by Angela Johnson, MPH (PCOM - Chicago)

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the number one cause of death among women and men in the United States?1-2 Estimates suggest that every 29 seconds someone in the United States suffers from a coronary event, and every 60 seconds someone loses their life as a result. According to the American Heart Association, in 2003 one in every five deaths was associated with CHD, causing an estimated 479,305 fatalities.3

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, and Chinese medicine has many treatments for this common eye disorder. Gradual blockage of the outflow of aqueous humor (a frontal compartment eye fluid) is the main glaucoma cause. If enough pressure builds, blood vessels and nerve fibers can become compressed and cause irreparable damage. Any glaucoma symptom, such as loss of small areas of peripheral vision (blind spots) may result. Herbal remedies, herb-derived eye drop formulas, a combination of both, and acupuncture have shown promising results in relieving fluid pressure in the eyes.

Because fluids, which are yin in nature, tend to be downward draining, other disorders are usually present in order to cause fluid accumulation in the upper areas of the body. Yang-influenced disorders flow upward like the flames of fire in nature. In the case of glaucoma, a fire syndrome is created internally and carries fluids upward and into the eyes. This explains the glaucoma symptom of pressure build-up in the eyes. In the case of glaucoma, the cause is first thought to be internal in nature rather than environmental. Internal disorders are generally influenced by age and genetics.

New York (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women who suffer from nausea and vomiting may find relief through the traditional Chinese technique of acupressure, o r its modern variation, acustimulation, according to two studies published in the September issue of The Journal of Reproductive Medicine.

In both studies, women received pressure or electrical stimulation on an area above the wrist on the inside of the forearm known as the Neiguan, or P6. Stimulation of this point is thought to relieve nausea and vomiting related to morning sickness, as well as from chemotherapy and motion sickness. Researchers divided a group of 60 pregnant women with nausea into three groups: the first given a wristband with a button that put pressure on the point P6, the second given a wristband that put pressure on a placebo point, and the third received no treatment at all. For the first six days of the study, the P6 and placebo groups both reported improvements in nausea, but only in the P6 group did the relief last for the full 14 days of the study.

(U-WIRE) DURHAM, NC - Acupuncture has the power to reduce nausea and vomiting after major surgery and may work better than the most commonly used medications, according to a new study conducted by Duke University researchers.

Breast surgery typically causes post-operative vomiting in 60 to 70 percent of women who undergo it, said Dr. Rong Joo Gan, an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology and head of the research team.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When performed by a skilled practitioner, acupuncture appears to be safe, according to two new studies published in the September 1 issue of the British Medical Journal.

Both studies examined the incidence of adverse effects in patients during and immediately after acupuncture treatment. In a study led by Dr. Hugh MacPherson of the Foundation for Traditional Chinese Medicine, 574 professional acupuncturists performed over 34,000 procedures during a 4-week period. In the second study, led by Dr. Adrian R. White and colleagues at the University of Exeter, 78 medical doctors and physiotherapists performed over 31,000 procedures between June 1998 and February 2000. In both studies, no serious adverse events were noted; only 43 significant adverse effects such as nausea, bruising and fainting were reported in each study.

In response to the urgent needs created by the World Trade Center tragedy, students, faculty and alumni of Pacific College of Oriental Medicine are providing volunteer acupuncture and bodywork care for those affected by the disaster. Roughly 150 Pacific College volunteers are donating their time around the clock at the Jacob Javits Center in Manhattan. The volunteers are treating Task Force search and rescue workers, Military Police, and search and rescue dogs for aches, pains, insomnia, fatigue, and other ailments. After 18 days of around the clock care, some 290 volunteers have administered over 1,300 acupuncture and massage treatments to search and rescue workers. The college is also in the process of setting up assistance to relief workers at the medical examiner's office at Pier 94 and considering expanding these services to include the New York Fire Department as well.

Pacific College has been joined by the Acupuncture Society of New York and two other NY area acupuncture colleges in their effort to organize volunteers and medical supplies. Donations of supplies such as acupuncture needles and massage tables and oil have been pouring in from private donors and companies nationwide to help with the college's effort.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is proud to announce the opening of it's low cost public clinic in Chicago. The clinic will serve area residents by providing affordable acupuncture, Chinese massage and herbal consultations. Rates at the clinic are $25 per treatment for the general public and $15 per treatment for students and senior citizens. A physician's referral is required.

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine was founded in 1986 and has additional campuses in San Diego and New York. It is the largest college of Oriental Medicine in the nation, and has received numerous prestigious honors including being the recipient of a National Institutes of Health research grant, and being named one of the best colleges of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the country by TCM World Newspaper.

According to a team of German and Swiss Researchers, acupuncture may be better at treating chronic neck pain than traditional massage by providing greater short-term pain relief and increased range of motion.

"Our study shows that acupuncture can be an effective treatment for chronic neck pain, if the objective is to relieve pain and to improve mobility of the cervical spine,'' said Dr. Dominik Irnich of Ludwig-Maximilians University in Germany.

According to a new study published in the British Dental Journal, stimulation of an acupuncture point on the ear prior to undergoing dental treatment effectively controls the gag reflex, allowing dentists to perform a variety of procedures without compromising the patient's safety and comfort.

The British study considered ear acupuncture a quick and cost-effective adjunctive to dental care. The researchers estimated an added cost of only 29 cents per person per treatment episode, and an additional treatment time of only 2-3 minutes per episode.