San Diego, CA - The most commonly stated fear of patients prior to elective surgery is not death or a surgical mishap.  It's post-operative nausea and vomiting (PONV), and 25 to 40 percent of surgical patients are at risk. Defined as any episode of nausea, retching or vomiting in the 24 hours immediately following an operation.

In several recent studies, acupuncture has been proven to lessen PONV symptoms. A trial in 2004 was done to look at the effectiveness of acupuncture in 220 women undergoing gynecological or breast surgeries.  The patients who received acupuncture showed a significant decrease in the incidence of PONV. Another study conducted by Duke University Medical Center on breast surgery patients found positive results in the use of acupuncture to prevent occurrences of post-operative nausea and vomiting.  It also stated that acupuncture increased general patient satisfaction post-op.

According to the American Pain Association, an estimated 86 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. Chronic pain can be characterized by persistent pain signals that are repeatedly fired from the nervous system, and they can last from weeks to years. As with most prevalent and life-affecting afflictions, there is a wide variety of solutions available; from over-the-counter medication to prescription drugs, chronic pain is dealt with daily in a variety of ways. However, traditional Chinese medicine may have two more effective means of relief to offer.

Both Chinese acupuncture and massage therapy are regularly used to alleviate chronic pain. There is some contention in the field of Oriental medicine as to which practice is more beneficial. According to the British Medical Journal, a recent study showed acupuncture to provide greater short-term pain relief and better range of motion than traditional massage. The conclusion of the British Medical Journal declared acupuncture to be a safe form of treatment for people with chronic neck pain and one that offers clear clinical advantages over conventional massage in the reduction of pain and improvement of mobility.

Traditional Chinese medicine is a large practice composed of many aspects. There is acupuncture (the use of small needles to free and aid one's qi), qi gong (a self healing art that combines meditation and movement), massage therapy, herbs, and various manners of meditation, to name a few. Each practice has specific ailments that it can aid, and some may overlap in their benefits. For example, there is new evidence that the ancient arts of acupuncture and qi gong can help with hypertension, also known as high blood pressure.

High blood pressure directly increases the risk of coronary heart disease (which leads to heart attack) and stroke, especially when it's present with other risk factors. Western medicine generally prescribes medication and healthier eating habits to control hypertension. While these lifestyle changes are always beneficial, there are some Eastern practices that may prove even more successful, particularly when in conjunction with those from the West.

This year International Massage Week will be held on July 15 - 21, 2007.  International Massage Week is designed to raise public awareness of the benefits of therapeutic massage, and encourage individuals to take the extra time to care for their health through massage. 

Massage therapy is a healing art, which uses manual manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, including the muscles and joints, to promote well-being, prevent injury, and relieve pain.  Massages have been proven to reduce stress, pain relief, anxiety, depression and soreness.  Massages also improve circulation, flexibility, posture and provide oneself to a better sleep and athletic performance.  Consumers spend between $2 to $4 billion dollars annually on visits to massage and bodywork practitioners, totaling approximately 75 million visits each year. 

Traditional treatment of ADHD and ADD (attention deficit disorder) is through the prescription of the stimulant methylphenidate (Ritalin): its production has increased seven times in the 1990s alone, and is continually administered to younger and younger patients. Parents are beginning to question the drugs side-effects and are asking for alternative approaches to ADHD.

In recent years, acupuncture has become a popular complementary therapy for children suffering from ADHD. Auricular acupuncture, specifically, has been proven most effective. The ear may be used alone or in combination with body acupuncture to solve countless illnesses through the stimulation of specific points on the body with micro-thin needles, electricity, laser, or other devices. Since the ear may be stimulated through noninvasive procedures, it is the favored treatment for children.

San Diego, CA - Stand Down is an event held each summer to provide the homeless veteran population (and their families) with desperately needed services. Pacific College of Oriental Medicine will be providing free massage and acupuncture treatments during the event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - July 11, 12 & 13, 2008. This event will be held at San Diego High School football field located at 1405 Park Blvd.

In times of war, exhausted combat units requiring time to rest and recover were removed from the battlefields to a place of relative security and safety. Today, Stand Down refers to a grassroots, community-based intervention program designed to help the nation's estimated 275,000 homeless veterans "combat" life on the streets. The hand up, not a handout philosophy of Stand Down is carried out through the work of hundred of volunteers and organizations throughout the nation.

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Like its Chinese counterparts, Japanese acupuncture is praised for its ability to open energy channels within the body, relieve tension and cure other ailments.  In contrast, Japanese acupuncture techniques are often gentler and more subtle than the techniques used in China.

Japanese acupuncture treatments have been known to assist in helping with a range of complaints, including aggravated stress (fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression), localized pain (headache, knee pain, back pain), gastric problems (nausea, acid reflux, gastritis), trauma (sprains, strains, bruises) and even infertility.  Traditional Japanese acupuncture is particularly suited to those who are uncomfortable with strong needle stimulus or are fatigued or otherwise weakened.  It is well suited for pediatric treatments and can be done without the use of needles.

A Tokyo study has reported positive effects of Japanese acupuncture on a number of regular ailments, including the common cold.  "A significantly positive effect of acupuncture was demonstrated in the summed questionnaire data...needling on the neck using the Japanese fine needle manipulating technique was shown to be effective and safe.  The use of acupuncture for symptoms of the common cold should be considered." Doctors determined the preventive and curative effects of manual acupuncture on the systems of the common cold.