It’s election season and healthcare weighs heavy on voter’s minds. But regardless of which party you vote for, you can’t deny that our current healthcare system is undergoing change. The following documentaries have interviewed hundreds of doctors, alternative medicine practitioners, and patients alike to get an understanding of what the future may bring.

As a medical institution, we think that the current dialogue about healthcare, regardless of the surrounding politics, is an important one to be aware of. Are you in the know about the future of our healthcare and how it may affect you as a practitioner or as a patient? Check out these fall documentaries:

A fundamental belief of Chinese medicine is that health begins on the inside. How you treat your body, what you eat, how you feel, the way you think...all of this plays a factor into your health. The root of wellbeing is an internal balance. However, that’s not to say that it’s not visible on the outside. You can get a healthy glow from eating right or working out, and studies have shown that there are many Chinese medicine tips that can defy signs of aging. See some of them here:

8 Natural Anti-aging Secrets from Asia

Oriental medicine is a multi-faceted system of healing. From acupuncture to cupping, each treatment is uniquely designed to address the patient’s issues at hand. Discover the variety between these ancient modalities.

The American Holistic Nurses Association describes holistic nursing as a practice that “requires nurses to integrate self-care, self-responsibility, spirituality, and reflection in their lives. This may lead the nurse to greater awareness of the interconnectedness with self, others, nature, and spirit.”

Incorporating a full circle approach to healthcare that involves the mind and spirit as well as the body allows holistic nurses a range of techniques to use in healing patients, in addition to the skillset they learned when they became RNs. What most people don’t know is that it can also lead the nurse to a more balanced lifestyle with increased fulfillment.

Autumn is almost here, and school has officially commenced. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) puts great stock into the impact each change of season can have for your body and your mind. Get into the fall mindset and prepare for a great semester by increasing your focus as we enter the third season of the year.

One of the more common herb formulas for focus is Gui Pi Tang. Known as the “Student’s Formula” at Pacific College, Gui Pi Tang is a combination of herbs that are known to restore your spleen qi (which is actually what ‘gui pi tang’ translates into in English) and to harness your concentration. The spleen is considered to be the organ of thinking in traditional Chinese medicine.  Gui Pi Tang works to build qi, or energy, in the blood, which, in TCM, is believed to store memory.  

Yep, you heard right! The OM will no longer be solely available in its regular paper form, now you will be able to read the latest issue right from your computer at home or on your IPad! The Pacific Symposium 2012 issue marks the first digital issue of OM available for free online. Just visit www.pacificcollege.edu/OMDigital to read the latest issue right on the website. You’ll be able to flip through the pages, jump to the articles you want to read, just like in the newspaper, and also click on the links inside articles and ads to go directly to the websites!

Also, for all you IPad users, the OM will now be available n the Apple App store. OM Newspaper is a FREE app that automatically downloads new issues from your subscriptions, and notifies you when there’s a new issue, so you don’t have to think about it. Just download the app from the App Store, and search for OM Newspaper, and add it to your IPad. You will then have the OM with you wherever you go! We hope you enjoy our new digital platforms and, of course, our same great, up to date coverage on the Oriental medicine news you care about!

Located adjacent to a wildlife refuge in San Diego, Wild Willow Farm is non-profit project for San Diegans of all ages to pick their own fresh produce, connect with other farmers, meet local foodies, and learn how to garden. Wild Willow is part of a larger non-profit organization called San Diego Roots Sustainable Food Project. Pacific College San Diego’s very own alumna and faculty member, Miles Thomas, was lucky enough to be on the Permaculture Design team of the Wild Willow Sustainable Farm.

Thomas owns his own practice, South Park Community Acupuncture, and first heard about San Diego Roots through patients who helped run the organization.  Always encouraging students and patients to learn cooking and gardening skills, he set up an educational "garden build" at his South Park home with "Victory Gardens”, another wing of San Diego Roots that focuses on home and urban based edible gardens. Several months later, Thomas decided to do some more intensive Permaculture Training in Orange County for his personal project in Mexico, a 16 acre organic farm called "Jardin Lumbini Communidad Permacultura".  

Our Oriental Medicine newspaper is one of our proudest accomplishments, featuring in-depth articles on Oriental medicine written by our faculty and other noted authorities in the field. Published twice yearly and circulated to over 40,000 acupuncturists and other interested readers, this publication of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is growing quickly in popularity.

Learn more about the Medicinal Herbs Project happening down at Wild Willow Farm with Pacific College Faculty Member Miles Thomas. Check out some Chinese medicinal herbs that you too can grow! Let us know what you think and if you'd like to get involved. Volunteers are always welcome!

Most people’s jobs involve repetitive movements of the hands and wrists, like typing for long hours at a time. Whether you’re far into your career or just getting started, there are some actions you can take to guard against the effects of carpal tunnel. Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by consistent strain or pressure on the median nerve and tendons that run through your wrists to your hands.

Symptoms of carpal tunnel can include tingling in the hands or wrists, sharp pain, numbness, and decreased mobility. This condition can take years to develop, and it’s important to take precautions from the get-go. However, if you’re already feeling some of the effects, there are some holistic tips you can try to decrease your pain and increase your ease of movement.