Rita's Acupuncture Center

Cupping Used by The Olympic Athletes: It appears that the Olympic athletes in Reo are extensively using ancient cupping method to relive the pain. Please see this article from BBC. US swimmer Michael Phelps, winner of 19 Olympic gold medals, sporting cupping bruises on his shoulders and back ... "Why are so many Olympians covered in large red circles?" By Emma AilesBBC News. 9 August 2016

Should You Try Acupuncture?: <img class="StretchedBox W(100%) H(100%) ie-7_H(a)" src="https://s.yimg.com//CR-Health-Hero-should-you-try-acupunct"/> Acupuncture, the traditional Chinese technique of inserting thin needles into the body at specific spots called acupoints, is becoming an increasingly popular pain treatment. It is based on the belief that blocked qi, or energy, causes pain, and that stimulating some of our more than 300 acupoints,... each believed to affect a specific body part or organ, can unblock energy and relieve pain. Between 2002 and 2012 the number of people receiving acupuncture increased by 36 percent, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, and they typically visited a licensed practitioner (not a medical doctor) to perform the procedure. Proponents claim it can ease back pain, neck pain, and even treat ills such as allergies and hot flashes. But does it work? And is it safe? A number of people who use acupuncture for chronic pain do report benefits. For example, an analysis of 29 studies with a total of 17,922 participants with back and neck pain, osteoarthritis, chronic headache, and shoulder pain found that people with those conditions experienced significantly more relief with acupuncture than those who had no treatment. People also reported less pain after real acupuncture than they did after fake acupuncture (for example, with needles placed in spots that were not acupoints), but the differences were small. One possible reason for the benefits of acupuncture: Studies show that it causes us to release feel-good hormones, called endorphins, that suppress pain. Acupuncture, real and sham, also might make you feel better simply because you feel cared for or because you expect it to workthe placebo effect, says Consumer Reports’ chief medical adviser, Marvin M. Lipman, M.D. For back and neck pain, acupuncture is safe as long as sterile needles, such as single-use disposables, are used by a trained practitioner. But skip it for conditions other than pain; there’s no conclusive evidence that it will help. If you do decide to try acupuncture, make sure that your practitioner has the appropriate credentials. Most states require at least 1,600 hours of training and that acupuncturists are certified by, or pass an exam from, the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. And note that acupuncture treatments are covered by some insurance policies, but they are not covered by Medicare. "Should You Try Acupuncture?" July 13, 2016

Acupuncture doubles chance of having a baby with IVF, study suggests: IVF success rates were twice as high among those having acupuncture CREDIT: MIKE KEMP/GETTY Acupuncture could dramatically boost the chances of IVF treatment working, a study suggests. A British study found that rates of success were twice as high among those having the alternative therapy. Fertility experts said the findings were interesting and statistically significant. ... However, they warned that it was unclear whether the apparent benefit stemmed from the traditional Chinese practice - or from a placebo effect, because the women became more relaxed after time was invested in them. The study by Homerton University Hospital in London, involved 160 couples suffering from fertility problems. Half were assigned to have four sessions of acupuncture during their IVF cycle. One year on, those who underwent the ancient practice, involving fine needles, had achieved pregnancy rates of 46.2 per cent. Among those who had not, pregnancy rates were just 21.7 per cent. Dr Adam Balen, chairman of the British Fertility Society described the findings as very interesting. He said: There is no doubt that when people are given acupuncture it can feel like an extra dimension of support. Fertility treatment is stressful and it can be quite helpful to have a therapy which relaxes them. He said there was no evidence that the controversial practice - dismissed by critics as mumbo jumbo - does any harm to those trying to start a family." But he said some of the herbs associated with traditional Chinese medicine could be dangerous, and cautioned against their use. Stuart Lavery, consultant gynaecologist at Hammersmith Hospital, said many women suffering fertility treatment were interested in alternative therapies. There is a patient demand and a patient interest in the field of acupuncture and probably in the area of traditional Chinese medicine overall, but the area is sadly lacking in rigorous prospective randomised assessment, he said. This study is interesting in that it does seem to show a statistically significant difference." He said it was not clear whether acupuncture had a physiological effect on the body, or whether who underwent the sessions became more relaxed because therapists spent time listening to their problems. The weakness of this study is that you can’t control for the placebo effect, he said. Patients are often looking for someone who can give them time and listen to what’s going on in their lives, he said. And that may have some therapeutic benefit. Acupuncture doubles chance of having a baby with IVF, study suggests, by Laura Donnelly health editor, Helsinki

Acupuncture 'safe and effective' for chronic pain in children: Written by Honor Whiteman Published: Sun 20 December 2015 at 12am PST Sun 20 Dec 2015 at 12am PST ...Continue reading

The Point About Acupuncture: It Works: This is a carbon-copy of the article by Daniel Neides, M.D. published on Nov. 2, 2015 | 7:00 a.m. EST in health.usnews.com. Source link. ...Continue reading

Acupuncture And Posture Training Can Help Chronic Neck Pain: Interesting episode on NPR Health News about the benefits of Acupuncture or the Alexander technique for the treatment of the chronic neck pain - Acupuncture And Posture Training Can Help Chronic Neck Pain. About one out of every six Americans has some form of neck pain, and chronic sufferers have few treatment options. But acupuncture or the Alexander technique, a system for adjusting posture, could provide some lo...ng-term relief for chronic neck pain. "The thing with chronic pain is you may actually not be able to reduce any pain," says Dr. Andrea Furlan, a physician and acupuncturist at the University of Toronto and an editor for the Cochrane Back and Neck medical review who was not involved with the study. But it looks like tacking on acupuncture treatment or Alexander technique lessons could reduce pain just a bit further than usual care. The researchers provided over 345 people with chronic neck pain with a few months of acupuncture or the Alexander technique and compared them to 170 people who just received usual care for a year. By three months, people receiving acupuncture or the Alexander technique had about 10 percent less pain than the people who hadn't received the extra care, the researchers reported in the Annals of Internal Medicine on Monday. Acupuncture And Posture Training Can Help Chronic Neck Pain, by Angus Chen. NPR Health. November 4, 2015.

Acupuncture best for hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, study finds: Even 'sham' acupuncture beat one frequently used medication.Needles beat pills for treating hot flashes in breast cancer survivors, according to a new trial that compared acupuncture, "sham" acupuncture, the medication gabapentin and a placebo pill. ...Continue reading

People Who Hate Needles Tried Acupuncture...And The Results Were Hilarious:

This May Be How Acupuncture Tamps Down Stress: Rats who got acupuncture showed fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression than stressed-out rats who didn't get treatment. 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. Ladan Eshkevari, PhD, a nurse anesthetist, licensed acupuncturist and associate professor in the department of ...Continue reading

Couple says acupuncture fertility treatment worked: A Greenville family of three says they used to be a family of two, and they thought they would stay that way. Julie and her husband Will Schilling say for three years they tried but could not conceive. They said then, a doctor recommended fertility acupuncture. "Valentine's Day was the first session," said Julie Schilling. "I came three more times and we were pregnant by the end of March." ... "I was pretty shocked," she continued. "We were so used to not being able to have a child, you get used to it and you just accept, you know -the status quo." Read more: http://www.foxcarolina.com//couple-says-acupuncture-fertil

Stress Causes Health Problems, Which Then Cause More Stress: NPR Morning Edition recently ran a very interesting series of episodes about stress. The link to the first one is below.