Local College of Chinese Medicine Celebrates Partnership to Save Tigers, Other Wildlife

Local College of Chinese Medicine Celebrates Partnership to Save Tigers, Other Wildlife

TCM School training faculty on how to teach TCM to 21st century students

American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine is doing something revolutionary, not unusual for the school, in the AOM education sector, ACTCM, located in Potrero Hill in San Francisco, is a Chinese Medicine School and Health Center, where people from the public can receive treatments for a variety of ailments. Essentially faculty of ACTCM will be attending a one day conference, title  “Case-Based Learning and the 21st Century Student in AOM Education” on May 1, 2011 at the Hotel Kabuki in San Francisco .  This interactive conference will bring together faculty and administrators from AOM colleges from California, Oregon and Washington, and will feature presenters who are leaders in our field, as well as opportunity to share best practices at our own institutions with each other.   Participants will receive eligible CEUs for their participation.
Conference Schedule:
8:30-9:00 am—registration, coffee and tea
9am—Welcome and introductions
9:15-10am—Keynote Speaker: Leslie McCoy, DAOM, LAc, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
10-10:45am— Keynote Speaker: Richard Hammerschlag, PhD, Oregon College of Oriental Medicine
10:45am-11am—Break
11am-12:30—Breakout discussion groups and report backs
12:30-1:30pm—Lunch & presentation by People’s Medical Publishing House
1:30-1:45pm—Break
1:45-3:15pm—Panel Discussion: “Effective Teaching Strategies for 21st Century AOM Students”
                Moderator: Adam Burke, PhD, LAc San Francisco State University
                Speakers: Stacy Gomes, EdD, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine
                          Steve Given, DAOM, LAc, Bastyr College
                          John Kokko, MSTCM, LAc, Academy of Chinese Culture and Health Sciences
                          Bingzeng Zou, PhD (China) LAc, DC, American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine

ACTCM is a constant leader in educating TCM professionals, and offers a renowned faculty at its helm. This event is exciting for the school to continue to develop its esteemed faculty and apply teaching techniques to 21st century students.
ACTCM is a constant leader in educating TCM professionals, and offers a renowned faculty athis event is exciting for the school to continue to develop its esteemed faculty and apply teaching techniques to 21st century students.

Musicians Acupuncture Project 3/4/2011 - AmericanCollegeofTraditionalChinese Medicine | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Musicians Acupuncture Project 3/4/2011 - AmericanCollegeofTraditionalChinese Medicine | Internet Radio | Blog Talk Radio

Decocting Chinese Herbs

San Francisco Acupuncture College Hosts Chinese Delegation

ACTCM Meets with Delegates from China to Discuss Innovative Herbal Curriculum Pilot

January 2011

ACTCM has been a long-time partner of international conservation organizations in advocating for the conservation of endangered species and sustainable use of Chinese herbs. On January 21^st, 2011, the college continued this important work by hosting a delegation from China to discuss an innovative curriculum addressing issues of conservation and sustainability in the Chinese medicinal herbs industry, to be piloted in 8 TCM universities throughout Southern China this year.

The delegation consisted of representatives from WWF China, The State Forestry Administration of China and Chengdu University of TCM, who have been working collaboratively on the project.  This comprehensive, 80-hour curriculum and accompanying textbook will examine the herbal industry- from the species used to collection and cultivation practices to manufacturing- through the lens of conservation and sustainability. The goal of this curriculum is to educate TCM practitioners and researchers on the larger implications, threats and opportunities of the TCM herbal industry, and is the first of its kind to be piloted on such a broad scale.

Special topics within the curriculum will include case studies on particular medicinal species, the relationship between biodiversity and medicinal species, and standards of harvest, cultivation, and manufacturing, as well as market analysis and regulation. 

WWF approached ACTCM for feedback on the curriculum, and for insights into which parts of the curriculum may be applicable to Chinese herbal education in the US.  ACTCM, in turn, educated the delegates on the existence of farms in the US that are attempting to cultivate Chinese herbs, and urged the delegation to translate abstracts of the textbook chapters to English. 

Also in attendance at the meeting was Josef Brinckmann, Vice President of Research and Development at Traditional Medicinals.  Mr. Brinckmann has worked closely with WWF China in developing and implementing a strategic model for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable management and utilization of traditional Chinese medicines, specifically with the harvest of Schisandra fruit in Sichuan province.  Mr. Brinckmann has also collaborated with the FairWild Foundation, whose aim is to provide a worldwide framework for implementing a sustainable, fair and value-added management and trading system for wild-collected natural ingredients and products thereof.

Mr. Brinckmann, a former ACTCM staff member, strongly supports ACTCM’s history to conservation work and shares in the college’s vision of being an international center of educational excellence that advances professional collaboration and ecologically sustainable medicine.

ACTCM is proud to be involved in this groundbreaking and important project.  The college will further review the curriculum and pilot outcomes with the hopes of introducing some of the material into herbal curricula in the US.

For more information on this and other conservation projects, please contact Bria Larson, ACTCM Development Officer at brialarson@actcm.edu

US and China Launch Public-Private Partnership on Healhtcare

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

United States and China Launch Public-Private Partnership on Healthcare

Increasing collaboration in the healthcare sector

Washington, D.C. -- Today, on the occasion of the State Visit of President Hu Jintao to the United States, the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) joined with China’s Ministries of Health (MoH) and Commerce (MOFCOM) to announce their support for the establishment a new public-private partnership in the healthcare sector.
Initially, twelve U.S. companies and six supporting organizations will participate in this partnership, alongside the supporting U.S. and Chinese Government agencies. The partnership will be organized around U.S. healthcare industry strengths and government capabilities in order to foster long-term cooperation with China in the areas of research, training, regulation and the adoption of an environment that will increase accessibility to healthcare services in China. Participating U.S. companies initially include 3M, Abbott, Chindex, Cisco, General Electric, IBM, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Microsoft, Motorola, and Pfizer. Supporting organizations include AdvaMed, the Alliance for Healthcare Competitiveness, the American Chamber of Commerce in China, the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai, PhRMA and the U.S.-China Business Council.
“The economic and social development of any nation depends on the health and productivity of its people,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “This partnership builds on a strong foundation of bilateral cooperation in this critical sector of our economies.”
USTDA Director Leocadia Zak stated, “This public-private partnership provides China an important private sector resource to draw from to help with key development issues, while also identifying for U.S. companies projects that have been designated priority development projects by China.”
Through programs supported by the initiative, Chinese participants will gain greater access to U.S. private sector expertise and ingenuity and better awareness of new technologies and results-oriented regulatory processes. Initially, these goals will be advanced through a USTDA-funded Healthcare Professional Personnel Exchange Program that will include a series of visits by Chinese healthcare officials to the United States to share best practices and witness new and innovative technologies that will be important to long-term healthcare delivery.
“The partnership will draw its strength from U.S. companies strategically working together to help China achieve its development goals that will open new export markets for U.S. goods and services,” noted Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.
Over time, the partnership will enhance cooperation in areas such as rural healthcare, emergency response, personnel training, medical information technology, and management systems; while also exploring ways to support other fields such as integrative and traditional Chinese medicine. These programs will enhance both sides’ knowledge of best practices, management, technological developments, and other healthcare-related topics
The U.S. Trade and Development Agency helps companies create U.S. jobs through the export of U.S. goods and services for priority development projects in emerging economies. USTDA links U.S. businesses to export opportunities by funding project planning activities, pilot projects, and reverse trade missions while creating sustainable infrastructure and economic growth in partner countries.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves.
The U.S. Department of Commerce has a broad mandate to advance economic growth and jobs and opportunities for the American people. It has cross-cutting responsibilities in the areas of trade, technology, entrepreneurship, economic development, environmental stewardship and statistical research and analysis. The Department also leads the President’s National Export Initiative, which aims to double U.S. exports by 2015 in support of several million American jobs.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at https://mail.google.com/news.
Last revised: January 19, 2011

American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine offer the community $19 Acupuncture Treatments on Monday and Thursday mornings

San Francisco, CA (Vocus/PRWEB) January 13, 2011
During the months of January through March, 2011, the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) in San Francisco is offering $19 acupuncture appointments Monday and Thursday mornings from 8:30am-12:30pm at their community clinic located at 450 Connecticut on Potrero Hill. To take advantage of this deal all you do is call and use the promo code "wintermorningspecial".
The college helps members of the community experience the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine in their relaxing and affordable clinic. On average, over 135 students treat more than 350 patients in the Community Clinic each week.
"ACTCM makes the clinic affordable to the community," said Alissa Cohan, Director of Communications at the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. "There aren't many places that practice either Western or Eastern medicine where you can you walk in, focus on all of your body ailments, and walk out feeling healed, relaxed, and better for only $19."
Acupuncture restores balance and health, and is used for everything from chronic pain to drug dependence. It is also an effective allergy, weight loss, and fertility treatment. During treatment sterile, disposable needles are inserted at acupuncture points along the meridians. Because of the thin and pliable needles used, most people feel little to no discomfort as the needles are inserted, and patients often feel energized or a deep sense of relaxation and well-being.
To make the most of the session, ACTCM recommends wearing comfortable clothing to the treatment and eating 1 to 2 hours before the treatment, and also avoiding caffeine, alcohol, and other stimulants. They would also like new patients to bring copies of previous tests, lab results, and any medications or supplements being taken, along with a list of current symptoms and health concerns.
The appointment line is (415) 282-9603. Before the first appointment, new clients should download and fill out the New Patient Form located at www.actcm.edu/userfiles/New%20Patient%20Form.doc. 24 hours notice is required for all cancellations. Patients who cancel without 24 hours notice will be charged a $15 cancellation fee.
For more information, call (415) 202-5713 or visit their website at http://www.actcm.edu/.
About the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine San Francisco
The American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) has been at the forefront of Traditional Chinese Medicine education since its inception in 1980. Their two degree programs-the Master of Science in Traditional Chinese Medicine (MSTCM) and the Doctorate of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (DAOM)-provide a truly exceptional professional education.
ACTCM's community clinics serve as a diverse and demanding training ground for their students, while providing affordable health care services to the community. ACTCM's certificate programs in Tui Na and Shiatsu and its introductory classes for the public offer additional educational opportunities for current ACTCM students, healthcare professionals and the general public.
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For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebChinese-medicine/Bay-Area/prweb8063004.htm

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2011/01/13/prweb8063004.DTL#ixzz1AwyVehuG

Acupuncture as an anti-aging method - Health Conditions - Celebrities with diseases

Acupuncture as an anti-aging method - Health Conditions - Celebrities with diseases

Jessica Simpson is raving about Cupping

Jessica Simpson tweeted about her love of an ancient Chinese tradition known as "cupping." But, what is it?

Jessica Simpson had this to say about her experience with "cupping" over the weekend: "love it!" She's supposedly on a meditation and tea-drinking kick to jump-start her physical and mental health. "Just so everyone is clear.. this has NOTHING to do with weight!" she said. "It is about understanding my body through hydration and alkalinity."

But what is cupping?

CBS did a piece on the ancient alternative healing therapy a while back (check out this weird picture of the procedure!). Basically, cupping is a treatment similar to acupuncture, where a practitioner uses cups to create a suction attachment to a patient's back, drawing the skin up under the cup. Some methods use fire. Using a cotton ball soaked with alcohol, the practitioner lights the cotton ball and places it on the cup.

“Cupping brings fresh blood to the area," a cupping practitioner who spoke to CBS said. “So it tends to improve circulation. It also helps open up the chest and benefit the lungs and can even benefit menstrual problems and digestive problems, too. Most commonly, it’s used for aches and pains of various types as well as respiratory problems, cough, wheezing, things like that.”

So what does it feel like?

One patient used this word to describe the experience: "strange." “Definitely doesn’t hurt. It just feels like someone’s pulling at your skin,” she said.

The consensus in the health community is that cupping is largely safe (if, that is, you're seeing a certified cupping therapist with the appropriate training), though mainstream health experts are cautious to back up the health claims of this unusual treatment.

Read More http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2010/06/cupping-jessica-simpson-is-rav.html#ixzz18yRZ1mqA

Tips on Staying Healthy During the Holiday Season

Tips on Staying Healthy During the Holidays

December 13, 2010 By GuyLaine

Christmas can be very stressful when we have a big family and try make everything perfect. The decorations, Christmas cards, shopping, gifts, hair, clothes, and the food! Deciding what to cook for family and guests and attending Christmas parties. Phew, what a run! The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can cause you to become overly stressed or anxious. It becomes even more stressful if we indulge in too much foods mostly before the holidays and arrive at Christmas already exhausted. The importance of not losing yourself along the way.

Trying to be healthy during the holiday season can be a real challenge at times. Beyond the stress, we are exposed to so much food and temptations that it is so easy to overeat. Not taking care of your self can result in sickness or weight gain. Horror! So how can you cope with the challenges of the holiday season?

Whether you follow a raw food diet or simply want to avoid fattening dishes this Christmas, it can be a challenge to eat healthy during the holidays. It’s very tempting to let yourself go, giving into the idea that you’ll start taking better care of yourself again in the new year. Give yourself the gift of awesome health (only you can do it). Wake up on the morning of January 2nd feeling healthy, energetic, and happy that you stayed true to your values.
Here are some tips to help you deal with the stress of the holiday season:

1.       Plan ahead

Set realistic goals. Be prepared, get some good recipes, and know what you are making in advance. Know your intentions, what you want to indulge in and what you want to restrict. How do you want to wake up on January 2nd? For example, you may decide to skip all alcoholic drinks and bring your own punch. Take time to decide what you want to do for Christmas with the end in mind. Write it on an index card to stay true to your health goals.

2.      Design  a  holiday  menu  that is compatible with your health goals

Include raw and healthy alternatives to heavy and fattening dishes. Prepare lots of raw dishes for the holidays. Take it as a great opportunity to try your skills at preparing delicious raw food dishes for the holidays. You’ll have leftovers that you can enjoy all week long.                        Go through your raw food books and choose yummy recipes. Choose nut loaf, cashew sauce for salad and steamed veggies, relish with cranberries, side dishes with buttercup squash, steamed veggies, and miso gravy are all examples.  The Internet is an invaluable resource. If you are looking to replace your favorite recipe, then Google it with the word “raw” (for example, search for “raw Christmas pudding”). You’ll be surprised at what you find.

Don’t miss out on your daily raw staples such as salads and smoothies. Drink herbal tea to keep you warm and prevent you from overeating. It works!

3.      Socialize the best you can

Attend only the parties that you really want to attend, and learn to say no to others. You’ll save a lot of calories and time. Focus on the social part instead of the foods.

Eat a raw meal before attending an event. You’ll be less likely to fill up on sweets and high-calorie appetizers.

Bring your own raw food appetizers to potluck parties. Impress your guests. You can always eat your own dish if there are no healthy alternatives.

Arrive at mealtime for a dinner party and avoid before-dinner drinks and appetizers.

Focus on the social part of the event rather than the eating.

4.      Deal positively with family gatherings

Bring your own favorite dish! Take enough to share and have back-ups in case your family likes the raw stuff so much that there’s none left for you!

Instead of alcohol, make a great punch that will delight your palate and refresh you instead of (recipe below).

Bring an awesome raw dessert so you won’t feel deprived at the end of the meal. Dessert is comforting, so you won’t miss other tempting foods.

I know it can be a bit rough to sit at the table while everybody is praising the roast and you’re eating vegan food. Just remind yourself of your reasons for eating the way you do, and you’ll feel instantly better. After the meal, you’ll be able to relax and talk about other subjects. The best thing to do is to bring foods that you can share with others.

Deal with positively family members. You may have chosen this lifestyle, but you need to respect the lifestyles of others. Don’t talk about diets at the table. A party is the worst time to talk about nutrition. If the topic of why you may not be eating something comes up, mention that this is what you feel like eating. Simply state that you don’t judge them–you eat this way, because that’s what makes sense for you. If you are certain of your motives, it will make them more at ease. Set your boundaries ahead of time. Decide exactly what conversations you are willing to have and know the ones you want to avoid. Be confident in your choice, relax, and enjoy. Maintain the focus on what make the holiday special: sharing your love.

5.      Keep up your exercise program

It will help you maintain your weight, give you more energy, and allow you to deal better with holiday stress. Go for walks or do outdoor sports. Go skiing, hiking, or skating. Don’t forget that walking is one of the healthiest ways to reduce stress. Keep walking every day.

Love, laugh and enjoy. The holidays are about spending time with the ones you love. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Embrace the spirit, and have fun. Laughter is the key to being healthy. By taking steps to keep stress at bay, you open yourself up to more joy and peace!

6.      Get enough sleep

Without a good night’s sleep you’ll feel the stress of the holidays even more. Get to bed at the same time each night or earlier if you can. When you’re rested, you handle stress better, work more productively, think more clearly, and run your errands more efficiently.

7.      Take time for yourself

Take some time out for yourself. Celebrate your life and raw journey.

Eat light the week before Christmas and get plenty of rest, so you arrive feel refreshed and full of life.

Treat yourself to a massage or do something nice just for you to provide relief from the season.

Refuse to feel guilty if you have not lived up to your expectations. Take the lessons, write down your feelings, and plan for next year

Guylaine Lacerte is a Certified Raw Food Nutrition Educator, a Certified Coach, a Professional Counsellor and founder of The Raw Food Path. She helps health seekers achieve vibrant health and boundless energy, get the body of their dream, solve emotional issues and limiting beliefs.

Guylaine offers one on one coaching and consultation, raw food classes, and holistic retreats.

Integrative medicine: Stay healthy during the holidays - Health Key

Click the link below to read about how you can be healthy during the holidays.

Integrative medicine: Stay healthy during the holidays - Health Key

Old Dog: New Trick: Acupuncture

By MICHELLE SLATALLA

Published: March 13, 2008

WHEN my dog Otto was a puppy he behaved like an idiot, even for a Labrador retriever.
We haven’t been invited back to the Hamptons since the time he stole a cheeseburger from the hand of a child. Then he jumped into the pool, climbed out and shook himself off on the guests. That was probably forgivable. What came next — joyfully vomiting pool water, grass and ground beef at the host’s feet — was not.
I would like to say this behavior was atypical. But Otto was a spirited dog. He once toppled an elderly neighbor after he snouted her crotch too enthusiastically.
How I miss those days.
Now Otto is a slow-moving 9: X-rays show that he is arthritic, with swollen elbows. His orthopedist recently said he had a bulging disk. Despite every treatment known to modern veterinary science — from glucosamine tablets to prednisone to monthly injections designed to protect the cartilage in his joints — the only thing Otto throws himself into these days is our other dog’s food bowl.
Nobody is happy about Otto. A few weeks ago, he watched dejectedly as my husband and I set off on a hike without him.
Then, at the very place on the trail where Otto once rolled happily on the carcass of a dead mouse, we suddenly heard a rhino crashing through the bushes.
A crazy-eyed, burr-covered retriever emerged. We would have mistaken the dog for the ghost of Otto’s youth if not for its white, old man’s muzzle.
The dog’s owner appeared on the trail a few seconds later.
“How old is he?” my husband asked, absently picking a burr from behind the dog’s ear.
“Twelve,” the owner said.
“He’s in great shape,” my husband said.
“He used to be barely able to walk,” the owner said.
What helped relieve the dog’s arthritis and joint pain? Acupuncture, the owner said.
We were skeptical. “Otto would pull out the needles with his teeth,” my husband replied.
“No, it doesn’t bother them,” the owner insisted.
We watched his dog grab a 10-foot branch at the side of the trail and wave it dangerously, like a scimitar. Just like Otto used to.
“Any minute now, he’ll put out someone’s eye with that sharp tip,” I said wistfully.
The next morning, I Googled “veterinary acupuncture.” That is how I learned that this version of the ancient Chinese therapy that calls for inserting needles into specific locations on pets is gaining steam, even outside Northern California.
At Dogster.com, the online social network for pets that Otto joined last fall, I found a discussion on “Doggie Acupuncture: To Do or Not to Do?” A canine member named Bo had “asked” last month about whether he should try acupuncture. More than a dozen members described positive experiences for “severe breathing problems” and “spay incontinence,” including one case involving an arthritic dog named Sabrina who “doesn’t really enjoy getting the needles in, but she always feels so much better afterward.”
Maybe acupuncture was worth a try? Certainly a growing number of veterinarians think so.
“It should be considered in certain conditions, especially those that involve chronic pain,” said Vikki Weber, the executive director of the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society, which is based in Colorado and began sponsoring training in 1974.
Both Ms. Weber’s group and the American Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture, a trade association, have Web sites (ivas.org and aava.org, respectively) with searchable databases that list hundreds of trained veterinary acupuncturists worldwide.
The American Veterinary Medical Association, an organization that represents 76,000 veterinarians nationwide, does not keep track of how many of its members practice acupuncture and does not recognize acupuncture as a specialty.
“But we recognize the interest in and use of alternative modalities like acupuncture,” said Dr. Craig Smith, a spokesman for the association.
While no definitive studies prove the treatment’s effectiveness, Dr. Smith said, he recommended that pet owners who are interested in the procedure seek the advice of their veterinarians.


I was too sheepish to ask Otto’s vet. I knew from previous conversations that she was ambivalent about acupuncture; she had once had an acupuncturist working under her supervision but discontinued the practice after deciding that the physical benefits, if any, were incremental and possibly the result of a placebo effect.
“Animals can’t experience a placebo effect,” I had argued.
But their owners can, she retorted.
So in the end, the way I found an acupuncturist for Otto was though more Googling, which revealed Daphne Livoni, a licensed acupuncturist who makes house calls. She also practices under the supervision of veterinarians at three animal hospitals.
The next week, Ms. Livoni arrived for Otto’s appointment with a clipboard and a box of sterile, disposable needles.
Otto, who loves visitors, preened while she examined him to determine his tongue color (not pink enough) and the condition of his elbow joints (more swollen on the front legs).
Then, as Ms. Livoni gently inserted pairs of super-fine needles along both sides of his spine and in his hips and elbows, Otto appeared not to really notice. Instead, he sniffed her needle box to see if it held food.
Then, after unsuccessfully trying to compel her to give him a dog treat, he sighed and lay on the floor — one leg touching hers and another touching mine to reassure us he wasn’t playing favorites — and remained calm for the rest of the 30-minute session.
The treatment cost $120. Ms. Livoni suggested follow-up appointments, administered on a weekly or biweekly basis depending on how well Otto appeared to respond. She also told me to report any changes in his behavior or energy level.
Did the needles have an effect? I couldn’t tell. My husband said no. The next day, Otto still seemed pretty stiff.
The next week, after the second treatment? Same. The third? Ditto. The fourth? I started to feel discouraged.
But at the fifth session, Ms. Livoni said Otto’s elbows were less swollen, his tongue was pink (“like a young healthy dog”) and his ears needed cleaning. As she removed the needles, she suggested I take him to his favorite trail and let him walk.
The next day, I pulled the station wagon up to the trail head, opened the back and watched in amazement as Otto sprang out and ran crazily toward the creek. It was like watching a dog version of the movie “Cocoon.”
He scrabbled down the bank and belly-flopped into the water. Within minutes, he was standing sure-footed on slippery rocks, brandishing a dangerously big stick.
The day after, he didn’t even limp. At the dog park, he stole tennis balls from less motivated dogs and dropped them, slobbery, at my feet. For the first time in months, he wanted to fetch.
Was it the acupuncture? Or a coincidence? Seeking a reality check, I took him to the vet — ostensibly to have his ears cleaned.
“Otto, you look so relaxed and happy,” the vet said as he leapt to his feet when she entered the room.
I told her everything. “Could the acupuncture be the reason he’s better?” I asked.
“Maybe,” she said. But after looking at his medical chart, she said that the last two times she had seen him — after he had taken prednisone in November and then, again, for a checkup in December — his mobility had been improving. It was possible his current state of health was merely the result of gradual amelioration that I hadn’t noticed till now.
“Maybe I’m suffering from a dog owner’s placebo effect?” I asked.
Maybe, she said. On the other hand, she added, it wasn’t necessarily bad if my hopes that Otto was getting better had led to regular exercise that had strengthened his muscles. “One good thing about acupuncture is that I’ve never seen it hurt a dog,” she said, adding that the only major downside was the cost.
Then she handed Otto a dog treat. As he leapt for it and I worried he might accidentally rip off her finger in his excitement, I realized with relief that it’s only a matter of time before he throws up on someone’s feet again.

Acupuncture- An Effective Alternative To Treat Lazy Eye

Acupuncture- An Effective Alternative To Treat Lazy Eye

APEX Express - November 11, 2010 at 7:00pm | KPFA 94.1 FM Berkeley: Listener Sponsored Free Speech Radio

APEX Express - November 11, 2010 at 7:00pm KPFA 94.1 FM Berkeley: Listener Sponsored Free Speech Radio

Cheer Up: 4 Ways to Banish the Winter Blues

Cheer Up: 4 Ways to Banish the Winter Blues

Acupuncture in San Quentin State Prison

Acupuncturist Treats 40 N.F.L. Players in 4 Cities

By GREG BISHOP

Published: November 29, 2010

Stretched out on a massage table in his Long Island City condominium, Jets fullback Tony Richardson closed his eyes. Over the next hour, he groaned and grimaced and eventually fell asleep, as Lisa Ripi, the traveling N.F.L. acupuncturist, went to work.

Ripi poked and prodded Richardson on a recent Tuesday, using blue and pink needles, until his body resembled a road map marked with 120 destinations. “SportsCenter” provided mood music. Afterward, Richardson said his soreness had mostly vanished.
“They always tell me I’m their little secret,” Ripi said. “I feel like the little mouse who takes the thorns out of their feet.”
Professional football players partake in a violent game, and as the season progresses, they spend more time in training rooms than on practice fields. They visit chiropractors and massage therapists, practice yoga, undergo electronic stimulation and nap in hyperbaric chambers.
Yet relatively few receive acupuncture, which brings smiles to the faces of Ripi’s clients. They remain fiercely territorial. They fight over Fridays because it is closest to their games. They accuse one another of hogging, or trying to steal her.
All swear by Ripi’s technique, which she described as closer to Japanese-style acupuncture than to traditional Chinese methods. She focuses less on established points and more on sore areas, using needles to increase blood flow, relaxing muscles tightened in the weight room.
Players say her sessions are their most important treatment. They feel more loose, more flexible. Richardson finds acupuncture uncomfortable but said it made an immediate 10 percent difference. For sculptured bodies tuned like racecars, 10 percent constitutes a significant improvement.
As Pittsburgh linebacker James Farrior said: “I’m not the same if I don’t have it. It’s like getting the game plan. You can’t go into the week without either one.”
Ripi, 46, travels at least 20 days each month during the season, treating 40 players on five teams (the Ripi Division: Jets, Giants, Steelers, Bengals and Dolphins). She flies to Miami on Sunday, Pittsburgh on Monday, New York on Tuesday, Cincinnati on Wednesday, back to Pittsburgh on Thursday and back to New York on Friday. She works 96 hours a week and naps mostly on airplanes. By Friday, even her assistant sends “hate texts,” Ripi said.
In 13 years of working with N.F.L. players, Ripi said proudly, she never missed an appointment. She did miss dozens of holidays, did have three marriages end in divorce, did make abundantly clear her first priority.
“Think of the impact she has every Sunday,” Richardson said. “And it’s funny, because she’s not really a football fan, or really recognized. But we know her importance.”
Raised in a traditional Italian family on Long Island, Ripi lived in a healthy household, at the directive of her father, John: no white bread, no soda and an abundance of vitamins.
Ripi took a winding path into acupuncture: art school, aerobics instruction, massage therapy and body building, in which she qualified for several national competitions. Despite standing 5 feet 3 inches, she squatted and dead-lifted 250 pounds.
In 1996, a friend suggested that acupuncture would alleviate Ripi’s shoulder pain, and after two sessions, it disappeared. So Ripi went to school for acupuncture and Chinese pharmacology and finished the five-year program in four years.
Soon after, while visiting another friend in Costa Rica, Ripi met the actor Woody Harrelson, who asked for treatment “posthaste,” she said. She slipped a business card into Harrelson’s luggage, which led to two years of traveling with and treating him, and to other celebrity clients like the singer Mariah Carey.
Back in New York in March 1998, Ripi was referred to Jumbo Elliott, an injured offensive tackle for the Jets. She knew nothing about football and assumed Elliott was a body builder until she saw his Jets memorabilia. He later offered to take her to training camp and introduce her to his teammates.
She met her core group of clients that summer in Hempstead, N.Y., and as the players switched teams — Farrior to Pittsburgh and Chad Pennington to Miami — her business and travel expanded.
Players require individualized treatment. Steelers linebacker James Harrison takes more than 300 needles, and Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora begs for fewer than 40. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis hates needles and grips the table as if under attack.
Ripi views the players more as brothers than clients. She saw the world with Cincinnati linebacker Dhani Jones for his Travel Channel show. She stores tables at the players’ houses; travels to training camps, Super Bowls and Pro Bowls; works every Christmas and Thanksgiving. Ripi’s services are not cheap. She charges $220 for one treatment or $1,200 each day, and expenses.
She spends roughly 12 hours each Thursday treating at least 10 players at Farrior’s house, where the Steelers hold their men’s “spa night” featuring acupuncture. Ripi cooks dinner for them, and they play cards while they wait turns. She starts with nose tackle Casey Hampton at 3:30 p.m. and finishes with Harrison roughly 12 hours later.
Ripi can tell the position each plays simply on the location of the pain: wide receiver (legs, shoulders), offensive lineman (elbows, back), quarterback (throwing shoulder), defensive lineman (back), running back (hamstring).
On Sundays, she sometimes watches football. But Ripi’s clients often face one another, prompting conflicting emotions, especially when a defensive client mauls an offensive client, and she ponders how she will treat the resulting pain.
Depending on their tolerance (or honesty), players described acupuncture as painful, slightly painful or not painful; as a pinch or a burning sensation. They said the groin and the back of the knee hurt the most. Jets offensive tackle Damien Woody said, “She’s kind of lethal with it.”
Ripi performs a combination of massage with acupuncture to relax players and find sore spots and trigger points. She does use established points, too, to increase the flow of what she called stuck blood. This season, Revis went to Ripi for his injured hamstring, and she stuck one needle atop his head.
“She might hit a nerve, and you might get a zap,” Jones said. “Or she’ll put one in your groin, and pain might shoot into the big toe.”
Recently, Deadspin reported that Ripi oversaw the Jets’ massage therapist program when two therapists were sent inappropriate text messages from the former quarterback Brett Favre. The Web site said Ripi urged the therapists to remain silent. Ripi declined to comment on the report, but she is considering hiring a lawyer. (She does not oversee the massage program.)
Her clients wonder why most teams ignore less traditional methods like acupuncture, with all that they invest in healing players’ battered bodies. Farrior, wearing his team president hat, said he would require it.
Ripi says that more teams and athletes across all sports will eventually turn to acupuncture. Her clients do not seem so sure. Some teams do not even have massage therapists or nutritionists on staff, Jones said. But Ripi has faith because she still treats retired players, because even front-office types like Bill Parcells tried her table, because, she insisted, acupuncture works.
John Ripi described his daughter as softhearted and giving, and over the years, he learned to accept her absence at family gatherings. He came to understand how all the dots connected, from Harrelson in the jungle, to Thursday nights at Farrior’s house, to a life spent healing football players without fanfare.
“I take what I do seriously,” Ripi said. “It’s a euphoric, spontaneous feeling. They come first. Before anything. Before me.”
With that, Ripi went home to pack. The traveling N.F.L. acupuncturist had a flight to catch.

World leaders meet at tiger summit in Russia, pledge protection and cooperation

World leaders meet at tiger summit in Russia, pledge protection and cooperation

By Kathy Lally

Washington Post Foreign Service
Tuesday, November 23, 2010; 5:52 PM
American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, President Lixin Huang, attends this summitt leading the cause for the college and Chinese Medicine

ST. PETERSBURG - For three days, forestry officials from Nepal and Burma, wildlife officials from Laos and Malaysia, and environmentalists from Bangladesh and Thailand roamed the gilt halls of czarist-era palaces here, talking of tigers and searching for the political will to save them.

That resolve was pronounced found Tuesday by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who shared a dais at the International Tiger Forum with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick, among others.
"We have put the tiger on the agenda of the international community," Putin said, adding that when heads of government take the time to meet on behalf of a big cat, they are serious indeed.

At a news conference convened as the delegates set off for a concert where Naomi Campbell and Leonardo DiCaprio were the major attractions, no questions were taken. The final words came from Nepalese Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal.

"The world is looking at us to act boldly," he said. "We need less conversation and more conservation."
Tigers are in desperate straits. Their numbers have dwindled to 3,200 from about 100,000 a century ago, and they are expected to become extinct unless there is a concerted effort to stop poaching of the cats and their prey and to protect the wide landscapes they inhabit.

The summit of 13 tiger-range countries - which also include Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia and North Korea - was convened to endorse the Global Tiger Recovery Program. Under the plan, the delegates committed to doubling the number of tigers by 2022 by developing conservation programs and cooperating across national boundaries to stop poaching and illegal trade in tiger parts.

An additional $350 million is needed over the next five years to pay for the program, which was initiated two years ago when a World Bank employee told Zoellick that tigers were about to disappear.
"When you hear that, you're shocked," Zoellick said in an interview Tuesday before the day's meetings at the Konstantinovsky Palace in Strelna, on the gray, frigid shores of the Gulf of Finland outside the city.
From that moment, the tiger became a World Bank cause. The bank has a presence in all the tiger countries, Zoellick pointed out, and knows not only the officials at the top but the government workers who run things. The bank knows donors, too.
"I saw an opportunity to be a catalyst," he said, adding that tigers wander across borders, making transborder protections necessary. "Dealing with trafficking is beyond any one country's capability," he said.
The bank is fine-tuning the way it operates and will not finance infrastructure in core tiger areas. It will also try to develop new means of sustainable financing for tiger habitats.

Zoellick said the bank hopes to provide $100 million in financing to help prevent illegal trade in tiger parts and poaching in Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and possibly India. Other commitments came from the World Wildlife Fund, for at least $50 million; the United States, for $9.2 million to fight poaching and trafficking; Germany, for $17.2 million for landscape conservation; the Wildlife Conservation Society, for $85 million; and the Global Environment Facility, for $12 million.

And there was $1 million from DiCaprio, a WWF board member who was late for the summit because Monday he was on a Russia-bound plane that blew an engine leaving New York, circled to dump fuel, then landed safely to a large audience of firetrucks.

Training and equipping wildlife rangers is a priority. Vivek Menon, South Asia director for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said Indian rangers are often sent out with just three bullets.
If they get into a gunbattle and miss the first shot, the heavily armed poachers mow them down with Kalashnikov assault rifles. "We lose 50 rangers a year," he said.
Menon hopes the summit will be a turning point, and Zoellick says it must be. "Time is short," he said.
Was the summit a success? Joe Walston, the Wildlife Conservation Society's Asia director, considered the question.
"We'll know in 12 years," he said.

Tiger Summit Gets Support from Senator John Kerry and Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo

IV
111TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION H. RES. 1722
Supporting international tiger conservation efforts and the upcoming Global
Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 17, 2010
Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr.
FALEOMAVAEGA, and Mr. GRIJALVA) submitted the following resolution;
which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition
to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently
determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
RESOLUTION
Supporting international tiger conservation efforts and the
upcoming Global Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Whereas wild tiger populations have dwindled from approximately
100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to
as few as 3,200 in 2010, and only approximately 1,000
wild tigers are breeding females;
Whereas tigers now occupy a mere 7 percent of the habitat
that tigers historically have occupied;
Whereas poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat conversion,
depletion of prey base, conflict between humans and wildlife,
and other pressures continue to threaten the last
wild tigers;
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2
.HRES 1722 IH
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat in Asia supports some
of the richest biodiversity and some of the poorest human
populations;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat benefits local human
populations by providing watersheds and buffers against
natural disaster and contributing to livelihoods;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat in Asia represents some
of the largest intact storehouses of terrestrial carbon on
Earth, containing an average of 31.2 times more carbon
than areas outside of tiger habitat;
Whereas the tiger, an iconic species worldwide, can act as
both a catalyst and a symbol for the conservation of the
last great forests of Asia;
Whereas 2010, the eeYear of the Tigerff in the Chinese calendar
and beyond, presents a global opportunity to commit
to halting the decline in tigers and to ensuring the
doubling of the numbers of tigers by the next eeYear of
the Tigerff in 2022;
Whereas the Government of Russia is hosting the Global
Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November
22 through 24, 2010;
Whereas at the Summit, all 13 countries with remaining wild
tiger populations are expected to commit to a Global
Tiger Recovery Program;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat is located in remote
transnational areas, providing an opportunity for
transboundary cooperation among countries with remaining
wild tiger populations;
Whereas countries with remaining wild tiger populations need
the support and cooperation of the global community to
protect and restore wild tiger populations;
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3
.HRES 1722 IH
Whereas the United States has been a consistent leader in
supporting international tiger conservation; and
Whereas strong United States support for remaining wild
tiger populations, the Tiger Summit, and the Global
Tiger Recovery Program will be central to the success of
tiger conservation efforts: Now, therefore, be it
1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives.
2 (1) supports the goals of the Tiger Summit, as
3 such goals reinforce the interests of the United
4 States in recovering tigers in accordance with the
5 Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
6 seq.), the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of
7 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), and the Convention
8 on International Trade in Endangered Species of
9 Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Washington March
10 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087; TIAS 8249);
11 (2) supports the efforts of United States Gov12
ernment agencies to prevent poaching of tigers and
13 to end trafficking in tigers and tiger parts, including
14 through cooperation with the governments of coun15
tries with remaining wild tiger populations in train16
ing, capacity building, and law enforcement;
17 (3) supports the efforts of the United States
18 Government to protect tigers in the wild and the
19 habitat of tigers through direct conservation assist20
ance;
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4
.HRES 1722 IH
1 (4) acknowledges the important role that tiger
2 habitats play in conserving biodiversity, securing for3
est carbon, protecting critical watersheds, providing
4 buffers against natural disasters, and supporting
5 livelihoods and human well-being in countries with
6 natural tiger populations;
7 (5) applauds the work of multilateral institu8
tions, governmental, and nongovernmental conserva9
tion and environmental organizations working to re10
cover tiger populations in the wild;
11 (6) commends the government of Russia for its
12 leadership in hosting the Tiger Summit, which
13 brings global attention to this important issue and
14 launches the immediate implementation of National
15 Tiger Recovery Priorities in each of the 13 countries
16 with natural tiger populations;
17 (7) reaffirms the commitment of the United
18 States Government to tiger conservation;
19 (8) encourages the highest level of United
20 States engagement in the Tiger Summit and in the
21 outcomes of the Tiger Summit, including the provi22
sion of support to countries with remaining wild
23 tiger populations in implementing the National Tiger
24 Recovery Priorities and the Global Tiger Recovery
25 Program; and
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5
.HRES 1722 IH
1 (9) urges concerted coordination among all rel2
evant United States agencies to provide support to
3 countries with remaining wild tiger populations in a
4 manner that enables United States resources to pro5
vide maximum conservation benefits.

If we save the tigers, we'll save the planet

If we save the tigers, we'll save the planet
By Leonardo DiCaprio and Carter S. Roberts
November 7, 2010
Tigers have long provoked awe in the human imagination, becoming symbols of untamed nature whose "fearful symmetry," in the words of William Blake, has inspired everything from art to advertising. In the wild, however, tigers are on the verge of disappearing.

A century ago, some 100,000 tigers roamed the wilderness across much of Asia. But 100 years of human overhunting of tigers' prey, such as deer and wild pigs, and of poaching driven by demand for tigers' skins and other body parts has been catastrophic. As few as 3,200 tigers remain, living in only 7 percent of their original natural habitat.

As the Year of the Tiger draws to a close on the Chinese lunar calendar, world leaders are gathering in St. Petersburg later this month for an unprecedented event: a tiger summit hosted by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, convened for the sole purpose of saving the species from extinction. Heads of government - recognizing that the limited resources devoted to tiger conservation have not slowed deforestation or deterred the criminal syndicates that traffic in wildlife parts - will seek to double the number of tigers in the wild by 2022 (the next Year of the Tiger). The 13 Asian countries that tigers call home have already agreed in principle to this goal.

But good intentions are not enough. The $350 million, five-year Global Tiger Recovery Program these countries are proposing will battle deforestation, poaching and the market for tiger parts. The money will come from both government and private sources. We are personally committed to raising funds to support these efforts. Multilateral agencies such as the World Bank are also on board, funding pre-summit negotiations in Nepal, Thailand and Indonesia.

But there is one country outside Asia whose cooperation is crucial: the United States.

Of course, the United States has no wild tigers. Our big cats are animated in films, sell us cereal or stare at us from zoo cages. Why should we care?

Because saving tigers is a compelling and cost-effective means of preserving so much more that is essential to life on Earth. The tiger is what conservationists call an "umbrella" species. By rescuing them, we save everything beneath their ecological umbrella - everything connected to them - including the world's last great forests, whose carbon storage mitigates climate change.

For example, Indonesia's 18 million-acre peat forests, home to the Sumatran tiger, contain 36 percent of the world's tropical carbon stores. So if we protect tigers by stopping deforestation, we also salvage the carbon storage these forests provide. A forest that can't support tigers isn't of much use to us, either.

What can the Obama administration do? The United States has been a leader in tiger conservation, providing critical funding for anti-poaching efforts throughout Asia and using the threat of sanctions to persuade countries such as China and South Korea to ban tiger trade. But the upcoming summit will not succeed without U.S. support - financial and political. Washington must signal its commitment by sending its top diplomat to St. Petersburg: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Pressing challenges such as the war in Afghanistan and Middle East peace rightly dominate Clinton's attention, but the crime syndicates that dominate the multibillion-dollar wildlife-trafficking industry demand her consideration as well. If Clinton sits beside other heads of government and high-level diplomats from the 13 tiger-range nations in St. Petersburg, the Obama administration will demonstrate global environmental leadership.

Tiger conservation can also happen at home. The United States has nearly twice as many tigers in captivity as there are in the wild worldwide - tigers sleeping in American back yards, in private breeding facilities and at roadside zoos from New York to Texas. We need a federal agency to monitor these tiger "pets" and make sure they don't find their way into the same black market for wildlife products that kills wild tigers around the world. We can close loopholes in the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act and give agencies such as the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Department of Agriculture the financial support they need to vigorously enforce animal protection laws.

Wild tigers stand at a crossroads of extinction and survival. The "burning bright" eyes that so inspired Blake will be forever extinguished unless we act now.

Actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio and World Wildlife Fund president and chief executive Carter S. Roberts recently launched the Save Tigers Now campaign.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111206522.html?wprss=rss_print/outlook