June 2008 [Volume 7, Issue 6]

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In this issue of To Your Health:

• Acupuncture May Ease Your Aching Head
• Herb of the Month – Purslane (ma chi xian)
• Ask an Acupuncturist

Acupuncture May Ease Your Aching Head

As any chronic sufferer will tell you, migraine headaches can be debilitating, affecting concentration and the ability to perform daily tasks. Fortunately, as recent research suggests, Chinese medicine may help stop migraines in their tracks.

In the March 2008 issue of the journal Headache, Italian researchers published the results of a study that involved 160 migraine patients. Researchers divided study participants into different groups, each of which received one of the following treatment protocols: real acupuncture plus migraine medication, fake acupuncture and migraine medication, and medication alone. Patients were evaluated three and six months after starting treatment.

The researchers found that of all the groups studied, only the group that received real acupuncture showed a significant improvement in terms of migraine disability, both at the three- and six-month follow-up. That should come as encouraging news to anyone worried about the side effects of common pain medications used to combat migraine symptoms.

For more information on the many benefits of Oriental medicine, visit www.acupuncturetoday.com.

Herb of the Month – Purslane (ma chi xian)

Although regarded as a weed in the United States, purslane is a well-known plant, able to tolerate almost any kind of soil or weather. In traditional Chinese medicine, purslane is used to remove toxic heat and substances, and to arrest bleeding. Among the conditions purslane treats are dysentery, boils and sores, eczema, hemorrhoidal bleeding and abnormal uterine bleeding.

The amount of purslane one should use depends on the condition(s) requiring treatment. Many practitioners recommend 9-15 grams of dried purslane, or 30-60 grams of fresh purslane, for oral administration. Larger amounts can be ground into a paste and applied to the skin.

At this time, there are no known drug interactions or adverse side effects from taking purslane. As always, make sure to consult with a qualified health care provider before taking purslane or any other herbal remedy or dietary supplement.

Ask an Acupuncturist

Question: Does acupuncture help with weight loss? How successful is it with fibromyalgia or all-over body pain?

Answer: Acupuncture treatment is effective in conjunction with a prescribed diet for balancing metabolism and reducing appetite. Patients use this to lose weight. In terms of fibromyalgia, this is a Western medicine diagnosis. Acupuncture and TCM have their own diagnostic system. Patients with fibromyalgia need to have their symptoms evaluated by the acupuncturist. Often, an acupuncturist will use other therapies in addition to acupuncture for treatment.

Do you have a question about acupuncture and Oriental medicine? Visit the "Ask an Acupuncturist" forum at www.acupuncturetoday.com/ask.

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