In this issue you will find:

• Important PCOM Dates
• Pacific College Celebrates the Chinese New Year
• Effect of Massage on Chronic Low Back Pain
• Jin Shin Treatment Can Help Stroke Victims
• Chinese Wisdom: Quote of the Day

Important PCOM Dates:

• January 21: (Thursday) New York Open House

• February 6: (Saturday) Chicago Chinese New Year Celebration, Year of the Tiger

• February 13th: (Sunday) San Diego Chinese New Year Celebration, Year of the Tiger

• February 20th: (Sunday) New York Chinese New Year Open House and Celebration

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Pacific College Celebrates the Chinese New Year

In celebration of Chinese New Year and the commencement of the Year of the Tiger, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine will provide free events that are open to the public on each of its three campuses.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in Chicago will be holding a Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday, February 6, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The event will include information about Pacific College’s master’s, associate’s and bachelor’s programs, as well as free acupuncture and massage treatments. Free lectures will given by experts and practitioners in the field and the community is invited to participate in Tai Ji and Qi Gong movement workshops.

Pacific’s New York campus will be hosting a similar Chinese New Year Celebration consisting of an Open House and a free celebration for the public on Saturday, February 20, 2010. The open house will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This is an admissions information session for prospective students. From 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., the campus will hold a Chinese New Year Celebration, which will include complimentary acupuncture treatments and massage demonstrations for the public. Additionally, two lectures titled, “Chinese Astrology: Year of the Tiger” and “Nutrition/Health Tips for the Winter” will be presented. The community can also participate in Qi Gong movement workshops.

Pacific’s San Diego campus will be hosting a free event for the public on Saturday, February 13, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. From 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., the event will offer the public free acupuncture and massage treatments available on a first come first served basis. Not only will the event offer three different lectures given by experienced and well-known practitioners, but it will also offer movement workshops in Tai Ji and Qi Gong. The final hour of the event is an admissions information session for prospective students. This event is free and open to the public.

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Lower back pain is one of the most common conditions in the United States and a leading reason why people see a doctor. Four out of five adults will suffer from low back pain during their lives.

Unlike lower back pain, which is often caused by muscle strains, chronic lower back pain typically persists for more than three months. The pain may be progressive, or be characterized by flare-ups. The causes of chronic pain can be hard to pinpoint, but they can usually be linked to a degenerative disc disease or a lumbar herniated disc. While some doctors prescribe muscle relaxants, many patients prefer to avoid these drugs. People feel drowsy, dizzy, confused, lightheaded or less alert when using muscle relaxants. Other side effects include blurred vision, clumsiness or unsteadiness. Thus many patients are turning to massage therapy for relief. A survey conducted by the American Massage Therapy Association in 2001 found that an increasing number of adults were receiving massages from a therapist--over twice as many since 1997.

Many healthcare providers accept massage therapy as an effective treatment to relieve the symptoms of lower back pain. A majority of providers advise patients to combine massage therapy with medical treatment. Massage therapy can reduce lower back pain, depression and anxiety. It may also improve a patient's range of motion and elevate their serotonin and dopamine levels, allowing for enhanced sleep.

The American Massage Therapy Association points to research showing massage therapy improves blood circulation, relaxes muscles and increases endorphin levels. Endorphins are the feel-good chemicals the body produces to help us deal with pain.

A research study conducted by the Center for Health Studies in Seattle, Washington revealed that massage therapy could have prolonged benefits for sufferers of chronic back pain. In the study, 262 adults, aged 20 to 70, were given Swedish and deep-tissue massages, trigger-point therapy (applying pressure to tender muscle tissue), neuromuscular therapy and movement education. After 10 weeks, participants noted that the benefits of massage therapy continued well beyond the last treatment and persisted up to one year later.

Usually administered by a therapist, massage therapy uses fingers and hands to manipulate the soft tissues of the body such as muscles, skin and tendons. When administered by a trained professional, massage therapy is generally safe and has no adverse side effects. Patients with unhealed fractures, deep vein thrombosis, skin infections or open wounds should avoid this type of therapy. The same holds true for sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis in the area to be massaged, or severe osteoporosis.

When suffering from chronic lower back pain, first consult a primary care physician before attempting massage therapy. If the doctor advises that massage may help, find a licensed massage therapist who is nationally certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage & Bodywork (www.ncbtmb.org) or the American Massage Therapy Association (www.amtamassage.org).

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Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States. This debilitating disease affects more than 700,000 individuals each year (or approximately one person every 45 seconds). It is also a leading cause of serious, long-term disability, confining thousands to wheelchairs and dependency for help in their daily lives.

Complementary and alternative medicines are frequently used to help stroke victims lead normal or semi-normal lives. A pilot study involving Jin Shin treatment revealed that it could improve motor function after patients suffered a stroke. The study involved seven post-stroke individuals with chronic mobility problems. Each participant had reported at least 19 months of problems, and each was randomly assigned to receive eight weeks of Jin Shin treatments. The result: participants noted a significant increase in moderate physical activity levels following their Jin Shin treatments. Researchers concluded that Jin Shin treatments had a positive effect on motor function in individuals who had suffered a stroke.

Jin Shin is the ancient art of bringing body, mind and spirit into unison. Practitioners use gentle, non-invasive touch methods to restore balance to the body's energy systems and thereby promote the health and well-being of a patient. In practice, the Jin Shin practitioner applies a series of hand placement techniques using 52 energy centers or “Safety Energy Locks” (26 on each side of the body) to restore harmony to body, mind and spirit. By holding specific acupressure points and areas of the body, this unique form of acupressure is able to channel the healing energy more deeply, to balance the underlying causes of physical and emotional disharmonies. Research studies reveal that when Jin Shin is combined with conventional medical treatment, it can help reduce symptoms of pain, nausea and vomiting after surgery, and improve recovery from cardiac procedures.

A typical Jin Shin session lasts about one hour. Patients rest comfortably, fully clothed on a cushioned treatment table. The session begins by taking a patient's pulse to determine if there are any blocked energy pathways. Jin Shin treatments do not involve massaging, manipulating, pressuring or rubbing the body. The practitioner simply makes light contact with fingertips on various body points in specific combinations. The points are held for several minutes until a pulsation is felt. Certain patterns, or flows, are chosen and followed to note any disharmonies. These irregularities are sometimes determined by listening to the pulses. As with many such non-invasive treatments, results are not always immediate. Several sessions are usually required for chronic conditions, however, patients usually feel better after just one or two sessions.
 
Jin Shin is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a medical doctor before undergoing any Jin Shin treatments.

Study Source: P1. Functional improvement after stroke: a role for complementary medicine Theresa D. Hernández, Kristina McFadden, Alicia Segal, Bonnie Ivankovich, Christina Gavito, Shelah Huerta

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“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”

~ Confucius

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