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What is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is the very ancient practice of inserting and manipulating filamentous needles (as fine as a strand of hair). These needles are inserted into specific acupuncture points based on a patient’s constitution and condition at the time of the treatment for curative purposes. The scope of acupuncture is quite wide, it’s commonly thought of only to be useful for pain; however, acupuncture has come a long way over the past 2500 years it’s been around and has been successfully used for cases of hypo/hyperthyroidism, fibromyalgia, sciatica, HIV, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, TMJ, edema, anxiety and depression, just to name a few.

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Acupuncture for MS in Children a good alternative or a bad idea?

Acupuncture for MS in Children a good alternative or a bad idea?

I first met Sean a few months back through his mom Debra who had become a regular at our yoga studio. It was immediately evident just in our after class chit chat that she was grounded and devout. As our conversations turned to family, we learned that her teenage son Sean had been diagnosed with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis, a devastating form of MS which strikes at early age, provides n relief of periodic remission and, of course, has no cure.

Normally, MS, a condition in which the body assails its own nervous system, is more common in women and develops in adulthood. So, when at age ten Sean became symptomatic and suffered chronic erratic ailments from ocular degeneration to lower body motor skill atrophy, it took years and countless, frustrating doctors’ visits (being told he was just gangly and going through awkward growing spurts) to finally arrive at a diagnosis in 2006. Sean ended up having to give up soccer, playing the drums and progressively his freedom of movement and mobility. Since 2006 he has received numerous aggressive treatments including a steroid regiment and now is on a experimental program in which he receives IV infusions monthly of Tysabri, a drug which has such potentially lethal side effects, such as PML (a rare brain infection), that Debra and her husband began looking for alternative solutions.

That brought them to Dr. Qingming Zhu at his neurology clinic for scalp acupuncture in Santa Cuz, California. Treating a range of neurological problems, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, paraplegia, post-stroke syndrome and MS, after a few sessions, Sean found it to painful and the distance too impractical to continue.

Then Anjali Brahmbhatt, a recent graduate and Florid Licensed Oriental Medicine and Acupuncture Physician hung out her shingle at our studio. Eager confident and full of hope, she and Debra met and through a series of in depth interviews, Anjali used Dr. Zhu extensive research to plot her strategy for Sean.

Hearing from Debra and Anjali that Sean was responding to the sessions and learning the subject for this month’s magazine was children’s health, I decided to see for myself. Sean had only 4 treatments. Debra, Sean and Anjali graciously permitted me to sit in on his 5^th two-hour session to observe and ask any questions I might have.

Anjali began by implanting eight needles at predetermined locations into Sean’s scalp, which were electrically stimulated at varying intensities and adjusted while receiving feedback from Sean. From questioning him and observing as he came in, the major difficulty he was having was that his left leg would not “cooperate.” He said it was as if it “locked up” on him. (Anjali told me it was a result of his not receiving impulses from his brain to the nerve in his leg). This in turn gave him a swinging gait, a lack of balance and he was easily fatigued.

Condensed, the premise behind acupuncture is that channels of energy run in regular patterns through the body and over its surface. These energy channels, called meridian, are like rivers flowing through the body to irrigate and nourish the tissue. An obstruction in the movement of these energy rivers is like a dam that backs up. Acupuncture needles unblock the obstructions at the dams and reestablish the regular flow through the meridians. Needling stimulates the nervous system to release chemicals in the muscles, spinal chard and brain. These chemicals will either change the experience of pain, or (in Sean’s case) they will trigger the release of other chemicals and hormones, which influence the bodies own internal regulating system. Improved energy and biochemical balance produced by acupuncture results in stimulating the body’s natural healing abilities, and in promoting physical and emotional well being.

Within the two hours Anjali connected and disconnected Sean three times to the electrical stimulation. Three times he was instructed to walk the length of the room. His gait improved after each 15-20 minute stimulation so that by the last, even though he was noticeably fatigued, he crossed the room with much less difficulty. He had regained some “cooperation” from his leg, Anjali continued with other needling directly to his leg in addition to acupressure seed implants in his ears to help his mental clarity.

Although no suggestion is being made at this time to replace his medication with alternative approach, no doubt exists that a combination of western and Eastern practices is what may be necessary to treat this and other debilitating diseases and to improve the quality of Sean’s life.

And if attitude could fully cure what ails you, Sean would certainly be healthy by tomorrow. What a strong soul. That apple didn’t fall far from that family tree.

Also, a thank you to Anjali for her cooperation, professionalism and insight. I know she has an amazing and rewarding career ahead of her.

Donald Watson

Sales Manager and Promotions for Temple Arts

Can be reached at www.templeartsfitness.com

Or call (954) 916-6116

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The effects of organic verses conventional cotton

Better for Our World Better for Our Health

(The effects of organic verses conventional cotton)

Only by living under a rock could a consumer not be exposed to all the organic, eco-friendly alternatives that are flooding the market. From food to household products, make-up to Hybrid cars, we all have been given the charge to snap our planet and health back into balance. The difficulty lies in disseminating the barrage of information to implement our own best satisfying strategy.

As a regular yoga practitioner, my initial interest began with a practical need for more comfortable, breathable yoga wear. Cotton had always been my fabric of choice since it provided the coolest and most maintenance free solution to sweltering Florida summers. Not until recently when I tried on a 100% organic cotton t-shirt was I dramatically aware of the difference. It seemed as if I had gone from wearing sackcloth to satin. It fit like a second skin and I was astonished it was even the same fiber I had become so accustomed to over the years. The explanation, the quality of clothing produced from organic cotton is substantially higher. Organic cotton plants provide longer-stable fibers which yield stronger yarn and more durable fabrics, which are softer, more breathable and more luxurious against the skin.

Moreover, further investigation reveals the environmental impact traditional cotton farming has on the environment and ultimately our health. Accounting for more than 25% of worldwide insecticide use and 10% of pesticides, in California alone, 5 of the top 9 pesticides are carcinogenic. While millions of children in the US receive up to 35% of their estimated lifetime dose of some pesticides by age 5 through food, contaminated drinking water, household use and pesticide drift. It takes 1 pound of chemical fertilizers and pesticides to conventionally grow the three pounds of cotton needed to make a t-shirt and a pair of jeans as farm workers in the field here in the US and worldwide suffer from an untold number of ailments from neurological disorders to cell death. The scope of the problem becomes clear when realizing that 50% of cotton workers in Egypt suffer from pesticide poisoning, 91% of field workers in India display some chromosomal damage and a shocking 10,000 US cotton workers died last year from exposure to these chemicals.

As Consumers why would we want to cover ourselves in clothes doused with these chemicals? The rate of people experiencing health problems such as rashes, allergies respiratory problems and difficulty focusing mentally due to chemical sensitivities has been growing alarmingly and many diagnosed with multiple chemical sensitivities are finding organic clothing to essential in reducing their exposure to toxic chemicals. (Imagine what we can expect to absorb through our open pores in, say for instance, our yoga practice).

Organic garment manufactures are also supporting low impact dyes, which do not contain heavy metals or other toxic substances, nor are they petro-chemically based. In addition, new dying methods use less water, which is expelled to a treated wastewater discharge, and biodegradable fabric softeners and natural enzymes finish the washing process.

To me the choice is clear. Organic cotton, better for our world better for our health.