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People seek help from an acupuncturist for all sorts of symptoms – and in growing numbers – as this healing profession becomes increasingly known and its services more accepted in the western world. Now that this is occurring, have you ever wondered what the main reasons might be that bring a person to Acupuncture?

Researchers in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of York, England were curious as well. In addition to wanting to know, they also wanted to find out if people’s reasons had changed from a similar query back in 1988. The information assembled came from a survey of 9,408 British Acupuncture patients. Some of the demographics, reasons for treatment and who paid for the office visits are quite interesting.

The first finding of the study is that women are more likely to visit an Acupuncturist than men – 74 percent of the patients were women. Their average age was 51 years, and 87 percent of the patients had received Acupuncture at least once before. Of note is that 95 percent paid for treatment out of their own pocket.

The most common problem reported, with relief for symptoms being sought, was for musculoskeletal issues at 38 percent. This was followed by psychological concerns at 11 percent, general (unspecified) at 9 percent, neurological problems at 8 percent, and gynecological/obstetric problems at 8 percent. An additional 5 percent of the patients said they were seeking treatment for their own “general well-being.”

As for what prompted them to become an Acupuncture patient, a self-referral was most common with 39 percent of the visits falling into this category. However, 78 percent of the patients surveyed said they had discussed their problems or symptoms with a doctor.

The study results compared to 1988 were quite limited, but researchers did point out that the number of people seeking help for musculo skeletal problems had dropped significantly. To the researchers, this indicated a wider case mix (a greater variety of reasons for people seeking treatment) than among patients from 20 years ago.

Acupuncture brings over 5,000 years of help and treatment knowledge to bear on numerous conditions. Help can be only a single treatment away or achieved through a series of visits over a specified time period. Solutions are drug-free and generally quite painless. Whatever the symptoms, there is a good chance there is a solution waiting with a visit to an acupuncturist.

Women suffering from the endocrine disorder known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) may find some immediate help with Acupuncture. A recent study completed in Sweden shows promise for the 10 percent of women of reproductive age who are regularly troubled by the symptoms of the disorder.

The commonly noted symptoms of PCOS include ovarian cysts, irregular menstrual cycles, elevated levels of the male hormone testosterone and even infertility. Those with PCOS often have to deal with an increase in sympathetic nerve activity, the mechanism in the body the triggers a ‘fight or flight’ response that results in blood vessel constriction. When this occurs, women become more susceptible to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke.

Researchers did their work at the Sahlgrenska Academy of the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and at the Karolinska Institute of Stockholm, Sweden. Their work involved comparing responses and improvements in PCOS women who received low-frequency electro-acupuncture to those who were involved in physical exercise. The goal was to find a long-lasting treatment for PCOS that could reduce its symptoms without the use of medication while producing no adverse side effects to participants.

Three research groups were established from a small sample of 20 women with an average age of 30. Low-frequency electro-acupuncture was received by 9 of those in the group. Exercise was the main activity of 5 and another 6 served as a control group and received no treatment.

The Acupuncture group received 14 treatments during a 16 week period. Acupuncture was delivered to points in the abdominal muscles and the back of the knees. These are points associated with the ovaries. A low-frequency electric charge produced muscle contraction, but not pain. The exercise group was instructed to walk or ride a bicycle at a level fast enough to elevate heart rate to 120 beats per minute. They exercised for 30-45 minutes at least 3 days per week. The control group did not exercise or receive Acupuncture. They only got instruction in the importance of exercise and a healthy diet.

Researchers found that both Acupuncture and exercise reduced the sympathetic nerve activity that triggers ‘fight or flight.’ Both groups experienced positive physical changes noted in reduced waist size in the Acupuncture group and reduced body weight in the exercise group. In addition, the Acupuncture group experienced fewer menstrual irregularities while the exercise groups did not change. Finally, the key change in the Acupuncture group was the reduction of testosterone.

“This is the first study to demonstrate that repeated low-frequency electro-acupuncture and physical exercise can reduce high sympathetic nerve activity seen in women with PCOS,” according to the authors. “Furthermore, both therapies decreased measures of obesity, while only low frequency electro-acupuncture improved menstrual bleeding pattern.”

Spring is time of growth, movement and expansion.  It’s also the best time of the year to start building your body’s health (support and defensive) and preparing yourself for the following flu/cold season.  Building a strong, healthy body requires good nutritious food and time for your body to transform the nutrients into the building blocks of the body.  Even though the season is close to an end, it’s still not too late to start.

Recommended spring foods:

• Food that is rich in green color such as asparagus, broccoli, celery, spinach
• Sour flavored foods (in small quantities)
• Mildly warming foods such as fennel, rice, buckwheat
• Moderate the intake of spicy, hot or fatty food as they block the Liver’s energetic flow.

According to Chinese medicine, spring is associated with the Liver which is in responsible for the free flowing of energy, detoxification, nourishing, replenishing and storing of blood.  Small quantities of sour flavored food will help increase Liver functions.

These are just simple guidelines for maintaining health.  Patients presenting different ailments should consult your local acupuncturist at your next acupuncture appointment to obtain Chinese nutritional advice as certain foods may cause more harm than good when eaten improperly.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (“TCM”), the tongue is seen as an external manifestation for things that are going on within the body and the organs themselves. Not only is each organ represented, but one with knowledge can see the internal state of health or disease in the body by careful observation of the tongue.  We look at the tongue color itself, the color of the coating (or fur) on top of the tongue, the shape of the tongue body, how it moves, its general texture, and thickness and moisture of the coating on the tongue. These all inform us of important facts about the health of the body. For the sake of brevity, we will only be looking at the importance of the tongue body and tongue coating.

The body of the tongue shows the condition of the organs of the body, among other things. The outside edges are the Liver and Gallbladder, The front is the Heart, and behind the heart is the Lung. In the direct middle of the tongue is the digestion (Spleen and Stomach), and at the back (or root) is the Kidney. So, in diagnosing, for example, if someone has insomnia, the Acupuncturist will often see a red and irritated tip of the tongue. This indicates irritation of the heart in TCM, which could be causing the insomnia. This is one of many manifestation of the tongue body.

Another important aspect of tongue diagnosis is the coating. It can be thick or thin, wet or dry, and comes in a variety of different colors. A health tongue coating is a uniform layer of a thin white coat with just the right amount of moisture. If the coating begins to turn yellow (or even worse black), this can be a manifestation of inflammatory conditions in the body, including heartburn or an upper respiratory infection. In TCM, the presence of yellow coat indicates heat in the body, which can mean a variety of things according to the signs and symptoms. Another aspect of the tongue coating is the thickness of the coat. A thin coat is often normal, though it could also mean the body needs more energy. The thick coat shows excess damp and phlegm in the body, and can be seen with long term allergy and sinus reactions, digestion issues, and other ailments. Finally, the moisture of the coating is important.  Dry coatings can mean not enough fluids in the body and dehydration.  Stomach problems can often have slimy coatings.

Though we have only touched the surface of the tongue diagnosis in TCM, I hope that this has at least given you some idea of why we look at the tongue.