Acupuncture Services of Central NY

Up to 25% of babies at some point in a pregnancy are in a breech position, but by 34 weeks most fetuses turn into a head-down, or vertex, position on their own. This is the normal and safest fetal position for birth. Delivering a baby in a breech position involves several risks to the infant. Most obstetricians in todays world therefore will opt to perform a caesarean section if the fetus has not turned on its own.

Moxibustion, the burning of the herb mugwort over an acupuncture point, in this case Bl-67 on the little toe, has been shown to be very effective to turn the fetus. Here is an excellent video where Dr. Lorne Brown, an acupuncturist from Vancouver Canada, demonstrates the procedure. I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Brown at a seminar in Toronto last year where Jane Lyttleton lectured on Traditional Chinese Medicine in the treatment of infertility.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 03:51 AM | Moxibustion For Breech Pregnancy

I was recently asked by one of my patients whether or not I thought acupuncture treatments would benefit their sister who was told she had a bladder prolapse. Since most of my patients seek help for painful conditions, it reminded me that many people are not yet aware that Chinese medicine is also very beneficial for other types of disorders.

Yes! Unless the condition has progressed to the point of requiring immediate surgical repair, acupuncture may help prevent organ prolapse conditions from deteriorating, if not completely rectify the problem.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 03:15 AM | Acupuncture Treatment For Bladder, Uterine or Rectal Prolapse

by Dr. Chen Decheng

I have written before about the power of a single point being able to resolve pain in the body, but here is a book from my library that documents 100 diseases that can be treated with a single point!

Many of the points that Dr. Decheng writes about are well known points either on the regular meridians or extra points that are commonly taught in acupuncture schools around the country. For example, a point on the leg on the stomach meridian (ST38) is commonly used to treat frozen shoulder. The master point of the Du meridian, which runs through the spine, (SI3) is commonly used to treat stiff neck. Moxa (an herb) is burned over the point BL67 (next to the nail on the little toe) to correct a transverse or breech fetal position. And the extra point Er Bai, on the palmer aspect of the forearm, is specifically used to treat hemorrhoids.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 08:26 AM | 100 Diseases Treated by Single Point of Acupuncture and Moxibustion

Another TCM modality that is often used with good results in the treatment of herpes zoster (shingles) is moxibustion. Moxabustion is the burning of moxa over acupuncture points on the body to penetrate the muscles and activate blood circulation. The main ingredient in moxa is the herb Ai Ye, or wormwood leaf.

Moxa comes in many forms. A moxa stick looks like a cigar. The end is lit and the lit end is held approximately 1 inch from the skin surface. The stick can be moved in a circular motion or used in a pecking motion over the point for several minutes until the area is pink and pleasantly warm. Moxa sticks can be used over DU14, a point located below the C7 vertebra at the base of the neck, to boost the immune system. Moxa sticks can be used to warm the local area.

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Posted by Joyce Marley at 09:00 AM | Treating Herpes Zoster with Moxibustion