Q: I’m 40 and happily married. My husband and I have been trying to conceive for 2 years but no pregnancy yet. We’re pretty sure we don’t want to get into anything drastically high-tech or expensive but are certainly open to natural fertility enhancement. Any ideas?

A: My first (and only) child, a beautiful girl, was born in 1998 when I was 42. So I’m happy to help on this topic! First, you say there has been no pregnancy yet. Does that mean you’ve never missed a period? So-called “luteal phase insufficiency” (a fancy way to say not enough progesterone during the 2 weeks after ovulation) is a common cause of early miscarriage, which may seem like a normal, or slightly heavy, period. If your menses are irregular, or you’re not sure when you are ovulating, that’s the first order of business. You can get ovulation detection kits in any drugstore. You want to attempt conception as close to ovulation as possible, because the egg only lives 12-24 hours (less hearty in older women). The sperm, however, can live 3-5 days, so if you aim for just BEFORE ovulation, that’s best. This requires becoming very familiar with your ovulation pattern. One of the best authors on natural fertility is Toni Weschler. Jeannine Parvati-Baker (from the hippy days) also has some wonderful books on the subject. About 40% of the time infertility is the woman’s “problem”, about 40% is the man’s “problem” and 20% is both. The preferred form of birth control in Japan is hot-tubbing. That’s why you see Japanese business men in magazines or movies having their meetings in hot-tubs. Immersing the testicles in hot (104 F) water for 45 minutes three days in a row effectively knocks back the sperm motility for 3 weeks. So, if you WANT to get pregnant, make sure your man is not heating up his testicles! If you know you are ovulating and your guy has had his sperm checked out by donating a fresh sample to the local laboratory, taking Vitamin A may be all you need. Healthy ovaries are bright yellow in color from the high quantity of Vitamin A in the tissue. I would recommend 25,000 IUs of Vit A daily for 2-3 months. Extremely high (500,000 IU) levels of Vitamin A are dangerous to a potential fetus, but no danger with 25,000 IUs. Also, ladies, please make sure you have at least 20% body fat. Another nice, inexpensive, supplement to soften the ovary walls and enhance ovulation is phosphatidyl choline (available at any health food store). Take 1500 mg daily for 2-3 months. In addition, B vitamins are helpful for strengthening the DNA (genetic information) of both sperm and egg, particularly Vitamin B1. Find a multi B that has at least 50 mg of B1 and take 4-5 daily for 1-2 months. Yes, your urine will turn bright yellow! That’s OK. Occasionally there’s a configuration problem where the opening of the womb (the “os”) doesn’t line up perfectly with the vaginal opening. If you have ever been told on a pelvic exam that your uterus is “retroflexed” or “anteverted” those are variations of normal, so not to worry. However, having sex “doggy style” will improve the line of trajectory. Sometimes, rarely, there are auto-immune incompatabilities that cause the vaginal secretions to “neutralize” the sperm or the ejaculate to cause vaginal irritation. You’ll need a specialist to help sort out these problems.< Possibly artificial insemination (where the sperm is placed in the uterus with a catheter, bypassing the vaginal secretions) is what you need. This is not high tech. Many lesbian couples “do it” with a turkey baster very successfully. One final word for today: I personally believe completing a liver cleansing diet for 2 weeks and drinking plenty of pomegranate juice helped me conceive in my 40s. Pomegranates contain the highest amount of estrogen-like compounds in any known fruit; this beautiful fruit is an ancient Greek symbol of fertility. I love the POM juices and though they’re spendy, it’s a lot less expensive than some fertility techniques, and very tasty to boot! Aim to drink one quart per week – both of you! Good luck!

Q:Why Do I Crave Foods That Are “Bad” For Me?

A: This is a big question. Part of the answer involves understanding the relationship between your individual digestive system and the wide variety of food choices out there. Much of what passes for “food” has not even been grown in the ground. Start with this: eat real food. Eat food that HAS grown in the ground, optimally in certified organic soil, and choose food that grew there in the good earth not too long ago.

Each person has a unique relationship with food depending on various factors. For example, family background. How was food presented to you as a child? Was candy given as a bribe or treat? Food choices would ideally also be predicated on blootype. Also, consider your caloric requirements: how much do you exercise, are you mostly sedentary during the day, is your day-to-day work highly mentally demanding?

When you crave a certain food, and it’s a whole food (such as a juicy ripe peach) and when you eat that food and feel good and satisfied, then you are responding to a need for the nutrients and psychological benefits of that particular fod. However, if you get a rash around your mouth or your tongue swells up, the message is strong and clear that you need to avoid peaches. If you crave a candy bar, for another example, and you eat the candy bar and feel good for a few minutes but then don’t feel so good, but still want another candy bar the next day, or the next hour, then perhaps you’re “addicted” to the candy.

There are two basic questions you can ask yourself to sort out whether something you crave contains a nutrient your body truly needs, or whether you’re looking at a harmful addiction.

1. First, how do you feel after consuming the desired food?
2. Second, does a small portion of the desired food satisfy you, or do you continue to have cravings?

In women, there is a connection between the throat and the vagina. The base of the uterus, which opens into the vagina, is called the cervix. Behind the throat are the neck bones: the cervical spine. We are vulnerable in these areas. Many women with eating disturbances have issues around communication and self-knowledge, or their sense of their own unique power. Women who feel out of control about what goes in their mouths (or vaginas) are going to be, understandably, grumpy or withdrawn or uncomfortable with intimacy. There can be varying degrees of these expressions. Luckily, there has been a lot of information about “eating disorders” published in the past decades and women no longer need to feel alone with these confusions. Therapy and research can help with both the “why” and the “how to change” aspects of dis-ordered eating. In looking at “why” you binge eat, forgive if possible and love anyway if possible and, most of all, re-commit to yourself, which is really all you have control over in this life.

“How to” get past dis-ordered eating involves developing a taste for healthy food, regular exercise (start with walking 15 minutes daily), good sleep hygiene (don’t short-change yourself) and staying aware.

Another tip: try to catch the behavior as far in advance as possible. By that I mean if you are planning to go to the store for some cookies that you don’t really need, decide RIGHT NOW to instead take a soothing bath, call a friend, write a letter, pick up a favorite book of poetry, spend time with someone you love – whatever is authentic for you. These are clearly better choices. And easier to make than if you get all the way to the store, to the cash register, cookies in hand… at that point it’s almost too late. But not quite.

And even if you can’t stop the binge, you can forgive yourself and spend some quiet time tuning into how you really feel now; how does your heart feel? How does your tummy feel? Put your hands on your body, one on the heart and one on the tummy and just FEEL. The small quiet voice of your own truth can only be heard, and appreciated, when you are listening.

Meanwhile, supplemental chromium, 200-500 mcg daily, can really help with sugar cravings. Chocolate cravings, specifically, may indicate low magnesium status: take 500-1000 mg of magnesium at bedtime, as it is also a gentle muscle relaxant. Also consider trace minerals potassium (99mcg daily), zinc (in the form of picolinate, 30 mg daily) and selenium (200-500 mcg daily) will help to offset imbalances that could create unhealthy food cravings.

Q: I am trying to eat right and stay healthy, but should I include eggs in my diet or are they bad for me?

A: I am personally a great fan of eggs (including fish eggs), free-range of course.  They are a perfect protein, containing all eight essential amino acids.  They are replete with healty, mono-unsaturated and essential fatty acids.  The fats in eggs are “emulsified” (broken down) in the liver by the lecithin provided by the very same egg.  This is why eggs do NOT raise “bad” cholesterol, contrary to popular opinion.

Lecithin helps prevent kidney and liver damage and slows aging. Lecithin is a precursor to the “feed and breed” (parasympathetic) moeity of our central nervous system function — in contrast to the adrenaline-driven “fight or flight” (sympathetic) response.  So, eggs can help bust stress.  Plus, eggs are one of the best natural sources of Vitamin D — your liquid sunshine and bone builder.  The health benefits of Vitamin D (way beyond just helping calcium absorption) are just beginning to be widely appreciated.  Vitamin D is currently being studied in oncology circles for its protective properties. Many common cancers (breast, prostate, colon, pancreas) occur disproportionately in folks with low Vitamin D levels (which should be 50 mL/mg on a blood test).

Eggs are high in sulfur, a major component of the detoxification systems in the liver.  Sulfur is not only an excellent detox agent (which is why high sulfur foods like eggs, garlic and onions help reduce pain from inflammatory conditions like arthtis) but sulfur is a good antioxidant as well.  One of the latest remedies for arthritis is egg membrane — the thin filmy stuff between the shell and the gooey part.  Egg whites contain natural anti-microbial properties to protect against possible infection of the chick embryo.  Old fashioned doctors used to slap egg whites on a wound to expedite healing.

Finally, please know that the best way to cook an egg is IN THE SHELL.  Ideally, you don’t want to oxidize the good fats in the egg by heating them while exposed to air.  A good old soft boiled egg (put it in cold water, bring to a boil and it’s perfectly cooked in three minutes at sea level) is an ideal breakfast, lunch, dieter’s dinner or snack.  Enjoy!

Q: Can you recommend a Naturopathic Doctor near me?

A: Not all states license Naturopathic Doctors at this time. However, there a many highly trained Naturopathic Doctors, who have graduated from accredited colleges and universities, working in most states and provinces of North America. Properly trained Naturopathic Doctors have undergraduate degrees, college level science, and attend post-graduate institutions of higher learning for a minimum of 4 years. They also attend residency programs after graduation before hanging out a single. Naturopathic Doctors affiliated with the professional organization, the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians (AANP), must have graduated from an accredited Naturopathic medical school,, and have a license (from a state which licenses Naturopaths). Please, when choosing a doctor for you or your family, use the AANP website, to Find an ND near you.

Q: I’ve heard the term “mind-body connection” mentioned frequently in the past decade. What does that really mean, and what does it mean about my health?

A: Great questions! While the “mind” is generally understood to mean the thoughts that come from the “brain”, these thoughts are actually a series of chemical reactions that do involve the brain, but also involve other parts of the body. For example, you’ve heard the term “gut feeling.” Turns out this concept is literally true: the intestines have as many, if not more, receptors for biochemical information units conveyed through the nervous system (neuropeptides) than the brain itself. Therefore, a “gut feeling” occurs when something either from the environment (a visual stimulus like a handsome face or a physical sensation like a gash in your skin) or from within (a memory) triggers a cascade of chemicals which produces a distinct impression, such as desire, or fear. This feeling will often be felt in the mid-section, although intellectually registered in the brain. You will all be familiar also with “heart feelings” which are generally those of sorrow or adoration. Everyone knows that “heart break” can literally be felt in the chest area; this is the part of your body that contacts another person in deep, not-necessarily-sexual, embrace. If you’re sort of lukewarm about someone, you are unlikely to press your heart area against their heart area. As another example of “mind-body”, you know how it feels to have stifled communication get “stuck” in your throat. The throat will actually constrict when you attempt to express a difficult emotion, or when someone else is preventing you from speaking your truth. It is especially interesting to me that women have traditionally suffered more from insufficient opportunities for full expression and are also much more likely than men to suffer sexual abuse. The part of the spine behind the throat is called the “cervical” spine; the entrance to our wombs is called the “cervix.” There’s a connection between the throat and the cervix; they are connected by a deep network of women’s cultural and emotional history. To me, the single most important event of the 20th century was the resurrection of women’s emancipation. Keep going for it, ladies!

So how does this information play into healthcare? It starts with recognizing that not only do your thoughts greatly affect your body, but that you are the ONLY person who can make positive changes in your own mental outlook. If you approach life, or a new situation, with anxiety and a negative attitude, emotions of hopelessness and despair will physically trigger neuropeptides like cortisol and adrenaline, which are, respectively, immuno-suppressive and vaso-constrictive. This means you are much more likely to get sick and have reduced blood flow to the brain and vital organs when you are engaged in negative emotions. However, a positive attitude, telling yourself that you CAN win or that you WILL do your best, helps to generate endorphins and enkephalins (the body’s natural “opiates”) and also dopamine, which increase blood flow and improve resistance to pathogens.

The central nervous system (brain and nerves) is divided loosely into two domains: sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic nervous system is better known as the “flight or fight” response and is driven mostly by the biochemical adrenaline. Adrenaline, also known as epinephrine, is an extremely potent chemical that severely, if very temporarily, curtails blood flow. For example, a surgeon will numb an area before cutting with a pain killer (like lidocaine for example) but also injects epinephrine because then the cut blood vessels hardly bleed at all. Adrenaline can save your life if you need to run away from danger fast, but the body can’t really tell what degree of danger you’re facing. Therefore the sympathetic nervous system kicks in with stimulation from everyday stressors such as getting the kids to school, getting to work on time, meeting a professional deadline, following through on a favor for a friend. And, most importantly, you get into the “fight or flight” mode, unnecessarily, whenever you engage in negative self-talk, despair, hopelessness, or refusing to see options. Adrenaline is very speedy; it will wear you down, and age you prematurely. So, be wise about how often you choose to get yourself all worked up. Hope, and serenity, and positive thinking which includes loving self-acceptance, all produce a parasympathetic nervous state. In contrast to “fight or flight”, the parasympathetic system is sometimes called the “feed and breed” response. Digestion, lactation, relaxation are examples of parasympathetic activities. The main neuropeptide in this system is acetylcholine, which is partly derived from your health food store supplement lecithin. Yes, add lecithin to your morning yogurt or oatmeal to help smooth out your day. Two heaping teaspoons daily should suffice. Even better, look at yourself in the eyes daily, using a private mirror, and radiate love at yourself. Simply BEAM the love back in. This simple meditation not only enhances production of acetylcholine and endorphins, it will garner you positive attention from your family, co-workers and community friends and neighbors. Nobody really wants to spend too much time with a whiner! When you feel alone, afraid or upset, start with loving yourself as genuinely as possible. Focus on your assets; forgive your imperfections. Be willing to experience the power of positive thinking – it will help keep you young and happy. Better than the alternative!

Q: How can I prevent/reverse thinning hair? (A.T., Oviedo, FL)

A: The quickest natural remedy is high-dose biotin, a type of B-vitamin. Some of the better shampoos contain biotin. Taking 8-10,000 mcg of biotin in capsule form each day can help restore a lush, full quality to your hair within 4-6 weeks. You may have to hunt (check with your local naturopathic doctor) to find a high-dose biotin that doesn’t require swallowing a handful of pills. Another tip: avoid conditioners or use them sparingly. They tend to have lots of chemicals (much more than shampoos) that ultimately poison the hair. Spend the extra money for high quality hair products, preferably with organic ingredients. Massage your head every night to stimulate blood flow to the scalp.

Q: I’m a 70-yr old female. What can I do naturally to improve my bone health and vertebrae deterioration? (H.G., Schooleys Mt., NJ)

A: Sounds like you already know that you have problems with your bones, because you have lost height (more than 2 inches from your maximum adult measurement) or have confirmed bone loss with a DEXA scan (this is a special x-ray of your low back, hip and thigh bone and sometimes arm bone or heel). The healthiest bones are flexible, not brittle, and it’s important NOT to depend on calcium alone for bone building. The highest rates of osteoporosis exist in countries where intake of dairy products is high (for example Sweden, Denmark and the US). Calcium alone will make bones brittle and MORE susceptible to breaking. This doesn’t mean calcium is bad: on the contrary, calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and critical for strong bones. A good bone-healing multi will always contain about 600-1000 mg of Calcium, ideally in various forms (not just calcium carbonate, but also calcium citrate and malate), also a nearly equal dose of Magnesium, at least 400 IUs of Vitamin D to allow for mineral absorption, and the trace minerals boron (2-3 mg), silica (200 mcg), and strontium (300 mg). Strontium has received a lot of press lately for consideration as the single most important bone nutrient after calcium.

Carbonated soft drinks strip minerals from bones by creating a highly acidic environment in the stomach which draws alkalinizing minerals from the skeleton to neutralize the acidity. Avoid all soda pop. Bio-identical estrogen is helpful as a last resort unless you have a family history of blood clots or hormonal-type cancer.

Bones are complex, and when healthy they have an electrical charge which keeps the minerals flowing off and on the bone constantly. When a long bone is slightly bent, it creates a battery-like effect with the negatively charged minerals (sulfur, chloride) gathering on one side of the bone and positively charged minerals (calcium, magnesium) collecting on the opposite side. That’s why weight bearing exercise is important — it literally creates a healthy stress on the bones which CURVE them so they remain more lively. People on bed rest (in a hospital, for example) quickly lose bone because of lack of weight bearing exercise. So, walk every day if you can. Jump roping is even better (1000 jumps per week) if your knees and bladder can handle that!

And please don’t forget to practice your balance. You are much less likely to break a bone if you don’t fall! The one-legged yoga stances are wonderful for maintaining good balance. Try standing on one leg whenever you are standing in line, or at the kitchen stove or sink.

Q: There seems to be a lot in the magazines about thyroid problems. How can I tell if I have a thyroid problem?

A: When a patient comes to the office for a physical exam, my first test is to tap on the tendon just below the kneecap to check that deep tendon reflex. If the reflex is sluggish (which means the lower leg doesn’t kick out), then I think to myself, “hmmm, maybe this person has a thyroid problem.” If the patient admits to being tired, cold, constipated and having a hard time losing weight, I become more certain the thyroid could be under-functioning, also known as hypothyroid. The opposite state, hyperthyroid, also known as Graves’ disease, is much less common, and shows up with racing pulse, jittery or anxious feeling, loose stools, losing weight without dieting, disliking heat. I’ll always ask the cold, sluggish, constipated female patient about her menstrual function. If she says “heavy bleeding” then my diagnosis of hypothyroidism is nearly clinched. I’ll run lab work to confirm. Many doctors, and health-fair settings, will offer the “TSH” blood test to “screen” for hypothyroidism. This is marginally adequate. For one, the range of “normal” generally accepted for TSH is from 0.5 to 5.5. The higher the TSH goes, the less well the thyroid is working. I look for a TSH of 2 or less. I don’t wait for the TSH to get up to 5.5 to treat.

Hypothyroidism & Auto-immune Disease

Also, I want to know as soon as possible if this is an auto-immune thyroid disease, where your own immune system “attacks” the thyroid gland. To find out, I look with lab work for immune complexes against thyroid tissue, called “Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies” (TPO). The TSH test alone doesn’t give information about antibodies to thyroid tissue. If TPO is positive, the diagnosis is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, possibly the most prevalent auto-immune disease in the US. (As an aside, fluoride was once used to treat Graves disease, and wide-spread fluoridation of our water supply may be a reason for the nearly epidemic hypothyroidism in this country.)

If your thyroid is under-functioning because of this auto-immune disease, not only does your thyroid gland need support, but you need reduce inflammation and unnecessary immune reactions. The immune system kicks in when a “foreign” particle (virus, bad bacteria, bad fungus, indigestible food, etc.) enters the bloodstream. This immune response is a good thing, mostly, but not when you have an auto-immune disease. Because when you have an auto-immune disease, the immune system thinks parts of your own tissue is “foreign” — the thyroid gland in the case of Hashimoto’s, or the pancreas in diabetes, or protective sheath around your nerves in MS, or the fluid protecting the small joints in your hands in Rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore, if you have an auto-immune disease (and if your thyroid is under-functioning, it is likely you DO have Hashimoto’s), you must learn how to minimize provoking an immune response. You can’t avoid airborne “flus,” nor avoid pathogens carried home by your children, or lurking on co-workers returning from travel. However, you can try to stay as healthy as possible with appropriate immune tonics, plenty of Vitamin C, plenty of clean water, adequate rest, and zero sugar.

Thyroid Malfunction & Diet

You can also, and this is important, avoid foods that your body doesn’t recognize as good nutrition for you, because if the digestive system can’t handle it, then the immune system will have to kick in. The immune system’s workhorses are the white blood cells, which dump packets of enzymes (lysosomes) onto “foreign” material in the bloodstream. The digestive system has similar enzymes, as well as saliva, stomach acid, bile and pancreatic juices, to digest food. However, some food doesn’t “register” as good nutrition in our bodies. We need to sort out for ourselves which foods are “handled” by the digestive system, and which are not — because it’s a waste of the immune system to use those specialized enzymes to digest food. The single most effective method of starting to determine which foods “work” and don’t work for your body is the blood-type system (see Eat Right for your Type by Dr. Peter D’Adamo). For example, blood-type O’s don’t do well with grains (especially not wheat) and need plenty of protein for optimal health. A’s don’t do well with red meat or dairy foods but do great with fish, a variety of grains, and plenty of vegetables. B’s need to avoid chicken, corn and soy products, but are the only blood-type that thrives on dairy products. Please check the book or website (ER4YT.com) for details. The bottom line: don’t eat food that will trigger an immune response. This is true even if you don’t have an auto-immune disease, because your immune “currency” is finite — you want to keep it in your “savings account” whenever possible. With just slightly reduced thyroid function, I advise patients to start therapy by increasing high iodine foods in their diet, such as fish (not farmed!) and sea vegetables. Not used to eating hijiki, dulse, kombu, or nori? Check them out! They are delicious soaked and put in any salad, or cooked into bean dishes. Speaking of bean dishes, soy products can BLOCK iodine uptake into the thyroid gland, and should be consumed sparingly by those with low thyroid function.

Treatments

If your thyroid problem is auto-immune, do not use glandular (animal tissue) products to treat the disease, but ask your doctor to find an appropriate synthetic thyroid replacement (like Synthroid, synthetic T4, plus Cytomel, synthetic T3. The combination usually works better, and requires lower dosing, than Synthroid alone). If your low thyroid problem is not auto-immune, then I like Armour Thyroid for my patients. This is an “old-fashioned” medicine that offers combined T3/T4 (similar to the blend produced by a normally functioning thyroid gland) derived from sheep or pig thyroid tissue, standardized to contain specific amounts of hormone. The thyroid hormones are simply a cluster of iodine molecules (3 iodine molecules make T3 — the active hormone — and 4 iodine molecules make T4 — the storage form).

Q: I work at a keyboard and my wrists get really sore. What can I do to prevent damaging my hands and wrists? I can’t quit my job.

A: Repetitive strain injury from computer work is a wide-spread problem in this age of electronic communication. You may touch keys up to 200,000 times a day — the equivalent of your fingers walking 10 miles. Holding your wrists, hands and back STRAIGHT while keyboard walking is crucial to ongoing comfort and prevention of strains and pains. When you work with straight wrists and fingers, the nerves, muscles and tendons involved in this complex maneuvering can stay relaxed and comfortable. A straight wrist is a level, flat wrist. This position keeps excess pressure off muscles, tendons and nerves in your wrists and hands. Make sure your keyboard is set up just slightly higher than elbow level to prevent the wrists from flexing, extending or twisting unnecessarily. The ideal position for the back includes sitting straight in your chair, muscles relaxed, with your body tilted slightly back. If you lean your body forward (flexing) or too far backwards (extending), or if you slouch, your wrists and hands adapt by becoming flexed or extended too. This means that the nerves, muscles, and tendons that support your wrists and hands become tense and strained. Sit up straight, facing the computer monitor straight on. The top of the screen should be about eye level. Hold your head at a slight downward tilt to avoid straining muscles in your neck and shoulders. Touch the keys lightly. Keep your feet flat and pointed toward the workstation. This may mean placing a flat prop under your feet. Adjust your chair height and seat back so that you can touch the keyboard with straight wrists and hands. A wrist rest (like a small rolled-up towel) can help support your wrists and keep them straight. A lower back pad or pillow may help you sit up straight. A copy stand should be the same height as the screen so you don’t have to strain your neck to read what you’re typing. A telephone headset will help to keep your head upright and your body straight. NEVER hold the telephone handset by pressing it against your ear with your shoulder. The mouse pad, if you use one, should allow the mouse to float friction-free over it, requiring little effort. At any moment during the day when convenient, stretch your fingers out widely away from the palms 5 to 10 times. Also, rotate your wrists gently first in one direction, then the other, and then shake your hands out by letting them dangle from the wrists. Shake your hands first up and down, then sideways. You can also prevent build-up of tension in the upper body by reaching your arms strongly overhead for 5 seconds, then lower and relax. Repeat 5 times. Next roll your shoulders in a wide circular motion, forward five times then back five times. Get up and walk around whenever possible, and shift your gaze to a far focus – such as out the window – at least one time during an hour of working close to the screen. If you can, program your computer to beep at you at least once hourly as a reminder to take a stretch and re-focusing break. One of my favorite “head” relaxing exercises is to mouth the vowel sounds with greatly exaggerated facial gestures. A – E – I – O – U. On the “U” scrunch up your whole face toward the tip of your nose. This can be especially entertaining performed in a group… When you’re at home, try to avoid repeating the same movements you use at work. Exercise aerobically by walking or swimming. Play ball. If these suggestions don’t help your wrist pain, please see your doctor for further evaluation and treatment.

Q: I’ve heard that acupuncture helps with low back pain and other problems. But I just don’t get it. How does it work?

A: American doctors first learned about acupuncture from no less an authority than Sir Wiliam Osler, often considered the father of modern medicine. “For lumbago,” he counseled a century ago in his classic medical text, “acupunture is, in acute cases, the most efficient treatment.” (Lumbago is an old-fashioned term for low back pain.) Although many scientists are skeptical abut the benefits of acupunture, the specialty has gained an impressive following in this country. An estimated 15 millions Americans have tried it with varying degrees of success for chronic pain, fatigue, nausea, arthritis, digestive problems and a range of other ailments. One acupuncture researcher, a neurologist at the chronic pain program at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington D.C. claims that by providing short term relief, acupuncture frees pain patients to work on physical and behavioral problems that often perpetuate pain and dysfunction. Many patients with chronic low back pain find that acupuncture will help not only break the pain cycle, but allow them to reduce pain medications and participate more vigorously in physical therapy.It is difficult to understand how acupuncture works in terms of a biochemical model of health. All living beings are imbued by a “vital force” which is a manifestation of an inner energy that is more than synapsing neurotransmittors and vibrating molecules. This vital force, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is called “QI” (pronounced chee). Pain, or any physical dysfunction, is considered in Traditional Chinese Medicine to be due to stuck, or stagnant Qi. Here’s where the needles come in. First of all, they ought to be called filaments. They are extremely fine and nothing is injected through them. The sterile, disposable filaments act as conducting rods when inserted into the acupoints where Qi is stagnating. The metal will stimulate a current, similar to an electrical current, to galvanize the stuck energy to flow, thus restoring balance and harmony to the entire system. Some researchers say that acupuncture works in pain relief by blocking the electric currents in the pain pathways as they ascend through the spinal cord to the brain. In experiments with rabbits, rodents, cats, and humans, investigators have shown that acupuncture stimulates the nervous system to release endorphins and other chemicals that relieve pain. Endorphins, discovered in the mid-1970s, are chemically similar to morphine. This may be part of the story, but there is unquestionably an “energy” system which enlivens us, and which has not yet been totally dissected by modern science. A qualified acupuncturist is trained to assess where your Qi is stuck, and to stimulate the appropriate points and restore the healing flow. Although many patients will experience immediate relief from low back pain, or other complaints, with the first session, it is best to commit initially to 6 or 8 sessions within a short period of time before assessing whether or not it is working for you. Juneau is lucky to have several licensed acupuncturists who would be happy to answer more questions about this ancient and still safe and effective healing art.