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Energy Medicine and Science
Jan. 9th, 2014 12:55 pmI'm not big on woo woo. When practitioners choose modalities simply because they "resonate" with them, I am skeptical. But when science backs up the use of something that has long been thought of as energy medicine, I am happy to recommend it. Of course people will tell you something is backed by science when it isn't, so you have to go look at the science for yourself, or find sources like me that you know are science-minded and skeptical to help filter the claims for you.
Here's a case of energy medicine turning out to be something real. Scientists have found that acupuncture points are detectable by CT (computed tomography, fancy medical imaging). All those points have a certain size of larger blood vessels, and also thick mats of fine blood vessels that have lots of forks (birfucations) in them. Piercing the tissues at these points is probably affecting the nervous system associated with those blood vessels. This supports my belief that energy medicine (that actually works) has a anatomical and physiological basis. Acupuncture is well proven to be effective for pain, short term at least. To treat pain longterm one must take the naturopathic approach and find the reason for the pain, and change that.
Here's a case of energy medicine turning out to be something real. Scientists have found that acupuncture points are detectable by CT (computed tomography, fancy medical imaging). All those points have a certain size of larger blood vessels, and also thick mats of fine blood vessels that have lots of forks (birfucations) in them. Piercing the tissues at these points is probably affecting the nervous system associated with those blood vessels. This supports my belief that energy medicine (that actually works) has a anatomical and physiological basis. Acupuncture is well proven to be effective for pain, short term at least. To treat pain longterm one must take the naturopathic approach and find the reason for the pain, and change that.
I'm not going to get involved in this fight among alternative practitioners, but the struggle for scope of practice is continuous. Naturopathic medicine is in effect the natural health practitioners left behind when chiropractic gained wide acceptance and licensing. The history is ugly, with practitioners ganging up on and deserting each other, everybody seeking recognition and respect.
I am currently studying under a chiropractor who uses "dry needling". I also have shadowed several acupuncturists (who are also ND's) and from what I have seen, I could probably do some therapeutic needling myself, but I do not intend to do so. I will refer to a local acupuncturist when I believe that a condition will respond to needling, but not because I believe in the whole Chinese medicine system of channels and energy. I will do it because I believe in the science.
The OAAOM has filed a legal challenge in the Court of Appeals against the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners' rule OAR 811-015-0036 that chiropractors can perform "dry needling" with only 24 hours of education. An injunction to stay the rule until the legal challenge is heard (3-6 months) was also filed.
The Court of Appeals Appellate Commissioner issued a Stay Order dated July 29, 2011, which suspends the new rule until the issue is resolved by a full panel of judges after hearing a full presentation of the arguments.
Total legal cost is estimated at $30,000. We (OAAOM) are represented by Landye Bennett Blumstein with Thane Tienson as our lawyer.
*new tags: chiropractic, acupuncture
I am currently studying under a chiropractor who uses "dry needling". I also have shadowed several acupuncturists (who are also ND's) and from what I have seen, I could probably do some therapeutic needling myself, but I do not intend to do so. I will refer to a local acupuncturist when I believe that a condition will respond to needling, but not because I believe in the whole Chinese medicine system of channels and energy. I will do it because I believe in the science.
The OAAOM has filed a legal challenge in the Court of Appeals against the Oregon Board of Chiropractic Examiners' rule OAR 811-015-0036 that chiropractors can perform "dry needling" with only 24 hours of education. An injunction to stay the rule until the legal challenge is heard (3-6 months) was also filed.
The Court of Appeals Appellate Commissioner issued a Stay Order dated July 29, 2011, which suspends the new rule until the issue is resolved by a full panel of judges after hearing a full presentation of the arguments.
Total legal cost is estimated at $30,000. We (OAAOM) are represented by Landye Bennett Blumstein with Thane Tienson as our lawyer.
*new tags: chiropractic, acupuncture
3 stages of interview
1) relationship building, find common ground, acknowledge difficulty, give choices, touch the patient to facilitate connection
2) info gathering, open ended questions
3) education, negotiation, dx and tx, prioritize, starting place, bite sized piece
( notes on a wandering lecture )
1) relationship building, find common ground, acknowledge difficulty, give choices, touch the patient to facilitate connection
2) info gathering, open ended questions
3) education, negotiation, dx and tx, prioritize, starting place, bite sized piece
( notes on a wandering lecture )
His main message is a heads up that our current system is not sustainable, our planet is already over capacity, and we are eradicating the species that could sustain us and the peoples who know know about them. His solution is science. It bears on the way I'd like to practice medicine.
( notes )
( notes )
Monday Morning
Sep. 17th, 2007 11:03 amI came in early today to attend a meeting about research opportunities at Helfgott. Looks like there is a lot going on, and the project that has Zwickey's juices flowing is the attempt to create a new Practice Based Research Network that includes Naturopaths, Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Chiropractors. The idea is to begin to collect data on what kinds of care people are seeking, on the patient's individual stats and then from there to begin to understand success rates of different modalities. There is no such network for CAM practitioners (complementary and alternative medicine) in existence, so the very beginning stages involve surveying practitioners about what docs to enroll, what carrots to use, what data to collect and how. I have always been interested in the design of surveys and tests, so that's the aspect that I may get involved in.
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