Acupuncture Works - Proof in largest study to date

The largest study of acupuncture for chronic pain compares real acupuncture vs placebo vs. other treatments for pain relief and what they find is that acupuncture's effectiveness rate is 50%, placebo is 43% and other treatments is 30%.

So naturally the headlines are that acupuncture is only marginally more effective than placebo, which makes me wonder how people interpret information.

First of all, there is no such thing as "sham acupuncture" as far as I'm concerned. All of these supposed placebo treatments such as using a laser on acupuncture points or misplacing a needle by a couple of millimeters is NOT placebo. Lasers treatments are already used for pain relief and not hitting the exact acupuncture point still produces an effect on the body. So yes, these "placebo treatments" do have a physiological effect! Also, one has to wonder why placebo works 13% better than the other treatments group? Why doesn't anybody talk about that point?

The headlines from CNN and other news agencies should just read: Acupuncture works! To quote the lead author of the study Andrew J. Vickers, who works at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York "Most clinicians and patients would say a 50% success rate versus a 30% success rate for something like intractable chronic pain is actually pretty good".

I agree!

Yours in Health,
Ian Koo, ND

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"The care you want, the health you need."

Acupuncture Video - Americans (& Canadians!) are turning to this age old treatment

As many of my patients can attest, acupuncture works for a number of conditions and the World Health Organization agrees. Check out this new video I found.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"

A fascinating look at anatomy & why movement and therapies like acupuncture are effective for stiffness or pain.

Often I tell patients who sit in front of the computer the whole day to take breaks....."go for a walk, do shoulder rolls, do some stretching". Why? Because we all tend to get stiff and over time pain results.

This is a great video looking at anatomy & why movement/activity and even therapies like acupuncture work so effectively to increase flexibility and range of motion.

Acupuncture helps to remove or breakdown the "fuzz" or the muscle knots that you have.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"

Acupuncture for Drug-Induced Joint Pain - Aromatase Inhibitors & Breast Cancer

Acupuncture may help treat some of the common side effects of hormonal drugs called aromatase inhibitors.

Aromatase inhibitors, such as anastrozole (Arimidex), exemestane (Aromasin) and letrozole (Femara), are used to treat hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women. The drugs lower blood levels of estrogen, a hormone that stimulates the growth of these cancer cells. Although aromatase inhibitors are considered effective for early-stage cancer, nearly half of people taking them experience pain and stiffness in the joints and muscles.

The researchers studied 43 women with breast cancer who reported joint pain associated with aromatase inhibitors. The participants were randomly assigned to either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture twice a week for six weeks. During the sham acupuncture, a superficial needle was inserted into non-acupoints. All of the participants continued taking aromatase inhibitors.

At the beginning of the study and three and six weeks after treatment, pain was assessed using the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and the Modified Score for the Assessment of Chronic Rheumatoid Affections of the Hands (M-SACRAH).

According to the results, published in theJournal of Clinical Oncology, true acupuncture significantly improved joint pain and stiffness after six weeks. In addition, 20 percent of the patients who reported taking pain-relieving medications no longer needed them after acupuncture treatment. No significant improvements were reported in the sham group.

The authors concluded that "acupuncture is an effective and well-tolerated strategy for managing this common treatment-related side effect."

Scientific evidence supports the use of acupuncture for several other indications, including osteoarthritis, chronic pain, post-operative pain, dental procedures, endoscopy-related pain, fibromyalgia and several types of nausea and vomiting.

References:

1. Crew KD, Capodice JL, Greenlee H, et al. Randomized, blinded, sham-controlled trial of acupuncture for the management of aromatase inhibitor-associated joint symptoms in women with early-stage breast cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2010 Mar 1;28(7):1154-60.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"

Acupuncture vs. Drug Therapy (Hot Flashes & Sex Drive)

In a study published in the Dec. 2009 Journal of Oncology comparing the benefits of acupuncture vs. Effexor, the number one choice for the treatment of hot flashes - something that affects the majority of breast cancer survivors - the randomized control trial showed that acupuncture had a longer-lasting effect on the reduction of hot flashes and night sweats for women receiving hormone therapy for breast cancer. The women also reported additional energy, improved sex drive and clarity of thought with the acupuncture treatments.

A good article summarizing the findings can be found here.

Journal Reference:

1. Walker et al. Acupuncture Versus Venlafaxine for the Management of Vasomotor Symptoms in Patients With Hormone Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2009; DOI: 10.1200/JCO.2009.23.5150

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"

Treating Arthritis, Back, Neck & Knee Pain with Acupuncture

As a naturopathic doctor, I implement several strategies to tackle pain. After an assessment to figure out where the root of your concerns lie, I will use diet, exercise, hydrotherapy, supplements and medications if need be to address this pain. Often, I turn to acupuncture to bring relief to my patients.

Here's a great article I read regarding using acupuncture for common complaints: arthritis, back pain, neck pain and knee pain. The physician writing this article even provides references citing a few clinical trials conducted. They are listed below for ease of reference should you wish to read these studies.

Yours in health,

Ian Koo, ND
Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Naturopathic Essentials Health Centre
"The care you want, the health you need"


References:
1. Meng CF, Wang D, Ngeow J, et al. Acupuncture for chronic low back pain in older patients: a randomized, controlled trial. Rheumatology (Oxford); 2003 Dec; 42 (12):1508–17.
2. Vas J, Méndez C, Perea-Milla E, Vega E, et al. Acupuncture as a complementary therapy to the pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis of the knee: randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2004; Nov 20;329 (7476):1216.
3. Witt CM; Jena S; Brinkhaus B; Liecker B, et al. Acupuncture for patients with chronic neck pain. Pain. 2006; 125(1–2): 98–106.

Acupuncture: Its origins. Does it work for allergies?

As part of my naturopathic medical education, we learn the art and science of traditional chinese medicine, which includes doing four years of training in acupuncture. Some patients are hesitant and nervous when I first suggest this as part of the treatment protocol, but after the first or second treatment, they find it quite relaxing and enjoyable.

Acupuncture has taken decades to become accepted by western medicine. President Nixon first brought interest to this ancient healing art back in 1972 when a member of the traveling press, New York Times reporter James Reston, received acupuncture in China after undergoing an emergency appendectomy. Reston was so impressed with the post-operative pain relief he experienced from the procedure that he wrote about acupuncture upon returning to the United States.

Acupuncture has been practiced in the far east for well over 2000 years. In 1997, the U.S. National Institutes of Health formally recognized acupuncture as a mainstream medicine healing option with a statement documenting the procedure’s safety and efficacy for treating a range of health conditions. The World Health Organization promotes acupuncture as a safe, effective and affordable medicine. While awareness of acupuncture is growing, many health care practitioners are still unfamiliar with both the theory and practice of acupuncture. Please ensure that the person performing acupuncture on you has had the proper training - both theory & practice.

Below is an recent article from the Globe & Mail about the benefits of acupuncture treatment for allergies. As a naturopathic doctor, this is just one tool that I use as a part of a comprehensive treatment strategy for dealing with allergies.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080513.wlacu13/BNStory/specialScienceandHealth/?page=rss&id=RTGAM.20080513.wlacu13

B.C. - 1st province to pay for acupuncture with public health dollars.

British Columbia will be the first Canadian province to pay for acupuncture with public health money through the province's Medical Services Plan (MSP).

B.C. residents with a combined family income of $28,000 or less will be reimbursed $23 per visit to an acupuncturist, to a maximum of 10 visits each year starting April 1.

The MSP also provides funding to low-income people who visit naturopaths, physiotherapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, and non-surgical podiatrists.

Also recently, the state of Vermont has passed a naturopathic insurance bill. Vermont State Employees, people on Medicaid and those with private insurance will be able to use their insurance for office visits, diagnostic testing and pharmacy prescriptions by a naturopathic doctor.

Unfortunately here in Ontario, OHIP does not cover these services, but most insurance plans do cover visits to your naturopathic doctor. If in doubt, check your plans.