The Students of Florida College of Integrative Medicine (FCIM) have taken the initiative to reach out to our community and lend a hand during this very stressful time.  Starting in May, on the first Sunday of each month from noon until 4 p.m., they will be offering free acupuncture on a first come first serve basis.

Today, we are all faced with a great deal of stress, many of the issues we are facing today have not been a problem for several generations.  Have you noticed your levels of stress going up, maybe you’re are drinking a little too much alcohol or eating too much fast food; never really sitting down for regular meals and find you are having discomfort with your stomach and your blood pressure?  Have you noticed a few more aches and pains that you can’t explain, find yourself getting angry easily or you just can’t fall asleep at night?

Well the students at FCIM have been trained in the methods of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and want to give back to the community by giving free mini-acupuncture treatments to help you with some of these symptoms.

So you ask what does acupuncture treat?

Because Acupuncture treats the whole person, it has something to offer almost every condition. Having said that, some conditions respond readily to acupuncture treatment and some are notoriously difficult to treat.

One common perception is that acupuncture is mainly useful in the management of pain.

This is completely untrue. Firstly, with regard to pain, Acupuncture can often resolve the pain (rather than merely manage it). Secondly, Chinese Medicine have a range of application that is far broader than pain conditions.

For example, acupuncturists routinely and successfully treat patients whose main complaints are related to immune and/or endocrine dysfunction. Below is a list of conditions and circumstances for which people commonly find acupuncture treatment to be effective.

General: Allergies, Asthma, Sinusitis, Headaches, TMJ, Back Pain, Sciatica, Musculoskeletal Problems, Insomnia, Anxiety, Dizziness, Depression, High Blood Pressure, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Addictions, Indigestion, Constipation, Sexual Dysfunction, Post-Operative Recovery, Palliative Care.

Women's Health: Menstrual Irregularities, Menopause, Conception Difficulties, Pregnancy, Childbirth, Lactation Difficulties, Postpartum, Ovarian and Uterine Problems.

Men's Health: Prostate, Infertility, Impotence.

Pediatrics: Asthma, Cough, Digestive Problems, Behavioral Problems, Ear Infections, Sleep Problems.

Preventative Health: Prevention, Stress Management, Wellness, Seasonal Attunement.

The beauty of acupuncture is that it is a simple, low-cost modality offering immediate, effective, and easily accessible treatment for large numbers of people. Acupuncture is a tool that can work harmoniously with other more conventional treatment modalities such as counseling and medication.

So if this describes you, why don’t you plan on coming to FCIM and seeing what our students can help you with?   Some final thoughts for you are summarized in the article below. We hope to see you on May 3, 2009. For more information, contact Florida College of Integrative Medicine 877-492-9298 ext. 10 or visit their website at www.fcim.edu

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Recently you may have seen a number of articles on Alternative Medicine, including one in the Wall Street Journal on January 9, 2009.

'Alternative' Medicine Is Mainstream
By DEEPAK CHOPRA, DEAN ORNISH , RUSTUM ROY and ANDREW WEIL

In mid-February, the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and the Bravewell Collaborative are convening a "Summit on Integrative Medicine and the Health of the Public." This is a watershed in the evolution of integrative medicine, a holistic approach to health care that uses the best of conventional and alternative therapies such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture and herbal remedies. Many of these therapies are now scientifically documented to be not only medically effective but also cost effective.

President-elect Barack Obama and former Sen. Tom Daschle (the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services) understand that if we want to make affordable health care available to the 45 million Americans who do not have health insurance, then we need to address the fundamental causes of health and illness, and provide incentives for healthy ways of living rather than reimbursing only drugs and surgery.