The Hollywood superstar — who recently won an Oscar for her role in The Blind Side — has regular sessions of acupuncture.

“Sandra gets the treatment three times a week whether she’s at home on or on set” a source revealed.

“It’s in her contract that studios have to pay for it!”

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I read with interest The Journal’s two articles on ulcerative colitis on March 9, and could relate to many of the experiences of the interviewees, having been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, first, then Crohn’s colitis, around 15 years ago. Mine came on quickly, and violently.

At first, my gastroenterologist told me I had six inches of good colon and wanted to cut out the rest which, would also have meant an ileostomy and having a bag). At the time, I was terrified and a shadow of my once healthy self, having lost 45 pounds with a hemoglobin reading at 58 (120 is normal) and having suffered all of the symptoms mentioned, and then some. Not the strongest bargaining position, and yet bargain I did.

I was born with a colon and wanted to die with one, indeed, for me, surgery was not an option — certainly not until I had actually given myself a chance to heal. Yet it was recommended by my then doctor as first line treatment: remove the symptoms — nice, but no thanks, if that meant removing my colon.

This illness, when acute, is brutal. As with any illness, one is propelled into another country with new currency: I had energy to make a cup of tea, or drink a cup of tea, but not both. It is hard to imagine, and frankly this level of exhaustion is difficult to convey.

After being presented with four options (have surgery and a bag, be medicated like an AIDS patient, do nothing and die, or go on a course of oral steroids and get a blood transfusion), I opted for No. 4 and got four units of blood and a 16-week run of steroids. Not a way to live for too long, but it bought me time and motivated me to deepen my investigation of alternative healing modalities. And so I did.

Slowly I recovered my health using Chinese medicine — acupuncture and Chi Nei Tsang –implementing dietary changes (eliminating gluten), suitable exercise (aquacize and yoga), and psychological and physical strategies devised by and borrowed from elite athletes (my approach) as after all, I suffered from the same complaints as mountain climbers and marathon runners at the zenith of their endeavours — electrolyte imbalance, dehydration, diarrhea, lack of oxygen to the brain, foggy thinking, lethargy and extreme fatigue.

Who cared that my marathon was getting up a flight of stairs?

Nonetheless, achieving almost anything was a celebration and provided me a decent alternative to being “less sick,” as that seemed that the best I could do in conventional medicine.

Ten years later, my new gastroenterologist was blown away to see how effective the combination of approaches had been. When he scoped me, he said that while I still have about 30 per cent of my colon implicated in active disease –which would flatten some of his other patients as it once flattened me — and that I have almost no debilitating symptoms. He was astonished and delighted, and open to reading some articles I then provided him on Chinese medicine. Nice!

I noted in The Journal article you only speak of conventional medical alternatives, which are, by their own admission, limited and only ever partially effective at providing treatment for the chronic aspects of the illness. Moreover, many treatments offered cause side-effects almost as unsettling as the illness. While conventional medicine is excellent at diagnosis and can be miraculous for acute disease, it bears up very poorly in the day-to-day management of symptoms.

The alternatives do not.

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Jan Lucht always has been sensitive to medications. As a result, the Appleton woman leaned more toward herbal remedies, meditation and other practices that allowed her to calm down without dosing up.

“I went through a time period where I was quite sick myself so then I needed to explore even more of those avenues, and it was very interesting to me and actually a very good experience and growing period for me,” Lucht said. “I can’t really say I’m glad it happened, but I’m glad it happened.”

Those experiences led her to become a certified holistic health practitioner. Simplicity Healthworks is her home-based business. Although she offers services such as raindrop therapy and reflexology, her special focus is on reiki (ray-key), a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing.

Reiki is one of many forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) recognized by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. CAM is defined as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices and products that are not generally considered part of conventional medicine.

In December 2008, the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Center for Health Statistics released findings on Americans’ use of CAM, based on information from 23,393 adults 18 and older and 9,417 children 17 and younger. According to the study, about 38 percent of adults and 12 percent of children are using some form of CAM.

The medical community also has embraced the integrated approach to treating patients.

“Not every patient falls neatly into a category that can be fixed with traditional medicine,” said Dr. Amber Post, obstetrician/gynecologist at Women’s Care of Wisconsin with locations in Neenah and Oshkosh. “Utilizing techniques that can give a patient more comfort without additional medications can minimize side effects and medication interactions.”

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When performed properly by trained practitioners, acupuncture has proved to be an effective therapy for back pain. Several studies have found that acupuncture can help reduce chronic back pain and improve daily function.

Acupuncture for back pain involves inserting very thin needles to various depths into strategic points on your body. This is thought to balance the flow of energy or life force — known as qi or chi (pronounced chee) — believed to flow through pathways (meridians) in your body.

Scientists don’t fully understand how or why acupuncture affects the amount of pain you feel. Several studies have found that acupuncture causes the same effects as sham (minimal or simulated) acupuncture used in some studies for comparison. Sham acupuncture involves tapping the skin with a toothpick at the same strategic points used in acupuncture to simulate the insertion of a needle. Sham acupuncture may not be an accurate way of studying the benefits of acupuncture, however, because it’s possible that acupuncture points can be stimulated by even surface pressure. Both acupuncture and sham acupuncture showed improvement over usual medical treatments.

Acupuncture is generally recognized as safe if done by a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner. Possible side effects and complications can occur, which include soreness, bleeding, infection or bruising at the needle sites.

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My husband the sports writer calls it “Team Reimer,” and he says it has more members than the supporting casts behind any Olympic athlete he’s ever covered.

I tell him that if I was as young and fit as the athletes he writes about, I wouldn’t need a team to keep me on the road.

But I’m not, and so I have a yoga trainer, a massage therapist, the best hair-colorist in my town, a manicurist, a general practitioner to whom I am devoted and an aesthetician. Not that my husband knows what an aesthetician is.

Now there is a new member of Team Reimer. My acupuncturist.

Traditional medicine – from podiatrists to orthopedic surgeons – has failed to relieve the pain in my joints caused by years of wear and tear, so I followed the advice offered by too many of my friends to ignore.

I made an appointment with an acupuncturist.

His diagnosis? “Fifty-year-old knee; 50-year-old hip; 50-year-old shoulder.” Add to that, 50-year-old hands aching from shoveling 50 inches of snow.

But when the newest member of my team took my pulse, he was alarmed. It was running pretty high. About as high as my level of anxiety, I would guess. I’m not a big needle person.

So I shut my eyes as the needles went in, and I kept them shut until he told me, 30 minutes later, that the needles were out. My imagination is vivid enough without visuals.

And I have to say, I barely felt a thing.

There were 15 needles – acupuncturists usually work in batches of five. Some went in around my 50-year-old shoulder, more around my 50-year-old hip and more around my 50-year-old knee. But others went between my toes, at the base of my skull and spine, and in my scalp.

The needles inserted for pain, he explained, would promote the release of endorphins, the brain’s natural painkiller. The others would address my sleeplessness and my anxiety, which he called my “restless mind.”

(My husband said I’d need a knitting needle to shut down my “restless mind.”)

My acupuncturist promised I would feel a little better each day after the treatment. After five weekly visits, we would know if acupuncture was working as well for me as it had for so many of my friends. He gave me two kinds of Chinese herbs, and I was on my way.

To take a nap.

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Nancy Amicangelo, hoping to beat the odds of the five-year life expectancy she was given when her breast cancer spread to both lungs in 2008, knows the benefits of acupuncture, massage, energy healing and naturopathic medicine — even if those benefits lasted only days, and even if she can no longer afford them.

Amicangelo, a 62-year-old Gold Coast resident who is unemployed because of her Stage 4 cancer, still considers herself lucky to have received some relief — albeit temporary relief — from the integrative oncology services offered by Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

The integrative services, offered at 150 E. Huron, are part of a larger 360 Care Program aimed to address cancer patients’ needs through treatment extending beyond conventional medicine and cutting-edge diagnosis and treatment to therapies that include counseling, stress management, integrative medicine and integrative services.

“Our goal is to treat the whole person, not just their illness,” says Dr. Melinda Ring, medical director of Northwestern Memorial Physician Group’s Center for Integrative Medicine and Wellness.

“Research suggests that a holistic approach can alleviate stress and anxiety, as well as the physical pain and discomfort patients often experience while undergoing cancer treatments by activating the body’s innate healing process,” explains Ring, a native Chicagoan.

Amicangelo, diagnosed with breast cancer in 1993 and metastatic breast cancer in April 2008, knows firsthand the benefits of acupuncture and massage. Ironically, the drugs that keep Amicangelo alive have caused nerve damage in her hands and feet — pain so acute that some days she is unable to even hold a pencil, pain so acute she only finds relief from acupuncture and massage.

When, under a new grant, all patients under the care of a Northwestern Memorial Hospital oncologist became eligible to receive a limited number of free integrative medicine services as part of their treatment, Amicangelo was one of the first to sign up.

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It’s the last thing a child wants — a needle, actually multiple needles. But a young cancer patient says it’s exactly the shot she needs to get through treatment.

Kahla Harper, Cancer Patient: “The first couple of times, you don’t want to do it at all.”

Kahla Harper recalls the first time she went through chemotherapy.

Paul Kent, Pediatric Oncologist, Rush University Medical Center: “In general, kids handle it, chemotherapy and radiation, better than adults on the one hand. On the other hand, we give much higher doses than our adult counterparts and much more intense therapies.”

And it takes a toll … in the form of anxiety, nausea and fatigue. Then after months of treatment Kahla’s bone cancer spread to her lungs. Now she needs more chemo. But this time doctors suggested something new.

Kahla Harper: “Get poked and prodded with enough so it was like, now I’m gonna volunteer myself to get poked and prodded.”

But after a little prodding and some educating, Kahla decided to try acupuncture.

Kahla Harper: “I didn’t jump off the table like I thought I would.”

Side effects of cancer treatment are the main reason adults run away. Acupuncture is proven in studies to help ease the experience. So now at Rush University Medical Center, they are trying it on kids.

Angela Johnson, Chinese Medicine Practitioner, Rush Cancer Integrative Medicine Program: “Without a doubt acupuncture, at the very least, helps patients feel more relaxed, less stressed and less anxious.”

Kahla Harper: “I felt really good afterwards. I can’t explain the feeling but it was kinda like ‘whooo.’ Like you feel not so stressed out, not so worried about things.”

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Baby joy via TCM

SOME couples struggle to conceive, especially when infertility might be an underlying problem.

And besides undergoing Western fertility treatments, some are turning to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for help.

TCM treatments include herbal remedies and acupuncture, which are meant to bring the body into balance and thus facilitate conception.

But those who turn to TCM should know that TCM isn’t a quick fix, said physician Loh Kim Gek, 55.

As with Western medicine, a substantial amount of time and patience may be required before a couple sees a successful result.

With TCM, couples need to undergo at least nine to 12 months of consistent treatment, said Ms Loh, who is one of four physicians at the fertility unit in free clinic Singapore Thong Chai Medical Institution.

Ms Loh, who has more than 20 years of experience, added: “I feel a sense of satisfaction when my patients bring along their babies to meet me. It makes me very happy.”

She has helped about 30 per cent of some 900 couples to conceive.

She said that the success rate could have been as high as 50 per cent if some of those couples had stuck to their treatment without giving up halfway.

Although women are traditionally blamed for fertility problems, Ms Loh said that, in seven out of 10 cases, the problem actually lies with the male.

She will give a talk on Saturday to explain how TCM can help to boost fertility, and how one can improve one’s constitution. my paper gets her to answer some questions from readers.

Why would TCM be better than Western medicine in fertility treatments?

MS JOEY GWEE, 25

Ms Loh: TCM treatment for gynaecological problems has a long history in China, and has proved to be effective.

To me, TCM and Western medicine serve complementary needs. TCM treats the root problem, while Western medicine tackles the symptoms.

For instance, if you have ovulation problems or problems with the quality of your ovaries, TCM treatment – which comprises Chinese medicine as well as acupuncture – can improve the function of the ovaries. TCM can also help strengthen men’s sperm to enable a higher chance of conception.

But if you have problems such as a blockage in your fallopian tube due to ovarian cysts, then I would recommend Western treatment to remove them. My wife and I have been trying to have a baby for two years.

What can we do to improve our chances of conceiving?

MR J. Y. QUEK, 31

Ms Loh: Firstly, you should learn how to be free of worry. When people are anxious, it will affect the quality of a woman’s ovaries and the effectiveness of sperm. In my talk, I will share some simple methods for relieving stress.

Secondly, you need to build up your constitution and prevent development of illnesses. Illnesses during the ovulation period can greatly affect conception.

You can improve your general health by drinking teas, such as chrysanthemum and wolfberry tea, boiled dried longan, American ginseng and red dates, or wolfberry and lily tea with some brown sugar. But do consult your TCM physician to see if these are suitable for your condition, and seek treatment as soon as possible.

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U.S. researchers say acupuncture may relieve joint pain often accompanying breast cancer treatment.

Researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and colleagues found post-menopausal women being treated with aromatase inhibitor therapy for hormone-receptor-positive early breast cancer reporting joint pain who received acupuncture had significant lessening of pain.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, also found the women treated with acupuncture had overall physical well-being improve and the 20 percent also taking pain medications reported no longer needing them. No such improvements were reported by controls.

“Since aromatase inhibitors have become an increasingly popular treatment option for some breast cancer patients, we aimed to find a non-drug option to manage the joint issues they often create, thereby improving quality of life and reducing the likelihood that patients would discontinue this potentially life-saving treatment,” study senior author Dr. Dawn Hershman said in a statement.

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To say that anything is new with acupuncture is to discount its thousands-year-old history. But as more physicians seek training in the ancient practice, they also are expanding its use beyond the relief of pain and stress.
Every few weeks Lisa Schiff Dubinsky gets auricular acupuncture treatments to help with weight loss. Dr. Tara McElroy places needles at several points in Schiff Dubinsky’s ear to allow vital energy to flow and stimulate neural pathways.

Then Schiff Dubinsky, an actress and vocalist who lives in Shaker Heights, lies still in a darkened room with her eyes closed for 25 minutes.

She says she has lost about 30 pounds since beginning her treatment.

“It helps with cravings and suppression of appetite,” she said. “It’s like [the acupuncture] is drawing all of these things into some kind of calmness.”

Schiff Dubinsky is no stranger to the benefits of acupuncture; she previously used it to relieve chronic neck pain. But she wasn’t comfortable with the practitioner and stopped going.

Two years ago, she spotted some literature on acupuncture at the Cleveland Clinic’s Beachwood offices and decided to give it a try again. What attracted her this time was that the acupuncturist was a physician.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that the practice was first embraced in the United States. Physicians began integrating acupuncture into their medical practices in the 1980s, as they realized alternative therapies could fill gaps in Western medicine.

While most of the interest has been among physicians on the East and West coasts, more medical acupuncturists are popping up in Northeast Ohio and surrounding areas.

McElroy, an OB-GYN with the Clinic, says she was frustrated by the lack of resources to treat common complaints among her patients — decreased libido, weight gain and menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, anxiety and insomnia.

“I thought that if there was something that I could do, that would just be one more piece of the puzzle to offer,” she says

McElroy turned to the Academy of Pain Research in San Francisco, which offers courses in acupuncture and auricular therapy designed specifically for physicians. Her studies, a combination of distance learning and two 10-day hands-on sessions, spanned one year.

McElroy treats about four patients each week with acupuncture; she hopes to increase that number.

McElroy is not the only person at the Clinic who performs acupuncture. A full-time acupuncturist and six other accredited acupuncturists work under contract with the Clinic at the Center for Integrative Medicine.

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