Insomnia is more than tossing and turning. It's more serious than an inability to fall asleep early and has more debilitating effects than are commonly recognized. An estimated 32 million people suffer from insomnia in the U.S. Oriental medicine, with its focus on healing whole syndromes rather than individual symptoms, is widely used as an insomnia remedy and has shown great success treating those who experience insomnia.

Insomnia may present itself in different ways. For some, the inability to fall asleep is the most noticeable insomnia symptom while others are unable to reach a deep level of sleep and are startled awake by every noise. Any insomnia symptom would frustrate most sleepers, but night after night for months or years, the most serious issues of insomnia accumulate - the daytime effects. These can include physical tiredness, difficulty concentrating and feeling depressed, irritable or lethargic. Oriental medicine is a great insomnia remedy . It focuses on patients' individual insomnia symptom and builds a whole-healing plan from each symptom. It also has been widely successful in treating depression, stress and physical pain.

The most commonly stated fear of patients prior to elective surgery is not death or a surgical mishap. It's post-operative nausea and vomiting ( PONV ), and 25 to 40 percent of surgical patients are at risk. Defined as any episode of nausea, retching or vomiting in the 24 hours immediately following an operation, PONV negatively affects quality of life for patients already experiencing physical malady.

In several recent studies, acupuncture has been proven to lessen PONV symptoms. An Australian study found that the insertion of just one needle in the P6 ( Neiguan ) point significantly reduces the likeliness of PONV after surgery. Another study conducted by Duke University Medical Center on breast surgery patients found positive results in the use of acupuncture to prevent occurrences of post-operative nausea and vomiting . It also stated that acupuncture increased general patient satisfaction post-op.

In this issue you will find:

• Important Summer Dates
• Acupuncture Cures Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting
• Oriental Medicine and Male Sexual Disorders
• Providing a Great Self Massage
• Chinese Wisdom: Quote of the Day

Important Summer Dates

• July 6 - Chicago Open House (MTOM)
• July 15-17 - Vietnam Stand Down
• July 17 - 23 - International Massage Week
• July 28 - New York Open House

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Acupuncture Cures Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting

Acupuncture is proven to lessen PONV symptoms. One study, conducted in Sydney , Australia , found that the insertion of merely one needle in the P6 point (located near the wrist) would significantly reduce the likeliness of nausea and vomiting after surgery. A recent Duke University study showed 77 percent of women who received acupuncture after major breast surgery experienced no nausea.

Fatigue is a common occurrence experienced by millions on a regular basis. However, fatigue is a constant Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptom in what is often thought of as an underlying systemic illness. Additional indicators of CFS consist of flu-like symptoms, generalized pain and memory problems, and an inability to perform mental or physical activities easily. A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptom can start small and escalate into an unmanageable problem.

Though the cause of CFS remains unknown, it is quickly becoming recognized as a serious medical condition. Based on recent studies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as half a million people in the United States suffer from CFS. And many others suffer the general Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptom of constant tiredness.

In this issue you will find:

• Important June Dates
• Tai Chi for Strength and Endurance
• Acupuncture as Effective as Drug Therapy for Migraines
• Summer Health Notes
• Chinese Wisdom: Quote of the Day

Important June Dates

• June 4 - San Diego Open House
• June 5 -11 - National Headache Awareness Week
• June 13-19 - National Men's Health Week
• June 16 - New York Open House
• June 25 - Chicago Summer Open House

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Tai Chi for Strength and Endurance
Study Finds Increased Muscle Gains in Elderly Subjects

Tai chi chuan ( tai chi ) is one of the most popular forms of exercise in China (and arguably the world). Originally practiced as a form of martial arts, tai chi consists of breathing exercises performed in conjunction with a series of body postures. These movements, practiced in a slow, sequential pattern, are designed to improve balance and alignment and enhance agility and coordination. People who practice tai chi often report attaining feelings of inner peace and a heightened self-awareness.

An estimated 1 in 5 adults suffer from a mental health disorder in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common of all mental illnesses. Both are severe, chronic, and can significantly impair the individuals affected by them. Anxiety disorders can produce feelings that range from uneasiness to immobilizing moments of terror. An anxiety symptom may include excessive worrying, a feeling of being out of control, panic attacks, frequent nightmares, and lack of sleep. Any anxiety symptom can be frightening, even debilitating. Each year, 19 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, and another 19 million experience a depressive illness.

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Up to one-half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems. With so many Americans suffering from mental health disorders, the FDA estimates that sales of depression/anxiety medication , such as Prozac and Zoloft, increased from 14 million prescriptions in 1992 to 157 million in 2002. However, in a study of 2,318 patients conducted by the University of Colorado , only 20 percent of the patients taking depression/anxiety medication were found to improve as a result. Furthermore, studies show that depression/anxiety medication may even increase the risk of suicide rather than decrease it.

Since the start of Oriental medical/ acupuncture education in the United States in the 1970s and until recently, most students entering Oriental medicine school already had established career s in health care and other fields. But there is a new trend in education .

According to a 1998 survey in the Journal of the American Medical Association , approximately 42 percent of all Americans are using complementary therapy , spending more than $27 billion annually. The fastest growing of these treatment options is traditional Oriental medicine . Americans have begun to recognize that Oriental medicine provides great insight into many health problems not dealt with completely or satisfactorily by modern Western medicine. This interest has generated the need for more qualified practitioners and informational resources for patients about the benefits of complementary therapy .

If you haven't already seen it, The Pulse of Oriental Medicine ( http://www.pulsemed.org ) is one of the internet's latest such resources. The brainchild of a TCM student, the site was created to educate the public about Oriental Medicine and complementary therapy and provide tools to the field's practitioners. The site's name was chosen for its double meaning. The pulse is a very important physical examination method in Oriental medicine . While biomedical practitioners note only the rate of the pulse, for acupuncturists, factors such as depth, strength, and quality are significant indicators of both health and disease. In this way, "Pulse" signifies character, depth of information, and what is going on right now.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine massage students got a chance to practice their skills, not only on real patients, but on serious athletes dealing with sport related injury .

Eighteen members of the San Diego and Palomar Triathlon Teams received complementary massage sports injury treatment from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's Sports Tui Na class on Saturday, January 31. Massage is beneficial as a sports injury treatment and is a technique that has been used for hundreds of years.

Though National Senior Health and Fitness Day is May 25, most seniors don't know about the benefits Oriental medicine can have for many of the ailments endured by the elderly. Senior health care is a vital yet much ignored issue in the U.S.

According to a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services survey, there were 34.5 million people over the age of 65 in 1999, representing about 12.7 percent of the U.S. population. By 2030, that number will grow to 20 percent, or about 70 million people. Yet as large as it is, the elderly population experiences an alarming number of health problems that are often inadequately treated by the current senior health care system such as arthritis, depression, pain, constipation, stress and loneliness.