There are no limits to the forms that healing can take. Using Western and Eastern medicine in conjunction can often lead to the best health results, but there is one aspect all types of medicine have in common.  That common factor is touch. The healing power of touch is not to be underestimated as a powerful source of healing, although it is often overlooked.

Touch itself is an ancient form of healing that permeates various religions and societies, and that is gaining attention today in the form of massage, reiki, and acupuncture. It is universally acknowledged that touch can simultaneously ease pain, lessen anxiety, promote healing and hope, and help one to take the obstacles in life in stride.

The Summer 2008 Olympics are held in Beijing, China, in the country where acupuncture originated thousands of years ago. Perhaps it is no surprise then that this ancient practice is gaining further interest and media attention now that China is the host of a world-class athletic event. The Olympic Village in Beijing is offering free acupuncture to athletes and officials of the games - making it the first Olympic Village in history to do so. With the presence of the Olympics in China, acupuncture is finally gaining the recognition it deserves as a remedy for sports ailments.

Especially when combined with Western therapy, there is little that acupuncture cannot do to help improve sports injuries. Acupuncture can quickly lessen inflammation, as well as to release pressure and improve blood circulation. Long used for the relief of chronic pain, acupuncture not only provides instant relief from painful injuries, but can also accelerate the healing process by reducing swelling, boosting the immune system, and providing energy and serenity to the patient. Acupuncture has been found to be especially effective in treating tendon and ligament sprains, which are common injuries for athletes.

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.

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.