American Organization for Body Therapies of Asia

March 2005
News and Articles of Interest to the Asian Bodyworker Community

PROFESSION

Massage Today
Korean Four Constitutional Types, Part I

Most students and practitioners love looking at the different constitutional types in Chinese medicine and find it very useful in their practice.

Acupuncture Today
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medical Approaches for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia is a commonly encountered disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, stiffness, paresthesia, nonrestorative sleep, and easy fatigability, along with multiple tender points that are widely and symmetrically distributed.

Oriental Medicine Integrated Within Sports Psychology: Anxiety and Athletic Performance

By integrating Oriental medicine with sports performance, we can provide valuable insight and coping skills for competitive stress that relate to the athlete's psychological and physiological performance excitement levels, and that can enhance athletic performance.

Treating Childhood Eczema With Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs

In Asia, eczema is called "skin asthma." This is an astute observation because so many infants and children with eczema have, or will develop, asthma at some later time. According to Stephen Gascoigne, more than 50 percent of eczema cases develop asthma, and are often plagued with hay fever, postnasal drip, sinus infections and food sensitivities. In Chinese medicine, the skin belongs to the lung zang.

Modern Applications for Antiviral Therapy

It is unfortunate that the general public in the United States, following the example of the conventional medical establishment, is unaware of the extraordinary treasure house of Chinese herbs and herbal products that effectively address common viruses.

Other
Macrobiotic Shiatsu History

Shizuko Yamamoto, founder of the International Macrobiotic Shiatsu Society, was stimulated by illness to discover alternative methods to adjust to the challenges of life.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Acupuncture Today
Building Your Practice

However, there is a lot more to practice beyond witnessing the miracles of natural health care; many practitioners aren't prepared for the problems they will face in practice. One of these problems is understanding why patients have a hard time thinking beyond the Western medical model. People find it hard to let go of the medical approach and embrace the concept that acupuncture and Chinese medicine are effective alternatives.

Massage Today
Business Basics: Using Newsletters to Build a Strong Practice

If you intend to build and maintain a viable practice, focus your attention on the areas that can help guarantee your success. Your clients are your greatest assets -- taking the time to educate them can pay big dividends through the years.

AOBTA

New Home page write-up

EDUCATION

AOBTA-Chesapeake

Asian Bodywork Exchange for practitioners and students
March 6, 2005 Columbia, Maryland

Rylen Feeney Seminar Creating Joy: Managing Depression through East Asian Medicine
Annapolis, Maryland May 7/8, 2005

BSOM

2005 Baltimore Campus Continuing Education Courses

MAS

Hara/palpation Diagnosis: Instant Evaluation of Treatment Efficacy

Kiiko Matsumoto and David Euler
Date: April 2-3, 2005

TAI SOPHIA

REIKI-THE MOTHER ENERGY

Monday, March 21, 2005 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m
In this evening presentation, Reiki master practitioner-teacher Norma Jean Young, R.N., illustrates the benefits of subtle energy healing with Reiki treatment.

WOMEN'S DAY OF WELLNESS

April 6, 2005
This daylong seminar is an immersion in wellness for today's health conscious woman.

The First Annual Chopra Center East Coast Mind-Body Conference

April 29 - May 1, 2005
Ellicott City, Maryland

Other

Whole Person Health Summit 2005
Including Second Qigong Summit 2005
April 14 – 17, 2005 Bethesda, Maryland

Blue Poppy Enterprises – Distance Learning

CERTIFICATION

NCCAOM
NCCAOM Adopts New Recertification Requirements

The National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's (NCCAOM) Board of Commissioners has voted to revise existing recertification requirements. The new requirements, adopted at a board meeting in September 2004, cover areas such as continuing education, research and clinical supervision, and – with one exception – will be implemented Jan. 1, 2006.

Winter 2004 Newsletter

AOBTA

Membership Education Requirements

MTAC

Newsletters: Winter 2005

LEGISLATION

Senate Bill 24 – Penalties for practicing w/o license

ETHICS

NCCAOM

Code of Ethics

Acupuncture Today

Ethics of Asian Bodywork Practice, Part One

We discuss the exact definitions of scope of practice, and the art of referring patients who present with problems that require a whole different treatment procedure, whether in Western or Asian medicine.

OTHER

Ethics Courses On-Line

RESEARCH

NCCAM

Acupuncture for Osteoarthritis of the Knee

A landmark study has shown that acupuncture provides pain relief and improves function for people with osteoarthritis of the knee and serves as an effective complement to standard care

Society for Acupuncture Research

Our mission is to promote scientifically sound inquiries into the clinical efficacy, physiological mechanisms, patterns of use, and theoretical foundations of acupuncture, herbal therapy and other modalities of Oriental medicine.

UM Center for Integrative Medicine

Effectiveness of Acupuncture as Adjunctive Therapy in Osteoarthritis of the Knee

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine have found that traditional Chinese acupuncture significantly improves function and reduces pain for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee who are also taking pain medication. Those are the results of a four-year study published in December 21 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine...

A technique called 'mindfulness' teaches how to step back from pain and the worries of life

Using a meditative practice called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR

ASIAN BODYWORK EXCHANGE
COLUMBIA, MARYLAND
Saturday, June 4, 2005
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Saturday, December 10, 2005
9:30AM TO 4:30PM

An opportunity to exchange and observe Asian Bodywork modalities at the Columbia Center for the Healing Arts.
A lite lunch, beverages and healthy snacks will be served.
If you have a Shiatsu mat you can bring, let me know.
Cost: $25 for AOBTA members. $35 for non-members
Reserve a spot by calling Dee Weir at 410-884-7995
Or e-mail me at
columbiashiatsu@verizon.net by 3/4/2005

Columbia Center for the Healing Arts
10450 Shaker Drive Suite 110
Columbia, Maryland 21046

An AOBTA-Chesapeake sponsored event