On October 31, 2011, The Philadelphia Inquirer published an article by Michael Yudell, an associate professor at Drexel University School of Public Health, in which he chastised the late Steve Jobs for choosing to treat his pancreatic cancer with alternative therapies, rather than conventional medicine.
Yudell said, "Jobs spurned the best medical advice and the pleas of his family and friends and pursued his own path. He sought out, according to Walter Isaacson's new biography, a hodgepodge of alternative therapies including a diet of carrot and fruit juices, acupuncture, herbal remedies, and even the advice of a psychic. Nine months after his initial diagnosis, his tumor was found to have grown and spread. It was too late. His cancer was now incurable...Jobs was quoted in his biography as saying that he 'didn't want them to open up my body, so I tried to see if a few other things would work.'"
"A friend believed that Jobs had 'such a strong desire for the world to be a certain way that he wills it to be that way.' This magical thinking may have worked in his world of computers. But for his health, as one friend put it, 'reality is unforgiving.'"
I would like to address several of the points in this article.
As a breast cancer survivor, I learned first-hand that our response to a life-threatening medical diagnosis is very personal. Well-meaning family and friends frequently have their own agenda, which colors their advice. Jobs was entitled to follow his own path, even if his decisions were faulty, inaccurate, and ultimately, fatal. That doesn't mean that he made the most effective choices, but it was, indeed, his body, and his right to treat the cancer in a way that made him most comfortable and in sync with his values and desires.
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With that said, in my own situation, I chose to use Western medicine and had a mastectomy, even when offered the option of a lumpectomy and radiation. This horrified some of my friends, who couldn't imagine why anyone would elect to have a breast removed if there was another choice. What they didn't recognize was that I had done considerable research and had spoken with many survivors before deciding on a course of action that would give me peace of mind.
Peace of mind is a crucial concept when making a healthcare decision. It is knowing that, no matter what the outcome, you are at peace with your decision and are not in a state of anxiety.
Throughout my experience with cancer, I had acupuncture treatments, which supported me on many levels and increased my energy, lifted my spirits, and enabled me to focus and think clearly and calmly, despite the overwhelming amount of decisions that needed to be made.
As an acupuncturist, I am keenly aware of the benefits and limits of my field. I always tell patients that acupuncture is complementary to Western Medicine and does not replace it. I believe that it's important to have a family doctor or internist who oversees a patient's care. Hopefully, this physician is willing to recognize that acupuncture can play an important role in helping resolve or minimize healthcare problems and maintain wellness.
I also believe that Western medicine is well-suited to treating acute illnesses and injuries. Certainly, if a person was in a car accident, he or she wouldn't first seek the services of an acupuncturist; a hospital's emergency room would be the place to go.
On the other hand, I've had conversations with physicians who formerly scoffed at acupuncture and now realize that it can provide relief for a variety of chronic problems -- everything from pain to insomnia, menopausal symptoms, and stress relief. In many cases, physicians can only offer medication or surgery and feel frustrated when neither works or is desired by the patient.
In regard to cancer, I recommend to patients that they discuss the use of acupuncture with their oncologist, surgeon, and other physicians who provide their cancer treatment. It is important to get their approval and acceptance of acupuncture as part of the team effort, since it can help with problems such as nausea, fatigue, depression, pain, and body temperature changes.
In general, acupuncturists and other holistic healthcare professionals can usually spend more time listening to and getting to know their patients than can physicians, who are frequently saddled with a large daily caseload. This is not the fault of the doctors, but more frequently the result of financial constraints and demands of their hospital, group practice, and insurers.
Patients who have experienced acupuncture usually enjoy it and are pleased with the benefits. So is it "magical thinking" to believe that this ancient profession can be the answer to at least some of their healthcare issues? A core belief in acupuncture is the importance of maintaining balance in our lives, known in Chinese terms as yin and yang. In choosing their healthcare, I believe it is essential for patients to educate themselves by investigating the conventional and complementary options available to them and selecting the mix that best suits their needs, on a physical, emotional, and spiritual level.
I invite your comments and questions, which you can write on this blog or send to my professional Facebook page, "Donna Greenberg Traditional Acupuncture." Thanks for reading!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
How the Five Elements of Acupuncture can help you
The 5 Elements of acupuncture are: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. They all occur in Nature.
Each one rules a specific season (the 5th season is Late Summer, ruled by Earth) and time of day
(known as the "Chinese Clock").
In addition, each element rules specific parts of the body. Most important, each element has a
corresponding color, sound, odor, and emotion, which help determine a patient's Constitutional
Factor (CF). The CF is the element most dominant in an individual. By knowing this, the
acupuncturist can treat the patient at a much deeper level, which results in a better
outcome.
You may be familiar with my seasonal newsletters, which I e-mail to patients and
everyone else on my mailing lists. They go into more depth about each element.
One of the most fascinating things about the Five Elements is how they can help you
understand the people in your life (and you). You can use the elements to deal with
challenging people, once you understand how each element controls another one
(the Ko or K'e cycle).
For example, Earth controls Water. Think of Earth as a dam that keeps a rushing river
from overflowing and flooding its banks. Earth is all about nurturing and nourishing,
and being centered and grounded. The emotions connected with it are sympathy
(when you are in balance) and worry (when you are out of balance).
If you are worried to the point of ruminating or obsessing, your Earth energy becomes
depleted and then it's just a question of time before your Water energy collapses,
leaving you anxious, and in extreme cases, panicked.
You can prevent that by building your Earth energy through activities such as
gardening, cooking, walking, and receiving massages or acupuncture. If
someone close to you expresses fear, you can help him or her by offering
sympathy and nurturing that person, which will help create a sense of stability
and safety.
In future blogs, I'll explain the other elements and how they control each other.
If you would like to know how to handle a specific problem in yourself,
a co-worker, friend, or relative, please write me in the Comments section here,
and I'll answer you in my next blog. Thanks for your interest!
Each one rules a specific season (the 5th season is Late Summer, ruled by Earth) and time of day
(known as the "Chinese Clock").
In addition, each element rules specific parts of the body. Most important, each element has a
corresponding color, sound, odor, and emotion, which help determine a patient's Constitutional
Factor (CF). The CF is the element most dominant in an individual. By knowing this, the
acupuncturist can treat the patient at a much deeper level, which results in a better
outcome.
You may be familiar with my seasonal newsletters, which I e-mail to patients and
everyone else on my mailing lists. They go into more depth about each element.
One of the most fascinating things about the Five Elements is how they can help you
understand the people in your life (and you). You can use the elements to deal with
challenging people, once you understand how each element controls another one
(the Ko or K'e cycle).
For example, Earth controls Water. Think of Earth as a dam that keeps a rushing river
from overflowing and flooding its banks. Earth is all about nurturing and nourishing,
and being centered and grounded. The emotions connected with it are sympathy
(when you are in balance) and worry (when you are out of balance).
If you are worried to the point of ruminating or obsessing, your Earth energy becomes
depleted and then it's just a question of time before your Water energy collapses,
leaving you anxious, and in extreme cases, panicked.
You can prevent that by building your Earth energy through activities such as
gardening, cooking, walking, and receiving massages or acupuncture. If
someone close to you expresses fear, you can help him or her by offering
sympathy and nurturing that person, which will help create a sense of stability
and safety.
In future blogs, I'll explain the other elements and how they control each other.
If you would like to know how to handle a specific problem in yourself,
a co-worker, friend, or relative, please write me in the Comments section here,
and I'll answer you in my next blog. Thanks for your interest!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
A short introduction....
This evening, I was at a local networking group for the first time. Everyone I spoke with asked me the same three questions: What problems does acupuncture help? Does it hurt? Does it really work?All good questions! I figure that this is where I should start my blog....
Acupuncture is great for maintaining wellness and for improving all kinds of chronic problems --
physical, emotional, and spiritual. That's why we call it "bodymindspirit" medicine. Whether you
suffer from a long list of ailments or just wish you had more energy and oomph in your life, there's a good chance that acupuncture will meet your needs.
No, acupuncture doesn't hurt. The needles (which are pre-sterilized and disposable) are as thin and fine as a human hair, and oh-so-flexible. You don't feel them being inserted. Once the needle meets the "qi" or "chi," which is our vital energy, the qi starts moving and you may feel a momentary
tingling or achey sensation, which passes quickly.
Yes, it really works. Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. If it didn't work, it wouldn't have lasted. In fact, many patients enjoy coming in for regular "tune-ups," long after their original problems are resolved or diminished.
Next time, I'll explain Traditional or Five Element Acupuncture and its special benefits. I'll also talk about some of the differences between Western and Eastern medicine.
Until then, enjoy these first, welcome stirrings of spring....and send me your questions and comments. I'll use them in future blogs.
Wishing you good health and happiness!
Namaste,
Donna
Acupuncture is great for maintaining wellness and for improving all kinds of chronic problems --
physical, emotional, and spiritual. That's why we call it "bodymindspirit" medicine. Whether you
suffer from a long list of ailments or just wish you had more energy and oomph in your life, there's a good chance that acupuncture will meet your needs.
No, acupuncture doesn't hurt. The needles (which are pre-sterilized and disposable) are as thin and fine as a human hair, and oh-so-flexible. You don't feel them being inserted. Once the needle meets the "qi" or "chi," which is our vital energy, the qi starts moving and you may feel a momentary
tingling or achey sensation, which passes quickly.
Yes, it really works. Acupuncture has been around for thousands of years. If it didn't work, it wouldn't have lasted. In fact, many patients enjoy coming in for regular "tune-ups," long after their original problems are resolved or diminished.
Next time, I'll explain Traditional or Five Element Acupuncture and its special benefits. I'll also talk about some of the differences between Western and Eastern medicine.
Until then, enjoy these first, welcome stirrings of spring....and send me your questions and comments. I'll use them in future blogs.
Wishing you good health and happiness!
Namaste,
Donna
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