Fall 2007

Chinese MedicineIn Practice

The American Academy of Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine

Chemical Dependency ClinicAAAOM is pleased to announce its clinical partnership with The Ark and The Lifestyle counseling centers, located in Plymouth and Bloomington respectively. This partnershipgives AAAOM student interns the opportunity to practice addiction management and recovery acupuncture treatment protocols at both locations. The Ark and Lifestyle centershave been specializing in alcohol and drug abuse treatment in the Twin Cities for more than20 years. Outpatient treatment recipients are given the chance to utilize acupuncture andqigong in combination with the center's longstanding programs for providing tools for sustained sobriety. Although the program is still in its initial stages at this point, the responseby the recipients of the acupuncture treatments has been very positive. Student interns whoengage in this program are privileged to expand their treatment experience in a direction notoften seen in the AAAOM's Student/Faculty clinic. In addition, clinical encounters betweenstudents and outpatients at the Ark and Lifestyle centers allow students the chance to servethe needs of the larger community as they demonstrate the benefits of acupuncture to a newpopulation of patients.

Multiple Sclerosis Pilot StudyFor the last two years, the AAAOM Faculty /Student clinic has been treating MS patients inits special MS clinic with encouraging results, using clinically-tested treatment protocols. ThisOctober AAAOM steps up its commitment to research in this area by launching its first ten-week clinical trial on MS, headed by Dr. Robert Bleau with close support from otherAAAOM faculty members. After filling out an exhaustive, 136-question testing instrumentcalled the MSQLI which is used to screen and evaluate patient candidates, recipients ofacupuncture treatment for relapsing and remitting MS will be evaluated before and after theirten-week treatment sequence. The controlled ten-week study utilizes a specific scalpacupuncture protocol. To administer the treatments, a small team of AAAOM student internswill work under the direct supervision of faculty practitioners.

AAAOM Meets with the Minnesota Trade OfficeRecently, AAAOM President Dr. Changzhen Gong and AAAOM faculty member LelandBrenholt had lunch with Li King Feng and Rachel Olsen, both representatives of theMinnesota Trade Office. The Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) is a division of the MinnesotaDepartment of Employment and Economic Development. The MTO has organized twotrade missions to China in the last seven years, one with Governor Ventura and one justrecently with Governor Pawlenty. The purpose of the trade missions was to establish strategic business ventures to exchange goods, services and technology between Minnesotaand Chinese businesses. After the meeting and subsequent tour of the school, Mr. Li KingFeng and Miss Olsen indicated they were impressed with the quality of our school and saidthey were eager to look for opportunities to strengthen the position of the school in the stateof Minnesota and to include AAAOM in future China ventures and trade missions.

Inside AAAOMAAAOM Reaches Out 1Acupuncture News 2Open House 3

TCM EducationOur Goal 4Teaching Dermatology Skills 5Open a New Door 6Five Steps to Successful Point Location 8Fear of Needles 11

Our MedicineFood as Medicine 11

Our CommunityAAAOM FacultySpotlight - Dr. Tang 10A Journey from Student to Teacher 9

AAAOM EventsFall Calendar 12

For more articles and information, visit our website at: www.AAAOM.edu

AAAOM Reaches Out

International Perspectives on AcupunctureIn the most recent issue of the International Journal ofClinical Acupuncture, Salvatore Salerno, an AAAOM2007 graduate, wrote on "The Future of AmericanAcupuncture." He noted that the strengths of Chinesemedicine "lie in the diversity of ways that the medicine has helped healers find solutions to disease.To succeed in its quest for acceptance, Chinese medicine should not retreat from all the ways in whichit challenges the western medical paradigm." In thesame issue, Dr. Changzhen Gong wrote "A GlobalLandscape of Acupuncture," which is a review articleof Thieme Almanac 2007: Acupuncture and ChineseMedicine. In this article, Dr. Gong reviewed acupuncture and Chinese medicine developments ineducation, practice, research and legislation from aglobal perspective. AAAOM faculty member Dr. DaiyiTang published "On the Inherent Law of TCM in thePrevention and Therapy of Disease-The Law of Two-way Regulation and Self-stability." AAAOM graduate Julie McCormick has published a casereport: "The Treatment of Bladder Dysfunction fromMultiple Sclerosis with Acupuncture."

fMRI Research on AcupunctureThe American Academy of Acupuncture and OrientalMedicine has participated in the production of aresearch paper titled "The Similarity and Specificity ofAcupoints on the Same Meridian." This research studyhas been accepted for poster presentation at theSociety for Acupuncture Research 2007 Conferencein Baltimore, MD. In addition, the research paperabstract has been accepted for publication in theJournal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine.This research on which the paper is based concernsfunctional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)applied to the acupoints Taichong (LR 3) andZhongdu (LR 6) on the liver meridian. The functionaleffects of these two points and nearby control pointswere researched with 33 healthy human subjects.These research results confirm the TCM principle thatdifferent acupoints on the same meridian have similareffects, but also possess specific functions. A newresearch project with fMRI on acupuncture for hypertension started this past summer.

Acupuncture News

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TCM HEALTH CENTERAcupuncture Clinic and Herbal Pharmacy

A leader in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

• Chronic Conditions• Gastrointestinal Problems• Skin Disorders• Functional Disorders• Ear, Nose & Throat Problems

• Pain Management• Gynecological Problems• Joint/Muscle Injuries• Supplementary Cancer Therapy• Mental & Emotional Disorders

Grand Ave/St. Paul 651-726-2459613 Grand Avenue, St. Paul

Edina/Southdale 952-926-4011

6550 York Avenue South, Suite 417, Edina

Uptown/Kenwood 612-823-6650

1403 West Lake Street, Minneapolis

University/Dinkytown 612-379-3583

1313 Fifth Street SE, Suite 212, Minneapolis

Faculty Clinic 651-631-02161925 West County Road B-2, Roseville

Dr. Wei LiuDoctor of Chinese MedicineAcupuncturist (Lic.)Nutritionist (Lic.)Herbologist (Dipl.)

Dr. Li GuDoctor of Chinese MedicineProfessorAcupuncturist (Lic.)Herbologist

Dr. Xinrong HeDoctor of Chinese MedicineProfessorAcupuncturist (Lic.)Herbologist

Dr. Cheng ChiDoctor of Chinese MedicineProfessorAcupuncturist (Lic.)Herbologist

American Academy

of Acupuncture and

Oriental Medicine

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Highlights of the afternoon will include:• Information Sessions about our

Master’s Degree and Certificate Programs• School Tours• Tuina (TCM Massage) Presentation• Visit our Library, Herbal Pharmacy and

Student Clinic• Answers to Your Questions• Refreshments

Y o u a r e i n v i t e d t o a t t e n d o u r

O P E N H O U S ES u n d a y , N o v e m b e r 4 , 2 0 0 7 &

S u n d a y , N o v e m b e r 1 8 , 2 0 0 72 : 0 0 - 5 : 0 0 p . m .

To Register

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By Yubin Lu, Ph.D., Academic DeanIt has been more than 30years since the firstacupuncture school wasfounded in the US. Bynow, thousands of students have graduatedfrom the TCM schoolswhich have proliferatedaround the country.Believe it or not,acupuncture hasbecome one of the

fastest-growing professions. The basic goal of everyacupuncture school is to provide their students with qualified training. The American Academy ofAcupuncture and Oriental Medicine has an even loftiergoal: to provide the best education in the field ofChinese medicine. We want to make AAAOM an institution in which students can absorb the essence ofTCM accumulated over the past three thousand yearsand then carry that knowledge out into the community.

A good curriculum is the basis for constructing a goodeducation. AAAOM's curriculum is distinguished by theemphasis it places on clinical application of the theoryand fundamentals of TCM. While other schools mayoffer just one or two clinical-application courses,AAAOM provides clinical courses in Chinese medicineincluding TCM Internal Medicine, TCM Gynecology,TCM Pediatrics, and TCM Dermatology. These practice-oriented courses at AAAOM give students detailed information which they can apply directly to their clinicalpractice. AAAOM also presents some unique coursessuch as TCM Psychology, which give students a well-rounded background in TCM and lay the basis for theirfuture development. In 2001, TCM World awardedAAAOM the honor of being chosen Best Curriculum inthe whole country. In 2004, AAAOM began to improveon its own standards by revising the curriculum. Weincreased the required hours of biomedicine training asrequired by NCCAOM, and also greatly strengthenedour training in acupuncture. For example, we increasedthe hours of our acupuncture technique classes from 30hours to 60 hours so students could get more hands-ontraining.

We also have one of the best Practice Managementclasses in the country. Properly managed, an acupuncture practice can provide a practitioner with agood living. AAAOM's Practice Management courseoffers students the tools and attitudes which will support

them in their efforts to build a successful clinic with a satisfied, stable patient base. Every TCM graduate shouldhave a good practice as long as they are dedicated totheir practice.

In the past few years, AAAOM has been offeringadvanced courses for the benefit of acupuncture practitioners and our senior students. AdvancedAcupuncture Techniques, taught by Dr. Cheng Chi andDr. Wen Jiang, introduces methods to determine the correct needling sensation to treat a particular condition,and also shows students how to obtain different sensations in the same acupoint in order to treat differentdiseases. Dr. Lu offers a unique class on Chinese herbsbased on the interconnections of the formulas as well asthat of diseases. He presents a completely new perspective on how to apply herbs and formulas correctly. Two very popular courses offered in the summer session of 2005 were "TCM Treatment of Top30 Diseases" and "Practical Acupuncture Treatment forCommon Diseases." "Top 30 Diseases" focused on anintegrative approach to disease, combining Westernmedicine understanding and Chinese Medicine understanding with a great deal of detailed and practicalinformation about acupuncture treatment, herbal formulas, etc. Dr. Cheng Chi taught the "PracticalAcupuncture" class based on his wonderful acupuncturetechniques. Dr. Chi follows the ancient tradition of passing his knowledge directly to his students, hand-to-hand.

The key factor in the success of a teaching institution is to have highly qualified instructors. The corefaculty team at AAAOM has been carefully assembledwith the objective of having the best instructor possiblefor each area of our curriculum. All our instructors havevery strong backgrounds in Chinese medicine combinedwith extensive experience in teaching, clinical practice,and scientific research. Most of our core faculty members have Ph.D. degrees, and have many publications to their credit. Dr. Yubin Lu, AAAOM'sAcademic Dean, has created a new system for helping students remember the functions of Chineseherbs, and he has been recognized by the Journal ofChinese Medicine as one of the top authorities in thefield of Chinese medicine. Dr. Xiangdong Yu is our resident Ph.D. expert in TCM neurology, with fourteenyears of training in Chinese medicine. Dr. Daiyi Tang,who had his Ph.D. training in China and postdoctoraltraining in the U.S. specializes in immunology andendocrinology. Dr. Wen Jiang got her Ph.D. in acupuncture as a student of one of the top acupuncture

Our Goal: The Best Education in Chinese Medicine

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professors in China, and Dr.Hong Chen, who joined the faculty in 2006, is a specialist inTCM dermatology. Dr. Chenhas successfully treated patientswith such skin disorders aschronic eczema, psoriasis andacne, and has demonstrated thepower of TCM in treating skinconditions to the studentinterns in AAAOM's student/faculty clinic. Dr. Chi Cheng haspracticed Chinese medicineand acupuncture for over 30years; countless patients havebenefited greatly from his wonderful acupuncture skillsand TCM knowledge. The faculty members at AAAOMcontinually demonstrate theirlove of TCM to their studentsand patients, and are transferring their incredibleknowledge to the next generation of TCM practitionersin this country.

A special goal of AAAOM is tocreate a Doctoral Program ofOriental Medicine. This projectis in its final stages now. Thedoctoral program will allow serious students of TCM toexpand their knowledge andsecure their professional success. To me, TCM is a treasure house, and we are theexplorers of that treasurehouse. The faculty members ofAAAOM will keep working hardto transfer more treasures ofTCM to our students and ourpatients, and through them wewill benefit our profession andthe entire community.

By Hong Chen, TCMD, Ph.D.One of the most distinctive aspects in the practice of dermatology is the primeimportance of direct visual assessment of skin conditions. Anyone who wantsto practice dermatology well must learn to look closely at skin lesions and beable to distinguish their salient features. Students should use their clinic practice time to accumulate experience in this area so they can confidentlydiagnose patient skin conditions. Because skin lesions are the most visible andimportant reflection of underlying pathogenic conditions, correct assessmentof lesions is therefore the key to accurate diagnosis and differential patterndiagnosis. That is why the description of skin lesions is the basic technique indermatology.

The first distinction made in regard to skin lesions is between primary and secondary lesions. Primary-type lesions include: macules, plaque, papules,wheals, vesicles and bullae, pustules, nodules and cysts. Secondary skin lesions,which evolve from primary skin lesions, include erosion, ulcers, scars, atrophy,crusting, excoriation and lichenification.

Secondly, we need to describe the location of the skin lesion, because skinproblems often have a specific predilection site. For example, major predilection sites of psoriasis are the scalp, the extensor surface of the extremities (especially the knees and elbows), and the anogenital region.Pityriasis rosea usually occurs on the trunk. Seborrheic dermatitis is generallyfound on the face and scalp, which are rich in seborrheic glands. Lichen simplex chronicus is found on the eyelids and neck, and anywhere easilyreached by the hands. Herpes Zoster's cutaneous distribution is along theroutes of the affected nerve(s).

If patient comes in with psoriasis, it is incorrect to simply state: "Patient has hadpsoriasis for about a year." The main complaint should be stated as a completedescription of the condition: "Patient complains of plaques with silver scales fornine months." This is followed by a description of the color, how big theplaques are, whether they are well-demarcated or not, the shape and locationof the lesions, condition of the patient's hair, nails and joints, etc.

Using the following photographs, try todescribe the pictured skin lesions in asmuch detail as possible.

Teaching Dermatology Skills: How toDescribe Skin Lesions

Photograph 1

Photograph 2

By Dr. Yubin Lu, TCMD, PhD, LAcTCM students often feel overwhelmed by information in their Chinese herbal formulas class: somany formulas to remember; so many similar formulas; so many formulas with similar indications. Whatis the best way to learn formulas? How can a student successfully differentiate these formulas in clinic practice?

One reason theprocess of learningherbs is so difficult for students isbecause of the typicalway that herbs aregrouped for teachingpurposes. Herbs and formulas are groupedin different categoriesbased on their mainfunctions, and manyformulas are dis-cussed only in termsof their main group,with very little discussion about theirinterconnections. Butit is vital to understandthe interconnections of herbs, formulas, and symptoms,because formulas often need to be modified or changedin respect to the change or development of disease patterns. Therefore, when discussing specific patterns ordiseases in formulas classes or in clinical application classes, we need to discuss when a formula needs tomodified and how to modify it effectively.

Believing there was a better way to teach formulas, Ibegan to reorganize the formulas taught in my Chineseherbal formulas class about five years ago. My focus isnow on tracking the possible internal connections of formulas and coordinating those with the possiblechanges of patterns or conditions. My goal is to help students understand better how a formula is composedand how formulas can be connected with each otherbased on the evolution of the health condition. Since thedescription and analysis of these formulas are based onthe most basic concepts and theories of Chinese medicine, students are able to really integrate theory with practice as they study herbs, and are therefore more confident about learning and remembering Chinese formulas.

Here is an example of this teaching approach from a classdiscussion of formulas that treat asthma:

Dyspnea and asthma are differentiated by symptom andpattern. Dyspnea (Chuan) does not produce a wheezingsound, while asthma (Xiao) is marked by both dyspnea

and the wheezing sound. Dyspnea symptoms area sign that lung qi cannot disperse properly, whilethe wheezing sound in asthma is explained asconstriction of the respiratory tract due to eitherphlegm or cold.

First, asthma or dyspnea could be the result ofpathogens (generally pathogenic cold) blockingthe way for lung qi to disperse. In this case, difficulty breathing would be the main manifestation. The treatment for difficult

b r e a t h i n gshould be toopen the lungqi pathwaysand dispersep a t h o ge n s ,with MaHuang beingthe main herbu s e d .T h e r e f o r e ,Ma HuangTang and itsm o d i f i e d formulas suchas Xiao QingLong Tangand Da QingLong Tangshould be

used. If the pathogens enter the interior with stagnationof lung qi and turn into pathogenic heat with the obstruction of lung qi, Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang should bethe choice.

Secondly, phlegm generated in the interior is very oftenthe underlying reason for asthma. This is the mechanismwhich allows asthma to have a remission stage and anattack stage. In the remission stage, spleen qi deficiencyor even kidney yang deficiency should be considered asthe principle causative factors, because that is why thereis a constant generation of phlegm. Then, if there is an

Open a New Door:Creative Thinking Applied to Teaching Formulas

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invasion of wind-cold or in certain other circumstances,the phlegm may be triggered to rise from the middle jiaoto the lung or the respiratory tract and block the movement of lung qi, which precipitates an attack stage.That is why asthma patients always demonstrate awheezing sound when there is an acute attack. If theasthma or dyspnea symptoms are diagnosed as a case ofqi stagnation in the chest due to damp phlegm obstructing in the lung as a result of spleen deficiency,there will be rapid breathing or shortness of breathbecause when the damp phlegm travels upward fromthe spleen to the lung, it will, first of all, prevent lung qifrom descending. Very often this is seen in chronic asthma patients who are having an acute attack, and thetreatment should be to redirect rising qidownward and dissolve phlegm. Su Zi,which functions to redirect rising qi anddissolve phlegm, is the main herb to use inthis circumstance. San Zi Yang Qin Tang,Su Zi Jiang qi Tang, etc., are the formulasfor this type.

With these general ideas in mind, we cannow analyze these formulas.

When there is wind-cold invasion, especially when cold predominates, thepatient may have difficult breathingbecause stagnant pathogenic cold inhibits the dispersingmovement of lung qi. Ma Huang Tang should be themain and basic formula for this type, since Ma Huangand Gui Zhi in this formula work on dispersing cold andredirecting lung qi. Xing Ren helps lung qi to descendand, together with Ma Huang, regulates the flow of lungqi.

If the pathogenic cold is severe and causes very severestagnation of yang qi, the patient may feel restlessness inaddition to other symptoms. In that case, we shouldstrengthen the force of the herbs used for dispersingcold and relieving stagnation by using the formula DaQing Long Tang, which has increased dosages of MaHuang and Gui Zhi, as well as containing Shi Gao, whichis pungent and clears heat.

If pathogenic cold enters the lung and turns into pathogenic heat, the case will be marked by two kinds ofpathologic changes: heat and stagnation (in asthma anddyspnea patients, the stagnation will already be present).That is why such patients may have high fever together

with very difficult breathing. In this case, we still need todisperse the stagnation but we also need to clear heat.The best formula will be Ma Xing Shi Gan Tang, whichuses Ma Huang to disperse lung qi stagnation and ShiGao to disperse stagnation and clear heat.

If wind-cold invasion is complicated by original waterretention in the interior and the wind-cold invasion triggers the retained water to go up from the spleen to thelung, there will be a concomitant wheezing sound. Then,in addition to dispersing the wind cold with Ma Huang andGui Zhi, we also need to warm up the interior and get ridof the retained water. This is the basis for the recommended formula Xiao Qing Long Tang.

Asthma which is mainly caused by ascending phlegm or damp-phlegm in themiddle jiao demonstrates rapid breathingand wheezing sounds in the respiratorytract as the main manifestations. The treatment for this pattern should focus onredirecting qi downward and dissolvingphlegm. This is why many formulas treatingthis type of asthma employ Su Zi as theprincipal herb, since Su Zi can redirect qiand dissolve phlegm. In addition, herbs thatsupport digestion, thereby reducing thegeneration of phlegm and helping to

redirect qi downward should be used, such as Lai Fu Ziand Bai Jie Zi. The composition of the formula San Zi YangQin Tang is based on this idea. If a patient has yang deficiency, he is also likely to have more water dampnessor phlegm generation. Then, you may need to warm upyang by using Rou Gui and also use Ban Xia, Sheng Jiang,Qian Hu and Hou Po to move qi, transform dampness and dissolve phlegm. That is how the formula Su Zi Jiang QiTang was created.

The above is just an example of the direction I have takenin my formulas class. It offers students very clear guidelinesto understand the formulas and see how one formula canmorph into another by modifying the formulas with theappropriate herbs based on changes in the pathogenesis.Many students have said that even though they could notremember the individual ingredients of a formula, they canstill find their way to the most appropriate formula bydoing some modifications based on their deeper understanding of the interconnections within formulas. Inthis way, creative thinking has opened a new door for formula study at AAAOM.

Xiao Qing Long Tang

Ma HuangGui Zhi

Bai ShaoWu Wei ZiGan Jiang

Xi XinBan Xia

Zhi Gan Cao

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By Wen Jiang, TCMD, Ph.D., L.Ac. Ascertaining the exact location of an acupoint is the first andmost important step when applying acupuncture. For beginning TCM students, it can be frustrating to remember somany points and their exact locations. However, after applying the following point location "tricks" students will findit much easier to zero in on the correct location. They willthen have enough confidence to proceed to the next step:inserting the needle into the point.

1. Differentiate Between Yin and Yang Meridians:For the points located on the limbs, first remember that all theyang meridians pass along the lateral sideof the limbs while all the yin meridianspass along the medial side of the limbs.Always look for yang points along the lateral side of the limb, and for yin pointsalong the medial side of the limb. LU 7 isan example of a point that many studentsfind difficulty in locating because thelung meridian passes through the radialside of the arm, very close to the borderbetween medial and lateral. However,even though LU 7 is close to the lateralside, it is still on the medial side. If a student locates this point too far on theradial side, they wind up on the yang/lateral side and miss the point.

2. Follow the Meridian DistributionSequence: Most acupoints are located on the meridians, and eachmeridian follows a specific pathway through the body. If youare uncertain about the location of a point, the first thing todo is make sure you know the meridian pathway. Sometimeswe say "The point can little bit away from its location, but itcan't be away from its meridian." An example of this conceptis distinguishing between the locations of SP 6 and KI 8.These two points are very close: SP 6 is 3 cun superior to thetip of medial malleolus, and KI 8 is 2 cun superior to the tip ofmalleolus. However, if we know the meridian distribution,then it is easy to differentiate between and locate these twopoints. The kidney meridian always runs along the medialposterior side of the leg and the spleen meridian is alwaysanterior to it.

3. Be Familiar with Body Anatomy: Acuoints are usually located on prominences or depressionsalong muscles and tendons, or beside bones and blood vessels. Familiarity with body anatomy can help locate pointsquickly and precisely. For example, GB 20 is a very commonly-used point, but many students get confused

when they try to locate this point. It is very simple: find the"big tendon" on the neck, go lateral to it, palpate the deepestdepression, and there it is. Another example is DU 20. Thecommon method for locating this point is to find the placewhere the ear apex line crosses the anterior-posterior midline.However, some people have an unusually high anterior hairline. So when locating this point, we should palpate alongthat crossing point to find a little dent in the skull which is usually slightly posterior to the crossing point, and DU 20 is inthe little dent.

4. Know the Acupoint's Chinese Meaning:A lot of point names indicate the point location, and often tell

us about point functions and indicationsas well. Remembering a point's Chinesename is a useful tool to help locate thepoint. Consider LI 11, whose Chinesename is "Qu Chi": Qu means "curve" or"bend," while Chi means "pool." Fromthis we know that when we locate thispoint we need to bend the elbow andfind a shallow depression, or "pool" atthe "bend" of the arm. "Pool" also indicates that the water is fairly shallow,so we can insert the needle shallowly andstill get a strong Qi sensation.

5. Choose the Correct MeasurementMethod:TCM provides several different measurement methods for locatingpoints, such as bone measurement

method, finger "cun" measurement method, etc. Differentmeasurement methods can be used for different body areas.In my experience, the most precise method is the bone measurement method, especially for acupoints located onthe limbs. However, even using the bone measurementmethod, it is still necessary to double check the point withanatomical markers. ST 36 is a good example because it maybe the most commonly-used point in the clinic. Its locationseems easy to find: 3 cun below the patella, and one fingerlateral to the anterior tibial crest. Many practitioners just usethe four-finger measurement to locate this point, and are satisfied they have located it properly. However, there are somany individual variations in body size that even using thepatient's own 3 cun measurement can be misleading. Thebest method is to divide the patient's tibia into 3 cun measurements and double check with the other bone landmarks for this point.

Only when we locate the point precisely can we get the besttherapeutic effect.

Five Steps to Successful Point Location

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By Leland Brenholt, L.Ac.It is strange to be on this side of the table in the classroom. A little more than three years ago I wassitting at these tables as a student; now I am humbledby the honor that has been given to me to stand hereas an instructor.

I simply love this medicine and the culture fromwhich it has emerged. I love the clinical encounters Iexperience as a practitioner and supervisor, and thedaily opportunity to witness healing that sometimesborders on the miraculous. I love the level of scholarship I have the privilege to engage in with myamazing fellow faculty members and especially withthe students.

Within five minutes of starting each class, I am awedand enchanted with the minds that sit in my room.Their passion and hunger for knowledge has refueledmy own academic thirst. During two years of privatepractice in northern Minnesota, I was deeply touchedby the role I have had the privilege to play in otherpeople's lives. I also found myself asking a greatnumber of questions that only time and more experience would answer.

I remember very clearly sitting in Dr. Lu's TCM theory class almost eight years ago.

In those days AAAOM occupied a collection ofrooms in the corner of the first floor of the UniversityTechnology Center in Dinkytown. The school wascomprised of two class rooms, four treatment roomsand a small series of adjoining offices which servedas reception, administration office and pharmacy.The one consultation room was little more than acloset with a window and enough room for a deskand two chairs. About forty of us were full-time students with full-time day jobs. As the school wasstill in its accreditation candidacy there was no financial aid available, so we all paid for tuition andbooks out of pocket.

In his second Theory lecture, Dr. Lu discussed howTCM was based on the laws of nature and that theselaws were both immutable and in constant dynamicequilibrium. I was totally hooked. I knew right then Ihad found something that would sustain my philosophical and scientific curiosity, while affordingme the opportunity to offer service to others.Wednesday became my favorite day of the week, as

Dr. Lu initiated his students further into the historyand mysterious arts of Oriental medicine.

Almost a decade since that first class, I am ever morethe student, still hungry to know more. The profession of a clinician is a humbling one - there is somuch to learn, so much skill to acquire, so much wisdom to be gleaned from every clinical encounter.It is said that the skill of pulse taking alone requiresten years of practice merely to achieve the status of"novice."

This spring I visited my friend and fellow AAAOMgraduate Brian Grossum in Jinan city, Shandongprovince, China. Brian and his family have been living in China for more than a year while he studiesfor his PhD in TCM. Every morning we would go tothe park and practice Tai Ji with master Zheng, grab aquick breakfast from a street vendor in the open market, and head over to the teaching hospital forclasses. After the first week of observing Dr. Shan(who would sometimes treat up to 60 patients in onemorning), I leaned over to Brian and whispered:"When do we get to see the ancient secret acupuncture techniques?"

Brian chuckled quietly and said: "I spent almost ayear waiting to see the secret techniques and I finallyasked one of the physicians. They just laughed andsaid there are none."

To me, that was one of the most eye-openingmoments of the whole experience at the ChineseTCM hospital: as students here at AAAOM we hadreceived the SAME training as our Chinese counterparts. I realized how authentic this school isin almost all aspects to what one would expect to findin China. The herbal pharmacy, the artwork adorningour space, the skills and patience of the faculty, theacademic expectations, the emphasis on effectiveclinical care - these are truly treasures importeddirectly from China to our community here inMinnesota. And what an honor it is to be a part of it.In the last decade the school has not only grown interms of facilities and student body, but AAAOM hasstarted to position itself as the resource center forTCM in the metropolitan community. With our newclinical venture into chemical dependency treatmentand the beginning of a significant multiple sclerosisstudy headed by Dr. Robert Bleau, now is the verybest time to be a part of this amazing school. We area dragon awakening upon the Midwestern prairie.

A Journey from Student to Teacher

By Leila NielsenDr. Tang has been a core facul-ty member at AAAOM since2005. In addition to a busyschedule of teaching and clini-cal supervision, Dr. Tang treatspatients at AAAOM and TCMHealth Center, and he has beenEditor-in-Chief of theInternational Journal of ClinicalAcupuncture for three years.

L.N.: Why did you decide to study Chinese medicine?

Dr. Tang: My father was a very good TCM practitioner -a doctor of Chinese medicine in my home city of ChongQing. He was successful and widely respected, and Iwanted to follow him into that profession. I also learneda lot from my grandfather. When he was a young man hespent four years as a Buddhist monk. As part of Buddhistpractice he learned about Qi Gong and passed thatknowledge along to me.

L.N.: With a Ph.D. in Chinese medicine, you must havespent a long time in school.

Dr. Tang: Yes - eight years for my B.S. and M.S. degrees,and an additional three years to earn my Ph.D. My B.S.degree was in TCM clinical medicine, and my M.S. centered on the integration of Western and Chinesemedicine in relation to allergies and immunology. Thework I did for my doctorate continued the integration ofTCM and Western medicine, focused in the areas ofimmunology and endocrinology. I attended ChengduUniversity of TCM for the B.S. and M.S. degrees, thentransferred to Peking Union Medical College for my doctoral studies. Peking Union is one of the top universities in China. I was fortunate to be able to attendthere and do my clinical work and research in their hospital.

L.N.: What was the subject of your doctoral research?

Dr. Tang: It was very interesting, because I could combine the integrated Chinese and Western medicinefocus of my Master's work with the intensive study ofimmunology and endocrinology. We would diagnosesuch diseases as diabetes and hypertension from theWestern perspective, and then treat them with acupuncture and Chinese herbs. Some patients receivedonly Western-type care, some only TCM treatment, and

some received a combination of the two. Then we couldcompare the results and see what combinations helpedthe patients most. I was especially interested in treatingchronic complications of diabetes such as heart disease,eye problems, and neuropathy. We experimented withvariations of herbal formulas, many of which are used totreat diabetic patients in Chinese clinics today. Thatmakes me feel good.

I also did a lot of work in the field of immunology onwhat is called Type I hypersensitivity diseases. Type Iincludes eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis.

L.N.: Did you use drugs like steroids to treat these problems, or only Chinese herbs and acupuncture?

Dr. Tang: We would use steroid drugs in acute situations.In general, Western drugs and Chinese herbs are moreeffective than acupuncture for immunologic and allergicdiseases, although acupuncture is effective to treat anacute asthma attack. Chinese herbs work more slowlythan steroids, but have much fewer side effects. Not onlythat, but patients feel better for longer with Chineseherbs.

L.N.: What kind of work have you done since you cameto the States?

Dr. Tang: At Eastern Virginia Medical School I did labresearch on diabetes in pregnancy. One of the Ob/Gyndoctors there who did in vitro fertilization became veryinterested in Chinese medicine and herbs. He is nowusing a Chinese herb formula I provided to improvesperm count in his patients.

I taught at an acupuncture school in New Mexico for twoyears, then moved to the New York College of HealthProfessions, where I was the Chair of Acupuncture. InJanuary of 2005 I came to AAAOM. Editing theInternational Journal takes a lot of time, but is veryrewarding professionally.

L.N.: How do you like Minnesota, and what do you dofor relaxation?

Dr. Tang: Minnesota is even colder than Beijing, but I likebeing here. The people here are very kind. I really enjoyteaching, and am looking forward to the doctorate program starting at AAAOM so I can teach my specialtymore intensively. For relaxation I love to play tennis, andof course I practice Qi Gong and Tai Chi regularly.

AAAOM Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Daiyi Tang

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By Daiyi Tang, Ph.D. L.Ac.A question often raised by student interns in clinic practice is how bestto deal with their patients’ fear of needles. Some patients have suchsevere needle phobia it makes it almost impossible to treat them. Thefirst thing to do is find out the basis for the patient's fear. There aremany reasons patients fear needles, but fear of pain is the most common, especially in children. Other patients are worried aboutpotential harmful side effects of needling such as cross infections, localinfections, pneumothorax, etc. There are some basic principles wecan follow to deal with these issues during acupuncture treatment.

First, we can explain and demonstrate acupuncture treatment to thepatients thoroughly and carefully. Emphasize that acupuncture needles come in sterile packaging and are always disposed of afterone use. Reassure patients that there are very few adverse side effectswhen treatments are performed by well-trained practitioners.

Secondly, for patients who are afraid of needle pain, we can do lightmassage on the acupoints before inserting the needle. This will reducethe patient's nervousness and relax the muscle tissue around thepoints for easier insertion. Many acupuncturists prefer not to do massage during an acupuncture treatment. However, the ancientChinese medicine classics indicate that they were often used together, because massage can treat diseases which are unresponsiveto acupuncture, and acupuncture can treat diseases which are unresponsive to massage. Both massage and acupuncture function tounblock the meridians and collaterals, support vital qi, remove pathogenic factors, harmonize qi and blood, and harmonize yin andyang. In fact, several ancient texts suggest that massage is requiredbefore an acupuncture treatment.

A third technique is to gradually improve a patient's tolerance forneedling by working up from thinner or shorter needles to thicker orlonger needles, or by gradually increasing the number of points usedin a treatment.

Finally, for patients who are really hypersensitive to needles, we canuse painless acupuncture therapeutics. In this format, diseases aretreated or prevented through painless, non-wound producing stimulation or manipulation of the acupoints. The acupoints are stimulated manually or with a variety of tools, both ancient and modern. Manual manipulation techniques include needle-like fingerpressing, herb pressing, compressing, sticking, smearing, scraping andthumping. The ancient tools used include spoon needles, round-pointneedles, warm moxibustion and cupping. Modern tools employ electricity, magnetism, freezing cold, and heat for acupoint therapy.The tools used include ultrasonic needles, music frequency, electricneedles, laser needles, infrared needles, ultraviolet needles, electricpressing therapy, electric stimulation therapy, ultra wave, microwaveneedles, etc. Painless acupuncture therapeutics, which eliminate invasive aspects of needling, are especially useful for infants, children,and patients who are prone to needle shock.

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Fear of NeedlesBy Cheng Chi, TCMD, L.Ac.Five Bean SoupFive bean soup is one of the best dietary recipes available for longevity. Beans are a common and beneficial food, promoting good health. Each kind ofbean has its own therapeutic function, and togetherthey help to create the good health that is the foundation of longevity. Eat five bean soup every dayfor the best results.Ingredients:Soy beans 200g (1 cup)Black beans 200gRed beans (Adzuki beans) 200gWhite beans (Hyacinth beans) 200gGreen beans (Mung beans) 200gPreparation:Mix the five cups of beans together, rinse and soak inwater for 24 hours. Bring the beans to a boil in 2 litersof water, then reduce heat, simmering for 2-3 hoursuntil the beans are soft but still have their shape. Service: This recipe will serve 6-8 people. As medicine, eat a cup of five bean soup every day,preferably for breakfast. Function: Tonify qi, draindampness, clear heat, clear toxic heat.Comments: · Soy beans and white beans (Bai Bian Dou) are a rich

source of protein and can tonify spleen qi. Bai BianDou is used in Chinese medicine to tonify spleen qiand drain dampness. Both together are used tostrengthen and increase spleen qi and treat fatigue.

· Red beans (Chi Xiao Dou) function to drain dampness and clear edema. For people with waterretention, a good treatment is red bean congee orporridge. Red bean is a TCM herb used to treatwater retention due to spleen qi deficiency, and isvery good for whole body swelling and foot edema.

· Black beans have a strong ability to detoxify. It is agood summer food, as it can clear heat and detoxify. As an herb, its function is to clear heat anddetoxify. It is very good for treating heat-relatedproblems like acne, eczema, soreness, redness, andswelling.

· Green beans (Lu Dou) are cool by nature and havethe function of clearing heat. They are very good forclearing summer heat. In China, people like to havea traditional soup, "Lu Dou Tang" (green bean soup)in summer. You can find it in homes and restaurantsbecause it is very helpful to treat body heat anddampness. It is also good for preventing summerheat and stroke.

· So, the five ingredients in this recipe, have five mainfunctions.

Food As Medicine

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AAAOM Open HousesThe next Open Houses for prospective students will be held on Sunday, November 4 and Sunday,November 18, from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. We hope to see you there!

First Day of Winter TrimesterThe first day of classes of 2008’s Winter Trimester will be Wednesday, January 2. Applications are nowbeing accepted and prospective students are encouraged to register early. For application information, please call 651-631-0204.

Tai Chi and Healing Qigong ClassesAAAOM offers ongoing 10-week Healing Qigong classes on Saturdays from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, beginning January 5, 2008 and 12-week Tai Chi classes on Wednesdays from 6:00 - 8:30 pm begin-ning January 2, 2008. For class and registration information, please call 651-631-0204.

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