Chinese herbal medicine is an effective measure for the treatment of mental disorders. Independent investigations find Chinese herbal medicine effective for the reduction of symptoms associated with a type of mental illness, termed Bai He (百合) disease within the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) system. Researchers note that Bai He disease directly correlates to the modern diagnostic term psychoneurosis. [1]
Acupuncture demonstrates positive effects in supporting healthy weight reduction along with the alleviation of hunger sensations, fatigue, and abdominal distension. A widespread health concern, over 4 million people die annually due to complications caused by excess weight. [1] A body mass index (BMI) in excess of 25 is defined as overweight and a BMI greater than 30 is defined as obese. Research demonstrates that adding acupuncture to dietary and lifestyle management programs significantly improves patient outcomes.
Acupuncture alleviates neuropathic symptoms due to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in breast cancer survivors. A randomized-controlled trial was conducted at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Boston, Massachusetts). The results demonstrate that an 8-week intensive acupuncture protocol (18 sessions) greatly reduces pain intensity levels, pain interference, and average pain levels. [1] The results also show significant improvements in CIPN-specific and general quality of life scores, functional assessment of cancer therapy neurotoxicity subscales, and brief pain inventory short-form scores. In addition, stage I–III breast cancer patients with persistent CIPN after chemotherapy had better neurotoxicity questionnaire sensory scores (PNQ) over waitlist control patients. Moreover, low intensity acupuncture treatment regimens contributed to clinically significant reductions in sensory CIPN symptoms.
Acupuncture demonstrates clinical efficacy for postviral recovery from the loss of the sense of smell. COVID-19 (coronavirus) patients often experience diminished olfaction, with a median return of the senses of taste and smell within eight days. However, long-term impacts on both gustation (tasting) and olfaction have been reported in COVID-19 cases. Research on acupuncture’s ability to benefit the restoration of olfaction indicates that it is a potentially effective treatment modality for the relief of anosmia, dysosmia, parosmia, hyposmia, dysgeusia, and ageusia in postviral recovery.
Acupuncture has been found effective for the alleviation of insomnia in modern research. Several investigations make important clinical findings. The first piece of research covered in this article finds acupuncture superior to placebo controls. The second study finds acupuncture effective for improving sleep, reducing anxiety, and increasing neurohormonal endogenous secretions of melatonin.
Acupuncture CAE changes by the Texas State Board of Acupuncture Examiners are now in effect. The new renewal requirements for licensed acupuncturists involve changes in the timing of acupuncture license renewals and the amount of hours required in specific acupuncture CAE/CEU categories. There are also some minor changes in NCCAOM PDA/CEU requirements. We will take a look at those as well. HealthCMi provides acupuncture CEUs to the entire USA plus Canda, New Zealand, Australia, and more.
Acupuncture and moxibustion are effective treatment modalities for allergic rhinitis relief. In a meta-analysis of 39 studies involving 3,433 allergic rhinitis patients, acupuncture improved nasal symptoms and rhinoconjunctivitis scores. Researchers determined that all types of acupuncture modalities are significantly superior to sham controls. [1] Moreover, moxibustion was found effective within six treatments.
Chinese herbal medicine reduces COVID-19 mortality rates, finds a retrospective study conducted at Wuhan No. 1 Hospital. The hospital is one of the largest centers specifically designated to treat patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using integrated traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and biomedicine.
Acupuncture research definitively proves that it is an effective treatment modality, especially for pain relief. This has been augmented by contributions from Georgetown University, Harvard Medical School, Tufts University, Emory University, University of California, and other prestigious institutions. In addition, endorsements from the American Academy of Physicians and inclusion within the USA Medicare system have added to both the acceptance and access to acupuncture.
HealthCMi announces new acupuncture CEU courses for acupuncture continuing education credit online. This includes live webinars and courses fulfilling specialty distance learning subcategory requirements in states such as Texas, Florida, California, and more. The online courses are international and also provide CEU credits for acupuncturists in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, all acupuncturists in the USA, and much more. HealthCMi provides both anytime distance learning CEUs and live webinars for acupuncture continuing education credit.
Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, low back pain, and fibromyalgia. Tufts University School of Medicine (Boston, Massachusetts) researchers conducted a meta-analysis of 16 medical reviews and 11 randomized controlled clinical trials and determined that acupuncture is safe and effective for the treatment of these conditions. They add that there is considerable evidence that acupuncture produces pain relieving effects by stimulating nerves that trigger the body’s natural opioid systems.
Acupuncture is a cost-effective and safe treatment modality for the alleviation or elimination of migraine headaches. Harvard Medical School, Georgetown University, University of Arizona, Creighton University, and Louisiana State University researchers report findings showing that acupuncture reduces the frequency, intensity, and duration of migraine attacks. [1] The investigation team indicates that patients receiving acupuncture are also less prone to secondary anxiety attacks and depression.
Acupuncture and herbs are effective for the treatment of chronic epididymitis, a condition characterized by testicular tube inflammation. Symptoms include local pain and swelling. Researchers conclude that a combination of acupuncture and Tian Tai Wu Yao San Chinese medicine herbal formula provides relief from chronic epididymitis and is superior to conventional antibiotic treatment. The findings were confirmed by Xi’an Medical School Affiliated Baoji Hospital (Shanxi, China) researchers using color doppler flow imaging, testicular blood flow readings, and measurements of the epididymus diameter. [1]
Acupuncture and herbal medicine are effective for the treatment of hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and triglycerides). Wuji Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Hebei) researchers determined that coronary heart disease patients get significant improvements in blood lipid profiles when acupuncture and herbal medicine are added to standard care. [i] The results indicate that an integrative treatment protocol using Chinese medicine plus usual care produces superior patient outcomes compared with usual care monotherapy.
Acupuncture improves IVF (in vitro fertilization) outcomes. Warm needle acupuncture reduces ECF (endometrial cavity fluid) accumulation and improves clinical pregnancy rates following IVF. These are the findings of a study conducted at Foshan Women and Children’s Hospital (Guangdong, China). [i]
Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of migraines. Researchers from Harvard Medical School, Xidian University, and Capital Medical University find acupuncture effective for the reduction of migraine attacks. They discovered that a patient’s pre-treatment brain structure is predictive of the success rate achieved by acupuncture for the reduction or elimination of migraines. [1] Using MRIs and machine learning, specific patterns in brain gray matter prior to treatment were correlated with improved response rates to treatment.
The HealthCMi (Healthcare Medicine Institute) roster has expanded, featuring new acupuncture CEU live webinars and online distance learning courses for NCCAOM PDAs and state CEUs. This includes acupuncture license renewal credit for the entire United States plus Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and much more. Acupuncture webinars are easy to attend on the Zoom platform and acupuncture distance learning courses are available anytime, 24 hours a day, at HealthCMi.
Acupuncture and the external application of herbal medicine provide facial paralysis relief. Chenzhou Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine researchers demonstrate that acupuncture, combined with herbal steaming and washing, provides effective relief for patients with peripheral facial nerve palsy (FNP). [1]
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are effective for the treatment of hyperlipidemia. Wuhan First Hospital researchers find acupuncture combined with drug therapy relieves hyperlipidemia and demonstrates superior patient outcomes over drug monotherapy. In another study (Xue et al.), an herbal formula used to tonify the spleen and transform dampness outperforms simvastatin for regulating blood cholesterol levels in hyperlipidemia patients.
Harvard Medical School neuroscientists conclude that acupuncture regulates inflammation in response to bacterial infections. The study finds acupuncture effective in ameliorating the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokine storms. The researchers demonstrate that acupuncture increases survival rates and prevents disease progression.
