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By Henry, May 4, 2009 10:32 am

Acupuncture beats aspirin for chronic headaches

Acupuncture is found to work better than drugs like aspirin to reduce the severity and frequency of chronic headaches. A team at Duke University recently reviewed studies involving nearly 4,000 patients with migraine, tension headache and other forms of chronic headache and found that 62 percent of the acupuncture patients reported headache relief compared to 45 percent of people taking medications.

Acupuncture works by triggering the release of the body’s natural painkillers without the side effects of drugs. Common side effects of Aspirin include heartburn, nausea and upset stomach. Chinese Medicine is also much more nuanced in its diagnosis of headaches. We don’t treat it with a one-size-fits-all pill. We treat headaches differently depending on what area of the head, whether the pain is sharp or dull, and other accompanying signs and symptoms. This is why Acupuncture, combined with Chinese herbal medicine is so effective.

Other studies have shown that acupuncture helped alleviate pain in patients who had surgery for head and neck cancer, can relieve hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms and can reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea.

Link to full article at Reuters: Acupuncture Beats Aspirin for Chronic Headache

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By Henry, May 3, 2009 11:16 pm

Kissing Miss Piggy Might Not Be Such A Good Idea

There’s currently a lot of sensational news in the media surrounding this new swine flu. The media is reporting triple digit deaths and increasing spread of infection throughout the world. The World Health Organization is calling it a pandemic, meaning that it is a new influenza virus that we humans have no immunity to and it has the potential to spread rapidly and cause a lot of deaths.

In Egypt, the government plans to slaughter the country’s 250,000 pigs. Wild boars are being killed in Iraq. Concerts and public events are being cancelled in Mexico. Hundreds of tourists are being quarantined in Hong Kong. Here in the U.S. Lawmakers are talking about closing our border with Mexico.

Let’s cut through the mass hysteria and get some perspective on this new strain of influenza.

1. It is a strain of influenza. You’ll experience the same symptoms as normal flu. Fever, cough, body aches, sore throat, chills, fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting.
2. There is no evidence that this new strain was spread from pigs to humans. You will not get it from eating pork. The World Health Organization has stopped using the term “swine flu” late last week to avoid this confusion. It is now called H1N1.
3. As of April 29th, the World Health Organization has only confirmed 7 deaths due to swine flu. The 152 deaths reported by media outlets at the time are false.
4. Each year around the world, 500,000 people die from the flu. 36,000 of those deaths are in the U.S. 7 deaths out of hundreds of infections are hardly cause for widespread fear about this virus.
5. There are no vaccines for this new influenza strain. Even for strains that we already have vaccines for, effectiveness is questionable. Look at how many people still die from the flu. You also need to have the right vaccine for the right strain. In addition, beware of their side effects, which include diarrhea, nausea, sinusitis, nasal signs and symptoms, bronchitis, cough, headache, dizziness, and ear, nose, and throat infections. That’s right you may get flu like symptoms taking a vaccine! With viruses constantly evolving, vaccines cannot be a permanent solution. There will always be a threat of new strains.
6. Health officials are recommending Tamiflu. Its most common side effect is nausea and vomiting. Japan and Korea banned this drug, linking it to an increase in suicidal behavior of influenza patients aged between 10 and 17.
7. During the swine flu outbreak in 1976, 25 people died from flu inoculation while 1 person died from the flu itself.

The best thing you can do is to wash your hands regularly. The proper way to wash your hands is scrubbing them under warm soapy water for at least 15 seconds. That, along with getting plenty of rest and Chinese medicine, can take care of the flu.

Yes, Chinese medicine and acupuncture are effective against the flu. There are herbs with broad antiviral and antibacterial properties that, unlike vaccines, can treat a broad spectrum of diseases, not just 1 specific strain of 1 disease. The exact combination of herbs prescribed is not one size fits all but tailored to an individual’s unique needs. In addition, acupuncture can address sign and symptoms and boost the immune system.

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By Henry, March 10, 2009 6:54 pm

Look for me in the Learning Garden every Saturday at 10 am.

Every Saturday morning from 10 am – 12 noon, I lead a Qi Gong practice group at the Learning Garden in Venice, CA. The practice has been going for more than 5 years. It was originally formed to provide a place for students of Master Hong Liu to have regular group practice.

Starting Saturday, March 21 I will be opening the class up to new people who are interested in learning Grandmaster Hong Liu’s Medical Qi Gong. Whether you are a natural healer, a student of the healing arts or someone interested in self-healing and cultivation, this is a great place to get introduced to his forms.

To give a little history, I have been a student of Master Hong for over 8 years. His classes and the amazing results I personally witnessed from his treatments were what originally inspired me to become a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. I’ve seen him bring people out of comas, cure hepatitis and beat cancer using Qi Gong and medicinal herbs. I highly recommend his forms due to their simplicity, effectiveness, their specific medical applications and the wide range of exercises that are offered.

If you don’t know who Master Hong Liu is, he is one of the few Qi Gong Grandmasters in the world and is regarded as a living treasure in China and Hawaii. He was a western trained physician in China who studied under several Qi Gong Masters. He has written a book, The Healing Art of Qi Gong which tells about his story. The last 1/3 of the book is filled with practical, easy to learn and easy to teach Qi Gong exercises you can do for a variety of diseases. He currently travels around the country teaching classes, doing research on the benefits of Qi Gong and providing private healing sessions.

About the class
In the first hour we start with warm up and preparation exercises, followed by Spring seasonal Qi Gong which changes about every 15 days. The seasonal Qi Gong helps you stay in tune with the seasons and are great for general wellness as well as for specific Spring-related medical conditions. In the second hour, we do one of his more advanced forms. If you are new, I recommend doing only the first hour.

Cost is $5 per class. 20% is donated to the Learning Garden.

About the Seasonal Qi Gong
The movement of the Earth and the Sun create our seasons. The seasons affect your energy and your internal organs. The effect can show up in your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual states.

You can learn how to draw from the peaking energies of the seasons rather than fighting them, ending up drained and dry. Using 3,000-year-old practices, you can maximize your internal organs, sleeping and eating patterns, emotions, thought patterns– even your prosperity. Learn how to nourish the beginnings of yang energy in the Spring so that your mood, joints, liver and gallbladder are in their best shape.

Class Location:
The Learning Garden (www.thelearninggarden.org)
Southeast corner of Venice Blvd and Walgrove Ave, next to Venice High School in Venice, CA. Entrance is through the gate on Walgrove Ave. There is usually ample street parking on Walgrove and on Venice.

Class starts March 21, 2009 at 10 am.

Contact:
Henry Lee, e-mail henry@evosia.com or call 310-980-8645. Contact me if you plan to attend. Visit my web site: www.leejunwah.com