Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic

Mushrooms boost immunity, suggests research

Date: April 16, 2015

Source: University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

Summary: Could a mushroom a day help keep the doctor away? Some early evidence indicates that the Shiitake mushroom boosts immunity. Of the thousands of mushroom species globally, about 20 are used for culinary purposes. Shiitake mushrooms are native to Asia and are cultivated for their culinary and medicinal value.  For the complete article, click on this link:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/04/150416112826.htm 

Increasing consumption of coffee associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, study finds

Increasing coffee consumption by on average one and half cups per day over a four-year period reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes by 11 percent, research shows. Coffee and tea consumption has been associated with a lower type 2 diabetes risk but little is known about how changes in coffee and tea consumption influence subsequent type 2 diabetes risk, until now.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140424190516.htm

Rural microbes could boost city dwellers' health, study finds

The greater prevalence of asthma, allergies and other chronic inflammatory disorders among people of lower socioeconomic status might be due in part to their reduced exposure to the microbes that thrive in rural environments, according to a new scientific paper co-authored by a University of Colorado Boulder researcher.

 The article, published in the journal Clinical & Experimental Immunology, argues that people living in urban centers who have less access to green spaces may be more apt to have chronic inflammation, a condition caused by immune system dysfunction.

When our immune systems are working properly, they trigger inflammation to fight off dangerous infections, but the inflammation disappears when the infection is gone. However, a breakdown in immune system function can cause a low level of inflammation to persist indefinitely. Such chronic inflammation can cause a host of health disorders.

Read the whole article here:  

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140423170905.htm

It's that time of year here in Houston ... clouds of yellow pollen blanket everything outside.  

If you're one of those that suffer from allerigies during this time, consider using acupuncture and TCM for relief. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help ...  all without side effects that some pharmaceuticals can cause.  

According to TCM theory, allergies are due to a deficiency of "wei qi".  Wei qi is thought of as an "armor" that protects the body against various "pathogens", like wind, heat, cold, etc.   If our wei qi is deficient, then we are more susceptible to allergic symptoms, as well as frequent colds, flu, slow healing, slow recovery from exercise, etc.    With regular use, acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help prevent allergic symptoms and lessen the chances of catching a cold or flu in the future (prevention!).  

Some of the more widely used Chinese and Western herbs used for treatment of allergies are : 

Jing Jie (Schizonepeta), Fang Feng (Ledebouriella Root), Huang Qi (Astragalus), Bai Zhu (Atractylodes), Xin Yi Hua (Magnolia Flower), Can Er Zi (Xanthium), Bo He (Mint),  Quercetin, Bromelain, Butterburr and Nettle.

Other helpful suggestions are using a neti pot or sinus rinse with sterile saline, eat an anti-inflammatory diet of primarily fruits and vegetables and adding spices to your dishes when you cook, lean organic grass fed meats and cutting down on dairy and processed foods.  Also, severely limit sugar and hydrogenated and tran fats and all processed oils.  If you have questions, please contact your local Acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist or Registered Herbalist (RHG) for guidelines on which herbs to use for your specific symptoms and constitution.   

 #allergieschinesemedicine #acupunctureallergies

Natural plant compounds may assist chemotherapy

Plant compounds present in carrots and parsley may one day support more effective delivery of chemotherapy treatments, new research has found. Specific plant compounds are able to inhibit transport mechanisms in the body that select what compounds are absorbed into the body, and eventually into cells. These same transport mechanisms are known to interfere with cancer chemotherapy treatment.

For the complete article goto:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140327101507.htm

Intense acupuncture can improve muscle recovery in patients with Bell palsy, study suggests

Patients with Bell palsy who received acupuncture that achieves de qi, a type of intense stimulation, had improved facial muscle recovery, reduced disability and better quality of life, according to a randomized controlled trial.

Bell palsy is sudden onset of facial paralysis that is usually temporary, resolving within weeks or months, although it can sometimes be permanent.

Acupuncture is used to treat a variety of conditions and is gaining acceptance worldwide. De qi is a combination of sensations stimulated by manipulation of acupuncture needles -- soreness, tingling, coolness, warmth and others radiating at the insertion points -- but has not been validated by randomized controlled trials.

"There is a long-held belief in the traditional theory and clinical practice of acupuncture that the intensity of the stimulus must reach a threshold to elicit de qi, which plays a pivotal role in achieving the best therapeutic effects," writes Dr. Wei Wang, Department of Neurology, Key Laboratory of Neurological Diseases of Chinese Ministry of Education, Wuhan, Hubei, China, with coauthors.

In a randomized controlled trial with 338 patients, Chinese researchers sought to understand the efficacy of acupuncture with weak stimulation or strong (de qi) stimulation. The trial, conducted at 11 tertiary hospitals in China, involved 15 experienced acupuncturists who administered acupuncture to the de qi group (167 people), which received intense stimulation, and the control group (171 people), which received needles but no stimulation. Patients' facial expressions, a marker of facial-nerve function, were rated on a 6-point scale and videotaped to ensure consistent findings across hospital sites.

Six months after randomization, facial-nerve function, disability and quality of life were better in patients in the de qi group than in the control group.

"We found evidence that acupuncture with de qi improved facial muscle recovery, disability and quality of life among patients with Bell palsy. Stronger intensity of de qi was associated with better therapeutic effects."

"De qi and its related techniques should be properly appreciated in acupuncture practice and research, and should be considered for inclusion in clinical guidelines for acupuncture," the authors conclude.  

Comment from The Woodlands Acupuncture & Herbal Clinic:

While the "de qi" sensation showed improved outcomes and results in this study, it is not always required to produce the desired effect. Most conditions respond favorably to acupuncture even without the "de qi" sensation.  Conditions like Bell"s Palsy and stroke recovery are usually the ones that require stronger stimulation with needling technique and the "de qi" sensation.  

#acupuncturebellspalsy #recoverybellspalsy #tcmbellspalsy

Willow bark extract STW 33-I in the long-term treatment of outpatients with rheumatic pain mainly osteoarthritis or back pain. 

Four hundred and thirty-six patients with rheumatic pain mainly due to osteoarthritis (56.2%) and back pain (59.9%) used willow bark extract STW 33-I.  Pain reductions of 33% to 45% were seen over the course of the study (24weeks/6months).  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23731658

Comment by TWACH:  Even though the dosage was not mentioned in this study, most research indicates daily dosage of 120 to 240 mg salicin should be used.  

Eating foods that contain vitamin C may reduce your risk of the most common type of hemorrhagic stroke, according to a new study. Vitamin C is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, papaya, peppers, broccoli and strawberries. Hemorrhagic stroke is less common than ischemic stroke, but is more often deadly.  See the complete article here:  http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140214203851.htm

Comment from TWACH: Hemorrhagic strokes account for approimately 20% of all strokes, or about 160,000 per year.  Is it the Vitamin C that's protective or the associated bioflavanoids that are ingested when we eat the whole fruits and/or vegetables?    The main risk factors for stroke include:  hypertension (high blood pressure), smoking and atrial fibrillation (AF).  Source:  http://www.strokecenter.org/patients/about-stroke/stroke-statistics/

Chinese Herbal Compound Relieves Inflammatory, Neuropathic Pain

Jan. 2, 2014 — A compound derived from a traditional Chinese herbal medicine has been found effective at alleviating pain, pointing the way to a new nonaddictive analgesic for acute inflammatory and nerve pain, according to UC Irvine pharmacology researchers.

Working with Chinese scientists, Olivier Civelli and his UC Irvine colleagues isolated a compound called dehydrocorybulbine (DHCB) from the roots of the Corydalis yanhusuo plant. In tests on rodents, DHCB proved to diminish both inflammatory pain, which is associated with tissue damage and the infiltration of immune cells, and injury-induced neuropathic pain, which is caused by damage to the nervous system. This is important because there are no current adequate treatments for neuropathic pain.

Moreover, the researchers found that DHCB did not generate the tolerance seen with continued use of most conventional pain relievers, such as morphine.

"Today the pharmaceutical industry struggles to find new drugs. Yet for centuries people have used herbal remedies to address myriad health conditions, including pain. Our objective was to identify compounds in these herbal remedies that may help us discover new ways to treat health problems," said Civelli, the Eric L. & Lila D. Nelson Chair in Neuropharmacology. "We're excited that this one shows promise as an effective pharmaceutical. It also shows a different way to understand the pain mechanism."

Study results appear in the Jan. 20 issue of Current Biology.

Corydalis, or Yan Hu Suo, is a flowering herbal plant that grows in Siberia, Northern China and Japan. People utilize its root extract to alleviate menstrual cramps, chest pain and abdominal pain. It's been previously studied for its analgesic properties, but this is the first time DHCB has been identified, extracted and tested.

Chronic neuropathic pain affects more than 50 million Americans, yet management of this pain remains a major clinical challenge due to the poor results and severe side effects of conventional analgesics. Civelli said that drawing upon traditional Chinese medical-herbal products could lead to a breakthrough treatment for these patients.

Comments by The Woodlands Acupuncture:  Yan Hu Suo, or Corydalis, is a well-known herb in TCM and used extensively for treating pain, especially pain that is associated with tightness, spasms and/or cramping in the chest, abdomen and limbs, as well as for gynecological issues. In animal testing, it was shown to have analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer, inotropic, and muscle-relaxant properties.  Some of its uses are: chest pain, angina, coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, abdominal pain, hernia pain, amenorrhea or mestrual pain, upper limb/arm pain, lower limb/leg pain. It can also be used to relieve painful masses and traumatic injuries.  

It is not to be used by women that are pregnant or with pain due to deficiency.  

For more information about this herb, please contact us at:  http://www.woodlandsacu.com/contact-us or 713.377.1832