Acne is the most common skin condition in the United States.  It affects between seventeen and forty-five million people.  It is a condition that affects the skin over areas of the body with large oil glands, causing clogged pores and lesions. ⁽²⁾  These lesions can take the form of whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts.  Whiteheads are caused by bulging follicle heads, while blackheads are plugs composed of oil and dead skin cells that are open to the surface.  Pimples are infected, inflamed raised red spots with white centers, and cysts are caused by blockages and inflammation deep inside of the hair follicles.^(3,14)

Acne lesions form due to an overproduction of sebum, irritation of hair follicles due to irregular shedding of skin cells, and an overgrowth of bacteria.  However, the exact cause of acne is not known.  There are many conditions that are thought to influence the overproduction of sebum.  In teens, androgens are mainly involved in the activation of the sebaceous glands and overproduction of sebum.  Family history of acne and contact with oils and grease are also important.  In adults, hormonal imbalances (e.g. cessation of oral contraceptives), and some medications are recognized as additional important factors.^(3,14,18)

The quality of your sleep can affect your quality of life, from your concentration at work to your mood. Insomnia can lead to muscle aches, exhaustion, irritability, and even fibromyalgia and other health concerns. Whether you sleep for many hours and it’s fitful, or you have difficulty falling asleep, there are natural ways to help. May is Better Sleep Month. In honor of the quieter way you spend half your time, here are some ideas to ensure you wake up refreshed each morning.

Train your brain for bedtime. It helps to create a sleep routine and then follow it each night. This will provide your body with wind-down time, and alert your brain that it’s time to switch gears. Studies have shown that decreased lighting can lead to tiredness. The University of Massachusetts recently performed a study with 600 adults that revealed how limited lighting can lead to sluggishness. This is also why SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) affects so many people in the fall and winter when the days get shorter, resulting in people having low energy levels. Use this to your advantage for better sleep—at least half an hour before you plan on sleeping, turn off lights, and dim the ones you leave on.

Recent studies have indicated that the amount of time you spend in a chair may be a matter of life and death. In 2010, The American Journal of Epidemiology published a study indicating that women who sit for more than six hours per day are 37 percent more likely to die over a 13-year period than people who sat less than three hours a day. The study included 53,440 men and 69,776 women who were followed between 1993 and 2006.

This particular study links long-term sitting with obesity and metabolic problems. Meaning, the more you sit, the less active you are, which leads to a slew of health detriments including poor circulation, weight gain, and a raised risk for cardiovascular disease. According to this same study, men who sat more than six hours a day had an 18 percent higher risk of death over a 13-year period than men who sat three or fewer hours a day.  Perhaps the most disturbing thing about this study is that it includes people who exercise after that long stationary workday.

Many of us experience some degree of stress in the workplace, but ironically, nurses (who help treat patients suffering from stress related illnesses) are experiencing stress at a much higher rate than most other groups, according to a study conducted by the American Nurses Association. In the study, 70.5% of nurses cited the effects of stress and overwork among their top three health and safety concerns.

We think you can relate to some of the reasons why, even if you’re not a nurse. They include: workload, inadequate staff coverage, time pressure, relationship with other staff, leadership/management style, excessive noise, lack of influence in decision making…and that’s just to name a few. 

Ok, so most of the patients ARE women, but at Fertility Specialists Medical Group (FSMG) in San Diego, both men and women are experiencing the benefits of fertility acupuncture, according to Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) Alumnus Maring Allen LAc.

Allen works at Zen Fertility Clinic and with FSMG treating men and women fertility patients, some who are integrating acupuncture treatments with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and others who are trying to conceive naturally. 

By Lori Howell, L.Ac., DAOM Fellow

When Mark Sobralske graduated from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine, Chicago and went to Kathmandu to volunteer in an integrative medical clinic, he anticipated gaining acupuncture and herbal medicine experience, deepening his Buddhist meditation practice, and certainly finding a little adventure. Mark didn’t anticipate founding a Tibetan medicine school for youths in the remote Nepali mountainous region of Dolpo. When you mix medicine, mountains, and meditation, many things may happen, what is anticipated, and especially what is unanticipated.

To shed light on the subject of alcohol and the addicting grip it has had on so many, we would like to elucidate some Chinese medicine methods that have worked to renew hope and aid in relinquishing this substance’s hold on lives.

Alcohol is the most commonly used addictive substance in the United States- 17.6 million people, or one in every 12 adults, suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence, according to the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. 

If you’re an acupuncturist, you’ve come a long way. You’ve completed all your schooling, taken your boards, and received your license. You’re ready for your own practice!

You may not want to hear this, but there’s still more to accomplish. Ever heard the phrase “if you build it, they will come”?  Sadly, it isn’t that simple. How can they come to your practice if they haven’t heard of you yet?

Stress is universal. What’s not as common is the use of natural methods to prevent or relieve feeling stressed. We all deal with degrees of stress, and the range of intensity can be vast--from simply a bad mood to a serious problem. Feeling constantly overwhelmed or un-centered can lead to depression and have a serious effect on your health. In fact, the leading cause of death in the United States, heart disease, can be directly linked to high stress levels.

Food is one of the simplest and most common outlets people use to relieve stress. The term “comfort food” derives from the sense of satiation and distraction a delicious meal can provide. Unfortunately, turning to food too often for stress relief can quickly become an unhealthy habit with downsides. Other addictive vices for stress include cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. None of these will help conquer stress in the long-run (and just add more problems to your plate), and each of these habits can make for some serious health conditions. Additionally, there are many medications prescribed to reduce stress. While these may work for some people, a pill is targeting the symptoms of the feeling, not the source.