This Is What Your Skin Looks Like Before And After Sunblock....

Please take a moment to watch this very eye opening short video-
If you are young or have a young child, please get in the habit of wearing/ putting on a natural sunscreen every day; especially on days where you will be out in the sun. If you are older, please start now- a little bit makes a big difference.
Watch the video by clicking here
*notice the difference in skin pigmentation in the young and the not so young*

Study Shows Acupuncture Improves Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients

Use of electroacupuncture (EA) – a form of acupuncture where a small electric current is passed between pairs of acupuncture needles – produces significant improvements in fatigue, anxiety and depression in as little as eight weeks for early stage breast cancer patients experiencing joint pain related to the use of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) to treat breast cancer. The results of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial examining the intervention led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are published online this week in the journal Cancer. The study is the first demonstration of EA’s efficacy for both joint pain relief, as well as these other common symptoms.
The results build upon earlier findings reported in November 2013, showing that EA can decrease the joint pain reported by roughly 50 percent of breast cancer patients taking AIs – the most-commonly prescribed medications to prevent disease recurrence among post-menopausal women with early-stage, hormone receptor positive breast cancer. Despite their efficacy, the joint pain associated with the use of AIs often leads to fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances for these patients, which researchers suggest may cause premature discontinuation of the drug. Previous studies have shown that nearly half of women taking AIs do not complete their recommended course of treatment, and that those who stop taking the drugs or don’t take them as prescribed have a higher chance of dying of both breast cancer and other causes."
To read entire article please click here
Posted by Sharon Wyse L.Ac

"Infertility To Pregnancy With Acupuncture & Herbs"

"A new clinical study concludes that acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine have potent effects in reversing infertility. Several types of patients suffering from infertility participated in the study including those using IVF, IUI and those using no biomedical assistance. All types showed significantly improved successful pregnancy rates." 

"The researchers note that the success rate of IVF is 24% (for 4 or more embryos transferred) as a standalone therapy. The combination of IVF with acupuncture has a significantly higher success rate of 42.5%. They note that the improved success rate is both indicates a safe and economical way to assist women undergoing fertility treatments. A total of 52.38% of women in the study conceived with acupuncture and/or herbal medicine without biomedical assistance. Another 9.52% conceived with acupuncture and/or herbs combined with IVF (in vitro fertilization) and 4.76% conceived with IUI (intrauterine insemination) combined with acupuncture. 

To read more on this article please click here

Melatonin May Help Luteal Phase Defect

"A number of studies have demonstrated how melatonin can improve fertility by boosting IVF success rates and improving egg quality, but few studies have researched the possible benefits of melatonin in natural conception cycles. It seems that melatonin may have an important role in helping the ovaries to produce progesterone more efficiently in the luteal phase through it's strong antioxidant effects."
To read more of the article please click here
Posted by Sharon Wyse L.Ac

A Close Up Look At Acupuncture for Pain

"A growing number of Americans would prefer to stop popping pills and avoid going under the knife to treat a bum knee, achy lower back or sore hip. Instead, they’re turning to the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture to help ease chronic joint pain."

"Research studies consistently show that acupuncture can be an effective form of pain management, with some studies finding it even more effective than pain-relieving drugs or surgery. But exactly how it works remains somewhat of a mystery, Danesh admits.

In theory, acupuncture stimulates the body’s meridian points. By easing pressure on these energy-carrying channels, ancient Chinese physicians believed the needles corrected the body’s imbalances by allowing energy or “chi” to flow more freely. Although traditional Western medicine remains skeptical about the idea of chi, Danesh said that many of the meridian points happen to coincide with trigger points, spots on the body where pain radiates away from the center when pressed."

To read the full article please click here

Posted by Sharon Wyse L.Ac.

Acupressure for Babies/Children for a Good Night’s Sleep

"Promoting better baby sleep from the perspective of Chinese medicine is very different from the standard American approach.Modern pediatric sleep advice is an incredibly contentious subject as any trip to the bookstore will demonstrate. There are books on the many different behavioral modification methods, from the cry-it-out approaches to the attachment-parenting styles. And if you go to any online parenting discussion board, there will be heated discussions among parents who defend their choice of sleep method for babies. Regardless of parenting style and culture, Chinese medicine techniques can help improve sleep because they alter the energetics of sleep and focus on physiology rather than behavior. While a reliable sleep routine will be enough for most babies to establish a healthy sleep pattern, others may need additional support. This is when Chinese medicine and its attention to individual energetics can come to the rescue."

To read the full article please click here. 

Posted by Sharon Wyse L.Ac. 

Probiotics May Ease Stomach Upset in Babies

"A new clinical trial suggests that a daily dose of a probiotic may ease digestive upset in babies.

Italian researchers randomly assigned 468 infants less than a week old to receive either a daily oral dose of Lactobacillus reuteri or an identical tasting placebo. Parents recorded the daily frequency of bowel movements and spitting up as well as the amount of time babies cried inconsolably. Investigators followed the families with weekly phone calls or personal meetings. The study appears online in JAMA Pediatrics.

After one month, the babies who got the probiotic showed a significant decrease in crying time and an increase in frequency of bowel movements compared with those who got the placebo. By three months, their frequency of spitting up was reduced as well.

The babies taking the probiotic had fewer emergency department visits and needed less medication for stomach problems. Their parents lost fewer days of work, and there were no adverse side effects. The results were adjusted to account for the effects of breast or bottle feeding, vaginal or cesarean delivery, and other factors."

To read the full article, please click here 

Posted by Sharon Wyse L.Ac