Does Intermittent Fasting Really Work?
An article from the New York times asks the question whether intermittent fasting really works. It is a bit vague in the article but intermittent fasting commonly refers to limiting your eating to a certain number of hours in a 24 hour period. A rigorous regimen is to limit your eating to 6 hours a…
Read MoreClinical Case, Migraine, HRV and hypersensitivity: An.St edition
Sigh. The vagaries of HRV, the challenge and the opportunity… This is the story of a young woman (30 ish) with severe migraines, at least once per week. Initial treatment might have caused a migraine so I dialed back the number of needles drastically to a key four. (3K, 7H, 4Sp, 6PC). She still had…
Read MoreRole of inflammation in depression relapse
I am not sure how this article ended up in my inbox, but I’m so glad it did! Inflammation is everywhere, and involved in almost everything. Acupuncture helps activate vagal activity and inhibit sympathetic activity. So does vagal nerve stimulation. We need better tools for study, which is what I’m working on. Back to work!…
Read MoreAnatomical-Physiological Basis for Transcutaneous Auricular Neurostimulation
The more we know about auricular stimulation, by acupuncture or transcutaneous auricular vagal nerve stimulation (TAVNS) the more effective we can make it. Med Acupunct. 2018 Jun 1; 30(3): 141–150. Published online 2018 Jun 1. doi: 10.1089/acu.2017.1254 PMCID: PMC6011382 PMID: 29937968 Anatomo-Physiologic Basis for Auricular Stimulation Beniamina Mercante, PhD,* Francesca Ginatempo, MSc,* Andrea Manca, PhD,* Francesco…
Read MoreEffect of auricular electroacupuncture on brain default model network of patients with primary insomnia
I’m glad that we’re acquiring a database of fMRI effects of acupuncture. I need to become an expert on brain regions before I can make any sort of comment on these types of studies though. But submitted here for the record! Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2019 Dec 25;44(12):884-7. doi: 10.13702/j.1000-0607.190562. [Instant adjustive effect of auricular…
Read MoreInfluence of Acupuncture on Autonomic Balance in Adult Tinnitus Patients: An Exploratory Study.
In this study, they compared deep acupuncture and shallow acupuncture on tinnitus and HRV. The LF/HF ratio actually increased with needling, which is unusual. Gerhard Litscher was kind enough to send me the pdf of his paper. pdf hereTinnitur HRV Litscher Curr Med Sci. 2019 Dec;39(6):947-953. doi: 10.1007/s11596-019-2127-y. Epub 2019 Dec 16. Influence of Acupuncture…
Read MoreTranscutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation at 1 Hz modulates locus coeruleus activity and resting state functional connectivity in patients with migraine: An fMRI study.
“Our results suggest that taVNS at 1 Hz can significantly modulate activity/connectivity of brain regions associated with the vagus nerve central pathway and pain modulation system, which may shed light on the neural mechanisms underlying taVNS treatment of migraine.” This study is interesting as far as it goes. It’s unclear whether a different frequency would have…
Read MoreEffects of Hyperthermia on depression, sleep and heart rate variability in patients with depressive disorder
This study looks at hot baths given twice a week in depressed patients to see if they had improvement in their symtoms and HRV. In this pilot controlled study, patients with moderate depression improved by 3 points on the HAMD scale, or about the same amount as taking an anti-depressant. There was no perceptible difference…
Read MoreFrail Older Patients Struggle After Even Minor Operations
Frail, older patients frequently undergo such operations, which surgeons tend to see as routine, simple fixes — but may not be. “Our data indicate that there are no low-risk procedures among patients who are frail,” Dr. Hall and his co-authors concluded in their study. So he had a lot to talk over with this patient…
Read MoreCardiac dysautonomia in depression – heart rate variability biofeedback as a potential add-on therapy
This article suggests that the autonomic dysfunction found in patients with depression can lead to impaired cardiovascular function. They suggest HRV as an adjunct diagnostic tool in this situation. SSRI’s or anti-depressants may change the patient’s mental outlook, but do not address the cardiovascular effects of depression. Acupuncture for them!! (They do not come to…
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