On Wednesday, June 10, River Valley Acupuncture is hosting a free Feng Shui for Life seminar. The speaker is Christine Conway, Certified Feng Shui Practitioner.

Christine writes, “We all have the ability to bring positive change into our lives. Feng Shui is the study of our personal environment and the impact the items in our environment have on our lives. Feng Shui has dramatically improved all areas of my life, and the lives of many of my clients.”

This seminar will introduce you to changes you can experience in your life using the principles of Feng Shui, the Ancient Chinese art and science.

Attendees will Learn:
· Basic Principles of Feng Shui
· What is Feng Shui
· Why Feng Shui works

Location: River Valley Acupuncture
65 James Street, Suite 207, Worcester MA
Date and Time: Wednesday, June 10th
5:30 pm – 6:30pm
Fee: FREE

Due to the size of the office, space is limited. Reserve your seat today by calling River Valley Acupuncture at (508) 890-8899

Earlier this month, the Group Health Center for Health Studies in Seattle released the results of a clinical study on acupuncture for back pain. It became controversial almost instantly.

Here’s why: the results showed that acupuncture worked for back pain, better than conventional medical care. However, it also showed that “fake” acupuncture, where the acupuncture points were pressed with toothpicks instead of pierced with acupuncture needles, worked just as well as traditional acupuncture.

So, does this mean that acupuncture is a sham? Have I wasted years of education and practice?

I’m not worried.

The control group in a scientific experiment is supposed to be essentially the same as doing nothing (the reason why they don’t “do nothing” is to account for the possibility of the placebo effect– and that topic deserves a whole different blog article).

The problem with the study is that the scientists don’t understand the concept behind Chinese medicine. They assumed that true acupuncture always involves the insertion of needles through the skin. In reality, these toothpicks actually stimulated the same acupuncture meridians as needles would. That means that it wasn’t really a control group.

Instead, we call this non-insertive acupuncture. It is familiar to acupuncturists, acupressure practitioners, and shiatsu massage therapists, though it is not usually performed with toothpicks!

There are many conditions– like back pain– that might respond just as well to acupressure as to acupuncture, but we don’t have enough information to know that for certain. This abstract presents a possible explanation for why “fake” acupuncture sometimes performs just as well in research studies.

There are other reasons why I don’t put a lot of weight on these kind of studies, but that will have to be the subject of another post.

This Friday I will be part of a panel of health professionals discussing how to prevent and treat seasonal allergies. This is part of a multi-lecture wellness series hosted by Generations Healing Center in Oxford (I will be there again next month to discuss fibromyalgia).

Other speakers include herbalist Dell Bachand and Linda Spring of Healing Hands Massage Therapy.

The cost is $35 and you can sign up by calling Generations at (508) 987-3310

I hope to see you there!

Event Information:
Friday, May 22 at 6:15pm
Generations Healing Center
The Shoppes at 250 Main Street
Oxford MA 01540

This past Friday, Scott and Donna from Erb Photography came to my office to take photos for my website. I was extremely impressed by their professionalism and enthusiasm; they made the day a lot of fun. After seeing how hard they worked, non-stop, I have a new-found respect for professional photographers. Thanks, Scott and Donna!

I was equally awed by the work of Erin at Top Shop Salon, who did my hair for the photos. She spent a whole hour taming my hair, making sure every strand was in place for the cameras, and she did an excellent job.

Last but not least, I have to thank my models– friends and patients who volunteered to be in the photos. Some people stayed for the whole 3 hour session! I couldn’t have done it without you!

Thanks, everyone! I am so excited to see the final images– I know that they will be a great addition to my website.

To mark his first 100 days in office, President Obama participated in a town hall meeting in Missouri and answered questions from the audience there.

One participant, a Licensed Acupuncturist and Licensed Massage Therapist, asked the President how the administration’s health care program would incorporate alternative medicine.

This was Obama’s reply: “Well, look, my attitude is that we should — we should do what works. So I think it is pretty well documented through scientific studies that acupuncture, for example, can be very helpful in relieving certain things like migraines and other ailments — or at least as effective as more intrusive interventions. I will let the science guide me.”

That short paragraph has acupuncturists everywhere talking. The President of the United States called acupuncture “effective”! What a great endorsement!

But will these statements actually have an impact on acupuncture use in our country? President Obama did not explicitly say that acupuncture or other holistic treatments would be covered under his proposed new health plan.

Also, an endorsement from a famous person doesn’t necessarily mean that people will be flocking to try acupuncture. In 2007, Oprah Winfrey devoted the majority of an entire show to acupuncture. Although Oprah is seen to be a major trendsetter, only one new patient in my office mentioned that she decided to try acupuncture because of the show.

The best endorsements for acupuncture, as with most products and services, are the testimonials of satisfied patients. If you have benefited from acupuncture, please think about telling someone you know who might find it helpful. If you have never tried acupuncture before and are curious about it, ask someone you know who has tried it. Or, contact a Licensed Acupuncturist near you; many offer free telephone or in-office consultations.

You can also stay tuned to future blog posts, which will include an incredibly easy way to decide if acupuncture is a good option for you!