A study published in November suggests acupuncture has measurable effects on the patient’s brain, and is not merely a placebo as some critics believe.

Researchers at the Department of Complementary and Integrative Medicine at University of Duisburg-Essen in Germany analyzed brain scans from 18 volunteers who underwent electric shocks, according to The Telegraph.

First, the test subjects were shocked without acupuncture, and then shocked while acupuncture needles were placed between the toes, below the knee and near the thumb.

When scientists compared the scans, they found that acupuncture had the effect of the amount of pain the patient felt, as well as affecting areas of the brain that control expectations and comprehension of pain.

“Our findings support that both these nonspecific and specific mechanisms exist, suggesting that acupuncture can help relieve pain,” said Dr. Nina Theysohn, who presented the research in Chicago on Tuesday.

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine have been used successfully to help women become pregnant for thousands of years, and the treatment is growing in popularity across the United States.

Using acupuncture points, acupuncturists are able to help women relax and balance their bodies’ energy, to help them conceive, as the news video below discusses.

A lot of patients may be afraid of acupuncture needles at first, but the process is actually relatively painless and relaxing, as the patients in the video explain.

More and more women seem to be asking for acupuncture to help with fertility problems, and our Carmichael clinic is the perfect place to contact for treatment or simply more information for women in the Sacramento area.

One of the patients in the video is a woman who enjoys running, but found that it may have limited her ability to concieve. After a few weeks of acupuncture treatment, her body began to work more naturally.

We’re in the middle of allergy season in the Sacramento area, and our area is especially bad because it includes so many trees, flowers and other plants of many different types. In fact, you can find the latest allergies and pollen count online through this link.

A lot of people struggle through the symptoms of allergies every year during spring and summer, including headaches, hay fever, congestion, sneezing, itchy eyes, scratchy throat, wheezing, coughing, runny nose, and more.

But when you’re fighting your allergies, don’t forget that acupuncture can help with treatment of these allergies and symptoms. Be sure to drop by our clinic as soon as possible for allergy relief. Mention this blog post for a special discount of $50 off your first treatment!

Check out the June 27, 2010 news video in this blog post about two skeptical patients who tried acupuncture for their allergies and symptoms, and were extremely happy about the positive results!

Here are some other resources online that can help you learn about allergies and how to take care of them:

Article:  Acupuncture May Provide Relief of Allergy Symptoms

Article: Acupuncture Pins Down Allergy Relief – By FOX News’ Dr. Manny Alvarez

We’re glad to announce we now accept acupuncture and other patients with health insurance, personal injury cases, and worker’s compensation.

This includes CIGNA, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Blue Cross, Landmark, ASHP (American Specialty Health Plan), and other plans.

Please call and talk to us so we can verify your insurance or payment plan.

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about acupuncture, which may interest you. It discusses a scientific approach to studying acupuncture. Here’s an exercept from the beginning:

Acupuncture has long baffled medical experts and no wonder: It holds that an invisible life force called qi (pronounced chee) travels up and down the body in 14 meridians. Illness and pain are due to blockages and imbalances in qi. Inserting thin needles into the body at precise points can unblock the meridians, practitioners believe, and treat everything from arthritis and asthma to anxiety, acne and infertility.

As fanciful as that seems, acupuncture does have real effects on the human body, which scientists are documenting using high-tech tools. Neuroimaging studies show that it seems to calm areas of the brain that register pain and activate those involved in rest and recuperation. Doppler ultrasound shows that acupuncture increases blood flow in treated areas. Thermal imaging shows that it can make inflammation subside.

Scientists are also finding parallels between the ancient concepts and modern anatomy. Many of the 365 acupuncture points correspond to nerve bundles or muscle trigger points. Several meridians track major arteries and nerves. “If people have a heart attack, the pain will radiate up across the chest and down the left arm. That’s where the heart meridian goes,” says Peter Dorsher, a specialist in pain management and rehabilitation at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla. “Gallbladder pain will radiate to the right upper shoulder, just where the gallbladder meridian goes.”

Read the full article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704841304575137872667749264.html

IBS Health Class
Date: April 24, 2010
Time: 1:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
Refreshments: Drinks and snacks will be served

Bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, gas, constipation and diarrhea are all symptoms that indicate you could have Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

IBS accounts for about 3.5 million visits to the doctor each year in America.

As many as 20 percent (one in five) of American adults have symptoms related to IBS.

It occurs more often in women than men, and is one of the most common disorders diagnosed by doctors.

Our clinic is presenting this important, free class because April is IBS Awareness Month, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services’ annual calendar of National Health Observances.

You are welcome to join us or tell your friends about this free class, which will discuss not only how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can help, but also what steps you can take for yourself to address IBS symptoms.

RSVP is not required, but we would appreciate it so we know what type of audience to prepare for. You can RSVP by e-mailing, calling, or using the form at the right side of this page.

Welcome to the rough draft of our new Web site.
Please feel free to take a look around, but remember that the site is not complete and will be changing dramatically in the next few weeks.
Feel free to give us your feedback by leaving a comment.
We hope you have a great holiday season!