Acupuncture 'works for arthritis'

Great, Deb. My husband can hardly walk, and I refuse to get any of the products that have been suddenly exposed as dangerous to heart patients. Pfizer has ceased advertising Celebrex, but has NOT taken it off the market. The FDA here needs to get out of bed with the big pharmaceutical companies.

Related articles:

Acupuncture helps heart patients
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1656262.stm

Acupuncture helps to calm the nerves

Acupuncture can improve the prospects of people with severe heart failure, research has shown.
Researchers found the ancient Chinese practice has the potential to dramatically reduce the pressure on the heart.

This is because it can reduce activity in the sympathetic nervous system, which regulates involuntary movements such as heartbeat and blood pressure.



Acupuncture has been used successfully and with long-range results in improving hypertension, and it may also be beneficial in lowering sympathetic nerve activity

Dr Holly Middlekauff
Over-activation of sympathetic nerves is common in heart failure patients............




Acupuncture fights morning sickness


Acupuncture is becoming popular among GPs

Acupuncture helps relieve morning sickness for pregnant women, a study shows.
It is hoped the findings will give wider recognition of the medical benefits of the ancient Chinese art.

The research follows a previous study which showed acupuncture's success in treating sickness in women recovering from breast surgery, including mastectomies.



Women now have an additional option to manage their morning sickness

Dr Caroline Smith
"Our results have shown that as little as one acupuncture treatment can significantly change the way these women feel," said research co-ordinator Dr Caroline Smith.

The study involved nearly 600 women who were less than 14 weeks pregnant with symptoms of nausea or vomiting.........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1842196.stm
(Interesting because "seabands" supposed acupressure devices did NOT help in a trial conducted at the hospital I work for)



Acupuncture 'beats headache pain'


Acupuncture is used to treat pain
Acupuncture is an effective treatment for chronic headaches and should be more widely available on the NHS, experts say.
Writing in the British Medical Journal, UK researchers said patients who were given acupuncture had fewer days of headaches than those who were not.

They also saw their GP less and were not as reliant on painkillers.

The government said doctors could decide to fund the therapy locally, if they felt patients would benefit.

Researchers analysed 401 patients from across the UK who reported several days of severe headaches each week.

They were randomly allocated to receive up to 12 acupuncture treatments over three months or to a control group offering other types of care, typically medication.

This should help to lift acupuncture out of what is seen to be alternative to mainstream medicine

Dr Mike Cummings, British Medical Acupuncture Society
All patients completed a diary of headache and medication use for four weeks at the start of the study and again at three months and 12 months.

They recorded the severity of their headaches on a six-point scale to produce an overall score.

Patients receiving acupuncture experienced 22 fewer days of headache per year, used 15% less medication, made 25% fewer visits to their GP and were absent from work through sickness 15% less than the control group........

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3506400.stm



And, no, I am NOT an acupuncturist!!!

Yeah, and considering the problems that Vioxx, Celebrex and Bextra have been having lately, I think that patients ought to consider alternative treatments.

A few days ago, I treated myself to a shiatsu back massager. It is heavenly. A few minutes on that machine, and I am totally relaxed!

waiting for anyone who has an acupuncture experience

In the Western World we train our children to accept and use placebos:

"Mommie will kiss the booboo all better."

Even high-calorie comfort food works to lift gloom until you notice all the new fat cells on your fanny.

I use it Husker - for neck/back and immune type stuff - plus the dreaded hormones.

I went from having to use damned antibiotics every month or so for horrible sinus infections, to maybe once every few years.


My GP has begun referring folk - it is also used by pain clinics here very widely.

That is MY kind of placebo.

It also cleared an ear of mine that has been half blocked for years in a day - but THAT needle hurt so much, I have been reluctant to have it done again!