A randomised controlled trial into the effects of acupuncture on cervical ripening was published by Rabl in 2001.[8]
Summary
The objective was to evaluate whether acupuncture at term can influence cervical ripening and thus reduce the need for postdates induction.
On their due dates 45 women were randomised into either an acupuncture group (25) or a control group (20). The acupuncture group received acupuncture every two days at the acupuncture points Hegu L.I.-4 and Sanyinjiao SP-6.
The women in both groups were examined every other day for cervical length (measured by vaginal trasonography, cervical mucus and cervical stasis according to Bishop’s score).
If women had not delivered after 10 days labour was induced by administering vaginal prostaglandin tablets.
The time from the woman’s due date to delivery was an average of 5 days in the acupuncture group compared to 7.9 days in the control group, and labour was medically induced in 20% of women in the acupuncture group compared to 35% in the control group.
There were no differences between overall duration of labour or of the first and second stages of labour.
Conclusion
Acupuncture at the points Hegu L.I.-4 and Sanyinjiao SP-6 supports cervical ripening and can shorten the time interval between the woman’s expected date of delivery and the actual time of delivery.
References
——————————————————————————–
Rabl M, Ahner R, Bitschnau M, Zeisler H, Husslein P. Acupuncture for cervical ripening and induction of labour at term – a randomised controlled trail. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2001; 113 (23-24): 942-6.
6 Year old Twins are Cured of their Asthmatic Symptoms
Women has her Fruit Allergy Symptoms Cured
Dr. Herman’s Comments:
I am very excited to announce the addition of The Bax 3000 to my clinic. After extensive research I will be offering these treatments to the people of Lehigh Valley and surrounding areas.
For more information please call my office at 610-433-6190 or go to
There is new evidence that breast-feeding is associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer among a group of younger women who are at particularly high risk: those with breast cancer in the family.
Although several studies have found that lactation is protective against breast cancer, the new report found little effect for premenopausal women over all. But for women with an immediate relative, like a mother or a sister, who had breast cancer, those who breast-fed had a 59 percent lower risk of premenopausal breast cancer. That is closer in line with the risk for women who had no disease in the family, the study found.
“I was sort of stunned,” said Dr. Alison M. Stuebe, the first author of the study and an assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. “It’s an impressive reduction in risk. Other studies either hadn’t looked at this or didn’t include enough women with a family history to find a statistically significant difference.”
The new study, published in The Archives of Internal Medicine, used information from 60,075 participants in the second Harvard Nurses’ Health Study. More research is needed to replicate the findings and to show that the reduced risk is the result of breast-feeding, rather than some other factor common to women who breast-feed. But Dr. Stuebe suggested that breast-feeding may prove just as effective a strategy for high-risk women as the use of Tamoxifen, a drug that interferes with estrogen activity and is often used in high-risk women to reduce breast cancer risk.
Though breast-feeding is promoted primarily because it is linked to better health in babies, mothers seem to accrue long-term advantages. Studies have found that women who breast-fed are less likely to develop osteoporosis and ovarian cancer, as well as high blood pressure and heart disease decades later.
Because women who breast-feed tend to be more educated and to have higher incomes than those who bottle-feed, disentangling the effects of lactation from those of other habits and behaviors can be difficult.
In the latest study, the data came from women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study from 1997 to 2005. The women had all given birth and provided detailed information about their habits and medical history, including breast-feeding, in 1997, before any had developed breast cancer. About 87 percent of the women had breast-fed for at least some period. By June 2005, premenopausal breast cancer had been diagnosed in 608 women. The women who had breast cancer in their immediate family but who had breast-fed had developed only 41 percent as many cancers as those who had an affected relative but refrained from breast-feeding.
But there was no greater benefit if women breast-fed exclusively or for longer periods of time, raising questions about the study’s conclusions, said Dr. Louise Brinton, chief of the National Cancer Institute’s hormonal and reproductive epidemiology branch.
“I would be cautious in interpreting this,” Dr. Brinton said. “You would expect to see a dose-response relationship with breast-feeding if it is a really causal protective factor.”
Interestingly, women who took drugs to prevent the formation of milk were at lower risk for breast cancer than those who refrained from breast-feeding but did not use lactation-suppressing drugs, the study found.
Acupuncture works to treat a wide range of conditions specific to women. While helping to balance the body so that it can regain physiological function, acupuncture also reduces stress and restores a sense of calm. This gentle, natural medicine focuses on treating the whole person, rather than the disease.
Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine have proven effective in treating the following conditions relating to women’s health:
PMS
Menstrual Cramps and Irregularities
Breast tenderness and Fibrocystic breasts
Endometriosis
Uterine fibroids
Fertility-related conditions
Pregnancy-related conditions
Menopause-related conditions
Fertility
For women with fertility challenges, the use of acupuncture as a natural approach to pregnancy is well documented. A recent review of seven research trials of women undergoing in vitro fertilization found evidence of improved rates of pregnancy and live births among groups using acupuncture (University of Maryland School of Medicine, 2008).
Acupuncture helps to restore the body’s balance. From a Western perspective, studies show that acupuncture may:
Increase blood flow to the uterus to promote implantation.
Improve ovarian function, which may help produce better quality eggs and a larger number of follicles.
Reduce side effects of drugs used in assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures.
Decrease uterine contractions, intended to encourage implantation, and prevent early miscarriage.
Reduce stress hormones and anxiety.
Strengthen the immune system and support general health, possibly helping to prevent miscarriage.
Pregnancy
Acupuncture is a safe, natural, effective treatment for many common problems that occur during pregnancy. Unlike many pharmaceuticals, it is not contraindicated, and will not cause harm to the mother or baby.
However, there are certain acupuncture points that need to be avoided during pregnancy, because they are considered too strong. If there is a chance you may be pregnant, tell your acupuncturist, so she can modify your treatment to make it effective and more gentle.
Acupuncture is famous for its success rate in turning breech babies. It has proven success in helping to induce labor near or past the due date. During labor, studies have shown that women having acupuncture have overall faster and less painful deliveries. A recent study demonstrated that among women nearing their due dates, the randomized acupuncture group went into labor an average of 62 hours sooner than the control group, and had shorter labor times by more than two hours.
Pregnancy-related conditions that may be treated using acupuncture include:
Psychological issues
Physical problems
Fatigue
Morning Sickness
Heartburn
Constipation
Hemorrhoids
Back Pain and Sciatica
Edema
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Postpartum moms also often face special problems that may be helped by acupuncture. These include:
Fatigue
Postpartum vaginal discharge
Postpartum Depression
Mastitis
Insufficient or Excessive Lactation
Post Operative Healing
Menopause
Acupuncture and herbal medicine often provide natural relief for symptoms associated with declining hormone levels.
The most widely researched menopause-related symptom is hot flashes. Western physicians commonly prescribe HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for menopausal symptoms. There is some controversy about this therapy, and acupuncture and chinese herbs are shown to be a safe and effective alternative. A recent Stanford study concluded that “acupuncture significantly reduced the severity of nocturnal hot flashes compared with placebo.”
Contact Us
Nicole Murray, L.Ac.
619.488.5515
www.beachcommunityacupuncture.com
info@beachcommunityacupuncture.com
Sources Cited:
Manheimer, E. et al. Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilization: systematic review and meta-analysis. British Medical Journal. 2008 Mar 8;336(7643):545-9. Epub 2008 Feb 7.
Gaudet L.M., et al. Effectiveness of acupuncture for the initiation of labor at term: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Canada. 2008 Dec 30(12):1118-23.
Huang, M.I., et al. A randomized controlled pilot study of acupuncture for postmenopausal hot flashes: effect on nocturnal hot flashes and sleep quality. Fertility and Sterility. 2006 Sep;86(3):700-10.
The Acupuncturist wanted to get my period from being a 26-27 day cycle to a 29 day cycle and today it’s the 28th day. YAY!! That’s good news.
I am back in Florida for good. I don’t want to lose the progress that I have gained from the Acupuncturist and massage in Seattle. I have found an Acupuncturist here in Florida that I will see tomorrow. She does some alternative healing work as well.
I wonder how long after I miss my period do I have to wait to see if I am pregnant? The test yesterday said negative but a friend told me she had a test that said negative and she was pregnant. Hmmm??? Do you know?
Well, I have just had my second acupuncture appointment. My allergies have behaved themselves very well this past week and I’ve felt much more relaxed than usual, so I’m actually looking forward to how my, ehm, ‘lower regions’ respond in a couple of weeks. And that’s not a time I’m accustomed to looking forward to!
The acupuncturist I’m seeing is a wonderful energetic and positive lady, who really knows her stuff. We’re having some great conversations, as she is very interested in the whole range of healing modalities including the soul/spirit healing I do as a shaman. I’ve been open with her about the soul healing I’ve started doing on myself, so she’s set me homework for that. Apparently, the energy in my heart/lung/solar plexus region is quite blocked up and she is keen for me to work on opening this area up.
This is great, and it’s lovely to work with a healer who can work with me. However, doing the actual work quite frankly terrifies me! I keep myself quite protected (probably over-protected) and while I am gradually learning to be more open about what I actually am/do/feel, I still mostly try to masquerade as a suburban mum. Exploring the reasons for my excessive self-protection is an extremely scary thing for me (yes, this is the woman who last week relived vivid past life memories of being raped and murdered – fears are funny things). I will do it – it’s becoming rapidly apparent that I can’t ‘not do’ this work. And in a way I’m looking forward to it, because I know the healing that happens through this process will be very powerful for me. But I’m still scared!
I started packing today! And I’m nearly done too, just a few more things to add in and I’m good to go! To the weigh in on Saturday that is. We are going to weigh our bags and then fill them up to 30kg with the gifts we have been given to take over, including blankets, toys and clothes. Hopefully it will all fit!
Finally finished cleaning my room today!!!! And my clothes are all organised and put away!
I would have been totally lost with-out my ToDo lists though! And my packing lists, and my to buy lists and all my other random little lists! Yes I know, I’m a list-a-holic! Speaking of lists, here’s tomorrow’s ToDo:
[] Get a blood test
[] Eat brekky!
[] Acupuncture appointment
[] Work (Buy ingredients for cookies)
[] Bunnings, buy gloves, trowel and powerpoint converter
[] Spotlight, buy flags
[] Do washers, aprons and pants
[] Charge travel phone
[] Empty 16gb SD card, 2gb SD card
[] Empty camcorder
[] Charge camcorder
[]Send Dad his wedding pics
You know what? I’m going to write another list, ’cause I can. It the remainder of things I have to pack:
[] Pens
[] Camera (obviously buy this one first!)
[] Hair brush
[] Cadbury (it’s a gift, not for me)
[] Remainder of medications
[] Smalls
[] Another pair of pants
[] Adjusted work pants
[] Powerpoint converter
[] Camcorder charger
[] Camera charger (again, buy it first)
[] Phone charger
Hopefully I havent forgotten anything there either!! Not with only 9 days to go!!!! Wh-hoo!! In just nine short days I’ll be on a plane leaving Australia for three weeks to go to Uganda with Mission Watoto to build a home for orphan children and a house mum. While over there I will also be doing a three day safari, a day of rafting on the Nile, and a trip to Gulu (Northern Uganda) to visit the Watoto centres up there. I’m EXCITED!!!!!
Oh, there were *way* too many exclamation points in this post!!
People who are prone to getting panic fits might be in a position to find help in acupuncture. Acupuncture On awakening in clinical studies to boost a selection of disorders, and even diseases. Its effect on panic fits is related to the way your body responds to fear.
If you are currently in midst of experiencing panic attack symptoms, your heart could be battering, you will feel short of breath, you may like you are choking – you could start sweating, shaking, losing control, or maybe feeling like you’re dying. Many people who are panicking feel like they need to flee the situation, but they are not in a position to do so.
There are awesome number of causes for these panic attacks too. For some people it is genetic. For others it is related to things happening in their lives at the time. For still others it is related to things like medicine or sicknesses. Diet is now thought of to be a reason for panic attacks for some folks as well – especially candida over-growth or poisonous metals.
When you start acupuncture, you’ll probably begin to debate your case with your acupuncturist. From there, they can assess where there are imbalances in your body. They may find that you’ve got a Qi chi deficiency. Anxiety Qi deficiency is generally in the kidney or spleen meridians. Your acupuncturist will diagnosis and identify where to treat you.
They will use needles in various points on your body. Depending on where these points are, they may release endorphins and balance your hormones. There are even certain relaxation points that will scale back your anxiety and make you are feeling better all around.
Many acupuncturists will also appraise your diet and exercise patterns, and make suggestions for change. Fundamentally , it is all about balancing your entire body so you can start to feel free from anxiety fits. They might prescribe herbs, exercise regimes, or dietary changes depending on the strength of the acupuncturist’s program.
Even if you’ve never considered acupuncture for panic attacks before, it is definitely a great holistic method try. Many acupuncturists will give you a free consultation so you can determine if it is suitable for you. Using acupuncture together with other holistic strategies can end your panic episodes for good. Prodcuts such as Linden Method can help get you started down the right path.
No matter which methods you try it is important that you do something as quickly as possible. There is no reason to live your life getting panic fits all the time. Gain control and change your life for the better!
Some patients complained their medical doctors (MDs) don’t suggest them to use acupuncture. This might be true for some MDs, especially the conservative MDs. In recent years, MDs actually are more and more interested in acupuncture and other alternative or complementary medical therapies, less likely to tell patient — “do not use acupuncture”.
Several big scale clinical trials have demonstrated acupuncture is an effective methods to treat low back pain, knee pain, migraine, etc. So, MDs may suggest patients who have such problems to use acupuncture. However, some of MDs may not so familiar to acupuncture, may advise their patients “do not see an acupuncturist” when patients have other conditions, such as infection, asthma, heart problems, even some other pain conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Actually, acupuncture has been effectively applied to treat many clinical conditions, World Health Organization (WHO) lists over 100 conditions as acupuncture treatment scope. Acupuncture activates patient’s own healing ability, which is useful and organic/less adverse effect.
In 2008, there were at least 15 MDs saw us and we used acupuncture (with or without herbology, etc) to help their own or their family members to recover from different clinical conditions, such as low back pain, neck pain, arm pain, various headache (migraine, tension headache, sinus infection, neck problems), allegy, asthma, gastrointestine problem, fertility and period issue, PMS, etc. although the effective levels are different–for some conditions, acupuncture could cure them; for other conditions, acupuncture could help either to decrease the chemical drug’s dose or to eliminate the adverse effect(s) of chemical drugs, etc. Sometime, acupuncture could improve patient’s energy level or improve patient’s qualityof life.
In our area, one MD even treats herself as an acupuncturist, most of her patients actually see her to do acupuncture, instead of getting a prescription for chemical drug.
By Emma Wilkinson
BBC News health reporter in Amsterdam
Daily ejaculation may be the best way to improve sperm quality
Having sex every day improves sperm quality and could boost the chances of getting pregnant, research suggests.
In a study of men with fertility problems, daily ejaculation for a week cut the amount of DNA damage seen in sperm samples.
Speaking at a fertility conference, the Australian researcher said general advice for couples had been to have sex every two or three days.
Early results from the trial had already shown promising results.
Perhaps we have been blaming the women as couples get older but perhaps there’s a contribution from the male because we’re not behaving as we should be
Dr David Greening
Sydney IVF
But 118 men have now been tested and the benefits for sperm have become clearer.
Dr David Greening, from Sydney IVF, told delegates at the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting that eight in ten men taking part showed a 12% drop in sperm DNA damage after the seven days.
Although there was a big drop in sperm numbers from 180 million to 70 million over the week, men were still within the normal “fertile” range.
Sperm also became more active over the seven days with a small rise in motility, he added.
Damage
The theory is the longer sperm hang around in the testes the more likely they are to accumulate DNA damage and the warm environment could also make them more sluggish after a while.
Sperm come under attack by free radicals – small reactive molecules which can damage DNA and cause cell death – in the tube that stores and carries sperm away from the testes.
Further work is needed to work out if daily sex for men without fertility problems has the same benefits but Dr Greening believes it is likely to be the case.
He warns that having daily sex for too long – say a fortnight – would probably cut sperm numbers too much.
But recommended “lots of sex daily” around the time the woman is ovulating.
He said it was best to “keep the river flowing”.
As men age they may not have as much sex as they did when they were younger, adding to the problem of infertility, Dr Greening told delegates.
“We are designed to breed in our youth.
“Perhaps we have been blaming the women as couples get older but perhaps there’s a contribution from the male because we’re not behaving as we should be.”
The findings may also have implications for couples undergoing IVF as men are commonly told to abstain from sex for a couple of days to try and boost sperm numbers.
Dr Alan Pacey, a fertility expert at the University of Sheffield, said the finding that daily ejaculation improved the chances of conception was interesting, but it would be wrong to apply the results to all men.
“For example, in cases where men have low sperm counts to start with, daily ejaculations may well reduce the sperm count still further and whilst sperm may be more healthy the reduced numbers could impede the chance of natural conception.
“The best general advice is that if couples are attempting to conceive naturally, intercourse every couple of days will make sure the sperm are as healthy as possible on each occasion.
“However, in preparation for IVF or ICSI treatment, this advice may well change in response to medical test results like DNA damage measurements.”
