West Coast Acupuncture Schools

As I am entering my internship at the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (OCOM) in less than a week, I began to think about why I chose OCOM over other schools that were options to me in the northwest. Once I decided that my career would be in alternative medicine, I realized that there were a lot of great schools in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

It came down to several reasons: First off, most of my family lives near the Portland area, and I wanted to be closer to them. Second, I hadn't lived in the States for almost three years, and it seemed like a good idea to try it again (though I still miss Korean health care). And last, but not least, OCOM offered a structured three-year program, had a great research department, and seemed to be a well known acupuncture school across the United States.

One Canadian school I had considered is the International College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia. They have a great location in Vancouver, and there is another branch of the school in Victoria. Another Canadian acupuncture school is Pacific Rim College, which I recently discovered has a great online presence in a fantastic newsletter for students, prospective students, and the community.

In the the US, both Bastyr in Seattle, or NCNM (National College of Natural Medicine) in Portland were both possibilities for me. While they are both extremely good schools, I just felt the OCOM had the focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine in the way that I would be able to learn the medicine best. Also, the two of the founding members of OCOM are still teaching at the school, which says a lot to me.

If you are looking for a school to begin a career, or want to try acupuncture (usually at a reduced rate) and help a student learn, look here for a list of schools. There are so many great schools out there to meet individual needs.

Acupuncture in the Treatment of Strokes

NOTE: This post was written by my colleague, Kevin Wrathall. He'll be writing more posts in the weeks and months to come. Welcome to the Portland Acupuncture Blog, Kevin!

Photo by: graceycat

People who survive a stroke often face debilitating effects with serious impact on their lives. Last year, my mother in-law suffered her second stroke and now finds it difficult to talk, with a fair amount of slurring and misspoken words. Allopathic medicine saved her life but the doctors told her they could do nothing to help with the speech problems. This formerly gregarious woman now acts subdued and quiet.

Neither acupuncturists nor acupuncture schools advocate using acupuncture and herbs as the only treatment modality for a stroke. Allopathic medicine provides life-saving, treatment for strokes that would have claimed many lives in prior years. However, acupuncture and herbs also offer effective treatment for patients recovering from strokes.

Dr. Ming Qing Zhu, a well-known acupuncturist practicing in San Jose, California, specializes in using scalp acupuncture to treat patients recovering from strokes. In theory, inserting acupuncture needles in the scalp stimulates neural connections that restore functions of the central nervous system. It would be great if research money were available to investigate this, but for now we can look at the anecdotal evidence from his very popular clinic, where patients show significant improvements through his treatments. Check out a scene in the movie “Fierce Grace” where Dr. Zhu treats the guru Ram Dass, helping him to walk for the first time after suffering a stroke.

Patients seem to find their way to an acupuncturist through word of mouth or research, as many allopathic practitioners are unaware of the significant effects of acupuncture in treating strokes. In addition, many acupuncturists do not have experience in doing this type of treatment. OCOM offers a short course that teaches the basics to students. Despite this, more and more stroke patients do receive effective acupuncture care in the Portland area.

If you or anyone you know is a recovering stroke patient, the sooner you get treatment (whether acupuncture, herbs or other modalities) the better the results.

Medical Student Blog Writes About Acupuncture!

Photo by:Mitch Eaton/bodhi47

Graham Walker, a medical student at Stanford, has a fantastic blog that must be checked out! To be honest, the the fact that the name of the blog is in exclamations peaked my curiosity when my friend sent me the link. Graham has a interesting view of the Western medical world, and is an advocate for change in the medical system. Hooray!

His interview with Dr. Nicholas Genes is on the Medscape site, where they discuss the latest Michael Moore movie Sicko, the popularity of Graham's blog, and what he's done with it these past years. Very inspiring for beginning bloggers.

Digging further into his site, I stumbled on an article he wrote pertaining to his own personal experience with acupuncture. I liked his honesty, skepticism, and surprise at the end results. To me, it confirms that even when we don't understand something in the Western medical world, there may come a time when we have to have faith in the healing process and the ability of our body to heal itself.

p.s. I'm pretty sure 'acupuncture' can't be used as a verb.....

Technorati Tags: Over!My!Med!Body!, medical student blog, acupuncture,

How Does Acupuncture Work?

Having had an avid interest in acupuncture for several years, it’s always good test of my knowledge and communication skills when friends and family ask, “So…..how does acupuncture work?” Indeed, that is the question we would all like to know. There are many different explanations I’ve heard and experienced, but I’m still far from the answer. Acupuncture is an ancient and respected medicine, and it can't be explained simply in one sentence.

One theory that seems to be widely accepted is that Qi (your life energy) flows though your body in a balanced manner in order to keep you healthy and free from pain. When the Qi is blocked or deficient, there may be pain, emotional distress, or disease. Acupuncture balances the energy of the body, therefore reducing pain and emotional distress either quickly or over a period of several sessions, depending on the disease or issue at hand.

To find out more about how acupuncture works, check out the entry on Wikipedia.

And for you Oprah fans out there, if you didn’t catch Dr. Oz and Daniel Hsu, LAc, explaining acupuncture on her show, check this out.

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, Qi, acupuncture theory

Looking for a Portland Acupuncturist?

Photo by mikefats

Looking for an acupuncturist in the Portland area? Don’t know where to start? Try the Oregon Acupuncture Association (OAA) website to find practitioners. The Oregon Acupuncture Association is an industry association for Oregon acupuncturists.

Or, you can check here to search for clinics in your area.

If you are looking for an LAc (credentials for a Licensed Acupuncturist) in another part of Oregon or a different state altogether, try acupuncture.com. It's a great site with a lot of information regarding acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

Technorati Tags: acupuncture, Oregon acupuncture, OAA, acupuncture.com

Affordable acupuncture in Portland

Sorry about the hiatus in posts! Had to study for then sit my final exams, then recuperate for a few days.

While acupuncture is affordable to those who have health insurance or are able to pay out of pocket, there are many more who can’t afford $50-$95 per hour. Luckily for us, Portland has sprouted up several alternative treatment sites in the form of group acupuncture. Working Class Acupuncture, with its beautiful building, experienced practitioners, and easy location, offers a sliding pay scale to patients. Community acupuncture is spreading steadily across the country- check out nation-wide people who are starting clinics here. Having received treatments at both WCA and Brooklyn Community Acupuncture, I’d highly recommend checking out group acupuncture. It’s easy, affordable, and effective.

Instead of the standard one-person-per-room, the treatment is in a large space with several comfortable armchairs grouped together. Two or three practitioners treat all patients at the same time as you lounge and listen to soothing music (and possibly fall blissfully asleep like I did).

Group treatment is such a great option if you are lower on cash, and are comfortable having your treatment with a few other people. Most group treatment facilities also offer single rooms if you prefer or require a private treatment, which is also a great way to experience acupuncture for the first time.