Guest guest Posted March 1, 2002 Report Share Posted March 1, 2002 Acupuncture May Aid Cancer Patients' Dry Mouth Fri Mar 1, 5:29 PM ET By Amy Norton NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Acupuncture may help some cancer patients who have severe dry mouth as a side effect of treatment, California researchers report. Their study, which included mainly patients with head and neck cancers treated with radiation, showed that acupuncture to the ear and index finger improved dry mouth in a majority of patients. An ancient therapy that arose in China more than 2,000 years ago, acupuncture involves placing fine needles in specific points on the body's surface. Traditional theory holds that these points connect with energy pathways that run through the body, and acupuncture helps keep this natural energy flow running smoothly. Modern science as well has suggested that acupuncture can help ease a range of conditions, from arthritis pain and migraine to morning sickness. But researchers are still trying to understand why it works. " When we try to explain the relief of (dry mouth) using ear acupuncture, we presume it is a function of a subtle activation of the autonomous nervous system, " the new study's lead author, Dr. Peter A. S. Johnstone of the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, told Reuters Health. The autonomic nervous system regulates bodily functions that are not under conscious control, including activity in the glands. In the study, Johnstone's team followed 50 patients undergoing acupuncture. Most had received radiation for head and neck cancers and had dry mouth that did not respond to treatment with the saliva- inducing compound pilocarpine. One patient had dry mouth after chemotherapy, and two had Sjogren's syndrome--an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the salivary glands. The researchers found that 70% of the patients improved with acupuncture, although the length of their responses varied. Most patients, they note, have required monthly or bimonthly treatments to sustain the benefit. For about one-quarter, though, the improvement has lasted more than 3 months, Johnstone's team reports in the February 15th issue of Cancer. " Different patients will require different maintenance, " Johnstone explained, noting that most appear to need periodic " booster " treatments. During the acupuncture treatments, which involve three needles placed on the ear and one on the index finger, patients also get sugar-free candy to help stimulate salivation. According to the researchers, " frothy salivation " usually gets started within 15 to 20 minutes. SOURCE: Cancer 2002;94:1151-1156. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2002 Report Share Posted March 1, 2002 NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Acupuncture may help some cancer patients who have.... Traditional theory holds that these points connect with energy pathways that run through the body, and acupuncture helps keep this natural energy flow running smoothly. SOURCE: Cancer 2002;94:1151-1156. After all the CHA discussion about the unworthiness of the word " energy " in the context of TCM did anyone ever come up with a better word suggestion for use in a context such as was required by the author of the Reuters article and the many other articles like it? Stephen Chinese Herbal Medicine, a voluntary organization of licensed healthcare practitioners, matriculated students and postgraduate academics specializing in Chinese Herbal Medicine, provides a variety of professional services, including board approved online continuing education. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2002 Report Share Posted March 1, 2002 Western medicine is now quoting ancient Chinese philosophy!! > " jramholz " <jramholz > > > Acupuncture May Aid Cancer >Sat, 02 Mar 2002 05:15:50 -0000 > >Acupuncture May Aid Cancer Patients' Dry Mouth >Fri Mar 1, 5:29 PM ET >By Amy Norton > >> " Different patients will require different maintenance, " Johnstone >explained, noting that most appear to need periodic " booster " >treatments. > >> > _______________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 2, 2002 Report Share Posted March 2, 2002 , " stephen " <stephen@b...> wrote: > > > After all the CHA discussion about the unworthiness of the word " energy " in > the context of TCM did anyone ever come up with a better word suggestion for > use in a context such as was required by the author of the Reuters article > and the many other articles like it? > > Stephen > I guess the question in my mind would be how does it benefit us for the reuters journalist to use a term that 1. is ludicrous in this context to any modern scientist 2. is not justifiable from a sinological perspective I think I would rather have no press at all. The journalist no doubt just parroted something he read or heard from someone whom he trusted knew something about the subject. I doubt he read Ken's book first. I certainly would rather he spoke of pathways of connectivity than energy flow. While perhaps equally nebulous to the layperson, at least it does not smack of discredited pseudoscience to the more discerning reader. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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