Fatigue is a common occurrence experienced by millions on a regular basis. However, fatigue is a constant Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptom in what is often thought of as an underlying systemic illness. Additional indicators of CFS consist of flu-like symptoms, generalized pain and memory problems, and an inability to perform mental or physical activities easily. A Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptom can start small and escalate into an unmanageable problem.

Though the cause of CFS remains unknown, it is quickly becoming recognized as a serious medical condition. Based on recent studies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that as many as half a million people in the United States suffer from CFS. And many others suffer the general Chronic Fatigue Syndrome symptom of constant tiredness.

An estimated 1 in 5 adults suffer from a mental health disorder in a given year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Anxiety and depressive disorders are the most common of all mental illnesses. Both are severe, chronic, and can significantly impair the individuals affected by them. Anxiety disorders can produce feelings that range from uneasiness to immobilizing moments of terror. An anxiety symptom may include excessive worrying, a feeling of being out of control, panic attacks, frequent nightmares, and lack of sleep. Any anxiety symptom can be frightening, even debilitating. Each year, 19 million Americans suffer from anxiety disorders, and another 19 million experience a depressive illness.

Major depressive disorder is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. Up to one-half of all visits to primary care physicians are due to conditions that are caused or exacerbated by mental or emotional problems. With so many Americans suffering from mental health disorders, the FDA estimates that sales of depression/anxiety medication , such as Prozac and Zoloft, increased from 14 million prescriptions in 1992 to 157 million in 2002. However, in a study of 2,318 patients conducted by the University of Colorado , only 20 percent of the patients taking depression/anxiety medication were found to improve as a result. Furthermore, studies show that depression/anxiety medication may even increase the risk of suicide rather than decrease it.

Since the start of Oriental medical/ acupuncture education in the United States in the 1970s and until recently, most students entering Oriental medicine school already had established career s in health care and other fields. But there is a new trend in education .

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine is one institution or global healing center of many around the world to recognize World Tai Chi and Qigong Day (WTCQD). Beginning at 10 a.m. April 30 in New Zealand and spreading across time zones, World Tai Chi and Qigong Day will see people in over 50 nations gather at a park, global healing center or back yard to practice these disciplines.

While the U.S. scientific community works to develop an agreed-upon treatment protocol for universal symptoms, practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine or Oriental medicine have long known that each woman is unique in her experience of hormonal changes.

The early signs of menopause appear when the ovaries stop producing eggs, menses cease, menstrual activity decreases and eventually ceases and the hormones estrogen and progesterone decrease. Eighty percent of women will experience symptoms, some for a short time and others for as long as six to 13 years. Western medicine often views menopause as a disease and treats patients accordingly.

For the 4.5 million couples experiencing infertility each year, acupuncture may be just what the doctor ordered. Acupuncture can increase fertility by reducing stress, increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing the endocrine system, according to several studies and medical research.

Acupuncture consists of the gentle insertion and stimulation of thin, disposable sterile needles at strategic points near the surface of the body. Over 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body connect with 14 major pathways, called meridians. Chinese medicine practitioners believe that these meridians conduct qi , or energy, between the surface of the body and internal organs. It is qi that regulates spiritual, emotional, mental and physical balance. When the flow of qi is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result. Acupuncture helps to keep the normal flow of this energy unblocked, thereby increasing a couple's chances of conceiving.

Endometriosis can be associated with backache, painful defecation and/or rectal bleeding, premenstrual spotting, sciatica, urinary frequency and pain, vomiting, abdominal pain and swelling. Any single endometriosis symptom is troubling, but in combination can be excruciating. Untreated, endometriosis can become the cause of female infertility . Although traditional Chinese medicine has no disease category endometriosis , it does recognize, categorize, and treat effectively each endometriosis symptom and sign.

Menstruation should be painless and accompanied by minimal pre and postmenstrual signs and symptoms. We know the menstruate should be of sufficient volume, a rich, fresh color, and free from clots. The absence of these factors is an endometriosis symptom .

Although the February 17 heatstroke death of 23-year-old Baltimore Oriels pitcher Steve Bechler has re-raised concerns about the use of the ma huang herb and its derivative, ephedra , practitioners of Traditional Chinese medicine say that Chinese medicinal uses of the herb are both safe and beneficial when prescribed and administered under the supervision of a licensed acupuncturist or herbalist . While no therapeutic Chinese herbal formulas have been linked with the serious adverse reactions being reported in the media, the FDA is considering banning the substance from being used.

Ma Huang , which is native to China but is also now found in the Mediterranean region, India , Persia , and the western portion of South America , has been used safely and effectively for centuries among practitioners of Chinese medicine . The herb was first mentioned roughly 3,000 years ago in The Divine Farmer's Materia Medica (Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing) . This classical text was the first to lay the foundation for study in Ch inese medicinal herbs . In this text ma huang herb is described as: " Non-toxic, treating mainly a form of the common cold, headache, and warm malaria. It causes the body to sweat, suppresses cough and counter - flow of qi (asthma), eliminates cold and heat, and breaks concretions and hardness, accumulations and gatherings. " 1

Chinese medicine is one of the oldest, most commonly used medical systems in the world, originating in China more than 3,000 years ago. Although it has been offered in the United States for more than 150 years, most Americans were exposed to it in 1972 when New York Times columnist James Reston used acupuncture during a trip to China to provide pain relief from an emergency appendectomy. Chinese medicine is a major healthcare system for over one-quarter of the world's population and the benefit of acupuncture cannot be denied. It is an effective, low cost modality that works in harmony with the body's natural healing ability. Treatment focuses on the well being of the entire person, not simply on the physical complaints and symptoms.

According to the theories of Chinese medicine , all of the disorders or diseases from which people suffer can be related to an imbalance in one's Qi , or vital energy. Qi regulates a person's spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical balance. When Qi flow is disrupted through poor health habits or other circumstances, pain and/or disease can result. Chinese medicine 's aim, then, is to keep the normal flow of this energy unblocked.

Chinese medicine is gentle and free of the side effects of many drugs used for the same conditions. As a form of primary healthcare, it addresses a broad range of conditions that Western medicine finds difficult to treat such as stress, depression, addiction, chronic pain, allergies, migraines and low back pain. In addition to treating primary health complaints, the benefits of Chinese medicine also include pain relief, immune enhancement and increased energy and well being.

A History

Oriental medicine is a non-invasive healing modality that facilitates the body's natural ability to heal itself by restoring harmony and balance to the entire individual. Originating in China more than 3,000 years ago, the medicine is one of the most common medical systems in the world, used by one quarter of the world's population. Although it has been practiced in the United States for more than 150 years , many Americans first heard of Eastern medicine in 1972 when New York Times columnist James Reston used acupuncture for pain relief from an emergency appendectomy during a trip to China .

Many of the side effects and shortcomings of modern Western medicine have come to public attention in the last 30 years. Through the use of Chinese Medicine , many of these shortcomings can be avoided. Compared to Western medicine, Chinese medicine intervenes early-when signs of imbalance occur, prior to significant physical damage to the body. 1 Oriental medicine addresses a broad range of conditions that Western medicine finds difficult to treat. Chinese medicine focuses on the well being of the entire person, not simply on physical complaints and symptoms. Its effects are gentle and free of the side effects associated with many pharmaceutical drugs used for the same conditions. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine have been identified as an effective system of healthcare by the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization 2 , and is becoming a serious alternative or complement to conventional pain management and medical treatment.