Message from our President "We are all servants"

In these months of intense political campaigning the issue of what constitutes effective leadership is decidedly in the air.  While there is a ton of rhetoric and soap boxing engaged by civic, business, educational, healthcare and other leaders, both ancient legacies and recent theories postulate that a highly effective form of leadership is what is known as “servant leadership”—the style of leadership that places service to others as the highest priority.  More accurately described as a life style, servant leadership can and should be engaged by all who interact with others.   At the heart of servant leadership is an enduring respect for humanity and recognition of the constant processes of growth and development that are prime motivators of behavior.  The servant leader provides a model of selfless concern for others that transcends rank and role.   When you are with a servant leader you know it.   You feel calm and confident, heard and respected.  We are fortunate at Yo San University to have superb models of servant leadership in our faculty, clinical supervisors, interns and externs, tutors and mentors, students helping students, and so many other human beings who serve our community making it the special place that it is.

-Larry Ryan Ph.D.

Healthy-Aging Clinic at Yo San opens in September!

Spread the word!

SUNDAY MORNING HEALTHY-AGING CLINIC 
is opening September 9, 2012

Treating Age-Related Conditions with Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine and Nutritional Counseling

A wide variety of health conditions can be treated in the Yo San Specialty HEALTHY- AGING Clinic: 

• Skin conditions
• Joint, knee, hip, lower back, neck pain
• Rheumatism, arthritis
• Incontinence, bladder or prostate dysfunction, menopause
• Heart - lung conditions or circulatory issues
• Diabetes, obesity, constipation
• Insomnia, chronic fatigue

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All care provided by Licensed Acupuncturists enrolled in the Doctoral Program at Yo San University

Call for an appointment: Yo San Specialty Healthy-Aging Clinic (310) 577-3006

Sundays  8:30 am – 1:30 pm

Ancient Relief for a Modern Disease - Yo San University Externship Program at Being Alive Center

Ancient Relief for a Modern Disease

By Daniel Ramirez

On most days, the lobby of Being Alive in West Hollywood, Calif. is filled with laughter and banter from patients waiting for their next acupuncture session to get in tune with their qi. They are patients who come from different backgrounds, but share one thing in common - they all are living with HIV/AIDS and are seeking relief through this more than 3,000-year-old ancient medicine.

Being Alive is a 1,200-member non-profit HIV/AIDS organization that for nearly 15 years has been offering acupuncture, along with other alternative treatments, to help people living with HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles. 

A narrow hall, a paneled patient area and therapy room house Being Alive's twice-weekly acupuncture clinic where volunteer therapists and interns treat up to 60 members a week.

The volunteer therapists include instructors and interns from Yo San University in Santa Monica, Calif.

Since its introduction, acupuncture has been one of Being Alive's more popular programs, with countless members on its waiting list to fill slots of limited appointments.

The organization, like many other similar HIV holistic programs, has relied heavily on its volunteers and various donations to keep providing complementary services to this community.

Yo San University volunteer treating patient.

 Like other similar organizations across the country, Being Alive has faced financial challenges. Similar clinics around the state were affected by the Health Resources and Services Administration ruling in 2007 that prohibited against using Ryan White Program HIV funding for complementary therapy services. There have also been challenges with the fluctuating economy that have taken a toll.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that each year, approximately 50,000 Americans are diagnosed with HIV. This number has stabilized over the years, but remains high.

To reduce the replication of the HIV virus in the body, HIV-infected persons are treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART). Side effects for these drugs include stomach upset, fatigue, and liver and sleep problems according to the research association AVERT.org.

In 2003, the Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care reported 31 percent of HIV/AIDS patients used acupuncture as an alternative form of treatment.

Since then, there has been a steady rise.

Being Alive Executive Director Kevin Kurth explains that the program was started to offer holistic treatment to combat the side effects of drugs that are associated with fighting this rapid, growing disease and to provide a alternative outlet for people looking for  a natural approach to healing.

"We began to offer acupuncture as a complimentary with antiretroviral and Western medicine," said Kurth. "The No. 1 reason why people come for the acupuncture is the neuropathy, to treat pain in nerve endings mainly. But also to deal with stress, their appetite, nausea and all other side effects from the drugs."

Treating The Hiv Patient

Treatment of HIV/AIDS patients falls under two categories at Being Alive, according to Dr. Lawrence Lau, Dean of Academy and Clinical Affairs at Yo San University who oversees acupuncturists at the facility.

"There are two sets of patients. One wants relief from numbness, neuropathy, anything neurological, or nausea, fatigue, constipation, symptom-based.

The other set of patients are pretty OK, they have little symptoms, but just want to be well, or want continued wellness," said Lau.

If an HIV/AIDS patient requires more immediate and special attention, therapists identify and place them under a targeted 10-week program that includes routine care.

All of the care comes without a price tag.

The cost of acupuncture can hinder HIV/AIDS patients looking to be treated with this therapy.

"Many of our members are living on disability. I would say the majority, 98 percent, are under the poverty line so they can't afford treatment," said Kurth.

At no cost to members, the program allows access to those who could normally not take part in it.

Those who have taken advantage of the treatment so far said the treatments have been priceless.

Patients at Being Alive are treated for HIV-related symptoms such as fatigue and neuropathy.

 Patients like Cory Scott have become reliant on acupuncture to relieve serious side effects from the HIV virus. Scott has been living with HIV for 10 years - he has been coming to Being Alive for the past two. Having always been big believer in natural ways to cure, acupuncture had always intrigued Scott's mind. He began inquiring about the therapy to care for his neuropathy.

Neuropathy causes numbness, tingling, or pain, often starting in the feet and moving to the hands, according to the American Academy of Neurology.

When Scott sees his acupuncturist at the clinic, he said he describes his main symptoms as, "an intense burning sensation. A mix of burning and cold sensation on my feet."

Scott said it took only two sessions of acupuncture and low-voltage electro acupuncture to start seeing a difference in his overall health.

"There are no words to describe it. I feel a world of a difference," said Scott. "Living with HIV, it is hard to keep your energy up. Your life does change. But now, I exercise more and I'm less fatigued."

Others like Mark Mallery, an acupuncture and HIV patient said having acupuncture offered to him at the clinic has opened his eyes to view his health in a different light. After seeing significant results, Mallery said he was hooked on the treatments.

"There was a palpable feeling of being better. I felt my body make better connections, when I was having consistent treatment. Acupuncture is so beneficial to have in your arsenal to fight," he said.

Mallery said he hopes he can have constant and rotating treatment on a regular basis.

"There needs to be an expand in the availability. It has become an issue because of the need. It is beyond important to offer this therapy. It is probably one of the most important services this organization offers."

The word-of-mouth praise that the clinic has received from both patients and interns from Yo San has gradually created a growing demand, causing a strain on their resources.

"Some therapists' private practices are growing so fast, and they don't have time to volunteer here.

While the popularity of our program is also growing, we depend a lot on our volunteers," said Gene Poppe, Being AliveDirector of Development.

A Fulfilling Experience For Practitioners

The clinic has not only proven to be a success for the patients, but it has also been a fulfilling experience for Dr. Lau, along with his team of three interns and one instructor in charge of treating these Being Alive members.

 Being Alive headquarters located in West Hollywood, Calif. offers free acupuncture services. 

The clinic has served as a learning environment for the interns who are in their final year of schooling and has broadened their overall knowledge of helping people heal from a complex disease with traditional medicine.

"We provide an opportunity for them to treat a different patient, experiencing different types of pain, under a well-defined set of conditions and perform acupuncture in a different setting, as opposed to an in-house clinic," said Dr. Lau.

Acupuncturist Antonio Whiteley has donated his time at Being Alive for the past three years.

In practicing acupuncture, Whiteley always felt the need to give back. 

"I am a gay man and I wanted to give back to my community in this way," shared Whiteley. "It is something that I've always wanted to be involved in, there has always been such a stigma on HIV/AIDS, I don't think there was as much compassion brought to these patients, no one wanted to touch them or treat them years ago."

In lending his time at Being Alive, Whiteley has developed friendships with his patients and is passionate about his service.

"My patients love to come in, I talk to them also because I genuinely care about their health and they do get results.

From the neuropathy or viral loads go down and T cells go up," Whiteley said. 

Whiteley recognizes that he has learned more and more about treatment protocol and has had to stay up to date with modern research for both the Chinese medicine and the disease.

"It makes me appreciate things more. It is a great balance outside of your practice, not doing it for the money but for the satisfaction.

I learn something new every time I go there: clinically, personally, everyone teaches me something valuable there," he said.

Whitely calls for other acupuncturists to think about lending their services, whether it is at Being Alive or any other nonprofit in their community. He believes that when professionals reach a point in their careers, they should just think about giving back.

"It goes to show that although Chinese medicine is an ancient form of medicine, you can use ancient medicine to treat a modern disease. It is so beneficial for people living with HIV, with their immune system, their mentality, a lot of people think it is just for pain," said Whiteley.

Through the camaraderie that has developed at Being Alive, most acupuncture patients at this clinic have been able to overlook their fear of needles and echo the words of Mallery when he states, "I would advise anyone who hasn't to try it, to be open to alternative medicine and broadening your possibilities to healing."

If you are interested in volunteering or learning more about Being Alive, please contact 323.874.4322 or visit http://beingalivela.org.

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http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?t=47&id=32636
Photo courtesy of Marco Garcia

Externship Program at Visions Adolescent Treatment Centers

Consistent with its commitment to facilitate wellness across the human lifespan, early in September 2012 Yo San University will initiate an externship service with the Visions Adolescent Day School and Treatment Program in Brentwood.   The Visions program provides a WASC accredited high school experience as well, as management and/or provision of a range of Western and complementary treatment services for adolescents who have experienced a wide range of conditions.  The service at the Visions site will be implemented with one shift per week starting September 12, 2012.   The Visions site will provide a unique externship since it will engage a “community acupuncture” format with four patients being treated simultaneously.  Additionally, the site operates with a paperless system with all patient background and treatment data maintained via an electronic medical records system.  The plans for the externship include service by one extern from the MATCM and one extern form the DAOM Program.    In addition to the usual supervision activities, the externs will be invited to participate in staff meetings at the Visions site at which they will have the opportunity to learn a great deal more about the adolescent personality and the multiple healthcare referrals involved in managing the treatment of a wide range of physical, behavioral and psychological dysfunctions.  The prospect is for a rich and stimulating learning experience for Yo San University students.

“Floating Doctors” Founder Speaks at Yo San

On a recent Thursday afternoon thirty members of the Yo San University Community gathered to hear the presentation of Dr. Ben LaBrot, the founder and President of “Floating Doctors” a  volunteer organization that has provided crisis related healthcare services to needy people in Haiti, Honduras and Panama.   It was nearly three years ago that grassroots band of volunteer physicians and other health care provides, based on a 74 foot sailing ship, The Southern Wind, responded to the devastating earthquake in Haiti by rendering two and a half months of emergency health care to people in remote seaside villages that were not accessed by other relief agencies.   The group returned to Haiti eight months later to assist in the provision of medical treatments during a widespread outbreak of Cholera.  A similar mission was conducted subsequent to political upheaval in Honduras, which left many indigent people injured and without appropriate medical services.  Most recently the group has provided medical relief to isolated villages in Panama.  Ben LaBrot is a charismatic and passionate speaker who has decided opinions about how to provide immediate and meaningful healthcare service.  His awareness  and expertise has enabled the Floating Doctors to bypass the bureaucracies of immigration, import taxes and other political blockades that often inhibit the provision of emergency and crisis care.  Dr. LaBrot’s presentation was enhanced by several  poignant video clips depicting Floating Doctors in action with narrations by several of the 350 volunteers who have served the organization in the past three years.   Participation in the Floating Doctors program affords volunteers a  wide range of medical treatment experiences with a level of intensity that will last a lifetime.  Most importantly, volunteer service with Floating Doctors provides critical care medical assistance for people in need.  To learn more about Floating Doctors check out:

                http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2012/02/23/cnnheroes-floating-doctors.cnn

What is an STRF? And what does it mean for me?

The Bureau of Private Post-Secondary Education (BPPE) established a special insurance fund to protect students in the event of a disruption or closure of an academic institution.  That’s a good thing!  All schools that are recognized by the BPPE, including Yo San University, are obligated to participate in this program.  But the BPPE states that this insurance fund must be supported by money collected from students – a university is not allowed to pick up the tab.

  

As a result, in compliance with these new BPPE  regulations, a small fee will be collected from all registered students every trimester using the formula published by the BPPE (California Education Code 94923).  This fee for the Student Tuition Recovery Fund is called the STRF fee.  From now on, you will see this stated on your registration form every trimester.  Currently, the BPPE formula for calculating the STRF fee is: $2.50 for every $1,000 of institutional charges per trimester rounded to the nearest $1,000. The STRF fee is charged at registration and is not refundable unless you cancel registration in its entirety before the trimester begins. The Bursar’s office will do the calculation for you every trimester, but please feel free to speak to the Bursar or to the Dean of Administration if you have questions.

Learn more about BPPE click here

Ask Julie

Question: How is blepharospasm viewed in Chinese medicine, and what can be done about it?

Answer: A 60-year old male patient presented with a complaint of severe eyelid twitching that had worsened over the last two months. He had consulted a neurologist, who diagnosed “benign essential blepharospasm.”  The standard treatment was Botox injections every two months. He didn’t like that idea at all, so he came to try acupuncture.

This patient owned a stressful landscaping business, and had problems with the business and at home trying to manage finances and raise three children. He was active, cycling up to a hundred miles a week. He suffered from sleep deprivation due to insomnia and to busyness, and he also had headaches. He was otherwise in good health, with no history of drug or alcohol use. His pulse was very moderate, slow and evenly balanced, but his tongue was quite purple.

How could a man this active show signs of liver Qi stagnation? Could his stress be so strong that it allowed his liver Qi to stagnate even with all that exercise? And, twitching usually indicates liver wind, but in this case, was liver Qi stagnation the prominent pattern? How much stagnation should I try to move, versus how much wind to try to extinguish?

I decided to start with his sleep, so I prescribed the always-reliable Suan Zao Ren Tang in tablets, to help him sleep and to calm the liver. If acupuncture and this formula did not improve things, I would prescribe a more focused raw herb formula.

At our second meeting, the twitching had not changed at all, but his sleep had improved somewhat. He told me that he’d forgotten to mention a history of loss of consciousness; he had completely passed out, once in the shower two years ago and another time 3-4 years ago. This could be part of the liver wind pattern, so I made note of it, even though it had not happened recently.

He had seen his ophthalmologist about the twitch, and had been referred to a neuro-ophthamologist, whom he had not yet seen at the time of this publication. His tongue was still quite a dark purple, and he agreed to try a raw herb formula. Given his lack of improvement, and the new information about fainting, I wrote the following formula:

Tian Ma, 10 g

Gou Teng,10 g

Mu Gua, 10 g

Du Zhong, 10 g

Mu Li (prepared), 20 g

Jiang Can, 10 g

Bai Ji Li, 10 g

Ju Hua, 10 g

Bai Shao, 10 g

This formula extinguishes internal wind, sedates the liver, cools the liver and relieves spasm. I told him to come back in a week, and to have consumed all three bags of the formula!

When I next saw him, he reported that the twitch was improved in frequency and severity. He no longer had to hold his face to keep it steady. Better still, his tongue had become a clear pink with very little trace of purple. That’s where things stand now, after three visits. He’d only used up one bag of the tea, though, because of being too busy.

What's up, Doc? "Benign blepharospasm"

Benign blepharospasm is characterized by episodes of spontaneous and uncontrolled blinking, usually of one eye.  There are other types of blepharospasm, which are not benign, for example, if you get something in your eye or, a more serious problem, when the spasm is associated with other neurological abnormalities. In other words, a benign blepharospasm is simply a spasm of the eyelid with no particularly known cause and no other neurological involvement. These spasms may occur at any time and are often inconvenient and sometimes embarrassing, since other people tend to spend their time watching your eye twitch rather than listening to what you are saying.  The good thing is that a benign blepharospasm will usually subside spontaneously within 6 months.  However, once again, a practitioner should always be alert for other abnormal neurological signs that might become present. If there are any associated neurological problems, the practitioner must refer the patient to a neurologist for further evaluation.

For good or for bad, in western medicine, the only treatment for benign blepharospasm is a Botox injection.  Botox injections are used for a lot of things.  Botox stands for botulinum toxin.  You may have read about people who ate something like cold potato soup from a can and who died very quickly afterwards.  This disease is called "botulism".  Often the can itself is deformed by the gas producing Clostridia botulinum.  The toxin from this bacterium paralyzes nerves and muscles including the diaphragm and results in death.  You will notice that on containers of honey, there is a warning in fine print stating that this product should not to given to children under 1 year old.  This is because the honey may contain spores of C. botulinum that produce the very same toxin.  Adults and older children make sufficient gastric acid to destroy these spores, but infants do not and that can result in “infant botulism”.  Infant botulism causes a loss of the normal sucking reflex requiring tube or intravenous feeding, reduces the muscle tone making the infant “flaccid” which is an absence of normal muscle strength and finally can paralyze the diaphragm requiring the baby to be put on a ventilator until the toxin resolves, which may take weeks to months. 

This is the source of the Botox injection, which basically paralyzes the local nerve and its muscle for a “therapeutic effect”.  There are some good reasons for doing Botox injections but one should consider the following suggestions.  The first is that Botox should only be given for a valid indication and when there is no other acceptable or alternative treatment.  Secondly, whoever is doing the injections should be an expert with a proven track record.  Finally, the side effects should be clearly delineated in writing before injection.  For example, the most common side effects of Botox when used for blepharospasm are ptosis or sagging of the upper eyelid (21%) and keratitis or eye dryness (6%), which has the potential of causing permanent eye damage. The latter can usually be prevented by continuous and frequent use of eye lubricants, but here we are talking about months of prevention.  There are also many other less common side effects. 

In general, for all of the above reasons, I would recommend doing TCM before trying Botox for benign blepharospasm.