Watch this video to the end...

What does our future hold for us? I hope more people like the 20 year old that created this video:

Youtube Link.
Or cut and paste this to view it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42E2fAWM6rA

World Police and Fire Games

This past weekend I volunteered as the one and only acupuncturist for the 2009 World Police and Fire Games. The games are held every other year in cities around the world. This year was the largest games they have ever held with almost 11,000 athletes from more than 55 different countries and over 60 different events!

I did acupuncture on athletes all day Sunday and Monday (my clinic days off) and I was kept busy. It was really fabulous because I was able to treat a lot of "newbies". Because many don't know that much about acupuncture, many had asked for massage. There was a line up for the massage therapists, so when I had less than 2 people being treated, we would ask "who wants acupuncture?" It surprised me when a bunch of hands were raised, even though they had never tried it before. To those that were a bit leary of the idea of needles, I was able to explain the benefits of acupuncture and that it would not be painful.

What a great experience it was! The stand out of the bunch were a group of Montreal police officers who were there to play soccer. I will have to check to see how they did/are doing!

This youtube video goes to show you how fun they were. Check out the 2 police officers and you will see 2 of the people that I met. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYVi_6KZyTs

Go check out the games if you are in or around Vancouver. Events are being held all over the place and are FREE! They run until August 9th.

The only downside of that weekend was that my hands are now a peeling mess. A lesson to others: if you are planning on applying a mentholated topical pain reliever gel or lotion like Cryoderm (the one I was using), don't do so for 2-3 people per hour for 7 hours per day for 2 days if you are not gloving. If you do make this mistake, use Rescue Remedy cream. It seems to be helping.

Supplements: To Take or Not To Take...And, Which Ones To Take

The following very LONG blog is from 2 articles I wrote for a local magazine. I thought some might find it useful here:

Have you ever walked into a pharmacy or a nutrition store and gazed upon the bottle upon bottle of options for supplements? Perhaps you want to buy some calcium, but find it hard to pick out the best one. Price is certainly one thing to consider, but it is definitely not the most important thing to mull over when purchasing. You wouldn’t just pick the cheapest car when auto shopping, just because it’s the cheapest. That $200 deal might just be trash on wheels and what a waste of your money it could be.

To Supplement, or Not to Supplement, That is the Question…

The first question is whether you actually need to buy any supplements. Even the Canada Food Guide now recommends a multivitamin/mineral supplement. There are many reasons why a supplement may be useful or even essential.

1. You don’t eat enough healthy, nutritionally balanced and varied meals. Broccoli, tomato, and lettuce are not good enough to cover your vegetable category. Can you try to guess the most consumed vegetable of North America? Potatoes. Usually in the form of French fries. Really not good enough.

2. You have higher nutritional needs. Illness, stress, medications, and higher activity levels are examples of situations that cause a need for more nutrients. Some medications cause specific nutrient deficiencies. Ask your health practitioner or pharmacist about your medications and their impact.

3. You have poor digestion/absorption. Just because you consume something does not mean that your body uses all those nutrients. We tend to produce fewer digestive enzymes as we age. Those with digestive issues such as irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s, colitis, indigestion, and others may not have good digestive absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other key nutrients. Also, as we age, we produce less stomach acid and fewer digestive enzymes. Even if you have heartburn or acid reflux, you may still have insufficient stomach acid. It may be that the problem is not enough of a protective lining of mucus to shield the stomach tissues or that the valve that stops stomach acid from rising is too loose and allows stomach acid to seep back and irritate the esophagus (the tube that brings food from your mouth to your stomach).

4. Our food is less nutrient-rich than it once was due to nutrient-poor soils from over farming, early harvesting so that foods can be send on long journeys across the continent or from the other side of the world, pollution, and poor quality foods. We used to grow our own food or buy it from our neighbours. We used to pick up fresh foods daily. We now buy foods laden in preservatives. We add artificial or “natural” flavours to try to make them tasty again. We buy foods from the other side of the world. Try eating a banana in Thailand. It tastes totally different than what we eat here. Why? Because we don’t grow bananas here! Those bananas are picked long before they are ripe.

Some Basics

It is impossible for me to list all the supplements that you could or should consider, so we’ll just cover a few fundamentals about multivitamins/minerals in this article and expand on other important supplement categories next month.

Multivitamins/minerals

If any of the four listed issues above are ones that you think affect you then consider a multivitamin/mineral. As mentioned, not all supplements are created the same. When picking up a multi, read the label or ask someone to help you. These are some things to look for:

a) We all have different needs at different stages of our lives. Women are different than men. Age plays a factor. So, if you are over the age of 45 or 50, pick a multi designed for “seniors” or “older adult”.

b) Some nutrients are trickier than others. Looking at a multi, one way to assess quality is to check out the vitamin E. Does it read “dl-alpha-tocopherol”? If so, then that company is using a synthetic vitamin E which is poorly absorbed. Make sure that it reads “d-alpha-tocopherol”. Note the missing “l”. If the multi has “mixed tocopherols” or, even better, includes “tocotrienols”, you are getting a leg up on your vitamin E source and that multi is likely a very good one.

c) Check out the “non-medicinal” list of ingredients. I recommend avoiding supplements that add in extras like aspartame (an artificial sweetener—more likely found in the chewable forms), hydrogenated palm or soybean oils (hydrogenation produces trans fats, that bad stuff you have been hearing more and more about), sodium benzoate (a preservative), and FD&C dyes.

d) Remember, multis are a mix of various vitamins and minerals. If your multi is a single colour (usually a bright reddish orange), then dyes and other coatings have been used. Multis also often smell bad. The B vitamins, in particular, smell bad. That’s normal. If you have to, plug your nose when you take them.

Here’s a hint about swallowing these usually large pills: Have a small mouthful of food, chew it well, and pop in 1 or 2 of the supplement tablets or capsules with the food. You will find it much easier to get down.

Supplement How-To, part 2

Last month I covered some basic things to consider for choosing and taking supplements to optimize your health. This month’s article will cover a few specifics about some particular areas of health, but do remember that these recommendations are still generalized and you may want to discuss your particular needs with your health care provider or qualified natural health practitioner as each individual’s needs will vary.

Bone Supplements

Note that for this category, I didn’t simply label it “Calcium”. Many nutrients are key to good bone health.

a) Calcium: Calcium carbonate is commonly used, but it is generally poorly absorbed. Calcium carbonate is what antacids use to decrease stomach acid. The problem with that as a calcium source is that we need stomach acid in order to absorb calcium and our stomach acid tends to decline as we age (even if you have acid reflux, it does not mean you have too much acid, just likely not enough mucus to protect from the acid). Better options include calcium citrate, calcium chelate, and my preferred, calcium microcrystalline hydroxyapatite complex (MCHC). The last one can not only slow the rate of bone loss, but also reverse bone loss attributed to osteoporosis.

b) Magnesium: More than 60% of the body’s store of magnesium is in the bones. Sufficient magnesium is required for vitamin D and calcium absorption. In addition, magnesium on its own has been shown to slow the rate of bone loss. Magnesium oxide is a poorly absorbed form, so what you are best consuming in supplement form is magnesium citrate, magnesium chelate, or magnesium glycinate.

c) Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential for optimal calcium absorption. While your body can make this nutrient from exposure to sunlight, many of us do not get enough sun throughout the year to support our needs.

d) Others: Manganese, copper, zinc, strontium, boron, and phosphorous are other key bone nutrients.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFA)

You’ve likely heard about the importance of essential fatty acids (EFAs). Some best sources are found in flax seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds (yes, of the famously known “Chia Pet” plants), and fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines, herring, and mackerel. The merit of EFAs is not overstated. They are “essential” because your body cannot make them on its own and they need to be consumed in foods.

There are some supplements where the cheapest brand may be just as good as the most expensive. That is not the case with EFAs. While you don’t necessarily have to search out the most expensive one, quality of oil is important.

When choosing fish oils, the small fish are best, i.e. sardines, mackerel, herring, rather than the large salmon, tuna, halibut, and cod. This is because the larger fish, being higher up on the food chain, have potential for a higher accumulation of heavy metals such as mercury.

Flax seeds are a great source of omega 3 EFAs (and fibre), but in order to get the oils out, you need to either buy flax oil, flax oil capsules, or grind flax seeds. Once ground, the flax seeds need to be kept in the fridge. Another option is to buy husked flax seeds as the oils are readily accessible and they are shelf stable.

Hemp seeds and chia seeds are great snacks as they can be chewed to access the oils, protein, and fibre.

Digestive support

In order to properly absorb and utilize all nutrients, your digestive system has to be working well enough. You may not need any of these supplements, but if your digestive system is impaired, you can ask me which, if any, might be best suited for you and what others might you include that I haven't written about here.

Some key digestive nutrients include the following:

a) Digestive enzymes: As we age, we produce fewer digestive enzymes, substances that our bodies need to break down the foods that we eat so their nutrients can be absorbed and used. Eating raw or lightly cooked (TCM prefers lightly cooked, steamed, slow cooked, and soups and stews) vegetables, fruits, grains (especially sprouted grains), and legumes will provide some enzymes. Supplemental enzymes in capsule format are also available. If you are lactose intolerant (problems digesting milk and dairy products), make sure your enzyme supplement includes lactase.

b) Probiotics: Probiotics are the “good bacteria” that you hear a lot about in yogurt commercials. Yogurt is a good source, but if you are taking or have taken a lot of antibiotics, or if you have digestive issues (constipation, diarrhea, bloating, cramping, etc.), probiotic supplements are best as they contain much higher dosages of the good bacteria. There are many strains of these bacteria, so it may be best to talk to a natural health care practitioner to determine which is best for you. This is another category where quality makes a difference because if the quality is poor, not enough of the good bacteria will survive and live in your intestines.

c) Fibre: Most of us do not get enough fibre in our diets. Although many people think that we only need to worry about fibre if we are constipated, its benefits are many. Fibre does help with regulating bowel function, will not cause “too many bowel movements” when taken properly, helps keep blood cholesterol in check, helps regulate blood sugar levels, and may even help prevent cancer, kidney stones, and gallstones.

d) Senna: I want to mention this one because it is commonly taken to remedy constipation. Note, however, that it can become habit forming because the body can become dependant on it. Talk with your health care provider for other options so that you can limit your senna use.

“Supplements” is a huge topic and I’ve only covered a very small part of it, but some things to remember are that no supplement should be used to replace a healthy diet and lifestyle, that while generally safe you should make sure that the supplements that you take are suitable for you and in combination with any medications that you take, and that quality of product and an appropriate dosage will impact the effectiveness of any supplement.

Dr. Melissa Carr is a registered Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncturist with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Kinetics from the University of Guelph in Ontario. In addition to running her own clinic, Dr. Carr also acts as a natural health and nutrition consultant for a several companies and writes for health magazines. Believing that her role is as guide, teacher, and motivator, her goal is to work in partnership with her patients to bring them to their optimal health. www.activetcm.com 604-783-2846

Acupuncture is growing in popularity!

To me, this is a "no kidding, of course it is" statement, but it was great to read this article about the statistics of alternative medicine in the U.S.
http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20090730/americans-spend-34-billion-alternative-medicine?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Read the second page where they describe a nearly 3-fold increase in acupuncture visits since the last study done in 1997.

So, have you had your acupuncture today?

Do what I say...AND what I do

I read a story recently as follows:

A mother brought her young son to Mahatma Gandhi. She begged, "Please, Mahatma. Tell my son to stop eating sugar."
Gandhi paused, then said, "Bring your son back in two weeks." Puzzled, the woman thanked him and said that she would do as he had asked.
Two weeks later, she returned with her son. Gandhi looked the youngster in the eye and said, "Stop eating sugar."
Grateful but bewildered, the woman asked, "Why did you tell me to bring him back in two weeks? You could told him the same thing then."
Gandhi replied, "Two weeks ago, I was eating sugar.

I truly believe in leading by example. I try to follow the same principles and recommendations I give my patients. I am not, nor do I strive to be, perfect. But I do do the best that I can. In fact, I have for a long time recommended yoga, tai chi, and/or qi gong. But I had not done any of those things regularly myself for awhile. A month ago I committed to going to yoga class regularly. And now I like it more than I ever thought I would.

I had also been working a lot and not taking enough breather time for myself. Well, yesterday my body told me enough was enough. I came down with the fastest flu of all time (or so I think). It started in the afternoon, forcing me to cancel the remainder of my patients for the day. I had an acupuncture treatment, dragged my sorry butt home, and slept. Made myself sweat it out (not hard to do with our currently very hot weather) and woke up 100% myself again. Lesson heard, lesson learned. I don't think I have ever given up a day of clinic due to illness and I've been seeing patients for about 8 years now! This was my body telling me that it needed a break.

Listen to your body. Do the things that are good for you that you keep promising you'll do, but don't do. And congratulate yourself for the healthy changes you do make. Your body will thank you!

Summer Heat, Cooling off

Vancouver is in a heat wave now and many are feeling uncomfortable. On the news tonight there was a report about how using ice cream and frappuccinos--or other such high calorie, high sugar, high fat, or all of the above food and drink--is unhealthy and quickly add up the pounds.

So, I looked up some other options. Here's my modification of a healthier recipe I found online:
* 1/2 cup milk (I'd try soy or rice milk)
* 1/4 cup honey
* 1/2 tsp cocoa
* 1 tsp vanilla (may also add a little nutmeg, hazelnut syrup, and/or coconut extract as well to spice it up)
* 2 T. coffee substitute (like Pero or Roma) or 1 tsp instant coffee
Mix all in a blender, then add about 2 cups crushed ice (or 3 cups cubed). As soon as the drink gets thick, like a milkshake, you can stop adding ice, and it should be perfect.

And, this site has lots of healthy options: http://www.wikihow.com/Cool-Yourself-Without-Air-Conditioning

Bitter herbs

I've read some great books lately. Two of the books I'm likely going to draw some blog topics from are:
"Survival of the Sickest" by Dr. Sharon Moalem
"The Brain that Changes Itself" by Dr. Norman Doidge
In "Survival of the Sickest," I am reminded of the response that my patients give when they first try a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) customized herbal tea. I usually warn my patients to expect to hate me after the first sip. I tell them that it may taste like the worst thing that they have ever tried to drink. Of course, that's not always true--some patients like their herbs from day one--but it's often pretty close.

We've actually evolved to dislike bitter tasting things. It's believed that this is to warn us away from eating plants that contain toxins. For example, there's a compound called scopalamine in jimsonweed that causes temporary madness.

The problem is that many bitter tasting compounds are actually really healthy for us. Most TCM herbs are bitter tasting. Most medicinal herbs, in general, are bitter tasting. Maybe our expanding coffee-drinking culture will actually help us get used to bitter tastes and help us to down those medicinal herbs that can help us get and stay well.

The funny thing is that those same patients who baulk at the TCM teas initially often say that they don't mind the tea as much after their second week of herbs. And sometimes they even say that they LIKE the herbs by the third week and beyond! I'm one of those people. I now like most of the herbal teas that I make.

"2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. - That antibiotic doesn't work anymore. Here, eat this root"
--Anonymous

Updates after almost 2 years!

It's been awhile since I last posted, but I've been meaning to get back to this for awhile. So many things to write about!

The most recent thing that comes to mind is the BC provincial government considering merging its sales tax with the federal tax for a "harmonized sales tax", HST, of 12%. I'm NOT happy about this. As it is, my patients have to pay 5% for taxes every time they use my service. We should NOT have to pay tax on health services. If this does go through, that extra 7% will make a big difference!

(The Globe and Mail article)

What do you think?

Acupuncture for Pain

Some of the tons of research and articles on acupuncture to treat pain:

ARTHRITIS
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/95/103359.htm
Traditional Chinese acupuncture is "effective" at reducing knee osteoarthritis pain and improving function in people with knee osteoarthritis, say the researchers, who presented their findings in San Antonio at the American College of Rheumatology's annual scientific meeting.


Arthritis Responds to Weather, Acupuncture United Press International - Oct. 19Washington Post - Oct. 19
Researchers told attendees at the American College of Rheumatology's annual meeting that they have compiled valid data indicating changes in temperature or atmospheric pressure can cause increases in joint pain. Marc Hochberg, MD, MPH, a professor in the School of Medicine, says the studies " . . . allow us to conclude that traditional Chinese acupuncture is an effective intervention for the relief of pain and improvement of function in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee."

http://www.acupuncture.com/research/kneeosteo.htm
Acupuncture can ease the discomfort while waiting for an operation and perhaps even serve as an alternative to surgery. Seven patients have responded so well that at present they do not want an operation. (USD 9000 saved per operation).


http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?md=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=1288925&dopt=Abstract
Acupuncture to treat Rheumatoid Arthritis



ZHEREBKIN, Eastern Europe, conducted a randomised controlled clinical trial to study the efficacy of the multi-modality treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) involving acupuncture (A) treatment.Methods: Measures assessed included the number of the inflamed joints, the joint index, duration of morning rigidity and a visual scale of pain.Results: Combining treatment of RA with Acupuncture was found to more effectively lower the values for the joint index and the visual scale of pain.Conclusions: The results of this trial indicated that acupuncture may improve the results of drug treatment.Zherebkin VV.


The use of acupuncture reflexotherapy in treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Lik Sprava 6: 175-7. Nov-Dec 1997. Acupuncture for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Study With Long-Term Follow-Up. Articles Clinical Journal of Pain. 17(4):296-305, December 2001.Carlsson, Christer P. O. M.D., Ph.D.; Sjolund, Bengt H. M.D., Ph.D. Abstract: Objective: The authors sought to determine whether a series of needle acupuncture treatments produced long-term relief of chronic low back pain. Design: A blinded placebo-controlled study with an independent observer. The patients were randomized to receive manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture, or active placebo (mock transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). Subjects were examined and monitored by an investigator who was blinded to the treatment given. Setting: A tertiary-level pain clinic at a Swedish university hospital. Patients: Fifty consecutive patients (33 women, 17 men; mean age, 49.8 years) with chronic low back pain (mean pain duration, 9.5 years) and without rhizopathy or history of acupuncture treatment were included in the study. Interventions: Treatments were given once per week for 8 weeks. Two further treatments were given during the follow-up assessment period of 6 months or longer. Outcome Measures: The independent observer made a global assessment of the patients 1, 3, and 6 months after treatment. The patients kept pain diaries to score pain intensity twice daily, analgesic intake, and quality of sleep daily, and activity level weekly. Results: At the 1-month independent assessment, 16 of 34 patients in the acupuncture groups and 2 of 16 patients in the placebo group showed improvement (p <0.05).The authors found a long-term pain-relieving effect of needle acupuncture compared with true placebo in some patients with chronic nociceptive low back pain. (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.


BACK PAIN
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5345774.stm
Back-pain acupuncture 'effective'

CAR ACCIDENT

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=6138957&dopt=Abstract
Acupuncture proved an effective form of therapy for treatment of accident patients with whiplash injuries, representing a valuable supplement to the field of rehabilitation.

http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/37/10/1118
Both physiotherapy and acupuncture treatment groups improved in reduced pain, improved range of motion, and better overall health following treatment for chronic neck pain. Acupuncture was slightly more effective in patients who had higher baseline pain scores.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=15732514&dopt=Citation
The high percentage of positive results in whiplash injury patients leads us to advocate acupuncture for balance disorders due to cervical pathology.

HEADACHES & MIGRAINES
http://www.healthy.net/scr/news.asp?Id=7667
Acupuncture as Effective as Drug Therapy for Migraines & Headaches



http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/07/050731232901.htm
Acupuncture Cuts Tension Headache Rates By Almost Half

NEUROPATHIC PAIN
ABUAISHA and colleagues, Department of Medicine, Manchester Royal Infirmary, University of Manchester, UK studied the use of acupuncture to determine its efficacy for pain relief for peripheral diabetic neuropathy.Methods: 46 diabetic patients suffering chronic painful peripheral neuropathy participated in the study. 29 (63%) patients were already receiving standard medical treatment. Patients initially received up to 6 courses of classical acupuncture analgesia over a period of 10 weeks, using traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture points.Results: 46 patients completed the study. 34 (77%) showed significant improvement in primary and/or secondary symptoms (P <0.01).

SOFT TISSUE INJURY
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=2761282&dopt=Abstract
Acupuncture treatment on soft tissue disease based on TCM syndrome differentiation theory is thus shown to be effective.

Acupuncture Research

"So, does acupuncture actually work?", they ask me. Even if they don't ask, many people think it. Until you experience the benefits of acupuncture, it's really a fair question to ask. After all, sticking hair-thin needles into various points on the body to heal it doesn't fall within the contexts of our western minds. With that in mind, I thought I'd publish this blog to start adding research links and article links.

http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/abstract/333/7569/626?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&amp;amp;amp;amp;fulltext=acupuncture&andorexactfulltext=and&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT
Objective To evaluate the cost effectiveness of acupuncture in the management of persistent non-specific low back pain.

http://cmbi.bjmu.edu.cn/news/0505/1.htm
Acupuncture has a measurable, if mysterious, effect on the brain, UK scientists have found. The study adds to evidence that patients benefit from acupuncture not simply because of their expectations.

http://www.forbes.com/lifestyle/health/feeds/hscout/2005/12/22/hscout529848.html
How does acupuncture work? "People are still trying to figure that out," Lao said, but there are a few key theories.

http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/99/105311.htm
An overview on acupuncture

http://www.acupuncture.com/newsletters/m_feb07/res.htm
Acupuncture enhances generation of nitric oxide and increases local circulation. This may be a possible mechanism of action for how acupuncture treats pain. Another study here shows that acupuncture stimulates specific brain activity during treatment of chronic neuropathic pain. And the last study here shows that Chinese herbs can be used to reduce chemotherapy-induced toxicity.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070128/news_1s28bears.html
What links the Superbowl champions of 1985 and acupuncture? An injured quarterback who was persistent about his treatment of choice.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2007/01/07/2003343717
Here's a strange one!!! Acupuncture treats plants!