New Information for the Conciarge

We all know spas have been expanding to include acupuncture services, but now hotels are starting to get into the game. And believe it or not, the treatment rates are decent and the hotels are not grossing a large profit of their customers! If you ever wanted to break in to hospitality, you may want to use this piece in your sales pitch.

'Sticking' Your Guests for Profit
3/19/2007 5:09:46 PMBy David Wilkening

Highly competitive hoteliers looking for the next new innovative service might consider acupuncture. While the 5,000-year-old practice has been around a long time, it’s certainly far from commonplace, but some hotels are seeing green by sticking it to their guests.

The reaction when it was offered recently at the Spencer Hotel in Chautauqua, New York, was all positive, says owner Helen Edginton. She decided to introduce it after her personal experience.

“I was having some pain in my legs and toe and I used it. It worked fine,” she says. “It’s great for arthritis or for any kind of pain. You can also do it as a face lift. They’ve had quite a lot of success with that.”

Acupuncture may be best known as a surgical anesthetic but the hotel variety is perhaps more inclined to be cosmetic, though in some cases it offers relief from a variety of illnesses. Edginton says the acupuncture she offers through a licensed therapist is “fast, luxurious and painless.”

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Newsletter

I received an interesting e-mail today from a place calling themselves "the International Institute of Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture." The headlines were:
1 - Eliminate a headache in 15 seconds
2 - An alternative to the Acupuncture needles
3 - Special tuition offered by our International Institute
4 - General notes

I did a quick browse and skimed the headache article, read the theory that underwire bras are pressing on the YangMing merdian which "accumulates energy in the breast, and becomes, with time, a stagnation and accumulation of the energy CHI. This could very well be an important cause of Breast-Cancer." Then there were several "teasers" on subjects including obesity, infertility and a piece on magnetic, needle free acupuncture. Nothing much came up a Google search of the founder of these methods, Prof. Jin Ke Yu.

You have to become a member of their organization before you are allowed to sign up for their classes. Included in the membership is a newsletter and, well, a newsletter with all kinds of "exclusive" information. No indication on class delivery method, but the company is based in Beijing. See what you think.

http://www.magneticacupuncture.com/Newsletter.htm

Runner's World

While I do not identify myself as a runner, I have managed to put away a few small races and even a mini-marathon. Needless to say, I have had my share of knee pain and ankle twists. When I sprained my ankle several years ago in a canyon, I had it lanced and cupped and within two days it was like it never happened. I have also seen my share of plantar faciitis in practice and have to admit I always feel like a bully when I administer treatment - having needles placed in your heel no matter how thin they are is uncomfortable. While most of us see patients at the chronic stage of the disease, it is a joy to be able to treat at the onset of injury. For athletes, this is especially true as it gets them back in training all the faster.

Can Acupuncture Heel an Injury?

When one of our staff members developed plantar fasciitis (inflammation of the layer of tissue that supports the arch of the foot), she sought treatment from a podiatrist and physical therapist, and iced, rested, and stretched the area. Despite her efforts, the pain continued. So she decided it was time for an alternative therapy-acupuncture.

She went to four sessions with neurologist, certified acupuncturist, and runner Robert Roeshman, M.D., of Allentown, Pennsylvania. During each appointment, Dr. Roeshman inserted 15 to 30 thin, pliable needles into her calves and feet. She felt some initial discomfort, but as she grew more comfortable with the process, the pain subsided. He next attached an electrical-stimulation device to a few of the needles. After 30 minutes, he detached the machine, removed the needles, and voil?Our runner felt better-much better.

"After the second session, I went running, and there was absolutely no pain in my heel." There are constant electrical charges flowing through the body, says Dr. Roeshman. The needles are placed in acupuncture points where there is decreased electrical activity. By generating an electric flow between these points, the brain is stimulated to release endorphins and trigger the immune system to help injuries heal. If done when an injury is "fresh," acupuncture can significantly reduce recovery time, he says. "An ankle sprain that would normally take seven to 14 days to heal could be better in one to three days."

Pretty Inside, Pretty Outside

salesmanship has never been my strong point which is why facial acupuncture can be such a great marketing tool. People may shout "placebo" when a friend tells them their depression/pain/allergies are better with acupuncture, but they can't dismiss the effects when they see the results for themselves. Just one treatment can bring back a healthy, youthful glow, diminish a few of the deeper face lines, and provide a noticeable lift. Not only do you get a "qi lift," but you also get an acupuncture treatment that works on the constitutional level. Take that, spa facial!

Facial Acupuncture Said To Help Aging Process

Seema MathurReporting

(CBS 42) AUSTIN

Wrinkles and loose skin are a part of aging for most. But, can some well placed needles slow that aging process?

Experts say acupuncture has been around for about 5,000 years. While it's most known for promoting general health, practitioners will tell you its beauty secrets are an added benefit.

Christina Lacour, 38, began noticing signs of aging about two years ago.“I'm seeing lines around my forehead,” Lacour said. Lacour says plastic surgery or filler injections are not for her. So, instead she's going for a more natural approach--acupuncture.

First, needles are put in specific points in the feet called meridian points. These represent certain organs.“Sagging and droopy eyelids are often caused by weak digestive system,” acupuncturist Masako Wado said.

Once a good flow of energy or chi is circulating around the body, hair-thin needles are placed on the scalp and neck to lift the skin.Smaller needles are put in fine wrinkle lines. The trauma is suppose to cause collagen production and create a smoother appearance.“It gives the firm look and it brings more glow on the skin,” Wado said.

About an hour later, Lacour likes what she sees in the mirror.“The well being of that person will reflect on the skin,” Wado said.

Acupuncturists say it takes about 10 treatments for best results. But one treatment has made a believer out of Lacour.

Acupuncturists say, with booster treatments, results can last for a few years. There can be bruising and you want to make sure you are going to a licensed and experienced acupuncturist. The prices ranges from $150 to $200.

New Pennsylvania Law

When I was practicing in Texas, we had a similar law that required a patient has been referred to an acupuncturist. One of the sneaky ways that I was told by the local board to get around this was to have a separate form where the patient gave the name and address of their PHP, verified they had seen an MD for the condition, and was referred by the physician to get acupuncture. Since most patients see acupuncturists after they exhaust all other possibilities, it was never a problem. Last time I checked, neither acupuncture, chiropractor, or naturopathy were extensively covered in med school, yet we had to be given "permission" while chiropractors and naturopaths were allowed to practice unencumbered. At least in Pennsylvania, the scales are beginning to balance.

PA Law Change Makes Alternative Medicine Easier to Obtain
Pennsylvania - Senate Bill 1235, eliminates the requirement for patients to obtain both a written referral and their last physical exam results to keep on file with their acupuncturist to take effect on January 28, 2007

January 24, 2007 - Backed by both Democrats and Republicans in the state Senate, "[S.B.1235] takes away a tremendous burden to our patients, who often waited weeks to procure a referral while their ailments were left untreated," Steven Mavros, Licensed Acupuncturist and representative of the Association for Professional Acupuncture stated.

Since a patient cannot be denied access to their own medical records [HIPAA], this means that the power to choose acupuncture as a complimentary therapy is now in the hands of the patient.

The original 1986 bill required acupuncturists to obtain physician referrals before providing treatment. Now, patients can come in for same day treatment with no paperwork in hand. Treatment may take place for up to 60 days without any diagnosis or referral.Governor Edward Rendell signed S.B.1235 into law on November 30, 2006.

Feel Good Acupuncture, located at 301 Montour Boulevard in Bloomsburg provides acupuncture and herbal services. "It will be a pleasure to be able to take patients for same-day visits. It's very frustrating to turn away a patient that is in pain, because they did not know that they needed to have a referral prior to treatment."

Points for Plants

Wow - better botany through acupuncture - who would have thought?

Researcher patents use of acupuncture on plants

LONG-TERM PROJECT: Hsiao Gui-wen spent eight years drawing up a comprehensive map of plant acupuncture points and another seven years perfecting the treatment By Chung Li-hua
STAFF REPORTERS Sunday, Jan 07, 2007, Page 2

Can acupuncture be used on plants?

After experimenting for 15 years, Hsiao Gui-wen (蕭貴文), a researcher of Chinese medicine, has uncovered the acupuncture points on plants.

When applied to fruit-bearing plants such as peach and apple trees, acupuncture not only advanced the harvest time by a month and a half, but also decreased damage by blight.

The technique has been patented, and many interested businesses now are in negotiation for the rights to use the technology.

Hsiao originally ran a chiropractic clinic in Yonghe. After he witnessed ginger lilies change color upon absorbing dyes, he toyed with the idea that plants may have acupuncture points like humans.

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New Year, New Face . . . Sort of

In Louisville, there are at least two new plastic surgery offices opening near my practice in addition to the several "botox beauty boutiques" that promise to smooth out any flaw you can think of with laser, syringe, or scalpel. Acupuncture facials can be a hard sell - people who are considering botox or face lifts are probably not going to embrace acupuncture because the results are too slow. The occasional Hollywood personality testimonial may bring some of these people in, but the majority are going to be existing clients or those who would not try anything more invasive than Oil of Olay. Here is some help in bringing that awareness.

Put a New Face on the New Year
Written by Staff
Friday, 05 January 2007

Okay, that may be a bit extreme, but with all of the natural and less invasion alternatives to plastic surgery now offered inn the Denver area, it might not be as impossible as it sounds. If you’ve been looking for a way to rejuvenate and start the year with confidence, you may be ready for an overall overhaul. There are ways to get the fresh glowing skin you are seeking without spending exorbitant amounts of money or committing to invasive plastic surgery. An easy first step is a consultation with a dermatologist and/or an acupuncturist.

Cosmetic acupuncture has been around for centuries. In the early Chinese dynasties, treatments were reserved for the wealthy, though luckily today it is available for common folks like us, and both men and women alike. Cosmetic acupuncture can eliminate fine lines and wrinkles and diminishes deeper lines. Sagging skin lifts and develops a healthy glow. rhytids (lines between the eyes) can completely disappear. Puffy eyes and sagging lids improve noticeably. Rosacea has diminished in most patients and acne becomes less of a problem. Women report that makeup slides on smoothly and less moisturizer is needed. Men have reported noticeable differences in “smile lines” and sagging jowels. Men also love the treatment because it is subtle and gradual.

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