Traditional Chinese medicine brings to mind acupuncture and the use of natural herbs as healing remedies. Cupping is a lesser-known treatment that is also part of Oriental medicine, one that can provide an especially pleasant experience. Cupping is the term applied to a technique that uses small glass cups or bamboo jars as suction devices that are placed on the skin. Once the suction has occurred (with the use of heat), the cups can be gently moved across the skin (often referred to as "gliding cupping).

The suction in the cups causes the skin and superficial muscle layer to be lightly drawn into the cup. Cupping is much like the inverse of massage - rather than applying pressure to muscles, it uses gentle pressure to pull them upward. For most patients, this is a particularly relaxing and relieving sensation. Once suctioned, the cups are generally left in place for about ten minutes while the patient relaxes.

Acupuncture can treat ongoing conditions like chronic pain and anxiety as well as sudden ailments. Food poisoning is a perfect example of a temporary and unpredictable discomfort that acupuncture is successful in treating. Food poisoning can last for hours or days, and while it can be a fairly harmless (if awful) way to spend a few days, it can also (rarely) be a serious and even deadly condition.

According to traditional Chinese medicine, each season is ruled by an element. Summer is associated with the element of Fire. The ancient theory of The Five Phases was introduced almost two thousand years ago, and discusses the idea that the structure of the cosmos reflects the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. Each Season is associated with an element, with the Earth element relating to the change in seasons every three months. And along with its associated element, each season is related to parts of the human body and certain forms of energy.

Summer is not only correlated with the element of Fire, but with the heart, small intestine, and the tongue. Knowing which element relates to each season can provide knowledge from traditional Chinese medicine regarding health in that season. Special attention should be paid to those aforementioned organs during summer. Fortunately, when the Fire element is in balance (as it often is in summer), the heart is strong and healthy.

The San Diego Pacific College of Oriental Medicine has recently been accredited by ACAOM, the Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. ACAOM awarded PCOM with the maximum periods of five and seven years for its Doctorate and Master's programs, respectfully. This length of time has previously been unheard of; three and five years used to be the maximum periods of accreditation possible for schools to earn.

 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine recently had the pleasure of seeing another of its students find success in the practice of Oriental medicine. On February 27, 2008, Janet Tsai, an alumni of Pacific College's San Diego branch, demonstrated cosmetic acupuncture on the popular program ‘Rachael Ray's Daytime Talkshow.' As well as an alumni, Janet Tsai is a faculty member at Pacific College in New York where she teaches in the Acupuncture and Bioscience departments. As a licensed acupuncturist in three states (New York, New Jersey, and California) Tsai serves as a Clinic Supervisor at the Pacific College Acupuncture Clinic.

The practice of cosmetic acupuncture is both ancient and up-and-coming. While the Chinese have been practicing secrets to a youthful glow for thousands of years, the American public is just now realizing the amazing aesthetic benefits acupuncture can offer. On Rachael Ray's talkshow, Janet Tsai applied half a dozen miniature needles around Rachael's face. Tsai stated "The needles I'm putting in around the forehead are going to help with the circulation and the blood flow, so it brings more oxygen to the area." Having the needles applied is not only painless, but for many, it's a relaxing and rejuvenating experience.

Any kind of ailment can be costly to treat, and asthma is no exception. Inhalers are increasing in price, and consumers are looking for more cost-effective methods of dealing with such respiratory disorders. Asthma affects more than 15 million people in the United States,  and the strain of living with asthma has been compounded by inflated average wholesale prices.

Acupuncture, a 5,000-year-old Chinese medical practice, is proving to be one way for some asthma patients to manage their symptoms without over-paying. In a study conducted by the University Hospital of Vienna, over 70 percent of patients with long-standing asthma reported a significant improvement in their symptoms after 10 weeks of acupuncture treatment.

Skin is the body's largest organ. It is also the most visible and vulnerable organ. Skin conditions are very common and the discomfort of conditions like acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, and dry skin is often followed by distress over their appearance.     

Dermatology is a recognized specialty in traditional Chinese medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine treatments for skin disorders have been in use since 1100 to 221 B.C. in China. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy are the most common methods in TCM used to treat skin conditions and can provide longer-lasting relief than Western methods. Chinese herbology is effective for several reasons. Because of the complexity of plant materials, it is far more balanced than medicine that is based on isolated active ingredients, and is far less likely to cause side effects.

In celebration of Chinese New Year, Pacific College has planned free events on each of its three campuses.

 Pacific College of Oriental Medicine in New York will be hosting an open house on Saturday, February 2, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Following the open house, a celebration of the Chinese New Year will be held from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and will include free community acupuncture for relaxation, as well as a tai ji and qi gong and a martial arts workshop.  This event will also include an informational lecture titled, "Chinese Astrology: Year of the Rat."

Massage is no longer solely the refuge for overworked athletes and office workers suffering from carpal tunnel. The littlest in our lives are now reaping the many benefits of massage-infants.

Massage applied specifically to infants is deemed infant massage, used to enhance blood circulation, stimulate the nervous system, promote relaxation, decrease the production of stress hormones, and relieve discomfort associated with colic, gas, congestion, and teething. Applied by certified massage therapists or parents who have undergone training in this healing method, infant massage provides many positive benefits for parents and children.

Just a few decades ago, most Americans viewed acupuncture as a foreign practice. However, lately, there has been a steady growth in the number of acupuncturists over the last few decades. Organizations like the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) have begun to perceive acupuncture as a type of medicine, rather than some sort of eccentric ritual. Acupuncture has been used in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years.  It's the method of inserting extremely thin needles into specific points of the body in order to facilitate the flow of qi (life energy). An acupuncturist focuses on the entire body and realizes that in order to treat the specific problem, and to maintain the person's health after the problem is treated, he or she must create a balance of qi within the entire body.

Recently, many Western medicine clinics have integrated acupuncture into their practices.  The FDA approval of the use of acupuncture needles by licensed practitioners in 1996 may have contributed to Western doctors being less skeptical of acupuncture.  Even some insurance companies are now covering certain acupuncture treatments as they are recognizing the health benefits of acupuncture. According to a National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 8.2 million adults in the U.S. have used acupuncture, up from 2.1 million from the previous year.