Monday 11 June 2012

Migraine research


Migraine is a common disorder affecting a large number of people worldwide. Researchers at the UCLA Department of Neurology have extensively researched this condition with the aim of bringing new therapies to people suffering from migraine.

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/migraine-research/4039834

Saturday 9 June 2012

Cosmetic Acupuncture: Solution for Ageless, Clear Skin?

by   Janet Forgrieve

Two years ago, Sheila Schmidt’s face was at that awkward age when fine lines begin creeping in to meet the blemishes and breakouts she still woke up to once in a while. At 34, she opted for cosmetic acupuncture, also called facial rejuvenation, to minimize future wrinkles and clear up her occasional acne.
“I would never do Botox; I think there’s just something fundamentally wrong with injecting yourself with those things,” she says. “I have super-sensitive skin, so chemical peels are also out.”
While the procedure works to help patients of any age look younger and fresher, women Schmidt’s age can delay the onset of wrinkles before they start and also beat blemishes while keeping skin tone fresh and even, says Denver practitioner Martha Lucas. Patients should also be in good general health and report any medical issues before undergoing the procedure.
“The greatest candidates are women in their mid 30s, because it can slow down or diminish wrinkling,” Lucas says. “But who you’re also going to see are women in their late 40s and mid 50s, who have some lines and wrinkles, and we can help them too.”
What Is Cosmetic Acupuncture?
Using acupuncture needles on specific points on the face to enhance beauty and preserve a youthful appearance has been done for centuries in China and other Asian countries, but it’s just started to become popular in the United States in the past decade or so, practitioners say.
Cosmetic acupuncture is done in the same fashion as acupuncture done for general health and specific conditions, with the goal of creating collagen just under the skin to help fill in wrinkles and plump skin, similar to the results of Botox, Restylane or plastic surgery, Lucas says. Like traditional acupuncture, the cosmetic version also aims to balance the body’s energy and create a sense of well-being.
Increasingly, patients are opting for needles over the knife, says Lucas, who has been performing the procedure for eight years and teaches the Mei Zen method – literally translated as “beautiful person” – to other practitioners whose patients are increasingly asking for it.
“When I teach classes, I ask why they’ve come, and 70 percent are saying it’s because their patients are asking for it,” she says.
Benefits Of Cosmetic Acupuncture
Lauren Mathews performs the procedure at The Element Center in Denver, and says her patients find it a great alternative to Botox because it works to improve the look of the entire face and not just certain spots, and it also appeals to many who balk at having foreign substances injected into their faces.
“It fills in wrinkles and increases the collagen production in areas that need it, like frown lines, smile lines and smoker’s lines around the mouth,” Mathews says. “In addition, the color and texture of the skin brightens and smoothes and sagging gets lifted in a natural way. It’s not like a surgical facelift because it’s not that drastic.”
While most patients seek out the procedure to improve their looks and erase some of the toll time takes on all our faces, they find an added bonus in the increased sense of well-being that comes along with acupuncture, Lucas says.
“It addresses the person’s overall health, whereas a lot of the Western techniques are just about the face.”
Pins, Needles Or The Knife: How Does Cosmetic Acupuncture Compare to Other Procedures?
While most information surrounding the effectiveness of the procedure is anecdotal, one 1996 study published in the International Journal of Acupuncture said that, of 300 patients surveyed, 90 percent said they saw a lessening of lines, clearer skin tone and subtle tightening.
Since patients don’t take chemicals into their body or undergo anesthesia and surgery, there’s little if any controversy over the safety of the procedure. The worst that patients experience may be some pain during the treatment, and patients and practitioners alike say the biggest drawback is the time commitment. “It takes some time, because collagen takes some time to be permanent and there are still people who want to get an injection on their lunch break and be done with it,” Lucas says.
Sessions take up to 90 minutes each, which means the 10-session initial treatment recommended by the American Cosmetic Acupuncture Association requires a commitment of about three hours per week for five weeks. The course costs between $1,000 and $1,500, after which patients are encouraged to continue monthly maintenance sessions at about $125 to $150 a pop.
Keeping up is key, says Schmidt, whose busy life and new job kept her from making regular follow-up appointments until recently. A maintenance session a few weeks ago helped erase her recently acquired stress and smooth out new fine lines she says, encouraging her to make the time for regular appointments in the future.
The procedure may be more or less costly than other options, depending on how much work patients want. Botox injections, which are made of botulinum toxin, temporarily remove wrinkles and lines on the face, can cost between $300 and $1,000 depending on how many areas of the face are injected, and are made to be repeated every six months, according to the Ethical Cosmetic Surgery Association. Finding a qualified doctor to administer Botox is key, as improperly done injections can result in temporary eyelid drooping and weakness in the facial muscles.
Restylane, another temporary fix sold as a facial filler made of an acid that’s naturally occurring in the body, works to smooth wrinkles in the nose and mouth area and can cost between $500 and several thousand dollars per treatment, depending on the size of the area to be covered, according to the Ethical Cosmetic Surgery Association. Injections are quick, done during office visits, and results last about six months in most people, the association says. Side effects can include bruising, redness and itching, and patients with allergies may not be good candidates for Restylane.
Chemical peels, designed to even out the skin tone and remove some types of scars and precancerous growths, vary widely, with mild peels starting at $150 and going all the way up to $6,500 for a deep chemical peel. Chemical peels must be repeated periodically to maintain the effects. A peel to a small part of the face can be over in 15 minutes, while a deep, full-face procedure can take a couple of hours, according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. When done by a qualified dermatologist, peels are generally safe, although there is always some risk of infection and scarring, the society says, and skin may be red and flaky for several days after the procedure.
Facelifts, which require general anesthesia and two to four weeks of recovery time, average somewhere between $10,000 and $20,000 including anesthesia and facility fees, according to the Consumer Guide to Plastic Surgery. Because it’s surgery with a general anesthesia, the procedure can take several hours and include at least one night in the hospital. While facelifts offer the most drastic changes, they carry all the risks of major surgery and the longest recovery time of the procedures listed here.
Finding The Right Acupuncurist
When shopping for a practitioner, first find a board-certified acupuncturist who is licensed in your state, then shop around until you find one who can answer all your questions and also fill you in on their patient success stories.
Lucas and Mathews say patients come to them in a couple of ways. A segment of their patients are already using their more traditional acupuncture services and, at some point, choose the additional procedures. Others hear about cosmetic acupuncture, typically from friends who have tried it. Once they’re patients, many eventually try the treatment for aches, pains or emotional issues as well.
To find a qualified practitioner in your area, try the referral page of the American Cosmetic Acupuncture Association.
Afterglow
While cosmetic acupuncture patients shouldn’t expect the immediate, dramatic results they might see with other treatments, they do report seeing some changes rather quickly.
Teresa Williams turns 42 this year and has been using Mathews’ acupuncture services for health issues, including pain from carpal tunnel syndrome and discomfort from occasional bronchitis and headaches, for about two years. Recently, she began cosmetic acupuncture as well. One morning after her second session she was putting on eye shadow and noticed she suddenly had a bit more lid to cover, she says.
“My face is definitely tighter, and I just got all excited this morning about putting makeup on,” she says.

高血糖的针灸治疗

提起糖尿病,国内外都是难题之一。血糖高不可怕,可怕的是血糖高引起的病变。

近来,门诊不少血糖高的患者,都缓缓的降了下来,中医的治疗效果,非常神奇,而且没有毒副作用。

传统针灸、中医药理论和临床过程中,对糖尿病有较深刻地认识,也积累了大量的宝贵经验。尤其其中有不少的经验值得借鉴。我粗浅地综述近年来针灸和针药结合治疗糖尿病有关概况,与同道参考。
一。针灸对糖尿病的治疗作用。
(一)针刺可以降低血糖,改善临床症状。目前,糖尿病的空腹血糖指标为〈6.0mmol/L。有人发现针现刺可以使临床指标不同程度地改善,血糖明显下降,或基本恢复正常,平均下降幅值高达5.6mmol/L,尿糖多随血糖的下降而转为阴性。糖耐量明显改善,临床症状明显减轻,其至消失,有效率为81.5%~87.5%,平均显效率在34%左右,且无明显地副作用。进一步研究发现,针灸对改善血糖的作用,对DM(II)型中的胰岛素抵抗型疗效最为理想,对DM(I)型、以及严重消瘦者,疗效较差。而且疗效有疗程依赖性,随治闻的时间延长,疗效逐渐上升,与降糖的中西药联合使用,有一定的协同作用,可明显减少药物的用量,有些甚至停用降糖药,而血糖能长期保持稳定。
(二)针刺可以调节与血糖代谢有关的物质。正常的血糖调节,主要依赖胰岛素,当血糖升高时,迷走神经和胰岛素β细胞受到刺激,引起β细胞表面的IK离子通道的开放,大量K+内流,从而启动细胞内信号转导,激活胰岛素基因,促使胰岛素分泌,从而使部分血糖变成肝糖原,而使血糖下降。当血糖低于正常时,可通过兴奋交感神经,激活下丘脑---垂体---肾上腺---甲状腺、胰岛轴,而使肾上腺髓质分泌肾上腺素、肾上腺皮质分泌糖皮质激素,甲状腺分泌甲状腺素,胰岛分泌胰高血糖素等又促使肝糖原的分解,使血糖上升。通过这个反馈环路,实现血糖的相对恒定。有人用经络经皮低频电针治疗某些糖尿病患者,发现于针后胰岛素立即上升达治疗前的3~5倍,其效应可持续达3个小时以上,同时生长激素降低、血糖下降。有人针灸治疗DM(II)型患者,发现针后甲状腺素T3、T4下降,cAMP下降、而cGMP上升。可见针灸作用,不仅局限于胰内。还有较强的胰外作用。
(三)对胰岛组织形态和细胞分子水平的影响。糖尿病病人的胰岛组织都存在不同程度的病理改变,如透明样变、纤维化和水肿,少数有胰岛细胞总数目的减少。而胰岛素抵抗患者,多表现为受体后的缺陷,如组织和胰岛细胞表面的胰岛素和胰高血糖素受体数目出现下降,或与相应配体结合能力的下降。有研究证实,针刺对四氧嘧啶性糖尿病动物(如小鼠、大鼠、家兔等)的β细胞有明显地保护作用,维持细胞的完整性。也有研究表明,针刺可以提高受体与配体的结合力和使下降的受体数目上调,从而提高胰岛素的敏感性,达到治疗某些类型糖尿病的作用。
2针灸治疗糖尿病的作用机制及方法
另外,还有研究发现,针刺对中枢神经系统的影响,如通过改善中枢神经功能达到使机体调节血糖这一反馈通路更另完善和敏感,从而使机体能对血糖有一个良性的自我调节机制。促进糖尿病患者的康复。
二。针灸对糖尿病的作用机制。
一般认为针灸对糖尿病的作用,可分为胰内和胰外两大方面。
(一)胰内方面。正如前所述,胰内机制主要是保护β细胞的完整性,促进或调节胰岛素的适当分泌,增加β细胞表面的某些受体功能,以及增加配体与受体的结合能力。但能否对胰岛细胞的细胞内信号转导有调节作用,尚有待进一步研究,如上所述,针灸能提高DM患者的cGMP,而降低cAMP水平,而这二者是细胞内的重要的第二信使,参与调节和控制细胞对胰岛素、胰高血糖素的分泌,在血糖调控中占有重要的地位,值得进一步研究。
(二)胰外方面。主要可能与神经--内分泌--免疫(NEI)网络有关。许多研究证实,针刺能良好地调节交感和副交感神经之间的平衡,使机体调节血糖的网络趋于完善。另外,有研究表明,针刺还能提高外周组织对胰岛素的反应地敏感性,从而在高血糖状态下,促使外周组织利用葡萄糖的能力加速,调节血糖的平衡。在胰外方面中,针灸降低高血糖的一个重要可能机制是通过中枢神经系统发挥作用。可能一个主要通路如下:针灸-----CNS中血糖调节网络-----迷走神经-----胰岛,从而对血糖的调控趋于精确化。但其中机制目前研究甚少,但可以预见,这是一个迄待探索的宝藏。
有研究证实,有针灸4~6周时,一般都能见到明显的降糖作用,而且临床症状能够得到一定的改善,但还必需再坚持一段时间,约一至数月后,才能取得较为巩固的疗效。
四。我们的认识。
我们认为针灸治疗糖尿病有一定的优势,但同样也有一些不足,如针刺降血糖的幅度尚不大,对严重患者疗效尚欠理想,而且在治疗过程中血糖也存在一定程度地波动。还有针灸虽然对某些并发症有确切地疗效,如周围神经病变;但对糖尿病性白内障等并发症目前研究还较少,其疗效尚未有定论,需要进一步深入地研究。
通过对针灸作用全面、客观地分析,我们认为,针灸治疗糖尿病及其并发症应注重针药结合,使其优势互补,达到协同作用,共同提高临床疗效。一般主张在正常用药同时,配合针灸治疗,并逐步降低药物剂量,甚至有少数患者可以完全停药。而且也有人初步发现,针灸还可以降低磺脲类口服降糖药的继发性失效现象。而磺脲类药物继发失效也是困绕临床的一个棘手问题。这也说明,针灸与药物相结合所带来的优势

有趣的小医案


近来,有位漂亮的美眉来门诊针灸,调节内分泌。

开始治疗以后,她的脸色越来越好。她刚开始还以为是化妆品的功效,后来,有一天,她才发现,即使没有用化妆品,依然很亮丽。

几周以后,更有趣的是,乳房突然开始变化,松弛下垂的胸部变得紧致起来。。。。


又有一位漂亮美女,来门诊治疗胃痛,渐渐好转的同时,脸色也越来越亮丽,朋友们都问她近来的美容秘笈,她想来想去,好像唯一的变化就是--------针灸。。。。


针灸美容的效果可见非常的秒。。。。。。。。。。。。。

纯天然。。。。。。。。。。。

也算是我在临床的无心插柳吧,原本没想着要帮助美容的,却达到了美容的效果,由内养外吧。