by Alex A. Kecskes

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), arthritis arises when the flow of Qi and Blood are blocked and prevented from passing through the body's energy pathways. The Chinese believe that when wind, cold, and dampness penetrate the body's defenses and enter the muscles, tendons and joints, they can cause stiffness and pain.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's New York campus welcomes world-renowned Classical Chinese Medicine luminary, Jeffrey Yuen, to its faculty to guide and teach in the college's new Classical Chinese Medicine curriculum starting Fall 2009.  From a common foundation, students in the Master's of Science (Acupuncture) program will have the option of selecting a series of Classical Chinese Medicine courses or a series of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and newly-designed physical medicine courses to complete their training in acupuncture. These new majors will complement Pacific's highly regarded TCM/Integrative Medicine curriculum. Students from the Master of Science (Traditional Oriental Medicine) will be able to take courses from either acupuncture major as electives.

"This is a great chance for students to study two respected systems of Chinese medicine," said Gina Lepore, Campus Director of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's New York campus. "Students do not have to choose between state-of-the-art integrative medicine, and the rich ancestry and deep spirit of Chinese Medicine.  They can learn both, choosing a major in Oriental Medicine or Classical Chinese Medicine, while taking additional elective classes to round out their education."

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's New York campus welcomes world-renowned Classical Chinese Medicine luminary, Jeffrey Yuen, to its faculty to guide and teach in the college's new Classical Chinese Medicine curriculum starting Fall 2009. From a common foundation, students in the Master's of Science (Acupuncture) program will have the option of selecting a series of Classical Chinese Medicine courses or a series of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and newly-designed physical medicine courses to complete their training in acupuncture. These new majors will complement Pacific's highly regarded TCM/Integrative Medicine curriculum. Students from the Master of Science (Traditional Oriental Medicine) will be able to take courses from either acupuncture major as electives.

"This is a great chance for students to study two respected systems of Chinese medicine," said Gina Lepore, Campus Director of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine's New York campus. "Students do not have to choose between state-of-the-art integrative medicine, and the rich ancestry and deep spirit of Chinese Medicine. They can learn both, choosing a major in Oriental Medicine or Classical Chinese Medicine, while taking additional elective classes to round out their education."
The new Classical Chinese Medicine track will focus on the historical perspective of Chinese medicine, multiple styles of practice and the in-depth use of the 70-plus energetic pathways. Jeffrey Yuen will teach in, as well as oversee, a curriculum centered on channel theory and the Chinese classical texts. Pacific students are provided the opportunity to experience ancient teachings at the core of Oriental medicine. Yuen has a unique perspective that stems from his background as an ordained Taoist priest practicing in the 88th generation of Yu Ching Huang Lao Pai (Jade Purity School), He is recognized as a Master of Classical Chinese Medicine, Taoism, Acupuncture, Chinese Herbology, Tai Ji Chuan, and Qi Gong. He apprenticed for more than 20 years in Classical Chinese Medicine and other Taoist Healing Arts with Master Taoist Priest and Physician, Yu Wen.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, current estimated cases of autism range from one in every 1,000 to one in every 500. Theories suggest vaccines are responsible, but there is growing concern that environmental toxins and pollution may be contributing factors. It is also theorized that nutrition, viral infections, immunizations, and antibiotics may be causal aspects as well.

People speak in terms of children "developing" autism, but new research cited by the Autism Society of America suggest genetic ties -- that the disorder is present prenatal. An autism symptom will usually appear before the age of three, at which age a formal diagnosis can be made. Because an autism characteristic can be any combination of insufficiencies in language, social communication, and cognition, autism is difficult to diagnose before normal development in these areas would usually occur.

According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, current estimated cases of autism range from one in every 1,000 to one in every 500. Theories suggest vaccines are responsible, but there is growing concern that environmental toxins and pollution may be contributing factors. It is also theorized that nutrition, viral infections, immunizations, and antibiotics may be causal aspects as well.

The National Stand-Down for Homeless Veterans is an annual event that honors and seeks to physically and emotionally help homeless veterans. Each summer in San Diego, acupuncturist Mitch Lehman directs and organizes the National Stand Down for homeless veterans, held by Integrated Medicine Services. This year the Stand Down will be held from the 17th through the 19th of July.

During times of war the term "Stand Down" referred to the time of rest and recovery that exhausted combat units required before re-entering the fray. Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation's estimated 275,000 homeless veterans to "combat" life on the streets. Each year, hundreds of homeless veterans attend the Stand Down.

The National Stand-Down for Homeless Veterans is an annual event that honors and seeks to physically and emotionally help homeless veterans. Each summer in San Diego, acupuncturist Mitch Lehman directs and organizes the National Stand Down for homeless veterans, held by Integrated Medicine Services. This year's Stand Down will be held from the 17th through the 19th of July.

"For veterans, Stand Down is a place where someone has their back and they can rest and recuperate. Life on the streets is much like a battleground," said Darcy Pavich, Stand Down Coordinator. "For three days we provide a place where our homeless brothers and sisters can access resources to change their lives, maybe even to save their lives, " said Pavich.

The Temporal Mandible Joint (TMJ), or main jaw joint, is one of the most complicated joints in the body. Your TMJ can develop a disorder that creates pain in your jaw, face, head, and sometimes neck and shoulders. This disorder is frequently described as TMJ and can also cause the teeth to slowly erode. That's because, in TMJ, the jaw can become improperly aligned, resulting in worn or chipped teeth. TMJ can be caused by the trauma induced by an accident or severe stress. Men are three times more likely to get the condition than women.

Traditional Chinese medicine relates TMJ to functions of the stomach and an imbalance in the stomach meridians. The stomach meridians run through the jaw area, so when stress or trauma create an energy imbalance, the stomach's energy stagnates. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine often treat both the physical symptoms of TMJ pain as well as its cause using a multi-step approach. Causes of TMJ vary, but some of the more common include: excessive jaw clenching or teeth grinding (typically during sleep), improperly fitted dentures, frequent chewing of gum or ice, improper teeth alignment, or arthritis in the jaw.

by Alex A. Kecskes

For centuries, herbs and spices have been used in food and as medicine. Ranging from mint tea to common ingredients in pharmaceutical drugs, herbs play an important part of our everyday life.

Astragalus, Echinacea, Ginseng, licorice, and green tea are among those herbs that play a role in providing antioxidants, stimulating the activity of protective enzymes in the body, or inhibiting nitrosation (a class of chemical compounds considered carcinogenic, or "cancer-causing"). Many of these herbs contain potent antioxidant compounds that provide significant protection against chronic diseases or tumor growth.