Can acupuncture improve persistent sleep disturbance in veterans suffering mild traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder?
Persistent sleep disturbances are highly common in veterans with mild traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder
A clinical trial included 60 veterans, aged 24-55 years, with a history of mild traumatic brain injury and a post traumatic stress disorder diagnosis, and at least 3 months of sleep disturbance.
The veterans were divided into 2 groups, 1 group received acupuncture and the other group a sham needling procedure.
The trial concluded real acupuncture resulted in a significant improvement for veterans with mild traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder, and disturbed sleep.
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So I wanted to present the technique of using Shawnee Shoni Shen for the treatment of pediatric patients, but actually what I want to also, point out today is that this, that we can actually use sh hin for adults.
Disclaimer: The following is an actual transcript. We do our best to make sure the transcript is as accurate as possible, however, it may contain spelling or grammatical errors.Due to the unique language of acupuncture, there will be errors, so we suggest you watch the video while reading the transcript.
Hi, my name is Moshe Heller from Jingshen pediatrics.com. I want to thank the American Acupuncture Council for letting me do this show today. And today I will be talking about Shoni Shen. So let’s move to the. Slide. So I wanted to present the technique of using Shawnee Shoni Shen for the treatment of pediatric patients, but actually what I want to also, point out today is that this, that we can actually use sh hin for adults. And it all depends on how we use this technique. Generally speaking, sh hin is a technique for stimulating the channels and acupuncture points instead of using needles. And it was developed in Japan in a long time ago, and it is very effective if it’s used correctly for the treatment of both pediatrics and adult patients.
And there, although we use this, the name shone and it seems like it’s one style, but there’s actually many styles of sh and many tools. And each tools, each tool is actually a different. Used for a different style. Generally speaking, when we are using SHO Shoni Shen, we always hide the sensation from the tool.
We really should be looking at our own chi and how we are positioning ourselves and being aware of our own QI so that things are really loose and flowing well. We also should always be clear on our intention on what we’re trying to achieve when we’re using these techniques. Generally there are many techniques.
I’m going to be mentioning five techniques. And I will also show you the different tools that are appropriate for each one of them. The first. Technique is a tapping technique when we use a tool that for specific points or along a channel and we tap on the skin with the tool to bring the chi up to the surface.
We also try to tap in different angles to produce a different effect so that it’s not constantly using the same angle. The second technique is called scraping, where we use the tool to scrape along the channel. So both tapping and scraping follow the flow of the channel and usually done within the flow of the challenge.
So we’re following the flow. Of the channel, we we use both tapping and scraping. So the idea is first we tap, we call the chia up to the surface, and then we scrape in order to make the chief flow within the channel. The tool that I use or is commonly used for tapping and scraping is called the Y Yama.
I’ll have pictures in a second, but this is the tool. Where you can, it has an edge that we can use for tapping, and it has an edge that we can use for scraping. And as I mentioned, hiding the sensation is very important. So we use our, both, our finger and thumb to hide the sensation from or distract the sensation from the patient.
The other technique I wanted to present here is called a stroking technique. And for that it, we use a different type of tool. That tool is called a dashi tool, which looks like this. And a dashi tool is made for stroking, stroking. Again, as I said, in all shown hin techniques. We need to hide the sensation so it’s not so blunt, and we will stroke the patient in a certain direction.
And that’s called stroking technique. And we use the dashi tool and, and that’s a special tool for this technique. Also with the dashi, we can use either pressing or vibrating. So we use the other side of the tool and we can press on a point and vibrate it to create pressure and vibration And, so this is the use of the dashi, and the last one is called scra scratching sounds. We call it scratching, but it doesn’t, we are not scratching with anything sharp or anything like that. Scratching just means that we are not, it’s like we’re scratching our skin. We are not following the direction of the channel.
And usually we use a tool that has a wider. Or a rounder or bigger kind of edge, and we scratch along the channel, meaning going backwards and forward creating more of a dispersing effect. So these are examples of these five techniques. There are many more techniques and the idea is that we can definitely affect the points and create a very strong treatment for without using any insertion of the needles.
And this is comes from the idea of sh Shoni Shen here. I have a few pictures of for you to to look at. This is a, which is also used for more specific points. And usually comes in a very more fine, form. And then there’s engines which are wider, which I mentioned before to use for scratching.
There’s also a teardrop engine, which enables us to either vibrate or pass press specific points. And this is the Y Yama that I mentioned before. This is pictures of the dashi tool that I mentioned that I showed you, which enables us to do stroking. And and these are some other different tools that are available for different techniques.
I just want to finalize the idea that in Shoni Shen there are usually, two phases in treatment. The first phase is usually a generalized treatment, especially when we’re UU using s sh for babies. The first thing I do is do a generalized treatment where we go over most of the channels.
Or we call it a basic treatment. We go over most of the, or all of the channels, and we create a harmonious flow by tapping, scraping, or stroking or vibrating on certain points to create a harmonious flow. And then. After we do that, we usually can focus more on the basic pattern of disharmony that the patient presents and choose point and use them accordingly to create the effect that we’re, wanting. If you, sh machine is a process a technique that you study and you continuously study and get better with as you practice it, as you perform it therefore it. Something if you are interested to explore, it’s something you need to develop or find ways to learn it and develop the technique.
There are different institutions that do that. I, i, myself come from the Jingshen Pediatrics course and we also teach Shian over there. If you are interested please look into Jingshen pediatrics.com. So I hope this really helped you be interested in, Shoni Shen technique, which is a very gentle but powerful technique to add to your tools in the clinic.
And I want to thank the acu, the American Acupuncture. Counsel for letting me present this amazing technique to you all. Thank you very much for your time.
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Disclaimer: The following is an actual transcript. We do our best to make sure the transcript is as accurate as possible, however, it may contain spelling or grammatical errors. Due to the unique language of acupuncture, there will be errors, so we suggest you watch the video while reading the transcript.
Greetings, friends and colleagues. It’s Sam Collins, the coding and billing expert for acupuncture, the profession, of course, the American Acupuncture Council. Of course, I’ve got a little update coming up because obviously many of you have been contacting me, network members, and even others have contacted me.
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Say, Hey, Sam, what’s going on? I notice. That they’re not paying for exams and they’re also still recouping. We’re gonna talk a little bit about that, but we have to update from what we did in April. So let’s go to the slides. Let’s talk about what’s going on with recoupment and standard episode of care specific to acupuncturist and frankly non-physician providers.
So you’ll see here is a letter dated June 23rd from Tri West, and it says, we received the above claim. Let me bring it so I can pull it up. And it says. Try West. Receive the above-mentioned claim for your often notice I highlighted in yet it says evaluation and management procedure codes are not paid for this rendering provider specialty.
This is the latest thing we’re seeing. It appears, and I’ve seen it absolutely published way that to me would make it more, but it appears they have taken the ability for acupuncturists to be. Separate exams when it comes to the va. That of course is very frustrating because of course is an exam necessary thing.
Of course, I to determine the need for care you to determine the continuation of care. So what’s occurring, I think is maybe A-D-O-G-E cut here that they’re eliminating the payment for exams. That doesn’t mean you don’t need do one, they’re just not. For it. I think it’s probably we’re seeing the patient for the overall payments, but they’re not covering it.
We’ll see directly. Now the word that they did this in ap, what I’ve seen Pub in their newsletter is not quite clear enough for me. So I’m waiting to see the full publishing and episode of care, but I’m sure many of you have met. Now. Here’s gonna be the pushback if the exam after April when they published it.
They’re gonna be damn behind it because published, however. But then I want you all to think of standard episode of Care for Acup Occupy. Whenever you notice the standard episode of care, you’ll notice whether it’s going to be initial chronic follow-ups. They include e and M codes. You’ll see really, 9 9 0 2 to 2 0 5 9 9 2 1 to 2 1 5, and I bet probably your authorization as well.
So my argument’s gonna be, they’re saying they’re not gonna cut well if it’s after April, send an updated authorization’s not listed. I’m waiting to see that, then I would say, okay, but if it’s prior dispute’s gonna be, how did you send me an authorization? Clearly indicates exams and they’re, now, I’m not gonna pay for it now, it appears after April.
This is gonna true. But prior, it’s gonna be a pushback. Now that very frustrating. Of course it is. But I’m gonna ask you, is it worth it to still be part of it? I do, because think of the overall payment on a VA patient. You’re getting 12 visits to start, probably eight and eight to follow up. Assuming you’re doing three sets of acupuncture and a therapy or two, that’s maybe 110 to $150 of reimbursement.
Am I going to take away potentially, three to $4,000 a payment? Because they’re not gonna pay for a couple of exams. I prefer they do, but I’m gonna say I’m not gonna go that far. It’s something I think though we’re gonna be fighting. I shouldn’t say think. I know we’re gonna be fighting as a profession on a national level along with chiropractors and physical therapists, because this affects them too.
Because this goes against the equality provision. Equality says that if it’s within scope and you pay, other providers have to pay you because this is not Medicare. Now that’s gonna be a little bit of a fight, and that’s not gonna happen in short term. So when you get this, I do think we should dispute it.
I would certainly push back if it were pre-AP April, that they should, if it’s after April, not so much. Of course, if you’re a network member with me, reach out. We’ve got some letters for that as well. But I do wanna highlight also beyond that, just a couple of quick updates. Let’s talk about what’s happening and what’s gone on with doing.
Things with 9 7 0 3 9 or 1 3 9, and that’s of course what a lot of offices have used for cupping. Remember that was removed more than a year ago, so please do not use that code for cupping. It is not appropriate. Do not list it. They may pay it, but they’re gonna recoup it. So do not, if you’re gonna do cupping, use 9 7 0 1 6, which is a vaso pneumatic device.
It’s not a high payer. It’s about 11 to $15, but at least you are being paid for it. But again, do not use 9 7 0 3 9 and if they are recouping that, if it’s pre 2024. I would argue they can’t, but if it’s after 2024, they can. Now some people have argued. What about statute of limitations? Statute of limitations, I would argue certainly does apply.
Unfortunately, you know what I’ve realized or what I’ve learned, the statute of limitations for the VA is actually six years, so we’re not gonna win on that one as far as this goes. The other thing here is, and this has come up recently because obviously a lot of you are using paint indexes or similar.
To verify how the patient’s improving. I recently had an office, or actually a few that they were denied few further care because they weren’t showing at least a seven point difference on the general pain index. I really like the general pain index. It’s certainly the similar to the pain interference.
Make sure though, if you’re using it. If you’re doing it once a month, there’s gotta be at least a seven point change to be considered significant. Now, most of you, I hope, are getting bigger than seven point changes, frankly, but if you’re not realize it’s going to be a problem ’cause they’re gonna push back, which means you also have to focus in what if I’m using the pain scale?
That also has a limitation, which means it’s gotta be three points or more. Obviously if I say I’m a seven, I go to a six. That means I’m better, but it’s not considered significant. So if they start at seven, the next time you do it to really be considered significant, say on re-exam, it’s gotta be four.
So a three point difference, I would say. Then obviously those two factors are important. If you’re not getting at least seven or three, you better focus in on something about an activity, particularly a home or work activity that couldn’t do before. What they care about is the patient getting better.
Because remember, once they’re stabilized, they have to be on a continua care with flare up. So keep in mind, Acture works well. We need to demonstrate it. Show me on this general index pain scale or function, how much improvement there is. Now this brings me to, for some of you, and I’ve had this question a lot, is being part of the VA worth it?
Does it cost anything to join? No. Do the patients sometimes have some hassles getting authorization? Yes, that’s true. But when you’re paid. Let’s go over it. If you’re getting a standard episode of care for 12 and eight visits, just say the first two 20 visits in a year, considering just the treatment, that’s probably 2000 to $2,500 now, even with taking out exams.
Is that worth it to me? Absolutely. However, am I frustrated with the exam part not being paid? I. But at the same token, that’s not gonna stop me, but this is where if you’re not part of your state and national association, this is where we need to belong. ’cause this is where we need to push back because how are they treating us differently?
Now the downside is they are doing it to chiropractors. To physical therapists as well as massage therapists. So it’s not just you. But at the same token, I think it’s valid to say that it should be covered. ’cause how are you supposed to determine care without an exam because they’re doing this based on a Medicare rule?
Medicare only sets the fees for the va. It’s not the protocol. ’cause if that were true, they shouldn’t pay for acupuncture at all unless it were chronic low back pain. And under supervision, so we know that they’re just choosing and picking certain ones. So I think we’re gonna have a pretty good pushback.
But I do still, it is worth it if you’re thinking, I’m not so sure. We are doing next month in August. A whole seminar on the va, what to do, how to make it work for you, make sure you tune into that. Otherwise, I’m gonna say to everyone, we always wanna be resource. If you’re having issues, reach out to our Connect Acupuncture council.
The next specifically, we highlight updates right on our website. And if you’re a member, it allows you to have direct interaction with me via calls and zooms. And otherwise, until next time to our friend, be well.
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Is acupuncture effective on pregnancy success rates for women undergoing in vitro fertilization ( IVF)?
Infertility is a growing concern with increasing numbers of couples experiencing difficulties conceiving naturally.
A study investigated the effect of acupuncture on pregnancy success rates applied before and after embryo transfer among women undergoing IVF.
72 infertile women undergoing IVF were grouped half for acupuncture and half no acupuncture.
The acupuncture group received three sessions of acupuncture, the first was one week before embryo transfer, the second was 30 minutes before embryo transfer, and the third was 30 minutes after embryo transfer.
The studies finding were clinical pregnancy, ongoing pregnancy and live birth rates were higher in the acupuncture group.
Remember, the American Acupuncture Council ( AAC) offers an unparalleled track record in acupuncture risk management.
There is a reason acupuncturists have trusted AAC with their business for 50 years.
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What are the foundations for really building success in your practice? Number one, strong diagnostic skills. Number two, really understanding your patients cosmetic goals and their therapeutic goals.
Disclaimer: The following is an actual transcript. We do our best to make sure the transcript is as accurate as possible, however, it may contain spelling or grammatical errors.Due to the unique language of acupuncture, there will be errors, so we suggest you watch the video while reading the transcript.
Hi, my name is Michelle Gellis. I want to thank the American Acupuncture Council for giving me this opportunity to present for you today on setting your cosmetic acupuncture practice up for success. Please go to the first slide.
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So cosmetic acupuncture practice is very much a growing field in our industry, and I have been teaching cosmetic acupuncture classes for well over 20 years. I am an author and have recently. Published a 500 page hard cover, full color book on treating the face. And I am on the doctoral faculty at Yoong University in Los Angeles.
And before that I worked at the Maryland University of Integrative Health for almost 20 years. I teach facial and cosmetic acupuncture classes internationally. Here are some of the classes that I teach, and you can check them out on my website, facial acupuncture classes.com. So as you can see, all of these classes have to do with treating the face.
And one of the things that can happen as a student, as a practitioner is you take a training and then you want to incorporate it into your practice, but you’re not quite how to handle the. Maybe the aesthetics of the practice and the marketing of this new offering that you have. So that’s what we’re going to talk about today.
Oh here is my book and you can see all of the different chapters, and it is a comprehensive book, as I mentioned, full cover color. You can also check that out on my website as well. So when you’re thinking about so let’s say you’ve just taken a cosmetic or a neuromuscular facial acupuncture class, or maybe microneedling, red light therapy, facial cupping and gu sha.
What are the foundations for really building success in your practice? Number one, strong diagnostic skills. Number two, really understanding your patients cosmetic goals and their therapeutic goals. Because cosmetic acupuncture is not just about treating the skin. Also maintaining safety and ethics is very important, especially when you’re working with the face.
The face is very unique and in my book I have. Safety sprinkled throughout the book and ethics, and I teach individual classes on CEU classes on safety and ethics that will satisfy your requirements for your licensure. So investing in continuing education is really important. A lot of our patients are getting Botox fillers, having cosmetic surgery, lasers, and a lot of other procedures done to their face.
There is definitely a shift to more holistic beauty. People are tired of not looking like themselves, not being able to move. Their faces looking a little weird, and holistic facial care has become extremely popular. It’s all over social media. And what does holistic. Beauty mean? It means moving beyond just the aesthetics and thinking about the whole person wellness.
So when I perform cosmetic acupuncture, facial cupping, microneedling, any of these techniques, I always include a full body acupuncture treatment. This will work with the emotions which show up on our faces, which can leave wrinkles and make us look more worried, frightened, or grief stricken than we need to look.
Also sustainable. Natural looking beauty is very much in demand now by offering these services in your practice, you are gonna differentiate your practice from other practices maybe that are just treating pain or other sorts of disease. How do you get people to come to your practice? First and foremost is your online presence and your website should be a hub for information and connection.
Showing your services, your products, of course, your credentials. You can use videos and blog posts, testimonials, and in many places, not everywhere, but in many places, you can use before and after images as a way to show people the effectiveness of your treatments. And weave throughout all of the trainings that I do.
And again, throughout my book, I spend a lot of time emphasizing this because it really is very important. So what are some of these marketing essentials? You have to think about who your target audience would be that you’re marketing to. Of course. Clients. Maybe other acupuncturist and other professionals that you can partner with using your social media, your website, and blog posts or newsletters, and.
Having a consistent branding, so colors and aesthetics that will show up throughout all of the platforms that you’re advertising on. Having patient testimonials can really build trust and credibility those along with the before and after photos that are taken in the same lighting. In the same position at that really showcase how well the procedures you’re doing work can really go a long way.
And then perhaps having case studies, things that you can share with your patients, maybe in a binder in your waiting room. Or with other practitioners that maybe are just doing pain or infertility. They don’t wanna get involved in aesthetics, but they know you are the go-to person. Case studies can really help with your marketing and with your with your patients.
One of the things that I emphasize when I’m teaching is how to set realistic expectations, because you never want to over promise and learning how to look at the whole person, their lifestyle, their genetics, their health history. Falls from A TCM and a Western medicine perspective. How much sleep are they getting?
Do they smoke? What are they drinking? What are they eating? How much stress do they have? How old are they? How dark is their skin? How thin is their skin? These are all things that are going to play into what sort of results they will have Also. Educating them about timelines and realistic outcomes within a certain amount of time.
If someone comes to you and they say, I have a wedding next week and I wanna look like my photo from when I was 18 and they’re 58 years old, they have to understand that’s not going to happen. And part of this is experience, and part of this is going to be training. Documenting their goals and any progress that you’re making along the way.
Sometimes people don’t notice these things and it’s up to you to point them out. And then really, this all goes to building trust and not coming off as. Someone who’s just trying to sell them something, but really being professional, having good listening skills. When I was teaching at Maryland University of Integrative Health, I taught a full semester listening skills class as part of our traditional diagnosis class.
It was a whole section on listening skills. Really learning how to listen beyond the words. Additionally, what are the short-term results they can expect? What are the long-term results they can expect? And then looking at not just the cosmetic. Improvements, but their overall health, the way that I teach cosmetic acupuncture incorporates some auricular points.
I’ve had patients quit smoking, stop drinking sleeping better, so many other things, better digestion. Just calmer because. Of the cosmetic acupuncture that they’re coming for. So they get unexpected results and it’s important to point that out. Don’t just listen and say that’s great, but really point it out.
Pricing your services is going to be dependent on a lot of things. I see a lot of practitioners. Undervaluing their practice and you really wanna set pricing that reflects both where you are to a point. Because if you’re buying an iPhone costs the same in Idaho as a dozen New York City.
That is important, but not as important as you think your experience. Your knowledge, your training and your ability to get results is going to go very far when you’re thinking about how to set pricing for your treatments. Some states allow you to create packages and that can help to make it more cost effective for people and really don’t put yourself on the sale rack.
Communicate your pricing confidently and clearly. So there’s no, oh, I thought you said this or I thought you said that. Once your practice is started in order to grow your practice, you definitely want to develop referral networks. This can go from attending in person. Networking events, going to seminars, workshops maybe you’re going to offer a little happy hour, healthy happy hour where you do some red light therapy or having little classes where you teach your patients how to do their own cupping in gu and sell them a cupping in gu sha set.
And as I mentioned, collect those testimonials and case studies. Sending newsletters are a great way to stay connected, as I just mentioned, workshops, collaboration and storytelling. People love to hear other people’s stories. So in conclusion, the success of your cosmetic. Your neuromuscular facial acupuncture practice is going to be built on a strong foundation across audiences, people with acne, people with scars, people with aging, and all sorts of different neuromuscular disharmonies.
Affect their face, head and neck. Communication and setting realistic goals are key, and having a business strategy, not just winging it, but having a business strategy will ensure long-term growth. This is how you can find me on social media. I’m under my name on Facebook, and I also have a Facebook group.
With over 10,000 health professionals and acupuncturists full facial acupuncture on Instagram, you can find me under my name and my website is facial acupuncture classes.com. Thank you so much for tuning in and I’ll see you next time.
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Can acupuncture provide benefits for patients diagnosed with the hearing disorder, sensorineural hearing loss?
Sensorineural hearing loss causes an increase in the pure tone audiometry of patients, leading to a decrease in word recognition scores.
A case report of a 61-year-old male patient presented to an acupuncture clinic complaining of significant hearing deficit in his left ear, which had persisted for 1 year.
After completing 21 acupuncture sessions, the word recognition score in his left ear advanced from a 64 to 94, and at a two-month follow-up showed no recurrence of hearing loss.
This case report’s finding show acupuncture serving as a promising treatment choice for improving word recognition scores in individuals suffering from hearing loss.
Remember, the American Acupuncture Council (AAC) offers an unparalleled track record in acupuncture risk management.
There is a reason acupuncturists have trusted AAC with their business for 50 years.
Not an American Acupuncture Council member? Get a Quick Quote and find out how much you will save! Click here!
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