New research from Duke University Medical Center points to the positive impact that acupuncture has on reducing surgical patients’ postoperative pain, and their need for powerful opioids to treat the pain.

DUMC anesthesiologists combined the data from 15 small, randomized clinical trials in coming to their conclusion. Using acupuncture before and after surgery produced the best results for patients, who reported lower levels of postoperative pain and a significantly reduced need for painkillers. In addition, acupuncture mitigated the effects of opioids when they were needed.

“The most important outcome for the patient is the reduction of the side effects associated with opioids,” said T.J. Gan, M.D., the Duke anesthesiologist who presented the study at the annual scientific conference of the American Society for Anesthesiology in San Francisco in October 2007. Gan pointed out that acupuncture is a relatively inexpensive therapy that has virtually no side effects when practiced by trained professionals.

“Acupuncture is slowly becoming more accepted by American physicians, but it is still underutilized,” Gan noted. “Studies like this, which show that there is a benefit to using it, should help give physicians
sitting on the fence the data they need to integrate acupuncture into their routine care of surgery patients.”

Source: Duke University Medical Center report, October 2007

Acupuncture is now officially recommended for lung cancer patients experiencing fatigue, dyspnea, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, or to soothe symptoms of pain or nausea and vomiting.

Evidence-based guidelines published by the American College of Chest Physicians in September recommend acupuncture for lung cancer patients experiencing fatigue, dyspnea, chemotherapy-induced neuropathy, or to soothe symptoms of pain or nausea and vomiting. Massage therapy is recommended for patients experiencing anxiety or pain.

The new edition of these standard guidelines represent the first time complementary and integrative medicine has been addressed in the prevention and treatment of lung cancer. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the United States, causing more fatalities than the next four most common types of cancer combined.

The new guidelines were developed and reviewed by 100 multidisciplinary panel members and have been endorsed by the American Association for Bronchology, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, American College of Surgeons Oncology Group, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Asian Pacific Society of Respirology, Oncology Nurses Society, Society of Thoracic Surgeons, and the World  Association of Bronchology.

Source: Chest, September 2007

For many women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, the use of traditional Chinese medicinal herbs — either alone or with chemotherapy — may help guard bone marrow and immune system, while improving overall quality of life. That’s the conclusion of the Cochrane Systematic Review, a study of the use of Chinese medicine to determine safety and effectiveness in breast cancer patients.

The review looked at seven randomized studies involving 542 breast cancer patients. Researchers at the Chinese Cochrane Centre in Chengdu, China, found that Chinese medicinal herb treatments showed some evidence of reducing side effects, and caused no harm to patients who were treated with them. However, the study’s authors cautioned that the studies weren’t ideally designed, and more research was needed before a clear role for traditional Chinese medicine in breast cancer treatment could be established.

Source: John Wiley & Sons, April 2007

See 11 Tips on Maintaining Breast Health with TCM

A major computer screening of traditional Chinese herbs found more than 62 percent of the 240 plants species studied contained chemical compounds that indicate possible activity against at least one disease. Another 53 percent showed potential to fight two or more conditions, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis, and other major diseases.

This type of screening, called “in silico” (literally, “on computers,” as compared with “in vitro” and “in vivo”) research, is becoming more common as it proves effective in identifying ideal candidates for further research toward drug development.

Source: American Chemical Society, January 2007 

A Norwegian research study has found that people with osteoarthritic knee pain may experience relief through electroacupuncture, low-level laser therapy, or electrical nerve stimulation.

Dr. Jan M. Bjordal and his team at Bergen University College analyzed data from 33 studies looking into the use of non-drug treatment s for arthritis-related knee pain. Patients who received these three treatments showed significant improvements in their experience of pain. The treatment benefits were sustained for as much as 8 weeks following treatment, as well.

Bjordal pointed out that unlike drug treatments, these three types of therapy have fewer and less severe side effects than the more commonly used drug treatments for osteoarthritic knee pain, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).

Source: BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, June 2007  

Red yeast rice (Hong Qu) is a substance made by fermenting a type of red yeast called Monascus purpureus over rice.

The use of red yeast rice in China was first documented in the Tang Dynasty in 800 A.D. A detailed description of its manufacture is found in the ancient Chinese pharmacopoeia, Ben Cao Gang Mu-Dan Shi Bu Yi, published during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In this text, red yeast rice is proposed to be a mild aid for gastric problems (indigestion, diarrhea), blood circulation and spleen and stomach health.
 
Red yeast rice is also used as a preservative, spice, and food coloring. It's used to give Peking duck its characteristic red color and can also be an ingredient in fish sauce, fish paste, and rice wine.

Red yeast rice contains naturally-occurring substances called monacolins. Monocolins, are converted in the body to a substance that inhibits HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme that triggers cholesterol production.  

Since the 1970s, human studies have reported that red yeast lowers blood levels of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein/LDL ("bad cholesterol"), and triglyceride levels. There's been very little scientific examination of red yeast rice in the United States, however, a landmark American study was completed at UCLA after 17 studies in China declared that red yeast rice lowered cholesterol by 11 to 32 percent.

Published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 1999, the UCLA study reported that after 12 weeks, cholesterol levels among the 79 participants decreased by 15 percent, and all for about one-fifth the price of pharmaceuticals.

The most popular and effective prescription drugs for elevated cholesterol, Lipitor and Zocor, also known as "statin drugs," work much in the same way as red yeast rice, by inhibiting a key liver enzyme from producing cholesterol.

When the FDA discovered that red yeast rice contained lovastatin, a substance found in prescription drugs, it banned red yeast rice products containing lovastatin. In August, 2007, the FDA issued a warning that several red yeast rice products still contained lovastatin. At this time, red yeast rice is classified as a dietary supplement by the FDA. There is an ongoing legal debate about whether red yeast rice should be reclassified as a prescription drug rather than a dietary supplement.

Anyone considering taking herbs or supplements to lower their cholesterol should know that there are alternatives to red yeast rice and seek the advice of their Oriental medical practitioner.

In a small Hong Kong-based study, allergy sufferers between the ages of 6 and 19 showed clear evidence of improvement after being treated with acupuncture as compared with those treated by “sham” acupuncture, as was reported in the journal Pediatrics in 2004.

Some of the children in the study were able to quit using antihistamines and other medications during the study, as well.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 2004 

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Tension Headaches Dramatically Reduced by Acupuncture

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Chinese Herbs Reduce Post-Chemo Nausea

Researchers from Hong Kong, China, and England’s University of Birmingham evaluated the effects of Chinese herbal medicine prescribed by a trained herbalist on 120 patients with early-stage breast or colon cancer. Each patient was assigned to one of three Chinese herbalists to have their needs assessed. One group received a Chinese herbal treatment based on their individual needs, while the other group received an inactive placebo.

The researchers found that mild to medium levels of nausea were found in 14.6 percent of patients treated with Chinese herbs, as opposed to 35.7 percent of the control group. Neither group experienced a significant difference in side effects.

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Acupuncture-Massage Combination Helps After Cancer Surgery

The pain and depression symptoms that sometimes occur following cancer surgery can be eased by a combination of acupuncture and massage, according to new research.

A study conducted by the University of California San Francisco found that two days of acupuncture and massage, in addition to standard post-operative care, led to a steeper decline for patients with pain symptoms over three days of measurement, as compared to those who received standard post-op care alone

Mehling cautioned that more research would be needed to convince health plans and hospital administrators that adding massage and acupuncture to standard post-operative treatment for cancer surgery patients are worth the cost.

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Neck Pain Reduced by Acupuncture

A Norwegian study published in the June 2004 issue of Pain found that people who received acupuncture reported less pain three years later than people with similar pain who received a “dummy” treatment.

Researchers at the University of Oslo treated 12 female office workers who reported chronic neck and shoulder pain with 10 sessions of standard acupuncture and acupressure. A second group of 12 workers received a sham treatment, in which acupuncture needles were placed in the incorrect locations.

The real acupuncture group reported a 70 percent decrease in pain intensity during treatment, and after three years, reported pain intensity was still lessened by half. The control group reported only a slight dip during treatment, but even greater pain than before treatment three years later.

Source: New York Times, 2004
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Acupuncture Relieves Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy

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Acupuncture Effective in Treating Overactive Bladder