Physical therapists want to do colonoscopies?

Physical therapists in Illinois were recently informed that they cannot perform acupuncture (which they call dry-needling) by the IL department of professional regulation. In response to this, they have introduced an amendment to their practice act to allow them to perform "invasive, non-surgical techniques". They have no training in acupuncture and that is why the State of IL told them they cannot do it. This amendment does not address that concern, but the real problem is that the wording of this amendment would grant them the ability to do a whole host of procedures for which they are not trained. If they can do "Invasive, non-surgical techniques" then they can give injections (including cortisone and epidurals), draw blood, perform colonoscopies, trans-vaginal ultrasounds, insert urinary catheters and Naso-Gastric (feeding) tubes, and many other procedures for which they are not trained. If you think this is not a good idea, please contact your state senator and representative and ask them to vote "no" to HB 1457 amendment #2. The vote will be soon, so please call or email them today. You can find your representative's contact information here http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Our blog has moved to www.acfom.com/blog .  

I love treating neck pain

 Pain patients generally respond very well to acupuncture, but I think I find the fastest and most-reliable response from patients with neck pain.  Yesterday I again had a new patient who has had neck pain for over a year.  She got whiplash in a car accident and the pain never improved.  I had her move her head side-to-side to establish a baseline for range of motion and for pain.  Then I put two needles into her left wrist and two needles into her right hand and had her move her head again.  The range of motion was increased back to normal and the pain was gone.  I may take a few times to get the pain away forever, but I love the immediate relief that acupuncture can provide these patients.

American Academy of Pediatrics concludes that acupuncture is safe for children

We have known this for thousands of years, but it is still nice that the Western community recognizes it.  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/acupuncture-for-kids-deemed-safe-by-pediatricians/

The Journal of Acupuncture and Meridian Studies is one of the few acupuncture journals that is recognized and cataloged by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health.  The have just published my research report.  http://www.jams-kpi.com , look for the Articles in Press section.  I developed a technique that was clinically proven to improve test taking and memory; and reduce anxiety.  The above link has a free PDF download available under "Articles in Press". 

I am excited.  I don't know many other acupuncturists who have had their research accepted by the Western medical community.  

The Asian Diet has been named a Top Diet by US News and World Report

The Asian Diet has been named a Top Diet by US News and World Report

Every year, US News and World Report ranks the best diets.  In 2013, The Asian Diet made it on the list.  They refer to it as the “Traditional Asian Diet” because there is not just one specific Asian Diet and because the diet is Asia is changing lately as the Western diet is creeping into their culture (with disastrous effects).  But my book, The Asian Diet: Simple secrets for eating right, losing weight, and being well, was a main source that US News and World Report consulted in evaluating the Traditional Asian Diet.  22 experts evaluated 29 different diets.  Read the whole article here at http://health.usnews.com/best-diet .  Here’s what they had to say about the Asian Diet.  

Overall, this diet plan was ranked at #11, but came in 4^th among plant-based diets.  One reviewer wrote “the nutritional balance is better than most other plant-based or vegan diets”.  Some of the negative aspects the reviewers pointed out reflect their interpretation of the traditional Asian diet and do not reflect the Asian Diet as it is explained in my book.  I will discuss them later. 

Will it help you lose weight?  Probably. Research suggests people in Asian countries who follow this dietary pattern weigh less than their Western counterparts. That’s likely because it’s high in healthy foods that keep hunger at bay: whole grains, vegetables, and bean products, for example.

Is it good for cardiovascular health?  It’s likely. Asian diets are low in fat, especially the saturated variety, and high in fiber, due to an emphasis on fruits and veggies, whole grains, and rice. And they’re in line with the medical community’s widely accepted definition of a heart-healthy diet that keeps cholesterol and blood pressure in check and heart disease at bay.

Is it good for prevention or control of diabetes?  The diet appears to be a viable option for both.  Studies have shown that this type of diet can improve glucose tolerance as well. 

Is it safe?  The experts found no possible harmful effects of following this diet plan. 

Is it nutritious?   Absolutely.  Following the Asian Diet, you should have no trouble staying within the recommended amounts for:  Fat,  protein, carbohydrates, salt, fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D.  No supplementation is necessary when following the Asian Diet.

Is it easy to follow?  The authors said that if you don’t like rice, noodles, legumes, and vegetables, then it may be hard.  But, it is hard to be healthy if you are avoiding vegetables.  We don’t just feed our tongues, so one of the things we need to do in order to improve our health is to increase the variety of foods that we eat.  If you don’t like vegetables, suck it up and eat some anyway. 

Will I be hungry?  No.  With so many fiber packed foods, and with no calorie cap, you shouldn’t go hungry.

A write-up of the reviewers work stated that you should eat a lot of Asian vegetables in order to follow this diet.  This is absolutely not what I advocate.  One of the principles that all the Asian cultures follow is that they eat locally-produced food. 

Another problem is that they were not sure that this diet could lead to sustained weight loss.  But they also said it is hard to follow and that Asians abandon this type of diet when they come to America.  When they do this, their incidence of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer all go up.  The food marketers of America have great influence and we need to be diligent to keep our diets good and balanced.   I have a lot of Asian patients who were raised with an Asian diet, adopted the American diet for themselves and have suffered the consequences.  When they return to the Asian Diet, they lose weight, feel better, and have fewer health problems. 

Another slight against this diet was that it can be more expensive to follow.  There is a great Italian proverb that says, “It is better to pay the grocer than the doctor.”  We literally are what we eat.  Every day, millions of our cells die.  We make new ones from the raw material we put in (food).  If you were building a house, you would want to get the best lumber you could get, right?  It’s the same thing with feeding yourself.  Invest in good building materials and your body will be much stronger and more resilient. 

Another negative was that it is not a clearly-defined plan.  I address this in my book.  People love being told exactly what to do- for a while.  The South Beach Diet was very popular for this reason.  But after about six weeks, people start resenting being told what to do and abandon these very-prescriptive diets.  The Asian Diet is not an all-or-nothing proposition.  It gives you the principles and leave you free to figure out how to implement them.  However, in the next edition of the book, I may add a sample, suggested plan for people to model their own plans after. 

Overall I am thrilled that US News and World Report has included the Asian Diet in their rankings and rated it well.  I am glad that more people will get exposed to these principles; and I am grateful that they used my book in their research.  If more people ate this way, we would not have such grave concerns about the growing health crisis in our country.  If you have not yet read it, check out www.theasiandiet.com today and order your copy. 

help studying for the nccaom herbal board exam

I have just published an album of songs to help students and practitioners learn and remember Chinese medicinal herbs and formulas.  They are available as an album called "Supplemental Herb Songs" at www.cdbaby.com/cd/jasonbussell . 

This work was inspired by the work of Joe Curcio.  He wrote and recorded 58 songs covering over 70 formulas.  Each song goes through each verse three times.   The first time, you listen, second time, you sing along, and the third time you sing solo.  This helped me a lot, but I wished there were more songs.  So I wrote 38 more songs covering 56 more formulas, following the same format.  You can preview the songs with lyrics at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHpaABCjLqg and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leuT7CWs2lI . 

Whoever can benefit from my songs should also buy Joe's.  His are also available at www.cdbaby.com under the title "Tunes on Tangs and Songs on Sans".

And as a bonus, at the end of the lyrics (listed under "album info"), I have included some herbal mnemonics that were also helpful in my studying.  Things like:
"Di Yu  know that you’re bleeding?  (Do you know that you’re bleeding)
Because Di Yu (Sanguisorbae Radix) cools the blood and stops bleeding.

Huai Hua Mi?  Huia Mi?  Huai am I bleeding out my ass? (why am I bleeding)
Because Huai Hua Mi (Sophorae Flos Immaturus) treats bloody dysentery, bleeding hemorrhoids and heat in the LI; (as well as coughing blood, nosebleeds and uterine bleeding).


You do not need to buy the album to see the mnemonics. 


I hope this can help you. 


-Jason