Links

16-Dec-2014: The Guardian: Yoga may provide similar health benefits to cycling or brisk walking See Original paper in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 15 Dec 2014, Published online first. 15-Dec-2014: NY Times: A Meditation on the Art of Not Trying An interesting look at the concept of wuwei, effortless action, and its relevance to modern life. 12-Dec-2014: Yahoo! News: Acupuncture helps sick owls return to wild in Spain The second article on owls receiving acupuncture this year... 5-Nov-2014: Huffington Post: How Meditation Can Help Protect The Body After Cancer The observation of longer telomeres after mediation, which shorten with age and disease, could support the ancient Chinese practice of meditation for "longevity". See Original Paper in Cancer, 3 Nov 2014. 16-Oct-2014: Forward Thinking PT: Washington Courts Ban Physical Therapists from Practising "Dry Needling" Washington State decides that the 27 hours training given to physical therapists to practice "dry needling" is not enough to ensure patient safety. 15-Oct-2014: BBC Two: Trust Me, I'm A Doctor: Season 2, Episode 1 Dr Salehya Ahsan has acupuncture in an MRI scanner and concludes: "If your doctor suggests trying acupuncture for back pain, I would consider it". 28-Sep-2014: BBC News: An electronic revolution in the doctor's bag Interesting to consider where both modern and traditional medicines may go when we all have devices more accurate than traditional doctors tools. Also notes how western medicine grew from a culture that minimized physical contact, which is in stark contrast to the Chinese who emphasized it. 17-Sep-2014: The Guardian: Traditional healing: modern medicine's friend or foe? "Despite skepticism, WHO has legitimised acupuncture and ayurveda. Is it time public health woke up to their potential?" 8-Sep-2014: CBS: Komodo Dragon Gets Acupuncture 21-Aug-2014: Cycling Weekly: Can acupuncture aid performance? 17-Jul-2014: Independent: Katy Perry confirms she eats acupuncture-treated fish. OK, this one is just bizarre but its acupuncture and its in the news. For more information: Fine Dining Lovers Blog has some some information about the history of this practice in Japan. 19-Jul-2014: Medical News Today: Acupuncture may reduce severity and frequency of menopausal hot flashes See Original Paper in Menopause, 7 July 2014. 12-Jun-2014: Scientific American: What Does Mindfulness Meditation Do to Your Brain? 19-Apr-2014: Huffington Post: Here's Why You Should Book Your Next Massage ASAP Summary of the benefits of massage with several links to other articles to follow up. 21-Mar-2014: Huffington Post: 8 Ancient Beliefs Now Backed By Modern Science Mentions acupuncture, tai chi, meditation and other aspects of Eastern philosophy. 15-Mar-2014: ITV News: Owl Receives Life Saving Acupuncture Treatment. 25-Feb-2014: BBC News: Is back, neck and muscle pain hurting the UK economy?. Not directly mentioning acupuncture but still relevant to many and mentions how early diagnosis and management can help prevent chronic problems. 24-Feb-2014: Medical News Today: Acupuncture 'could treat inflammation and save lives' See Original Paper in Nature Medicine 2014;20:291-295. 17-Feb-2014: Telegraph: Horizon: The Power of the Placebo, BBC Two, review. Raises some interesting points about treatments without active ingredients. Unfortunately it will not stay on iPlayer for long but some of the presenters have also written articles on their contributions. These include: Dr. Chris Beedie on the placebo effect in sports performance: an article by him in Journal of Sports Science & Medicine 2007; (6) 21-28, and a press resease from Aberystwyth University are available. Dr. Franklin Miller on placebo injections vs. vertebroplasty for spinal injury: an original paper by him on the subject is in Radiology 2011; 259(3). Dr. Fabrizio Benedetti presented the results of placebo oxygen at high altitude. An article by him about the mechanisms is in the Journal of Neuroscience, 2005. Prof. Ted Kapchuk discusses placebo effects, including those in real and sham acupuncture. He also discusses these in a Harvard Magazine article. 19-Jan-2014: Mail Online: First person: Depression need not be a life sentence. This account includes how she manages depression with acupuncture and some of the Chinese view of the causes. 3-Jan-2014: Mail Online: Could chronic pain be treated with a poppy plant used in ancient Chinese medicine? Regards the discover of DHCB, a painkiller compound in Corydalis Yanhusuo. Full articles in Current Biology, Volume 24, Issue 2, 20 January 2014, Pages 117-123 and Volume 24, Issue 3, 3 February 2014.