Thursday, November 17, 2011
Acupuncture after Disasters
Oh! And this is a link to a film shown at the NADA conference, about acupuncture being given to people in an area of Chile, following a devastating earthquake.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
the 2011 NADA conference
So, the 3rd weekend of May I attended the 22nd Annual NADA (National Acupuncture Detoxification Association) conference in Kansas City, MO. This year's conference theme was "NADA Communities of Recovery & Psychological First Aid" which theme its panels and other sessions explored over 2 days.
NADA is a non-profit organization which promotes training and advocacy for the 5-needle auricular acupuncture protocol and its uses. Originally developed for and seen in the field of substance abuse treatment, the NADA protocol has been widely used in treatment facilities all across the U.S., as well as internationally. Recently, the benefits of this deeply calming natured protocol have been recognized and used in other settings including mental health treatment sites and in disaster response (for example by Acupuncturists without Borders in New Orleans, Haiti and elsewhere) to forestall PTSD. Only
about 40% of the membership are acupuncture professionals, with the rest of the membership being psychiatrists, nurses, chemical dependency counselors, social workers, etc. Although it the NADA protocol is an acupuncture technique, employing acupuncture needles, it is also performed (actually largely performed in public-health settings) by non-acupuncture professionals, and most particularly by NADA-certified trainees. About 21 states permit these trainees to perform NADA (usually under supervision of licensed acupuncturists).
The conference keynote speaker was Robert Whitaker, investigative journalist and author of several books. He wrote Anatomy of An Epidemic about the history of mental illness in the "age pf psychopharmacology". I am currently reading this book, and plan to write up a book review later when I've finished (yes, I am just that geeky!). Some small tidbits from his talks:
* the "anti" (e.g. "antibiotic") disease model of mental illness began in 1955 with the introduction of Thorazine; from that point we have had a "profound leap forward" to psycharmaceutical drug spending of 40 billion dollars a year. (The mind more than boggles at such a figure -- it leaps free from its moorings & does a series of manic pirouettes!)
* Whitaker's central, simple query is: if these medications are so effective, shouldn't the mental illness disability rate drop? Or at least stabilize? One would think so, yes? Instead, the numbers indicate an ever-increasing rise in both mental illness diagnoses and the numbers of people who are determined to be so disabled by their diagnoses that they are classified as unable to be productive members of society. Surprisingly our disability rates are being swelled not by psychotic diagnoses, but by the "less severe", more transient affective disorders. Bipolar disease -- once a rare occurrence in the not-so-distant past -- is now appearing in society at the rate of 1 of every 50 adults.
* Although the biological basis for mental illness istill not definitively known (even the beloved serotonin "deficiency" theory doesn't hold water), it is still being "treated."
NADA is a non-profit organization which promotes training and advocacy for the 5-needle auricular acupuncture protocol and its uses. Originally developed for and seen in the field of substance abuse treatment, the NADA protocol has been widely used in treatment facilities all across the U.S., as well as internationally. Recently, the benefits of this deeply calming natured protocol have been recognized and used in other settings including mental health treatment sites and in disaster response (for example by Acupuncturists without Borders in New Orleans, Haiti and elsewhere) to forestall PTSD. Only
about 40% of the membership are acupuncture professionals, with the rest of the membership being psychiatrists, nurses, chemical dependency counselors, social workers, etc. Although it the NADA protocol is an acupuncture technique, employing acupuncture needles, it is also performed (actually largely performed in public-health settings) by non-acupuncture professionals, and most particularly by NADA-certified trainees. About 21 states permit these trainees to perform NADA (usually under supervision of licensed acupuncturists).
The conference keynote speaker was Robert Whitaker, investigative journalist and author of several books. He wrote Anatomy of An Epidemic about the history of mental illness in the "age pf psychopharmacology". I am currently reading this book, and plan to write up a book review later when I've finished (yes, I am just that geeky!). Some small tidbits from his talks:
* the "anti" (e.g. "antibiotic") disease model of mental illness began in 1955 with the introduction of Thorazine; from that point we have had a "profound leap forward" to psycharmaceutical drug spending of 40 billion dollars a year. (The mind more than boggles at such a figure -- it leaps free from its moorings & does a series of manic pirouettes!)
* Whitaker's central, simple query is: if these medications are so effective, shouldn't the mental illness disability rate drop? Or at least stabilize? One would think so, yes? Instead, the numbers indicate an ever-increasing rise in both mental illness diagnoses and the numbers of people who are determined to be so disabled by their diagnoses that they are classified as unable to be productive members of society. Surprisingly our disability rates are being swelled not by psychotic diagnoses, but by the "less severe", more transient affective disorders. Bipolar disease -- once a rare occurrence in the not-so-distant past -- is now appearing in society at the rate of 1 of every 50 adults.
* Although the biological basis for mental illness istill not definitively known (even the beloved serotonin "deficiency" theory doesn't hold water), it is still being "treated."
Other
presentations at the conference included the use of a modified NADA
protocol in a pilot program at Walter Reed military Hospital in
Bethseda, which was targeted towards medical caretaker personnel; a
rough draft of a documentary film by Brian Lindstrom which explored
the implementation of the NADA protocol in psychiatric treatment
centers in Eruope, and a report from “Acupuncturists Without
Borders” Haiti Operations Manager, Julia Ranieri, about AWB
operations in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake.
(Just
after the conference ended, a deadly tornado hit Joplin in southern
Missouri, and volunteer practitioners from both NADA and AWB mobilized to offer affected populations auricular acupuncture
treatments.)
My
personal relationship with NADA started as a student with my NADA
training in 2000, which was a required part of my AOM education, and
continued with my professional experience in a substance abuse
treatment center. In my opinion, the existence of NADA & ADS'es
benefit acupuncture physicians & our profession, both directly &
indirectly. Directly with job creation (when professional
acupuncturists supervise ADS'es) and as a source of referrals to
“real” acupuncture for clients who have been introduced to the
NADA treatments; and indirectly because the bulk of acupuncture
treatments in the public
health forum is occurring in NADA-centered clinics, and their
existence helps to influence & expand the general public's view
of the usefulness of our medicine. Additionally, the NADA
organization has been compiling & organizing a treasure trove of
outcomes-based research on acupuncture care for decades.
For more information on NADA, including
specific details on upcoming trainings, I urge you to please contact
NADA, via their website: www.acudetox.com.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Acupuncture in the Media
I'm no media watch-dog, but I find it interesting to see how the media depicts my profession.
The facts are that there is a growing number of acupuncture professionals in the U.S. (about 30,000), with a concomitant growing number of people who access acupuncture services each year. Health insurance companies provide coverage for acupuncture treatments (depending on the state), and acupuncture providers are licensed as independent health professionals in the majority of states (44 or more), and as primary care providers in some (like Florida). Acupuncture services have been offered (by volunteers) & utilized in disaster situations (NYC after 9-11, post-Katrina NOLA, post-earthquake Haiti and other places).
A (very) casual reading of the New York Times this week reveals 2 articles about acupuncture.
On Sunday, the Times Style magazine had a brief article about a high-priced acupuncturist in the New York area and his facial rejuvenation treatments. The article featured a pretty model with about 2 dozen needles sticking out of her face.
On Monday, there was an article about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which affects a small percentage of children (~1%), and causes them to feel tired, achy and have racing heartbeats with the slightest exertion. The article presented a specific case of a teenager in South Carolina and his 2-year bout with the problem, and a list of suggested treatments (salt, sleep, water, medications, exercise). At the very end of the article (the penultimate paragraph), the author notes almost off-handedly that the teenager in question was helped by acupuncture treatments.
So, what's UP with that? Are we more media-palatable when our treatments are used for stress relief and wrinkles than for actual health care?
The facts are that there is a growing number of acupuncture professionals in the U.S. (about 30,000), with a concomitant growing number of people who access acupuncture services each year. Health insurance companies provide coverage for acupuncture treatments (depending on the state), and acupuncture providers are licensed as independent health professionals in the majority of states (44 or more), and as primary care providers in some (like Florida). Acupuncture services have been offered (by volunteers) & utilized in disaster situations (NYC after 9-11, post-Katrina NOLA, post-earthquake Haiti and other places).
A (very) casual reading of the New York Times this week reveals 2 articles about acupuncture.
On Sunday, the Times Style magazine had a brief article about a high-priced acupuncturist in the New York area and his facial rejuvenation treatments. The article featured a pretty model with about 2 dozen needles sticking out of her face.
On Monday, there was an article about postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, which affects a small percentage of children (~1%), and causes them to feel tired, achy and have racing heartbeats with the slightest exertion. The article presented a specific case of a teenager in South Carolina and his 2-year bout with the problem, and a list of suggested treatments (salt, sleep, water, medications, exercise). At the very end of the article (the penultimate paragraph), the author notes almost off-handedly that the teenager in question was helped by acupuncture treatments.
So, what's UP with that? Are we more media-palatable when our treatments are used for stress relief and wrinkles than for actual health care?
Monday, October 17, 2011
NEW & IMPROVED online scheduling!
We're working with a different program now -- which is cross-platform, so not just available to Google calendar-users, but to ANYONE on a web-browser.
To book an appointment, just go to our homepage & click the little orange button that says "BOOK NOW!". You can choose your time & your practitioner -- this option is even available to first-time patients!
To book an appointment, just go to our homepage & click the little orange button that says "BOOK NOW!". You can choose your time & your practitioner -- this option is even available to first-time patients!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Our Back to School Special
For the month of September, we are offering special discounted fees to all current students, teachers & school staffers.
We treasure education as an important part of human society, and we're happy to add our small support!
We treasure education as an important part of human society, and we're happy to add our small support!
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
JUNE special!
Just a shout-out to all y'all that this month we are offering a new patient special: until the end of this month, ALL NEW PATIENTS can schedule for only a $45 fee.
Drop in (722 2nd Street North, St Pete 33701), call (727-471-8747) or email (clinicamit@gmail.com) to take advantage of our open-door policy!
Drop in (722 2nd Street North, St Pete 33701), call (727-471-8747) or email (clinicamit@gmail.com) to take advantage of our open-door policy!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Community Service, with Pins & Needles
As might be expected, people who enter our field are usually community-oriented, and hope to use their skills for the greater good. This goal is one of the motivations that Eran & I share in our work and outlook on life.
As many of you know, we established a weekly free drop-in acupuncture clinic at the downtown Senior Center -- now chugging along for more than a year. This is similar to many other of our colleagues all over the world who volunteer in both formal & informal service venues, on an occasional or regular basis.
Additionally, in the future, as our practice supports it, we would like to hold "community day clinics" at our clinic on 2nd street. Although we created our modest fees with the idea in mind of reducing the financial barrier to our form of health-care, we know that even these fees are still too high for some folks. Our future plan is to offer special clinics 2-4x/month of our regular services but at very discounted prices to folks living with incomes around the federal poverty level (FPL). Stay tuned for more details!
What follows is a short list of groups that deliver direct-care acupuncture services to various needy communities, and which always welcome donations!
Acupuncturists Without Borders (AWB)
Created with the goal of providing PTSD relief in the aftermath of disasters, AWB has recruited licensed acupuncturists to travel to sites of disasters (New Orleans after hurrican Katrina, southern California after wildfire damage and Haiti after the earthquake). Volunteers focus on providing NADA ear acupuncture treatments. As one of its future plans, AWB hopes to train local health providers in Haiti in the NADA protocol. AWB welcomes volunteers and donations.
Alternative Healthcare Access Campaign (AHAC)
Co-founded by Chris in 1999, AHAC provides free treatments delivered by licensed acupuncturists (including both Chris & Eran in the past), massage therapists and naturopathic doctors provide free treatments services at homeless shelters & encampments and service venues (drop-in centers, etc.) in the Seattle area. AHAC welcomes volunteers and donations of money & treatment supplies.
Global Alternative Health care Project (GAHP)
GAHP sends professionals to remote communities to provide free Chinese medicine treatments. GAHP has has programs in Bali, Nepal, Navaho Nation-land, and Jackson Hole, WY. GAHP welcomes volunteers and donations of money & treatment supplies.
GUAMAP (Guatemala Acupuncture and Medical Aid Project)
In the true “barefoot doctor” tradition, GUAMAP recruits Spanish-speaking acupuncturists to train & monitor indigenous health promoters in rural Guatemala. Since the 1990’s, GUAMAP-trained health promoters have provided over 10,000 treatments to people in rural Guatemala. GUAMAP welcomes volunteers and donations of money & treatment supplies. (Little known fact: one of Chris' high school classmates is on the Board of this fine group!)
Kang Wen Community Clinic (KWCC)
Founded in 1987 by acupuncturists as one of the first complementary medicine to provide treatments to people with HIV & AIDS, KWCC later expanded its mission and outreach to offer quality AOM treatments at a real sliding-scale to the greater community. About 75% of its patients have incomes at or below the Federal Poverty Level and are able to access treatments at $10. Both Chris & Eran have volunteered their skills at this clinic. KWCC very much welcomes volunteers and donations of money & treatment supplies.
Mindful Medicine Worldwide
Founded in 2009, MMW seeks to bring long-term integrative health care to people of developing areas, domestically and internationally, by establishing and operating integrative health care clinics. Professional volunteer practitioners provide medical services and healthcare education to patients at 3 clinics in Nepal and on the Burmese-Thai border, as well as participate in educating local lay people to be integrative health workers within their communities. Mindful Medicine Worldwide is rooted in a practice of mindfulness, education, research and training. MMW welcomes volunteers and donations.
The Pan-African Acupuncture Project
Modeled after GUAMAP, this project was founded by acupuncturists in 2003, and focuses on training local health workers in acupuncture techniques. International acupuncturists are recruited to come to training sites in Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia and has created a training manual with special sections to address the care of HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria. The Project welcomes volunteers and donations.
Friday, April 8, 2011
OMMMMMMMMMMMM: Meditation and Pain Perception
Brain scans have also been used to measure the effect of acupuncture on pain perception, as in this article, and this blog about acupuncture and carpal tunnel syndrome pain.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Sleep & Calories
A new Columbia University study investigated the link between sleep deprivation & overeating. It's a small study (26 participants) but resulted in an average caloric intake increase of about 300 calories. (Approximately an 11-15% increase over an average daily caloric intake!)
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