Postings

A new study has found that acupuncture treatments can significantly lower the pain associated with Fibromyalgia.

Ten weeks after treatment, the pain scores of patients given acupuncture dropped an average of 41 percent, compared with an average drop of 27 percent for those given a simulated acupuncture treatment. The benefits were still seen after a year. US News & World Report

Fibromyalgia News Today reports that:

To evaluate the efficacy of an individualized acupuncture protocol for patients with fibromyalgia, Jorge Vas from the Pain Treatment Unit, Doña Mercedes Primary Health Centre, Dos Hermanas, in Spain, and colleagues designed a randomized controlled trial to determine the clinical efficacy of traditional acupuncture as a fibromyalgia treatment, using a personalized point-selection algorithm based on the characteristics of each patient.

The study can be viewed at “Acupuncture for fibromyalgia in primary care: a randomised controlled trial.” To read the full article a login is required, but the abstract can be viewed for free.

Acupuncture is part of a complete medical diagnostic system

Traditional Chinese Medicine is built around a complete system of medical diagnosis. When you step into the office for treatment, your acupuncture physician asks you questions about your digestion, sleep patterns and emotions. She looks at your skin color and at your tongue. Very importantly, she takes your pulse using several fingers on each wrist. All of this information is used to diagnose a pattern of health and illness. Diagnosis goes much deeper than symptoms. For example, you may have a headache, but that is a symptom of a deeper imbalance. The goal of treatment is to restore your body to health, not just to relieve or mask your headache. In order to restore health, your practitioner needs to understand what type of headache you have, and the overall pattern of imbalance. The diagnostic system is the single most powerful component of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All other treatments are based upon the diagnosis.

Acupuncture treats the whole person: body, mind, emotions and spirit

Acupuncture treatments are part of the holistic system of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Modern western medical theory is now confronting the fact that there is no hard distinction between mental, physical, emotional and even spiritual components of health. Indeed, stress is the leading contributor to modern illnesses. When your acupuncturist treats you with needles, herbs, moxibustion, massage, simple physical exercises and dietary recommendations, she is treating your whole self.

UF CAM FINAL announcement flyer -3-16-Bechtel

Bethany S. Bechtel PhD, Adjunct Post-Doctoral Associate
&
Alka Velenik PhD, Department of Chemistry

“Acupunture: Diagnostic System and Possible Molecular Mechanism”

Dr. Bethany Bechtel is a Licensed Acupuncture Physician, a Diplomate of Oriental Medicine and a 2002 graduate of Dragon Rises College of Oriental Medicine in Gainesville. She holds undergraduate degrees in Molecular Biology and French Literature from Bryn Mawr College. She earned her doctoral degree in Biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania and has worked on NMR spectroscopy of small molecules at the Wistar Institute at the University of Pennsylvania and in the UF Chemistry Department. She has been the recipient of two Fulbright Awards for advanced research at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore.

At Harmony Point Acupuncture we are committed to your good health!

Here 10 health suggestions for the new year:

1. Drink tap water: bottled water contains many harmful chemicals
2. Eat fresh cooked vegetables: raw vegetables are hard to digest
3. Stay warm: cold is the root of many diseases
4. Walk for 15 to 30 minutes a day: the very best exercise!
5. Get a good night’s sleep: keep regular sleep hours
6. Take some quiet time: nurture yourself
7. Spend time in nature: recharge with sun and fresh air
8. Connect with other people: positive interactions
9. Do something creative: dance, draw, sing, create!
10. Count your blessings: gratitude is the key to joy!