January 2007 [Volume 6, Issue 1]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Acupuncture Helpful for Chronic Knee Pain
• Herb of the Month - Huperzia (qian ceng ta)
• Acupuncture Q & A: This Month's Highlights From the "Ask an Acupuncturist" Forum

A recent study in the journal Rheumatology evaluated the effects of acupuncture on pain and function in patients with chronic knee pain. Studies were selected in which adults with chronic knee pain or osteoarthritis of the knee were randomized to receive either acupuncture treatment or a control consisting of sham (placebo) acupuncture, other sham treatments, no additional intervention or an active intervention.

Combining five studies in 1,334 patients, acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture for both pain and function. The study found that acupuncture that meets criteria for adequate treatment is significantly superior to sham acupuncture and to no additional intervention in improving pain and function in patients with chronic knee pain.

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine has shown promise in treating a variety of conditions without the use of drugs or other traditional measures that often come with dangerous side effects. To learn more about the benefits of this ancient healing art, including the latest research supporting its use, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com.

Huperzia is a type of moss that grows only in China. Huperzia moss tea has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever, blood loss and irregular menstruation. Traditionally, the whole moss was used in herbal formulas, but modern preparations use only huperzine-A, an alkaloid found in huperzia that prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine.

Since loss of acetylcholine function is a characteristic of several disorders of brain function, huperzine-A is believed to be effective in stopping the spread of Alzheimer's disease. Huperzine-A may also protect brain tissue, further increasing its potential for helping reduce symptoms of some brain disorders. There is also evidence that suggests huperzine is effective in increasing memory.

Fresh or dried huperzia moss can still be found at some Asian specialty markets. Huperzine-A is available at health food stores in tablet or capsule form.

Substances that prevent acetylcholine from breaking down often produce side effects such as nausea, vomiting, excess saliva production and sweating. However, aside from occasional cases of dizziness, no severe side effects have been reported in human trials using huperzine-A. Further studies are needed to determine its long-term safety.

Huperzine-A may react negatively with donepezil (a medication often taken by Alzheimer's patients to reduce memory loss) and tacrine (an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor which is also taken by Alzheimer's patients). Make sure to consult with a qualified health care provider before taking huperzia, huperzine-A or any other dietary supplement or herbal medicine. To learn more about the benefits of herbal medicine, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com/herbcentral.

The "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum provides a place for interested parties to ask questions about acupuncture and Oriental medicine and receive responses from a licensed acupuncturist. Here are a few of this month's questions and answers:

Question #1: My husband and I have been trying to conceive for five years. We have been diagnosed with unexplained secondary infertility (we conceived our first child with no problems). The reproductive specialist said (after extensive testing on both me and my husband) that we both are very healthy (all tests have come back normal for me, including all hormone level tests and no signs of endometriosis or fibroids), but my husband has poor motility and some mis-shaped sperm; however, count is good. We've tried an in-vitro cycle and it failed for us Ð our embryos never got past six cells. We do not have the money to keep spending on in-vitro cycles. My question is, is there a chance that TCM might be able to help us? Might both me and my husband benefit from treatment?

Answer: The goal of TCM treatment for fertility is to enhance it. Since there is a difficulty for you both in conception, treatment may be helpful, even though the Western medicine laboratory tests are normal. There are Chinese herbal medicines that have been shown to improve the quality of sperm and semen. Chinese herbal therapy may also be appropriate for you, as well as a series, 10 or 12, of acupuncture treatments for both of you. A TCM examination would detect if there are any areas of physiology where treatment may be beneficial for this.

Question #2: I've had a cracked or geographic tongue for as long as I can remember. I know I'm really vain here, but I'm embarrassed about it. I'm 20 now, but up until about 4 years ago it was only visible when I folded my tongue. But now the cracks have spread all across my tongue, and have deepened. When I saw a Chinese doctor, he said it was due to a yin deficiency of the blood or internal heat. I was given Tian Wang Bu Xin Wan, and over about six weeks, I noticed a very slight improvement, but after this it didn't seem to be getting any better. I've had this problem in some form for most of my life, so it's probably more of a congenital type of thing. But still, if anyone knows of a way it can be treated, then help me out.

Answer: Often the cracks on the tongue are congenital or normal and do not need to be "fixed." It really depends on the other signs and symptoms. The term "geographic tongue" usually refers to the coat rather than the cracks in the body.

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Have a question about acupuncture and Oriental medicine? Visit AcupunctureToday.com's "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum at www.acupuncturetoday.com/ask.

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