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September 29, 2011

Acupuncture for Common Colds and Flu

In the following article, Dr. John Amaro identifies common acupuncture points that can boost the immune system to alleviate the symptoms of, and may even prevent the common cold.

An Extremely Effective, Simple Treatment for Colds and Flu

BY John A. Amaro, DC, FIAMA, Dipl. Ac., LAc

Some years ago, a group of esteemed scientists from the People's Republic of China were invited to visit the United States by the American scientific community. This event ushered in an exchange of ideas and an opportunity for two great nations to be able to corroborate on a number of issues vital to the health and welfare of the world.

Over a period of two months, the Chinese scientists visited virtually every major research facility in the nation, followed closely by their American hosts, who were furiously taking notes and promoting discussion on matters from nuclear physics to aerospace, medical research and treatment approaches. The visit culminated in a banquet at Princeton University in honor of the Chinese scientists, which was attended by a virtual "who's who" of the North American scientific world.

During the banquet, the moderator of the event posed the question to the chief Chinese scientist as to what he felt was one of the most significant things he had learned in America; what had impressed him the most about the United States that he would return to China and share it with his colleagues who were not present on this historic visit? The scientist rose from his chair, strode to the microphone, gazed over the crowd and stated in understandable English: "The number one thing that has impressed me the most about America is the common belief by the common person that there is no cure for the common cold." The American scientists were totally caught off guard with this statement, as it was perhaps the farthest thing from anyone's mind. It was not what they had expected to hear.

Even though the names of devastating flu are often Asian in character, and China has been credited or blamed with the development of some of the most deadly flu epidemics in the world, the Chinese - through effective acupuncture approaches - have had a major impact in altering the extreme symptomatology that accompanies both the flu and the common cold.

The following illustrated acupuncture approach is extremely effective in not only alleviating the symptoms associated with cold or flu but, if used early enough, may potentially prevent the symptoms and condition from developing at all. All of the points shown may be stimulated with noninvasive stimulation devices such as the teishein, electronic stimulation or laser, in addition to needles. One of the most effective approaches to successful treatment is to copy the images below and provide them for your patients for self-stimulation of the points throughout the day. Remember, this may be one of the most powerful effects for cold and flu you will ever learn.


ColdFlu_Pic01.gif ColdFlu_Pic02.gif

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August 12, 2011

Medicinal Ginger

ginger.jpg Ginger has been used for centuries in China for both culinary and medicinal purposes. Used in many forms - fresh ginger, dried ginger, ginger tea, ginger juice, or ginger oil – ginger is an important herb in the Chinese diet.

Sheng Jiang, fresh ginger, is said to be warm, acrid and mildly diaphoretic. It enters the Lung, Spleen and Stomach meridians.

Ginger is very commonly used to treat the early stages of the common cold and may even prevent catching a cold during cold or rainy weather. For this purpose, several slices of fresh ginger are boiled in water for about 10 minutes with brown sugar added at the end. The tea is typically taken in the evening just before going to bed so that the patient can "sweat the cold out". Fresh ginger warms the Lung and helps stop coughing. Xing Su San is a famous herbal cough formula which has ginger as an ingredient.

Ginger warms the stomach and is a very powerful herb to relieve nausea and vomiting. A simple ginger tea has been shown to be effective for cancer patients in reducing the severity of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Placing a slice of ginger over the acupuncture point PC6 on the inside of the wrist significantly helps relieve nausea and vomiting, even when due to motion sickness or morning sickness. For this purpose, the ginger is placed on the right side for females and the left side for males.

Fresh ginger eliminates toxins and has been used to treat seafood poisoning. It is also commonly used to neutralize the toxicity of other herbs. Ban Xia and Tian Nan Xing are two herbs that must be preprocessed with ginger juice to reduce their toxicity.

Fresh ginger is often added when cooking stews and beans and is especially helpful for people who tend to have a cold constitution. Ginger aids in the digestion of meats by helping the body to flush uric acid. Ginger also reduces flatulence associated with beans.

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July 19, 2010

Chinese Herbs: Ginseng, The “Man Root”

ginseng.jpg
Ginseng is probably the most famous, most commonly used, and possibly one of the most powerful herbs in the history of Chinese Herbal medicine. The Chinese pinyin name for ginseng is Ren Shen which translates to “man root”. One of the oldest principals of Chinese herbal medicine is that the shape, texture or color of a plant or natural substance may mimic certain parts of the body or attributes of certain diseases and therefore suggest a therapeutic correspondence.

In the case of ginseng root, Chinese farmers noticed centuries ago that it is shaped like a human body with head, arms and legs and therefore they deducted that it would strengthen the Qi, or energy, of the whole body. Years of experience using this herb have proven this to be true. Ren Shen, therefore has been catalogued in Chinese herbal medicine as a Qi tonic.

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July 01, 2010

Mayo Clinic Acupuncture: The Best of the West Embraces the East

stethoscope.jpg This morning I left the office of Dr. Christopher Wolter with a clean bill of health. Dr. Wolter is a urologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona. After three years of being passed from physician to physician, and test to test without a diagnosis, I took it upon myself to travel from upstate New York to what I had heard was one of the finest medical facilities in the world. In April, after eight days of sophisticated medical testing and imaging, Dr. Wolter confirmed that I had a rare endocrine paraganglioma embedded in the wall of my bladder. This tumor was causing my blood pressure to spike as high as 260/140 for several minutes after urination. I returned in June to have DaVinci robotic surgery. I am healing quickly and my blood pressure spikes have been resolved with the removal of the tumor. Thank you Dr. Wolter and the technology of western medicine!

But what I was most surprised and pleased to learn was the level of integration of acupuncture and alternative medicine into the practice and philosophy of a facility as prestigious as the Mayo clinic. Their literature promotes acupuncture for the use of body pain, headaches, nausea, constipation, diarrhea, insomnia, anxiety, depression, weight loss, neuropathy and muscle weakness.

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January 28, 2009

Symptoms Of A Liver Imbalance In Chinese Medicine

In a previous article, I explained the function of the Liver in Chinese Medicine philosophy. The proper functioning of the Liver, from a Chinese medicine point of view, is probably the most important factor in ensuring our physical and emotional health.

So, what can cause a disruption in the free flow of Liver energy? Stress, anger, resentment and repressed frustrations in life will do it every time! These emotions, when experienced for a prolonged period of time, will cause the Liver Qi to stagnate. Diet and lifestyle, in particular the excessive consumption of spicy or greasy foods and the use of alcohol and nicotine, will contribute to or aggravate a Liver imbalance by generating heat in the body.

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February 23, 2008

Mind Body Spirit Fitness - The NIA Technique


Last weekend I attended a NIA workshop at the Kripalu Yoga Institute in Lenox, Massachusetts. Carlos Rosas, co-founder of the technique, led our “Dancing Through Life” workshop. NIA, an acronym for Neuromuscular Integrative Action, is an amazing mind, body and spirit approach to fitness.

You may think that a website devoted to acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an odd place to be discussing a fitness technique, but if you consider that TCM also focuses on keeping the body in balance to maintain health by addressing the mind, body and spirit of each individual, you will see that there is a definite correlation.

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