The American Hospital Association conducted a survey in 2006 that revealed that more than one out of every four hospitals in the U.S. now offer some “alternative” therapies, including acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and massage therapy, among other types of non-Western treatment. According to the survey, which is conducted every year by the AHA, the percentage of hospitals offering “complementary and alternative medicine” (CAM) therapies grew from 8 percent in 1998 to 27 percent in 2005.

More Americans are finding relief through alternative forms of health care.  Hospitals have increasingly expanded programs in order to attract this patient base as well as to optimize care options.  CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) inpatient programs nearly doubled between 1998 and 2001, as attitudes and perceptions toward alternative medicine change.  The Journal of the American Medical Association states that 42 percent of U.S. adults receive at least one of sixteen alternative therapies surveyed.

Traditional Chinese medicine has become increasingly popular in America. Where it may have once been viewed as a trend, or a high class, little-known treatment, it is now wide-spread and available to the masses. From the cities to suburbia, treatments like acupuncture, herbal therapy, yoga, qi gong, and tai ji are popular, accessible and accepted by modern day Americans. Part of the success in this field is the abundance of convenient and safe private practices. Thousands of people a year decide to begin their education in Oriental medicine in the hopes of becoming a licensed acupuncturist or herbalist, with the ambition of opening their own local private practice.

The process of diagnosis in acupuncture is a very personal experience. There is an extensive interview between the acupuncturist and patient in which the tongue and pulse are examined and many specific questions are asked. Acupuncture treatment is completely individualized for each patient – it is contingent on their specific histories and preferences. Many patients of acupuncture get the treatment on a regular basis, and thus, are very familiar with their specific acupuncturist. This comfort level between practitioner and patient is one of the appeals of small private practices, for both parties. The convenient location and small, cozy feel of private practices attract many first time experimenters of acupuncture, as well as keep many veterans returning. Most students of Oriental medicine confess to wanting to begin their own private practice in which to create a harmonic environment of their own for future patients.

As wild fires ravaged San Diego, more than 500,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes, and seek shelter among the several sites open countywide.  The largest of these refugee centers was Qualcomm Stadium where thousands went to wait for the fires to be controlled.

Evacuees at Qualcomm found healing for all types of ailments from exhaustion and stress, to more serious diseases like Diabetes at Pacific College of Oriental Medicine’s (PCOM) treatment area. PCOM’s students, alumni, and faculty volunteered their time and services to provide massage and NADA protocol acupuncture.  PCOM was also assisted by Helio Medical Supply and Bodywork Emporium, both companies donating needles and supplies, while PCOM alumni, Ryan Altman’s non-profit organization, the Alternative Healing Network, helped organize and execute the volunteer effort at Qualcomm.

By Kathleen Rushall

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.  While it is common that chronic pain is the result of a previous accident or condition, it can also occur with no apparent incident, and is a frequent problem for older adults. 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.

By Michelle Fletcher

Perhaps the most common diagnosis given to children in the United States is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Over 10% of boys and 5% of girls suffer from this disorder, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychology (AACAP).

By Chris Wriston

Acupuncture is being practiced more and more in the Western world.  Many more Western-medicine practitioners are agreeing that it is a great supplemental therapy for many conditions.  It is a great way of treating pain, and it doesn’t have the side effects that pain medications do, like nausea, drowsiness, addiction, etc.  Acupuncture is even used to treat children.

By Michelle Fletcher, B.A., http://michellefletcher.net

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.

Acupuncture, a Chinese medical practice, has been used for thousands of years to treat many conditions in women during and after pregnancy.  Many more women are discovering acupuncture during their pregnancies in search of safe, drug-free treatments for their conditions.  Years of practice have shown that acupuncture treatments throughout pregnancy enhance the health of the mother, prevent complications and influence the development of the baby.

Morning sickness is just one of many conditions that acupuncture is able to treat.  An Australian study reported that of 593 women less than 14 weeks pregnant, those who received traditional acupuncture treatments reported having less frequent and shorter periods of nausea than the women who received no acupuncture treatments, according to Pregnancy Today.  These improvements were felt immediately and lasted throughout the study’s four-week duration.

By Michelle Fletcher, B.A., http://michellefletcher.net

For many Americans, a visit to the dentist causes anxiety, pain, and fear. Many health experts estimate that nearly half of all adults will not seek dental care out of fear of going to the dentist. Some patients are particularly sensitive to dental equipment, which may cause them to gag uncontrollably when an instrument such as a mirror or drill is placed in the mouth. Others are so terrified, either due to a bad prior experience or to stories they've heard about bad dental experiences, that the mere thought of dental treatment causes them to gag even before any work has begun.

New waves of veterinary medicine