alternative to these Western approaches, treating the whole person and recognizing that people with chronic allergies often show signs of spleen or kidney deficiency,(low battery power is a good analogy) even lung problems. TCM considers allergies or hay fever as a manifestation of Wind invading the upper body. This occurs because one’s Wei (or protective Qi) or the “Force Field” as Kirk calls it, has been weakened, which explains why a Chinese herbalist may address these allergies by building up the body’s defensive Qi.

The goal is not only to treat one’s acute symptoms and provide immediate relief, but to treat any underlying immune system imbalances, which may be the real cause of one’s allergy problems.

Such treatments may take the form of acupuncture and revising one’s diet, including the addition of specific herbal formulas.

There are many holistic Chinese herbal formulas that TCM practitioners use to treat allergies.

Xiao Qing Long Wan or Minor Blue Dragon is one often-prescribed formula. It is usually taken when one suffers from a sensitivity to cold, or to treat chills, fever (without sweating), body aches, wheezing, a cough that produces clear to white mucus, congestion in the chest, and a thick white coating on the tongue. The pills should be taken with plenty of water and for short duration only.

Astra 8, another herbal formula, combines the advantages of an immune system enhancer with an energy tonic. It contains astragalus (huang qi), a herb that some believe can enhance the body’s immune system and offers some antiviral properties. What’s more, the herbs in Astra 8 are Qi tonics that support astragalus to boost the immune and energy systems. Other formulations include Pei Min Kan Wan, which can relieve the discomfort of fall allergies, and Fang Feng Xin Yi Wan, which may help those suffering from hay fever.

Besides these formulas, TCM further advocates replacing coffee with catechin-rich green tea, which provides anti-allergy actions. Even Chrysanthemum tea-made from dried flowers-can also help reduce allergy symptoms. Some TCM herbalists may recommend quercetin, a bioflavonoid, which has been shown to stabilize mast cells (this slows down the body’s release of histamine and other chemicals related to allergic symptoms). This is something that is in Aller-Essentials by Pure Encapsulation, available at Uptown Acupuncture San Diego. Lest we not forget radishes; they cool and moisten, which makes them ideal for treating dry, itchy allergy eyes. They can also help clear the sinuses, drain mucous and ease sore throats.

Those sensitive to ragweed and similar fall blooms, should boost their immune system before the fall allergy season arrives. That means seeing one’s TCM practitioner about acupuncture now, for it can take awhile for these procedures to help with allergic symptoms. People who wait until they start sneezing or suffer from a sinus headache, will find they’ve acted too late. Building immunity to fall allergies is best done weekly for four to six weeks. Those who suffer from ragweed allergies should begin treatment immediately. Individuals who can’t tolerate cedar should start treatment no later than October 1.

Washing the sinus cavities with a Netti pot and a saline solution or Simply Saline spray can wash the reactive allergens out.

When you are exposed to grasses or pollens or anything outside, it sticks in the wet nasal mucosa and will begin to irritate, causing a histamine reaction. By irrigating the sinus, you remove the reactive agent and can drastically reduce symptoms naturally.

We recommend in all cases that you consult with a trusted health care professionals like Justin and Kirk at Uptown Acupuncture San Diego before taking any nutritional supplements or discontinuing any medication.

By Alex A. Kecskes, additions by Kirk Pfeiffer M.S. L.Ac.

Doctor visits get longer, but care quality “poor”

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) –

It may come as a surprise to many patients, but a new study shows that primary care visits have actually gotten a little longer since the late 1990s.

This is particularly remarkable, say the researchers, given the increased pressure on primary care doctors to be efficient in the face of rising numbers of patients and declining income.

Nevertheless, based on quality measurements like whether physicians counseled patients on diet and exercise, they found that “overall performance…was poor.”

Any improvements in care quality will likely require multi-pronged efforts, the researchers say, including paying doctors for spending more time to counsel and screen patients.

Primary care physicians were making about 10 percent less in 2003 than they were in 1995, after taking inflation into account, Dr. Lena M. Chen, who is now with the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, and her colleagues note in their report in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

“Given the reimbursement environment and the pressures to improve efficiency,” they add, “one might worry that primary care physicians would respond by spending less time with each patient to see more patients, improve their efficiency, and boost their incomes.”

To see if this was actually true, and to look at whether the quality of care these docs were providing over time got better or worse, Chen and her team analyzed data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey for 1997 through 2005. The survey, run by the National Center for Health Statistics, samples a nationally representative group of office-based physicians annually.

Over the study period, the number of adult visits to primary care physicians rose from 273 million to 338 million, a 10 percent increase on a per person basis. The average visit lasted 18 minutes in 1997, while visit time had increased to nearly 21 minutes by 2005.

While older patients and new patients had longer visits, non-Hispanic black patients and Hispanic patients had significantly shorter visits than whites, the researchers found. They say they were “surprised” by this finding, which “may explain why patients of minority groups do not always receive care that is comparable to that provided to white patients.”

During the study period, the quality of care doctors were providing showed “only modest improvements,” Chen and her colleagues say, with patients no more likely to get counseling on diet and exercise in 2005 than they were in 1997, even though there’s strong evidence that giving high-risk patients this advice is beneficial.

There were improvements in the likelihood of doctors prescribing medications with proven benefit for patients — for example beta blockers for coronary artery disease or appropriate medications for heart failure, the researchers found.

They conclude: “Improvements in quality of care will likely require a combination of investments in systems such as electronic health records, greater use of other professionals such as nurse practitioners, and better reimbursement to primary care physicians for the extra time spent.”

SOURCE: Archives of Internal Medicine, November 9, 2009

FYI : At Uptown Acupuncture San Diego, we spend1 1/2 hour on an initial evaluation and treatment, follow up visits are one hour long. We listen to our patients and tailor our services to their needs.

11.25.08

by Dr. Pharm Tao

Auricular acupuncture, or ear acupuncture, is very useful for the treatment of obesity and for healthy weight loss.

Clinical studies have suggested that various methods using the mechanisms of ear acupuncture can achieve good results for weight management.

For example, a group of researchers in Japan studied the effects of auricular acupuncture among 55 non-obese healthy volunteers and mildly obese patients (Shiraishi, 2003). They placed small auricular needles into the bilateral cavum conchae areas of the ears of the participating subjects.

They found that during the auricular acupuncture treatment, 63.6% of the subjects had a reduced body weight, with a significant relationship between the body weight and fat volume. In comparison, there was no significant change of the mean body weight of the control group.

Auricular acupuncture may work through stimulating the auricular branch of the vagal nerve and increasing the serotonin levels, to inhibit appetite. A study done in South Australia investigated the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture on appetite inhibition among sixty overweight subjects (Richards, 1998).

In the study, the test group attached an acupuncture device to the acupuncture ear points Shenmen and Stomach. After four weeks of the treatment, 95% of the active group noticed the suppression of appetite and their mean body weight had a significant reduction. In the mean time, the control group did not report such changes.

A clinical group in New York applied another method. They used the “hunger point” on the tragus of the ear to suppress appetite for weight control (Choy, 1998). They applied ear-clips for the patients to wear on the tragus. They measured the duration of single gastric peristaltic waves before and after the test for two cycles. They observed a significant prolongation of gastric peristalsis time with the application of the ear-clips.

The results of these studies show that auricular acupuncture is an effective therapeutic method for weight loss, probably through suppressing appetite.

Various methods can be applied for auricular acupuncture, including small needles, devices, and ear-clips.

Auricular acupuncture can also be used together with body acupuncture. For instance, researchers in Nanjing China compared different combinations of treatment methods in 195 cases of obesity (Qunli and Zhicheng, 2005). They found that the effects of the combined application of ear acupuncture and body acupuncture were superior to those of using body acupuncture alone.

Objective – Many overweight people are aware that diets can help with weight loss but have difficulty in suppressing their appetite. Acupuncture stimulates the auricular branch of the vagal nerve and raises serotonin levels, both of which have been shown to increase tone in the smooth muscle of the stomach, thus suppressing appetite.

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points on appetite suppression.

Methods – Sixty overweight subjects, randomly divided into an active and a control group, used the AcuSlim device twice daily for four weeks. The active group attached the AcuSlim to the acupuncture ear points shenmen and stomach, whereas the control group attached the device to their thumb where there are no acupuncture points. The goal of a 2 kg weight loss was set and changes in appetite and weight were reported after four weeks.

Results – Of those who responded, 95% of the active group noticed suppression of appetite, whereas none of the control group noticed such a change. None of the control group lost the required 2kg, with only 4 subjects losing any weight at all. Both the number of subjects who lost weight and the mean weight loss were significantly higher in the active group (p<0.05).

Conclusion – Frequent stimulation of specific auricular acupuncture points is an effective method of appetite suppression which leads to weight loss.

Obesity is a common condition, associated with many health problems. Low joule diets may reduce weight but adherence to such diets requires the ability to sufficiently suppress the appetite.

Acupuncture may suppress appetite by controlling stress and depression via endorphin and dopamine production^{1-3, by stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagal nerve and raising serotonin levels2-4,11. Both vagal nerve stimulation and serotonin have been shown to increase tone in the smooth muscle of the gastric wall.8}

^{The main auricular acupuncture points thought to raise serotonin levels, stimulate the vagus nerve and produce endorphins and dopamine are shenmen, stomach and lung (Figure 1).4}

^{Acupuncture has been described as effective for weight loss12-14 although constant stimulation of acupuncture points seems to lose effect, making frequent, intermittent stimulation preferable.4 Acupuncture and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TCNS) have been shown to be equally effective but to differ in their safety and complexity.15,16}

^{This double-blind randomised study utilised the AcuSlim, developed by SHP International Pty Ltd, which delivers non-invasive TCNS to auricular acupuncture points. The study aimed to investigate the effect of stimulating the auricular acupuncture points on appetite suppression and subsequent weight loss.}

^{Methods
Subjects
People having difficulty losing weight were recruited for the trial using talkback radio and press advertisements. Inclusion criteria were:}

• ^{being over the age of 18 years;}
• ^{having a reasonably stable body weight for at least 3 months.}

^{Exclusion criteria were:}

• ^{patient already participating in any other weight loss regimen;}
• ^pregnancy;
• ^{patient taking hormone replacement therapy;}
• ^{patient taking anti-depressants;}
• ^{body weight exceeded 120kg;}
• ^{the presence of a serious concomitant disease or mental illness, such as depression;}
• ^{the presence of an eating disorder, for example, bulimia.}

^{Sixty subjects matching the necessary criteria agreed to participate in the study.}

^{Experimental protocol
The nature of the experiment was explained to subjects and they were informed they could withdraw from the trial at any time. Demographic information, medical history and history of previous attempts at weight loss were recorded. Subjects were randomly allocated to either an active or a control group. This was organised via a system of numbered envelopes and numbered cards.}

^{Envelope numbers beginning from number one were given to each subject as they presented.}

^{The cards in the envelopes contained the number of the device to be given to each subject.}

^{The cards were in a randomised order.}

^{The AcuSlim device, consisting of a small battery operated power pack with leads to two conductive electrodes, was used to non-invasively stimulate acupuncture points (Figure 2). All subjects used this acupuncture device for 15-20 minutes, twice daily. The control group attached electrodes at either end of the skin crease on the dorsal surface of the thumb where there are no acupuncture points (Figure 3). In the active group, one disposable electrode was attached to the auricular acupuncture point stomach and the other electrode, in the form of an ear clip, covered the ear point shenmen. Subjects in each group were given standard information about the AcuSlim including instructions on electrode adhesion and frequency and duration of stimulation. No specific diet was given to either group, however, all subjects received a copy of the 1,2,3,4,5 nutrition booklet, developed by the Anti Cancer Foundation, but were advised not to follow any specific weight reduction program, such as Weight Watchers during the program.}

^{The initial weight of each individual was recorded before their allocation to a group and subjects were weighed again at 2 weeks and 4 weeks, with the final weighing done by a secretary who had no knowledge of the specific group involved. Patients were requested to wear the same clothing at each weighing session. Since the AcuSlim is designed for use at home, subjects were not required to report except to be weighed. At home, subjects were requested to record their fasting, bare body weight daily and to try weighing themselves at the same time under the same conditions each day. The subjects were blind to the group to which they belonged. They were asked to note any alteration in appetite during the trial.}

^{Follow up
All subjects were given the opportunity to continue using the AcuSlim as described above and report again at the end of 12 weeks.}

^{Statistical analysis
Measured variables were calculated as mean values ± standard deviation (SD). Initial data were analysed using the two sample t-test to ensure that no difference existed in subject characteristics between the active and control groups. The standard x2 test for 2 x 2 table was conducted to ascertain that no gender bias existed between the two study groups. This test was also used to test for the presences of an association between the use of AcuSlim and appetite suppression and weight loss. The significance level was set at 0.05.}

^{Results
During the trial, five subjects from each group withdrew and were replaced when it was discovered that they did not fit the selection criteria for reasons such as pregnancy and busy lifestyle.}

^{Subject characteristics
As determined by a x2 test, no significant difference existed in gender balance between the active and control groups (p>0.05), although both groups contained more women than men. T-tests revealed that there was no difference between the active and control groups in the number of diets that had previously been attempted by subjects (p>0.05). No significant difference in subjects’ age, height, initial weight or body mass index (BMI) existed between the two groups (p>0.05). These characteristics are displayed in Table 1.}

^{Appetite change
Of the 32 subjects in the control group 28 subjects noted no change in appetite (Table 2). Twenty-one subjects (95%) in the active group commented on their appetite, with 20 reporting a decrease in appetite. So a significantly higher number of subjects in the active group reported a decrease in appetite (p<0.05). Four of the control group and seven of the active group failed to enter a comment as to alteration to appetite.}

^{Weight loss
Average weight loss for all subjects, including increase for those in the control group who gained weight was:}

• ^{total weight lost 66 kg}
• ^{overall loss = average per subject 1.1kg (Figure 4).}

^{Weight loss was significantly greater in the active group than the control group (p<0.05). In the active group, 93% of subjects lost weight during the four week period, with 78.5% losing at least the required 2kg (Table 3). Of subjects in the control group 12.5% lost weight, but no subjects in this group lost the required 2kg. For those subjects that did lose weight, the mean values were 0.63kg (SD 0.25kg) and 2.98kg (SD 1.35kg) in the control and active groups, respectively.}

^{Figure 4. This scatterplot represents the weight change of control and active groups after one month, and for those who continued to report in the study at three months. None of the control group wished to continue past the one month.}

^{Follow up
No subjects from the control group agreed to continue for longer than the four week trial. Ten subjects from the active group participated in the 12 week trial, but without a control group, statistical analysis was limited. One subject in the latter group developed an intercurrent illness and discontinued. Two other subjects did not lose or gain any more weight. The remaining seven subjects continued to lose weight and their weight loss at 12 weeks ranged from 6kg to 11kg.}

^{Discussion
Acupuncture has been used extensively in various dysfunctional states and for pain management. Problems include the aversion to needles, the fear of infection by needles and the occasional reported case of damage to vital organs by needle penetration. Needling of ear acupuncture points can become quite painful and may risk infection of the auricular cartilage. Attendance for conditions that require frequent treatment can become costly and inconvenient. However, in the case of weight control, or in the treatment of addictions such as nicotine, frequent acupuncture is essential for treatment to be effective. Embedded needles run similar risks and have been shown to lose effect over time.4}

^{Therefore, a more satisfactory means of treating auricular acupuncture points with sufficient frequency to produce an effect in weight loss is by way of non-invasive treatment administered by the individual.}

^{Research indicates that many obese people have low serotonin levels, and that serotonin stimulates the smooth muscle in the wall of the stomach.6,7 Stomach wall tone is also controlled by the vagus nerve, the auricular branch of which is concentrated in the area of the acupuncture point, ear stomach. It has also been shown that acupuncture stimulation raises levels of both serotonin and relaxing neurotransmitter endorphins in the body.2}

^{It has been demonstrated that acupuncture exerts its effect on pain by production of endorphins.}

^{The fact that many pain sufferers receive long term relief from pain despite cessation of treatment, indicates that acupuncture may produce a long term rise in natural endorphin production by the body.}

^{A similar parallel would assume that acupuncture may well produce a long term adjustment to normal production of serotonin by the body, in those with obesity associated with low serotonin levels. So it is feasible to expect that frequent stimulation of the auricular acupuncture points which bring about these changes in body chemistry, would assist in controlling excessive appetite in those with an obesity problem.}

^{Weight and associated medical problems have occupied an increasingly prominent position in health costs. The financial cost of the various diets provided by the slimming industry is beyond many of those requiring long term weight loss support. Even if these diets prove to be successful, weight is often regained when the program ceases. Subjects in this trial who wished to lose weight commented that they were aware of the foods they should be eating but were unable to adhere to previous dietary restrictions. For many overweight people, the most difficult part of weight reduction is the establishment of a satisfactory eating pattern over the initial 4 week period. After this time they can often see evidence of weight reduction and this gives them confidence to continue. Subjects in the control group experienced significantly less appetite suppression and weight loss than the active group. This may help to explain why they did not continue with the AcuSlim for longer than the initial 4 week period.}

^{Our findings indicate that regularly administered stimulation of the two auricular acupuncture points commonly used in weight control is effective in suppressing appetite such that an eating pattern is established in that initial 4 week period, which leads to weight loss.}

^{In the trial many commented that once the AcuSlim induced a better eating pattern they could continue this without treatment.}

^{Others stated that, if they showed signs of any increase in appetite or weight they simply resumed treatment to control this increase.}

^{The follow up results imply that the AcuSlim may be successful in the maintenance of weight reduction. However, the long term potential of this device to result in permanent weight loss, remains to be evaluated. However this study offers hope for people who have been unsuccessful in other weight loss programs because they have not been able to control their appetite. Use of AcuSlim appears to be a simple, cost-effective method for losing weight and may be beneficial as an adjunct to any other form of weight loss program.}

^{Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Kristyn Willson for her statistical expertise, and Catherine Chittleborough for her contribution in preparing this manuscript for publication.}

^References

1. ^{Akil H, Watson S J, Young E, Lewis M E, Khachaturian H, Walker J M. Endogenous opiods: biology and function. Annu Rev Neurosci 1984; 7:223-225.}
2. ^{Jayasuriya A, Fernando F. Principles and practice of scientific acupuncture. Sri Lanka: Lake House 1978; 458-459.}
3. ^{Foreyt J. In: Helwick C. Maintaining weight loss is all in the mind. Aust Dr Wkly 1992; 23 October: 48.}
4. ^{Hollinshead W H. Anatomy for surgeons. Volume 1. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Harper & Row 1982; 163.}
5. ^{Choy D S, Lutzker L, Meltzer L. Effective treatment for smoking cessation. Am J Med 1983; 75: 1033-1036.}
6. ^{Soulairac A, Soulairac M L. Handbook for experimental pharmacology. 1960; XIX: 358, 752-753.}
7. ^{Blundell J. Serotonin blamed for over eating. Aust Dr Wkly 1993; 23 July: 43.}
8. ^{Kruk Z L, Pycock C J. Neurotransmitters and drugs. 2nd ed. London: Chapman & Hall 1983.}
9. ^{Silverstone T. Drugs and appetite. New York: Academic Press 1982.}
10. ^{Febig B, Baxter J D, Broadhus A E, Frohman L A. Endocrinology and metabolism. New York: McGraw Hill 1981.}
11. ^{Meltzer H, Nash J F. Serotonin and mood. In: Ganton D, Profus D, eds. Neuroendocrinology of mood. New York: Springer-Verlag 1988; 84.}
12. ^{Liu Z, Sun F, Li J, et al. Prophylactic and therapeutic effects of acupuncture on simple obesity complicated by cardiovascular diseases. J Trad Chin Med 1992; 12: 21-19.}
13. ^{Sun Q, Xu Y. Simple obesity and obesity hyerlipemia treated with otoacupoint pellet pressure and body acupuncture. J Trad Chin Med 1993; 13: 22-26.}
14. ^{Asamoto S, Takeshige C. Activation of the satiety center by auricular Îacupunctureâ point stimulation. Brain Res Bull 1992; 29: 157-164.}
15. ^{Melzack R, Wall P. Textbook of pain. New York: Churchill Livingstone 1984; 691-700.}
16. ^{Cheng R S S, Pomerantz B. Electrotherapy of chronic musculoskeletal pain. Clin J Pain 1987; 2: 143-149.}
17. ^{Richards D. Simple health maintenance. St Georges: Superior Health Products Pty Ltd, 1991.}

COPYRIGHT

Dean Richards, MBBS, MDMA is in private medical acupuncture practice, South Australia.
John Marley MD, MBChB is Professor, Department of General Practice, The University of Adelaide, South Australia.

Acupuncturist are a very special breed of healer working with a very special style of medicine. We treat each patient as an individual with a unique history and story. We read the patient in terms of patterns of disharmony ad treat accordingly. Not everyone coming in for an ulcer, for instance, will receive the same point prescription. Here is my favorite analogy for this difference, since I am a foodie. Let’s use the example of an ulcer, Western Medicine Practioners will either give you a blocker for the acid, or something to neutralize its PH., both a temporary fix requiring continual drug taking as long as there is a problem. If you liken an ulcer to the burning of soup at the bottom of a pot, the soup could be burning because…a) there is not enough water in with the veggies so it burns, or b) the flame is up to much so it burns, or c) the pot is to thin and the normal level of heat transfers through to quick so it burns. All of these problems burn the soup but the solution to the problems is unique to the case; you add water to the stock, turn down the heat or get an iron plate to place between the flame and pot. An Acupuncturist works with your individual circumstances to bring you into balance and harmony. We spent time with our clients, tend to be funny and personable, explain what we find in language you can understand, and genuinely care for the people we serve. After 3000 years of experience, it is ancient medicine for the modern world.

Although acupuncture has been an integral part of Traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, the idea of using acupuncture to help people overcome certain addictions is relatively new. In fact, the idea of acupuncture as a form of addiction treatment happened almost by chance in the early 1970s, when a patient who happened to be suffering withdrawal symptoms from an opium addiction reported his symptoms disappeared after receiving electro-acupuncture prior to surgery. Dr. Michael Smith ant Lincoln Hospital in New York and the Height-Ashbury Free Clinic in San Francisco began to fine tune the use of Acupuncture for the treatment of addictions and facilitating the breaking of this difficult cycle. From smoking cessation, drug and alcohol, addiction to sex and overeating, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support the work of the client and sometimes make all the difference.

Western Medicine has a lot of great qualities, that is why I am a hybrid type practitioner who uses both modern and classic techniques in my practice. One aspect of Western Medicine that is not a strength, is what we call “supporting the righteous” Treatments are designed to block, reduce, counteract, and suppress. Chinese Medicine is big on shoring up what is weak to maintain balance and harmony. We have herbs that supplement and gently nourish the body and paints that stimulate the immune system to “keep your forcefeild strong” as I say. I have studied the works of Misha Cohen at the Quan Yin Center in San Francisco who was been keeping the immune systems of HIV+ people strong since 1983 and a pioneer in modern AIDS research. Her book on HIV wellness is a gem for all who want to learn how to optimize their immune system naturally.

For some, this is the main reason for treatment, for others, it is a welcomed side effect. Acupuncture is very unique is its ability to calm the mind and anchor and settle the spirit. It is a common occurrence in the modern age for a client to comment as the needles are removed “Wow, I can’t remember when I felt so clear and relaxed”. Last time was probably their last treatment. Not only does that feeling stay with you, but just like in meditation, you can remember that feeling and pull yourself into that state in stressful situations in the future.
No pill, moment in the bedroom, or cocktail can equal that claim. I have one client who comes in for his weekly treatment to keep from killing his employees, and to stay on the top of his game. When he misses a week, they can tell.

If you were to walk up to someone on the street and ask them what acupuncture treats, chances they will say pain. Why? Because for over 3000 years Acupuncturists HAVE been treating pain with great results! Now with the integration of technology and western knowledge, we treat it better than ever. Sometimes the needles are put nowhere near the site of pain, which is best for those with swelling and tenderness at the point of pain. I had a patient this week with wrist pain so bad tears were streaming down her face. I had her focus on exactly where in her wrists the pain was and I placed needles in her opposite ankle at corresponding meridian points. I had her check her wrist again, not 10 seconds after putting the needles in and she lifts her head and looks at me stunned, “How did you do that?” she says as she hunts for the point of pain in her wrists,”3 years, a master’s degree in Chinese Medicine, and a big student loan, that’s how.