Tag: acupuncture and inflammation

Uncategorized

Vagally mediated heart rate variability in headache patients–a systematic review and meta-analysis.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed Cephalalgia. 2016 Mar;36(3):265-78. doi: 10.1177/0333102415583989. Epub 2015 May 11. Vagally mediated heart rate variability in headache patients–a systematic review and meta-analysis. Koenig J1, Williams DP1, Kemp AH2, Thayer JF3. Author information 1 Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, USA. 2 University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil School of…

Read More
Medical Research

Relationship between regional mast cell activity and peripheral nerve discharges during manual acupuncture stimulation of “Zusanli” (ST 36)

Zhen Ci Yan Jiu. 2013 Apr;38(2):118-22. [Relationship between regional mast cell activity and peripheral nerve discharges during manual acupuncture stimulation of “Zusanli” (ST 36)]. [Article in Chinese] Sa ZY1, Huang M, Zhang D, Ding GH. Author information Abstract OBJECTIVE: To observe changes of discharges of the sciatic nerve branch and mast cell activities and collagen…

Read More
Medical Research

Nerve Stimulation: Immunomodulation and Control of Inflammation.

Immunomodulation and control of inflammation Torres Rosas 4.7.2018 Another great article by Luis Ulloa and Torres-Rosas.  I can’t stress enough the importance of this kind of thinking.  Calm your system, you calm inflammation and autoimmune. Trends Mol Med. 2017 Dec;23(12):1103-1120. doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2017.10.006. Epub 2017 Nov 20. Nerve Stimulation: Immunomodulation and Control of Inflammation. Ulloa L1,…

Read More
Medical Research

Mast cells are important regulator of acupoint sensitization via the secretion of tryptase, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and histamine.

This article gets to the heart of how I’m thinking about acupuncture.  There is a school of thought that nerve stimulation is necessary to achieve clinical results.  Longhurst, for example, is an advocate for that approach and all of his protocols employ electroacupuncture.  I’m assuming his mental model assumes that nerve stimulation is the basis…

Read More
Medical Research

HRV study: Anti-inflammatory and autonomic effects of electroacupuncture in a rat model of diet-induced obesity

I get asked about acupuncture and obesity so often.  My standard reply is that if I could treat obesity I’d be a billionaire many times over.  Maybe I should make more of an effort!!  Unfortunately, there are no details given in the abstract and no free online access, so I’m not sure what protocol they…

Read More
Health & Fitness

Inflammation in Mid Life Leads to higher levels of Cognitive Decline

  “It’s important early in life that we prevent diseases like diabetes, heart disease or hypertension that cause systemic inflammation,” said the lead author, Keenan A. Walker, a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins. “This study shows a temporal relationship between early inflammation and later brain volume loss.” (right click on image below for full article)

Read More
Medical Research

Acupuncture Mechanisms for Asthma

This animal study demonstrates some of the mechanisms behind acupuncture’s effectiveness for asthma including airway inflammation and the hypothalamic-adrenal-pituitary axis.  These effects are not unique to asthma, and can help to explain acupuncture’s effectiveness in other immune and inflammatory dysfunction. Neurosci Lett. 2017 Jan 1;636:177-183. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2016.11.001. Epub 2016 Nov 2. Regulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity…

Read More
Ethics in Medicine

Inflammation as Common Root of Heart Disease and Cancer

This author also wrote the article in the New Yorker cited here.   So insightful!  It makes me realize that I’ve been glib in touting acupuncture to decrease inflammation.  There are (obvious to me now) many types of inflammation.  In my defense, the overall health benefits of lowering stress levels and increasing vagal activity are more…

Read More
Medical Research

Electroacupuncture at Ipsilateral or Contralateral ST36-ST37 Acupoints on Inflammatory Pain.

Patients often wonder why I treat both sides (Right and Left) in musculoskeletal conditions.  This has long been a trick in Chinese Medicine, particularly if the inflamed joint is very sensitive, or in a cast and it often works great.  The study below shows, perhaps, why.  It’s overall reduction in inflammatory activity. Sci Rep. 2016…

Read More
Case Studies

Neuropathy and Acupuncture (Do.Al): Case Study with HRV cont’d

  Warning: This post is really for the truly devoted to data.  Ugly as heck, but beautiful in its own chaotic way. We have seen this patient’s data before, but I wanted to revisit it with fresh data and a slightly different focus. This patient is in her 60’s and had debilitating peripheral neuropathy which…

Read More