ACUPUNCTURE SPECIALISTS BARLOW, KENTUCKY

» What is Qi?
Qi, also commonly spelled ch'i, chi or ki, is a fundamental concept of everyday Chinese culture, most often defined as "air" or "breath" (for example, the colloquial Mandarin Chinese term for "weather" is tian qi, or the "breath of heaven") and, by extension, "life force" or "spiritual energy" that is part of everything that exists. References to qi or similar philosophical concepts as a type of metaphysical energy that sustains living beings are used in many belief systems.

» Acupuncture : Introduction & History
This article provides a brief introduction to the the history and theory of acupuncture, including a traditional Chinese medical view, as well as an easily-understood explanation for the layman.

» Research Suggests Marine Oil may Prevent Alzheimer's Disease
(NaturalNews) While doctors are prescribing expensive drugs that can have devastating side effects to slow the progress of Alzheimer`s, new research shows it might be possible to prevent the onset of this cruel disease by something as simple, inexpensive, and safe as a dose of marine oil every day during our younger years.

In the US, as many as 5.3 million people live with Alzheimer`s. That number is predicted to double every 20 years.1 The latest medical thinking is that the escalating rate of Alzheimer`s disease has its roots in chronic inflammation that`s a result of the modern diet deficient in omega 3 fatty acids.

The first symptoms of Alzheimer`s generally appear after age 60. Such symptoms include memory problems, loss of motor control, and problems with one`s sense of smell. But according to the National Institute on Aging, the damage that eventually turns into Alzheimer`s disease can begin to occur 20 years before the first symptoms appear. It makes sense, therefore, to do whatever one can to prevent the process from beginning. The good news is that a substance found in nature could offer the best new hope for prevention.

While some people have drawn a genetic short straw that predisposes them to develop Alzheimer`s disease, the latest medical research has identified chronic inflammation as the first stage in the process. For example, one team of researchers found that people whose blood carried the markers for inflammation, called cytokines, were more likely to go on to develop Alzheimer`s disease than test subjects without cytokines.2

Discovery of the link between inflammation and Alzheimer`s has led to research on the potential for anti-inflammatories to prevent the onset of the disease. In one study, a team of researchers tested a synthetic anti-inflammatory drug for the prevention of Alzheimer`s disease. They found that the anti-inflammatory drug "appeared to protect mild to moderately impaired Alzheimer`s disease patients from the degree of cognitive decline exhibited by a well-matched placebo-treated group."3

While synthetic prescription anti-inflammatories may be beneficial as an Alzheimer`s preventative, the side effects of their long-term use can be serious. Consequently, doctors have been looking for safer options for their Alzheimer`s patients. One way to address chronic inflammation is by adding therapeutic omega 3 fatty acids to the diet. Eating more omega 3 rich cold-water fish such as salmon and tuna is helpful, but a better way to boost omega 3 levels is by taking a dietary supplement.

The best sources of omega 3 are marine oils, usually sold as fish oil capsules derived from salmon. The most potent omega 3 marine oil found to date is derived from the green-lipped mussel of New Zealand. At the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane, Australia, Dr. Michael Whitehouse PhD compared stabilized mussel oil with other anti-inflammatory agents, which included several prescription medications. At a dose of 5mg per kilogram of body weight, the stabilized mussel oil was found to be 97 percent effective in reducing inflammation, and 350 times more potent than salmon oil as a source of omega 3. Dr. Whitehouse concluded that the mussel oil was clearly a superior medicinal compound, because it achieved the desired result without the side effects that accompanied synthetic anti-inflammatories.

Since inflammation has been shown to be a culprit behind a great many conditions--from heart disease and arthritis to asthma and Alzheimer`s--it makes sense to get more omega 3 into one`s diet. High-potency marine oil, such as that derived from the New Zealand green-lipped mussel, may be the answer.

* * * * * SOURCES: 1 2009 statistics from the Alzheimer`s Association. 2 Zaldy S. Tan MD, Journal of the American Academy of Neurology, May 29, 2007. 3 Roberts L.J. et al. Neurology, 1993; 43:1609.



About the author
Carl D. Thompson has spent most of his 34-year career as a journalist writing about health and medical matters. He has a particular interest in low-risk natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. His new book is "Inflammation: What Drug Companies Do not Want You to Know," which is available as a free e-book at www.urgenthealthnews.com.

» After horrible deaths caused by medical radiation mistakes are uncovered, medical group issues (sort of) an apology
(NaturalNews) In late January, the New York Times published a startling and groundbreaking series of reports by investigative reporter Walt Bogdanich who has uncovered case after case of people who suffered devastating consequences -- including horrendously painful, torture-like deaths -- because of medical mistakes related to radiation treatment. In response to these articles, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) just issued a statement saying the group and its members "deeply regret that these events have occurred, and we continue to work hard to reduce the likelihood of similar events in the future."

Nowhere in the statement does the AAPM acknowledge specifically what events they are talking about -- and they do not even mention the almost incomprehensible human suffering connected to these unnamed "events". Instead, the AAPM is clearly most interested in pacifying the public so they won't be worried about the dangers associated with medical radiation.

As the statement puts it, the AAPM "seeks to reassure the public on the safety of radiation therapy, which is safely and effectively used to treat hundreds of thousands of people with cancer and other diseases every year in the United States. Medical physicists in hospitals and clinics across the United States are board-certified professionals who play a key role in assuring quality during these treatments."

That reassurance is likely to mean little to the friends and relatives of people killed by medical radiation. No doubt, these patients were assured before their treatment began that their radiation was state-of-the-art western medicine, delivered by highly trained medical professionals.

Horrifying deaths caused by "medical" radiation
For example, Bogdanich reported on the heartbreaking tale of Scott Jerome-Parks who was literally irradiated to death. While he was being treated for tongue cancer, staff in a New York City hospital didn't notice a computer error was directing a linear accelerator to zap Jerome-Parks' brain stem and neck with off-target beams of high-dose radiation on three consecutive days.

He was left deaf, almost blind, burned, and unable to swallow. His teeth fell out among the ulcers lacing his mouth and throat. He died, in excruciating pain, weeks after his radiation "treatment" at the age of 43.

The very day a warning was issued to other hospitals to be more careful with radiation, Bogdanich pointed out in his report, at the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn a 32-year-old woman with breast cancer was subjected to a huge radiation overdose -- three times the prescribed amount. And it didn't stop there. This intense irradiation of her body went on for 27 days until it burned a hideous, open hole into her chest. The young mother of two young children suffered horrendous pain and then died a month after Jerome-Parks.

Unfortunately, anyone who is assured by the AAPM's public relations statement about the intrinsic safety of medical radiation is simply not well informed. One worrisome concern is the fact Americans are being exposed to cancer-causing radiation in huge numbers -- the average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation Americans receive has gone up 600 percent in the last three decades (http://www.naturalnews.com/025767_cancer_NaturalNews_X-rays.html). In addition, when safety rules are overlooked or the incredibly complex and high powered 21st century radiation devices have a glitch, the consequences clearly can be disastrous.

And while the AAPM may want patients to think mistakes involving medical radiation are so rare as to be nothing to worry about, the fact is more and more of these tragedies have been reported over the past few years. For example, NaturalNews has previously reported on the death of a teenager who received a massive overdose of radiation (http://www.naturalnews.com/020824_cancer_cancer_treatments_oncology.html) and how patients receiving CT brain scans at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles unknowingly received large overdoses of radiation over a course of 18 months (http://www.naturalnews.com/027541_radiation_medical_imaging.html). For more information: http://www.naturalnews.com/radiation_treatment.html http://www.aapm.org/publicgeneral/QualityRadiationTherapy.asp