Man Health

Here is a demonstration of Chinese medicine cupping to treat low back pain - performed by the author of “Traditional Chinese Medicine Cupping Therapy”, Ilkay Zihni Chirali. In this video, he is using cups made of glass. Glass cups are probably the most commonly used in this country because they are easy to sterilize and it is easy to see the strength of the suction when applied to the patients skin. In China, bamboo cups are very common because they are inexpensive, but they have some disadvantages. They have sharp edges, break down easily and can be a greater risk for cross-infection.

In both cases, the technique of obtaining suction is the same. A cotton ball is soaked in alcohol and lit. This is used to heat the inside of the cup which removes the oxygen and creates a vacuum. When the cup is placed on the patient, the skin is drawn up into the cup. By placing the cup over an injured area, stagnant blood and toxins are brought to the surface allowing fresh blood to nourish the injured site. Often the skin will be left with circular bruises that may last up to two weeks.

In this particular video, the cups are being placed over specific acupuncture points that have the function of tonifying the Kidney energy – UB23 and DU4. Chronic, dull, low back pain in Chinese medicine is usually associated with deficient Kidney energy. This may be due to the normal aging process, or may be brought on by activities that deplete the Kidney energy, such as excessive overwork, excessive sexual activity, multiple pregnancies, or standing for long periods of time.

Since sexual complaints (impotence and loss of libido) are also closely associated with Kidney energy deficiency, this same treatment can be used to improve sexual function. In terms of western medicine, the nerves of the lumbar vertebrae supply the sex organs and nerve centers in the lower end of the spinal cord are very important in activating an erotic response in the body. When blood flow is increased in this area of the body, sexual function improves.

About the Author:

Joyce Marley is a licensed acupuncturist who provides acupuncture therapy in New Hartford, NY. She writes alternative health articles about acupuncture and Oriental medicine.

Cupping Therapy has been an integral part of Chinese medicine for thousands of years and continues to be incorporated into treatments today. This book by Ilkay Zihni Chitali is an excellent resource for the practitioner of Chinese medicine. Mr. Chitali provides details for ten different cupping methods. For each method he explains the technique itself in detail along with valuable illustrations.
Examples are given for conditions that may benefit from that particular technique. Half of the book (almost 100 pages) is devoted to specific treatment protocols for common ailments. Cupping instructions are given along with acupuncture points, moxibustion and herbal remedies. Case studies accompany each section.

Several techniques may be used with children and he specifically notes the difference in cupping duration and technique that should be applied for each age group.

Some of the common disorders that benefit from cupping are the common cold, back pain, insomnia, hiccups, fatigue and constipation. For children, asthma and bed-wetting are probably the most frequently treated conditions. But, you may also be surprised to know that cupping can increase libido and help correct bladder and uterine prolapse!

About the Author:

Joyce Marley is a licensed acupuncturist serving the Utica-Rome, NY. She writes alternative health articles about acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

The North American Brain Injury Society will hold it's 6th Annual Conference on Brain Injury October 2-4, 2008 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The conference is the largest annual gathering of North American professionals working in the field of brain injury. Attendees are comprised of basic scientists, rehabilitation physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, neuropsychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, social workers, nurses, case managers, legal professionals, advocates and all others working in the field of brain injury.

The 2008 conference will focus on four concurrent education tracks covering the following topic areas:

• Medical-Clinical Best Practices
• Research/Science
• Life Long Living & Working
• Legal Issues in Brain Injury

In all, over 60 of the leading experts from North America will present the latest advances in the science, rehabilitation and treatment of traumatic brain injury. You can access additional information on the conference at the NABIS website here.

For many people with acquired traumatic brain injury, an adequate life care plan is essential. In personal injury cases, where the value of a life care plan is part of the damages, an essential ingredient is the life expectancy of the individual. In New Jersey and many other states, the Courts utilize a gender, race and ethnic neutral life expectancy, utilizing one life expectancy table regardless of gender or race.

Most recently “New government researches found large and growing disparities in life expectancy for richer and poorer Americans, paralleling the growth of income inequality in the last two decades.”

As reported in Sunday’s New York Times, researchers from the Department of Health and Human Services looked at life expectancy, among many other factors, using census data on education, income, poverty and housing to name but a few of the factors looked at.

This finding was similar to a study conducted by Ellen R. Meara, a health economist at Harvard Medical School who reported that in the 1980s and 1990s “virtually all gains in life expectancy occurred among highly-educated groups.” This was also similar to a Center for Disease Control and Prevention report in February documenting those with higher levels of education and income were much more likely to receive cardiac rehabilitation care than those with lower education and less income.

Since life expectancy represents only the average (50th percentile) life expectancy of Americans, half the population will live longer than the average life expectancy tables. This will have a profound effect in cases where attorneys representing those with acquired traumatic brain injury fail to adequately alert a jury of this potential result.

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