In this issue you will find:

• Important April Dates

• World Tai Chi & Qi Gong Day

For many people, acupuncture remains a misunderstood medical therapy, often cloaked in myth and mystery. In the eyes of some, it has no real standing in Western medicine.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is one institution or global healing center of many around the world to recognize World Tai Chi and Qigong Day (WTCQD). Beginning at 10 a.m. April 30 in New Zealand and spreading across time zones, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day will see people in over 50 nations gather at a park, global healing center or back yard to practice these disciplines.

Despite the recent importance being placed on women's health issues , the fact that many women with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other disabilities do not know how to obtain basic medical and emotional care often goes overlooked. Luckily, not by everyone.

In an effort to provide respectful, high-quality medical services for women with physical disabilities , the Initiative for Women with Disabilities ( IWD ) Elly and Steve Hammerman Health and Wellness Center is offering acupuncture and complementary therapies to its patients.

While the U.S. scientific community works to develop an agreed-upon treatment protocol for universal symptoms, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine or Oriental medicine have long known that each woman is unique in her experience of hormonal changes.

The early signs of menopause appear when the ovaries stop producing eggs, menses cease, menstrual activity decreases and eventually ceases and the hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease. Eighty percent of women will experience symptoms, some for a short time and others for as long as six to 13 years. Western medicine often views menopause as a disease and treats patients accordingly.

The sports world was skeptical when New York Knicks shooting guard Allan Houston announced that he was receiving sports acupuncture treatments for an ankle injury (a common sports injury ).

Then he started playing better, and doubt turned into a mixture of surprise and curiosity.

For the 4.5 million couples experiencing infertility each year, acupuncture may be just what the doctor ordered. Acupuncture can increase fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system, according to several studies and medical research.

Acupuncture consists of the gentle insertion and stimulation of thin, disposable sterile needles at strategic points near the surface of the body. Over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect with 14 major pathways, called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that these meridians conduct qi , or energy, between the surface of the body and internal organs. It is qi that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. When the flow of qi is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result. Acupuncture helps to keep the normal flow of this energy unblocked, thereby increasing a couple's chances of conceiving.

From October 22-28, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's San Diego campus participated in National Massage Therapy Awareness Week . This annual national event, spearheaded by the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA), was designed to raise public awareness of the benefits of therapeutic body massage and encourage people to take the extra time to care for their health through massage. San Diego students and practitioners participated in events, both to educate and network.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine invited the public to receive complimentary body massage by its massage San Diego program students. One body therapy class was opened to the public each day. The participants were able to enjoy the benefits of Foot Reflexology, Tui Na, and Swedish massage. During the course of the week, over 140 individuals turned out to participate, making the first-time event a big success. In addition to receiving body massage , participants were able to speak with students and faculty about the benefits of body massage and the college's body therapy programs. Many of the events' participants expressed their gratitude and enthusiasm about the event as well as an interest in other Pacific events and programs.

Endometriosis can be associated with backache, painful defecation and/or rectal bleeding, premenstrual spotting, sciatica, urinary frequency and pain, vomiting, abdominal pain and swelling. Any single endometriosis symptom is troubling, but in combination can be excruciating. Untreated, endometriosis can become the cause of female infertility . Although traditional Chinese medicine has no disease category endometriosis , it does recognize, categorize, and treat effectively each endometriosis symptom and sign.

Menstruation should be painless and accompanied by minimal pre and postmenstrual signs and symptoms. We know the menstruate should be of sufficient volume, a rich, fresh color, and free from clots. The absence of these factors is an endometriosis symptom .