The definition of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss is three or more miscarriages prior to 20 weeks gestation. However even one miscarriage takes it emotional toll. Even though the statistical chances of carrying a baby to term are much more favorable than having another miscarriage it is probably better to take the necessary preventative health steps before trying to conceive again. In Chinese Medicine and Functional Medicine recurrent miscarriage shows that there is an underlying imbalance, either with the mother or father. This imbalance is a reason the pregnancy is not taking hold and should be corrected. Yes if your only goal is to have a baby then you can use IVF. But for the sake of the baby’s health and your health during pregnancy and postpartum it is wise to correct the underlying imbalance before getting pregnant.

The cause of miscarriage are multifaceted. Read the rest of this entry

A recent study showed that uterine lining health may be more important than egg quality in creating a healthy birth weight baby and carrying to term. (Click here for the Time article about this published research). This was a large study out of Baylor that reviewed over 300,000 IVF cycles with specific interest in birth weight and gestation. What they found was that IVF cycles that stimulated the uterus (which is the majority) had lower birth weight and less chance of carrying to term than ones that were unstimulated such as donor egg, surrogate or frozen transfer.

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Below is the abstract of a recent research article that stimulating a certain acupuncture point GB-34 known as “Yang Ling Quan” (translated loosely to Yang Mound Spring) helped improve gait in the elderly. It was a randomized control trial which is what makes it a bit more interesting. Stimulating one point on each person is not acupuncture as acupuncture is individualized based on a person’s pattern. However it does show that needles inserted into the subcutaneous tissue can have therapeutic physiological effects that have yet to be clearly understood (although there are many theories as to why acupuncture works so effectively for a wide variety of conditions).

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2011 Jan;92(1):7-14.

Stimulation of Acupoint ST-34 Acutely Improves Gait Performance in Geriatric Patients During Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

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A recent small pilot study (36 participants) with dry eyes demonstrated that acupuncture can increase increase tear wetting. (click here for study) In my practice I do not use acupuncture as a first line therapy for dry eyes. I look to nutrition first, as often increasing essential fatty acids, especially Omega-3 can resolve dry eyes. I usually suggest patients use flax seed oil for dry eyes. If that does not resolve the dry eyes then often individualized herbal medicine quickly brings relief.
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There are a plethora of studies showing the benefits of probiotics during second and third trimesters of pregnancy. One of the supplements I always recommend during pregnancy are probiotics.   Research has shown they are particularly important in the latter stages of pregnancy. Read the rest of this entry

A recent study published in this month’s Journal of Pain demonstrated that acupuncture has a much more favorable outcome for carpal tunnel syndrome after 1 year of treatment compared to steroids.

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There is a study making headlines today that we do not need more than 600IU of vitamin D per day. You probably have seen the headlines. What is ridiculous is that this study only looked at bone health as a marker and ignored the thousands of other metabolic functions that vitamin D plays. Ignore the headlines – take your vitamin D and get it measured properly!

I’ll let the experts reply to this article, but I cut and pasted below a response to this study from the Vitamin D Council.

(Do get your vitamin D levels checked, but when you do make sure you do not take any in supplementation form for at least 2-3 days prior to the blood draw. Also it is the 25(OH)D level that is important although in some people the ratio of D2:D3 may be important such as some autoimmune diseases)

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After 13 year of silence, the quasi governmental agency, the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), today recommended that a three-pound premature infant take virtually the same amount of vitamin D as a 300 pound pregnant woman. While that 400 IU/day dose is close to adequate for infants, 600 IU/day in pregnant women will do nothing to help the three childhood epidemics most closely associated with gestational and early childhood vitamin D deficiencies: asthma, auto-immune disorders, and, as recently reported in the largest pediatric journal in the world, autism. Professor Bruce Hollis of the Medical University of South Carolina has shown pregnant and lactating women need at least 5,000 IU/day, not 600.

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There is a saying ‘that it is only skin deep’.   But really the skin is very often a reflection of digestive health.   In Chinese Medicine the skin is a reflection of the Lungs organ system and the Lungs are paired with the Large Intestine organ system.   For example asthmatic reactions are  often precipitated by ingestion of food allergens.    When dealing with something like psoriasis it can often be helped by using nutraceuticals (i.e. adding fish oils to reduce inflammation or taking Vitamin D to support immune/inflammatory response) or changes in diet (such as a gluten free diet).  The etiology of psoriasis is different for every body, however addressing nutritional imbalances thereby improving gut function, or changing diet and improving gut function can help reduce the itchy flaky skin. Read the rest of this entry

de Valois BA, Young TE, Robinson N, McCourt C, Maher EJ.

Supportive Oncology Research Team (SORT), Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre (LJMC), Mount Vernon Hospital, Middlesex, United Kingdom. beverley.devalois@nhs.net

I am giving a talk today at the Acton Board of Health’s “Wellness University”.   It was motivated by 2 new women patients coming into my office within hours that were put on statins because of mildly elevated cholesterol.    I wrote this talk specifically for today’s event.

Click here for PDF of Better Heart Healthy Ways

Yours In Health,

George Mandler CNS LDN LicAc