Patients often ask me if Chinese acupuncturists really practice community acupuncture. A recent blog post to the Community Acupuncture Network website does a great job explaining how patients are treated in hospitals in Shanghai. Follow the link for the full text. An excerpt is below. As you can see, the Chinese clinics are actually a lot busier and nosier than community acupuncture practices here in the United States (but both get great results)!

“I conducted my acupuncture internship at Yueyang Hospital. Inpatients often receive acupuncture every day, while outpatients normally receive acupuncture 3 times a week. At the outpatient acupuncture department, patients start lining up as early as 6 in the morning for treatment. The department doesn’t open until 8 a.m., but there are no appointments – treatment is given on a first-come, first-served basis.

If you’re a new patient, the doctor will do a brief intake in her office. The office functions as the intake area as well as the place where the doctor and interns wash their hands, rinse out bloody cups, give injections into acupuncture points, insert ear seeds, check patients’ blood pressure, and even treat patients if the rest of the treatment area is full. It is a hive of activity, and by no means private.

The doctor will review the patient’s chart, ask questions, and check the tongue and pulse. Then the patient goes to the treatment area. The doctor with whom I studied, Dr. Zong, supervises an area of 8 tables and 3 chairs. The main area (pictured below) contains 4 tables and 3 chairs. There are curtains which can be used to provide privacy, but these are rarely used.

Each doctor is followed by a troupe of 2 to 4 clinical interns. Dr. Zong is in charge of the study-abroad program for international students, so there is also a group of 4 to 5 foreign students following her as well. As you can imagine, the treatment room is anything but quiet. Patients are chatting with other patients; interns are running around cupping, applying moxa, and removing needles; and Dr. Zong is calmly and methodically moving from patient to patient. As soon as one patient leaves, another takes his place. There is no time to change the sheets or even pause for a breath.

If you’re a returning patient, as soon as it’s your turn, you go right to your chair or table. Dr. Zong will come to you and do the intake right in the treatment room. There is no whispering here, no hushed voices. It would be hard to hear a whisper over the din. One of the first words you learn upon arriving in China is renao, which literally means “hot and noisy.” Renao has a very positive connotation. A place that is not renao feels empty and sad. Chinese clinics are very renao.”

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“In the midst of the noise and through the haze of the moxa smoke, healing is taking place here. One of my favorite patients was being treated for schizophrenia, and she said that the treatment had allowed her to feel stable enough to return to work. Another patient with partial paralysis was able to get down from the treatment table by herself. This is truly a people’s medicine clinic, and the medicine works. Patients typically come at the same times each week and get to know each other. Husbands and wives come together, mothers bring their sons. There is a wonderful sense of camaraderie in the treatment room. They share the road to health together.

While those of us in the West may prefer a quieter room with some relaxing music in the background, Chinese acupuncture clinics and Community Acupuncture clinics are essentially the same: no fuss, no bother, a focus on the treatment itself and not on the interaction with the doctor, and high quality acupuncture at a low cost. Chinese acupuncture is Community Acupuncture.”

Not only was February 14 Valentine’s Day, it also marked the beginning of the Lunar New Year (also known as Chinese New Year). This year is the Year of the Tiger.

What does this mean for you? Check out this great summary from our friends at Sarana Community Acupuncture.

The Chinese believe that whatever you do during the first weeks of the New Year represents what the rest of your year will be like. If you want your year to be healthy and relaxing, contact us for a treatment!

It has been fun watching the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. As an acupuncturist, I find it especially interesting to see the information circulating about Traditional Chinese Medicine (although some of it is mis-information).One clinic in the Olympic athlete’s’ village is offering acupuncture and traditional Chinese massage. Both athletes and coaches are taking advantage of the services. You can read the full article from the Times Online, a British newspaper. Be aware, however, that the article somewhat sensationalizes Chinese herbal medicine, focusing on animal products that are almost never used in the United States and are uncommon even in China.

In fact, according to the official Olympic website, Chinese athletes are not using herbal medicine during the games, to prevent the appearance of an unfair advantage (although there is no evidence that the substances in common Chinese herbs would be considered doping).

Athletes are also taking advantage of cupping, an adjunctive technique in Chinese medicine. Chinese swimmers and marathon runners have been seen with cupping marks on their backs. Don’t worry– the marks will disappear in a few days and cupping feels fabulous!

On the lighter side, here is a link to an article from Weird Asia News. A Chinese acupuncturist broke the world record for self acupuncture by inserting 2008 decorative acupuncture needles into himself. Do not try this at home– and I promise that I will never use this many needles on a patient!

Can you ward off nearsightedness? Recent news suggests that it may be possible to prevent children from developing myopia.

In China, eyestrain accounts for 45 percent of nearsightedness. The Chinese Education Ministry blames poor lighting and the many hours that students spend studying and reading books. To help save students’ vision, the Ministry is proposing that schools organize twice-daily eye exercises.

Researchers in the United States have found that 33 percent of Americans are nearsighted and half of Americans have some type of vision problem.

A new study from Australia found a correlation between eyesight and time spent outdoors. Children who spent the most amount of time outside, regardless of the type of activity, had less incidence of nearsightedness. Researchers think that sunlight may prevent the eye growth that can lead to myopia.

So, how much protection do you give your eyes? Make sure that you take breaks from reading and computer use, giving your eyes time to focus in the distance. Avoid both excessive glare and dim light. And find excuses to spend time outdoors!

Also called the Lunar New Year, because the date is based on the lunar calendar, Chinese New Year begins February 7, 2008.  In China, New Year celebrations span 15 days and involve complex traditions.  2008 is the year of the Rat, the first sign in the Chinese zodiac.  People born under this sign are said to be great leaders, highly ambitious, and very generous.  Find out more about the Chinese zodiac at http://chinese.astrology.com/

Here are some ways that you can incorporate Chinese New Year celebrations in your own life:

Clean your house before the New Year starts.  Traditionally, this allows you to get rid of any bad luck from the previous year.  Similarly, you do not want to clean on New Year’s Day.  You risk sweeping away good luck, and too much work done during this time could set you up for working hard all year long.

Decorate your home and yourself.  Wear red, considered an auspicious color.  Decorate your house with red paper lanterns, bamboo plants, and fresh flowers.

Have a special meal.  New Year-themed foods include bamboo shoots, tangerines, coconut, peanuts, and shellfish.

Spend time with family and remember your ancestors.  During this time, it is important to recognize those people who are important to you, especially elder family members.  Also, take a moment to remember those who have passed.

The Chinese New Year is another chance to make your New Year’s Resolutions stick.  If you have been struggling to fulfill your resolutions, now you have a second chance at a fresh start.  Whether you are looking to stop smoking, lose weight, or manage stress, you can contact us to find out how Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can help.

This New Year also brings some exciting new changes for River Valley Acupuncture.  We have a new logo and new brochure, and we have ventured onto the web!  It is my hope that this website will be an interesting and useful source of health information.  Please share your feedback, to help me make the content even better.