Acupuncture is a system of healing that originated in China around 3000 years ago and is still used today. While considered a useful tool in pain management, it is also effective in the treatment of a wide array of illnesses.
Acupuncture is the method of applying delicate fine steel needles (sterile and disposable) into specific areas of the body to aid the body’s own healing response. Insertion of the needles is virtually painless and the sensation has been described as tingling. Following treatment people find it easier to relax and sleep better.
Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) is one of the oldest herbal traditions of the world. It has a strong standing in the health service of China where it is practised alongside Western medicine to treat a wide range of diseases.
It is based on the principle that good health depends upon a balance of Yin and Yang within the body to achieve optimum vitality and wellbeing.
CHM involves the use of combinations of herbs which are tailored to the specific condition of the individual and which therapeutically counteract the nature of their illness. People of any age or constitution can benefit from treatment.
Martin uses Acupuncture and Herbal medicine to treat a wide array of conditions including:
- Skin problems such as psoriasis, eczema and acne.
- Digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis and peptic ulcers.
- Circulatory/Heart problems disorders such as angina and hypertension.
- Gynaecological problems such as premenstrual syndrome, cystitis, and menopausal problems.
- Musculo-skeletal conditions such as arthritis, gout and polymyalgia rheumatica.
- Other conditions such as insomnia, stress and tension, migraines and headaches, anxiety, and allergic conditions such as hayfever, asthma, bronchitis and catarrh.
For details of the Wren Clinic Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine practitioner, Martin Logue, click here.
Latest news
- Exploring holistic medicine: Using acupuncture to relieve cancer-related fatigue January 11, 2012
Oncology clinicians are constantly searching for treatment options that can provide relief for their patients. A number of them are exploring multimodal interventions. One such group investigated the feasibility of using acupuncture combined with holistic education to relieve CRF. The results of their study were published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine.3 The group, at the UCLA Medical School and Center for East-West Medicine, studied breast cancer survivors in a pilot randomized controlled trial. The study was small because the investigators had difficulty recruiting subjects—a challenge the researchers had not anticipated encountering. After attempting several strategies to recruit study participants, the researchers were able to enlist 12 participants: 5 participants for the treatment group and 7 participants for the control group.
The treatment group received weekly acupuncture sessions for 8 weeks. The investigators wrote: “… the practitioners oriented patients towards a holistic view of health, built up their self-efficacy through a structured set of progressively challenging mastery experiences, and delivered acupuncture early on to achieve results that would enhance commitment to and confidence in self-care.”3 There were no adverse effects from the acupuncture; there was no bruising, infection, and no incidences of fainting, panic, or disorientation. The control group received standard care. Both patient groups continued to see their personal physicians and receive pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatments as before.
- Equine Alternative Medicine Gaining Steam in Vet Schools October 8, 2011
Complementary and alternative veterinary medicine (CAVM), such as massage therapy, acupuncture, acupressure, and chiropractic, is gaining popularity among horse owners, yet not all equine practitioners feel confident providing these services. Why? According to researchers from Washington State University’s (WSU) College of Veterinary Medicine, lack of education appears to be a major contributing factor. That being said, the study also found that alternative medicine coursework in equine veterinary education has increased about 30% in the past decade.
- Acupressure and Acupuncture Help Laboring Women October 8, 2011
A new review shows that acupressure and acupuncture may have a role in reducing pain, increasing satisfaction with pain management and reduced use of pharmacological management in laboring women.
Researchers from the Centre for Complementary Medicine Research, University of Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, set out to examine the effects of acupuncture and acupressure for pain management in labor.
- Acupuncturists Building Bridges With Western Medicine July 25, 2011
When Mary Tagliaferri, MD, L.Ac. and Isaac Cohen, OMD, L.Ac. co-founded the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Program at the University of California, San Francisco’s Carol Franc Buck Breast Care Center and opened the first traditional Chinese medicine clinic at UCSF, their plan was straight forward: employ state of the art technology to rigorously identify and test the active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine herbs and botanicals.
Little did they know that 15 years later they would be working with the FDA to test oral botanical drugs for major medical indications.
Tagliaferri and Cohen’s plans shifted because their lead candidates, all derived from TCM, worked even better than they anticipated to treat breast cancer and menopausal hot flashes.
Read more at:http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=32433
- Side Effects of Breast Cancer Treatments May Ease With CAM Therapies August 10, 2011
When the diagnosis is breast cancer, many women will augment their doctor’s care with some form of complementary treatment.
In 2006, research from the University of Texas indicated that yoga helped women going through radiation for breast cancer. They were able to function better day-to-day, they slept better and they had elevated moods compared to the women who didn’t do yoga. Research from Sweden found that art therapy sessions left participating women feeling more in control and better able to cope.
Read more:http://www.empowher.com/breast-cancer/content/side-effects-breast-cancer-treatments-may-ease-cam-therapies
- Can complementary treatments get rid of bad breath? October 24, 2011
The University of California, San Diego’s Complementary Medicine Library lists a few vitamin supplements as having tentative scientific support for their breath freshening qualities. These include folic acid and zinc chloride, which may improve gum health and neutralize some odors, respectively.
- Fenugreek: A Food and a Medicine July 3, 2011
Fenugreek is a common spice, particularly in India and places that ingest curries. It was discovered to have medicinal qualities thousands of years ago by Ayuravedic practitioners who reported it to be useful for many things including management of metabolic and nutritive disorders such as diabetes. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the spice is known as a phlegm mover, and it is said to break up stuck energies and cool inflammation. In modern times, complementary and alternative physicians and veterinarians have long used this spice as a tool for a wide variety of human and veterinary conditions. Modern medical research is just beginning to explore this realm and has not developed sufficient studies to recommend its use.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-palmquist-dvm/fenugreek-a-food-and-a-me_b_868534.html
- Migraines eased after ginger and herb treatment June 20, 2011
Migraine sufferers treated with a homeopathic preparation of ginger and the herb feverfew may find some pain relief, according to a preliminary study.
Feverfew, which is derived from a flowering plant, has long been thought to be a remedy for headaches. It might offer an alternative to standard migraine medications, which are costly, have side effects and don’t always work, according the new report.
Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/17/us-migraines-idUSTRE75F6S220110617
- Rochester Autism Researchers Present New Findings May 31, 2011
Rochester researchers are presenting six abstracts on topics ranging from complementary medicine-use rates to nutritional insufficiencies in children with autism spectrum disorders. They even looked at how artificial food dye might affect children with autism.
Read more at: http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/story/index.cfm?id=3198
- Remedies: Clove Oil for Tooth Pain February 28, 2011
What can you do in a pinch when you have a toothache?
Most people reach for age-old medicine-cabinet staples like Anbesol and Orajel, which contain benzocaine, an anesthetic, as their active ingredient. Benzocaine, like many other anesthetics, can cause allergic reactions and other side effects that some people find unpalatable.
But one natural alternative is clove oil, an essential oil from the clove plant, native to India and Indonesia and also known by the scientific but somewhat pleasant-sounding name Eugenia aromaticum. The essential oil has been shown in studies to have both analgesic and antibacterial properties, which can be particularly helpful in the case of a toothache instigated by bacteria.
Read more here: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/17/remedies-clove-oil-for-tooth-pain/?partner=rss&emc=rss
