צ’י קונג (Qigong) הוא תרגול עתיק ברפואה הסינית שמטרתו לטפח את אנרגיית החיים (Qi). הוא משלב תנועה עדינה ומודעת, נשימה, מדיטציה והקשבה פנימית, כדי לשפר את הזרימה האנרגטית בגוף, להרגיע את מערכת העצבים ולחזק את מערכות הגוף השונות. במשך מאות שנים נעשה בו שימוש בסין הן לשמירה על הבריאות והן כחלק מטיפול במחלות כרוניות ואקוטיות.

What shall we eat drink and do in autumn

Cow's milk is not what it used to be when I was a child. In recent decades, cow's milk has become a more industrialized product, with widespread use of antibiotics, growth hormones and possibly pesticides to increase productivity. To that you may add packaging.  In addition, about 65% of the world's adult population suffers from some level of lactose intolerance, which leads to symptoms such as bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea after consuming dairy products. It should al

Today marks Xiàzhì (夏至) , the Summer Solstice – the longest day of the year and the peak of Yang energy  in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). From this point, light slowly gives way to shadow, inviting a balance between movement and rest, brightness and depth . Welcome to Fire Summer - Summer belongs to the Fire element , linked to the Heart and Small Intestine meridians —governing joy, connection, sleep, and emotional clarity. But too much heat can lead to restlessness, an

According to Maimonides and Chinese medicine we are supposed to "eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a poor man" , but too often I meet patients who miss this important meal or drink coffee and a cookie and think that this will satisfy their body needs - to produce energy (Qi) that will allow them to do everything they need and want. A fascinating study compared a diet which is rich in the morning and poor in the evening to the opposite - poor in th

A new study from China published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology demonstrated that people who drink green tea at least three times a week have lower risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death . Study included 100,902 participants followed up for ~7.3 years , who had no history of heart attack, stroke, or cancer and were classified to two groups: habitual tea drinkers (≥ 3 times a week) or never/non-habitual tea drinkers (< 3 times a week). Results sho

A new study from Turkey assessed the analgesic effects of diclofenac (Voltaren), acetaminophen (Paracetamol), and acupuncture for the relief of renal colic caused by urinary stones. 120 renal colic patients were divided randomly into 3 groups. Patients in group I (n = 40) were treated with IV acetaminophen, those in group II (n = 41) with acupuncture, and those in group III (n=40) with a 75-mg intramuscular injection diclofenac sodium. Acupuncture was applied on acupoints B

A new study from Australia shows that managing female fertility with Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) improves pregnancy rates almost 2-fold within a 3-6 month period compared with Western Medical (WM) fertility drug therapy. All fertility indicators were also positively influenced indicating positive physiological effect leading to viable pregnancy. The study, which was a meta analysis, searched 40 RCTs involving 4247 women with infertility due to PolyCystic Ovary Syndrome (PC

Diabetes, as well as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity are major risk factors for heart attacks and CVA. In the modern world, sugar consumption is far too high for our body to cope with, it is unable to produce enough insulin to break down sugar or our body simply develops insulin resistance. It is estimated that close to 500 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes (1) and in Israel there are 435,000 people with diabetes and additional 200,000 who are u

Acupuncture has been practiced for 1000s of years, yet people rightfully want to know: How safe is it? What are the potential common and less common side effects ? Is it safe in people who take anti-coagulants? Is it safe during pregnancy? Is it safe to treat children? ...and in perspective: How does it compare to standard medical care (3rd leading cause of death, USA) How does it compare to medications side effects & safety (4th cause of death, USA) In the follow

Nearly 17% of the world population suffers from Chronic Functional Constipation, ie less than 2 ports spontaneous (non-drug, herbal, tools-induced) per week. A new study published in the highly prestigious Annals Internal Medicine (5th in importance in the world!) proved once again the effectiveness of acupuncture in chronic constipation. The study, which was a randomized, controlled trial, was conducted in 15 hospitals around China, and included 1075 patients with chronic f

Cupping is traditional procedure that exists in many cultures and is also routinely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, despite the fact that many people think of it as a rather primitive technique. A new study from Taiwan investigated the effectiveness of cupping therapy (CT) on relieving Chronic Neck & Shoulder Pain among community residents. The study was single-blinded and included 60 patients with self-perceived pain randomly allocated to either receiving cupping in S

A new multi-center study from China assessed the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 72 patients were randomized to receive either real or sham acupuncture three times a week for 8 weeks. Both groups received acupuncture treatment for 30 mins, at acupuncture points LU1, LU9, LI18, ST36, GB12, BL13, BL20, and BL23, while the placebo group received acupuncture needles without an "edge" that simulate feeling of acupunct

The American College of Physicians (ACP) have just published NEW guidelines for the treatment of non-radiating Lower Back Pain - Chronic or Acute - in the prestigious Annals of Internal Medicine. These include Acupuncture as one of the first line recommendations. You can find the publication for Free download link below. Link #chronicpain #acutepain #lowerbackpain #acp

Many people suffer from seasonal allergy during spring and/or fall, and those allergic to the house dust mite will testify it's a 365 days of year issue. Acupuncture has been proven effective in the treatment of allergy to dust mites and other related symptoms such as rhinitis, itchy eyes and so on. New research from Australia published recently assessed the physiological basis for this improvement. The study was a randomized, controlled study and included 151 adults who we

Oregano oil ( Origanum vulgare ) is known in traditional medicine to protect and treat bacterial infections, viruses and parasites in the stomach. It joins other potent essential oils like tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, each with a slightly different indication. The main active ingredients in oregano oil are Carvacrol and Thymol, which have antioxidant activity in addition to antimicrobial activity (1). Oregano oil has been shown to be effective in bacterial infections such