The American Chinese Culture and Education Foundation (ACCEF) is a non-profit, national charity organization in the United States, formed for the goal of reaching out to mainstream society to promote the awareness of traditional Chinese culture. With education in mind, ACCEF also strives to sponsor under-privileged children in rural areas of China, donating time, money, and supplies to Chinese schools.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) in San Diego has begun the process of joining forces with ACCEF to create a bridge for academic and cultural exchange with three Chinese TCM universities. San Diego PCOM faculty member and ACCEF board member Lily Chang arranged an April 2011 trip to China for representatives of Pacific College to meet with ACCEF members, and with officials from the Chinese universities. The visit lay the foundation for PCOM to be the first ACCEF educational partner involved in a study abroad program that will allow students to learn about traditional Chinese medicine at the geographical source of its development. In addition to taking these first steps towards creating future educational opportunities, PCOM and ACCEF have joined forces on a scholarship available for San Diego-based PCOM students who participate in ACCEF activities.

Marianne Chalmers, a 2010 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine New York alumna, lives 90 minutes away from Joplin, Missouri, where a tornado struck on May 22, 2011, leaving a devasting path of destruction in its wake. According to National Weather Service records, the recent Joplin tornado was the deadliest twister in more than 60 years. The tornado left a 13-mile long trail of destruction, killing 142 people and leaving close to 8,000 homes decimated.

Armed with her Masters in Traditional Oriental Medicine (MSTOM) and a long interest in AcupuncturistsWithout Borders (AWB), Chalmers responded to the call for volunteer acupuncturists. Chalmers became pivotal in getting the AWB training and on-site venue set-up, as well as organizing and scheduling volunteer participation. Volunteer acupuncturists and massage therapists (who provided acupressure treatments) work 8 - 10 hours a day on site, and treat between 35-40 people daily.

By Arnaud Versluys, PhD, MD (China), LAc

Chinese Medicine is an ethnical medical system with strong cultural characteristics. As one enters Chinese medical school, the primary task at hand is to assume new ways of thinking and immerse oneself in its different philosophies. Especially for Western students of Chinese medicine, the need to mold one’s mind and measure oneself a new set of values and life principles, is one of the most important undertakings of the aspirant student. This mission of shaping one’s thought patterns in classical style is crucial to allow one to think in ‘old-fashioned’ Chinese ways as it will be the only means to grasp the often challenging analytical thought models developed by the ancient Chinese.

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and acupuncture can contribute an important part of the treatment plan for a patient recovering from a stroke. Use of a range of conventional and traditional treatment provides the patient with the greatest chance for recovery of function, minimization of disability, and can also reduce pain and help the patient cope with frustration and other adverse emotional reactions to their illness. TCM approaches may also be used to lessen the side-effects of conventional medicines which may include lethargy and nausea.

Acupuncture has been shown to increase blood flow in areas of the brain immediately around lesions caused by a stroke, and so may facilitate brain repair and re-organization to compensate for areas of organic damage. Clinical trials indicate that acupuncture is a low cost treatment with few risks of side-effects. The absence in TCM of toxicity, which can result in side-effects is a quality that allows acupuncture to be safely used in conjunction with any conventional therapies.

Acupuncture practitioners around the globe can tell you that migraine sufferers seek help from acupuncture clinics on a daily basis. Many find that this method of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) offers symptom relief unparalleled by oral medications. This ancient therapy is becoming more widespread and increasingly introduced into mainstream Western healthcare in the 21st century and can replace expensive arsenals of medications including prophylactics, tricyclic agents, muscle relaxants, beta-blockers, and painful injections. Patients who know their onset symptoms can even use acupuncture to avert severe headaches.

Statistics show that approximately 70 millions Americans report suffering from recurring headaches. More than 25 million of these victims have been diagnosed with migraines. Traditional Chinese medicine can supplement or, in some cases, replace Western medicine as a means for these patients to function normally from day-to-day. Another advantage of acupuncture is that it is not linked to any of the unwanted side effects that come with traditional drug prescriptions.

Depression is a condition that involves both the mind and the body and affects how a person feels, thinks, and behaves, and may make a person feel anxious and apathetic. Many people who suffer from depression or anxiety complain of muscle pain, headache, upset digestion, fatigue, and loss of interest, among other things. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) evaluates the entire body system, including physical conditions and emotional symptoms, and treatments are uniquely tailored to each patient with the goal of healing the body and mind, as well as revitalizing the spirit.

Central to acupuncture practice is the total evaluation of a person’s “qi”, pronounced “chi”, the body’s vital life energy, and how to accelerate the circulation of qi and blood through a system of specific channels running throughout the body, called meridians. Each meridian relates to major body organs and functions, as well as emotions. The emotions associated with loss, repressed expression, and other stressful events, will cause the muscular structure surrounding the chest cavity to constrict and tighten on the lungs and heart. The chest constriction restricts the qi flow to the liver and heart, a condition diagnosed in TCM as qi stagnation in the liver. Without release, the tension now contained within the chest cavity will continue to strain the heart, which, left untreated, results in panic attacks, anxiety and panic syndrome, also described in TCM as a condition called ‘Heart in the Heart’.

The ancient practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers some insight to the varying causes of sleeplessness. The pairing of acupuncture with herbal remedies can bring relief to patients with chronic insomnia, nightmares, and even sleep apnea.

Patients battling chronic insomnia can tell you that insufficient or poor quality sleep leads not only to irritability and exhaustion, but also to muscle stiffness, impaired cognitive function, fibromyalgia, and other significant health problems. Commonly, Western medicine will search for a physical or emotional problem causing the sleeplessness, but TCM recognizes that insomnia can stem from a fundamental imbalance of energy, or qi. While sleeping pills and anti-depressants are commonly prescribed for insomnia and other sleep disorders, these prescriptions can become addictive and patients can find it difficult to sleep naturally, without pills or medicine in the future. Patients may find better relief through the natural based treatments of acupuncture and herbal remedies.

The American Chinese Culture and Education Foundation (ACCEF) is a non-profit, national charity organization in the United States, formed for the goal of reaching out to mainstream society to promote the awareness of traditional Chinese culture. With education in mind, ACCEF also strives to sponsor under-privileged children in rural areas of China, donating time, money, and supplies to Chinese schools.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine (PCOM) in San Diego has begun the process of joining forces with ACCEF to create a bridge for academic and cultural exchange with three Chinese TCM universities. San Diego PCOM faculty member and ACCEF board member Lily Chang arranged an April 2011 trip to China for representatives of Pacific College to meet with ACCEF members, and with officials from the Chinese universities. The visit lay the foundation for PCOM to be the first ACCEF educational partner involved in a study abroad program that will allow students to learn about traditional Chinese medicine at the geographical source of its development. In addition to taking these first steps towards creating future educational opportunities, PCOM and ACCEF have joined forces on a scholarship available for San Diego-based PCOM students who participate in ACCEF activities.

Due to its ability to increase blood flow to the scalp, massage for hair loss holds many potential benefits. Massage for hair loss is the act of rubbing, kneading and applying pressure to the skin of the scalp with the fingers and hands. Of the wide range of benefits scalp massage can provide, perhaps the greatest benefit is considered to be the increased blood flow to the surface of the skin. This is the reason why individuals suffering from hair loss are turning towards massage for help.

Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage cushions between the joints break down, causing pain and stiffness. Cartilage is a firm, rubbery tissue that cushions bones and surrounds the joints, allowing bones to glide over one another. There are several factors thought to cause the breakdown of the cartilage surrounding joints. Cartilage can break down with age, but it can also tear away as the result of an injury. Other factors that could cause osteoarthritis include a genetic predisposition, a weight problem (being overweight increases the risk of cartilage wearing down in the hip, knee, and ankle joints), fractures, or long-term overuse from athletic activities.

Without the cartilage, when the bones rub together it can cause swelling, stiffness, and pain. There is also the possibility of a ripple effect when one joint loses cartilage. Other, related joints can over-compensate or can’t function normally, causing ligaments to become weak. An estimated 12 percent of Americans suffer from osteoarthritis between their early teen years and their mid-70s.