Acupuncture Fights Pain

The executive editor at Harvard Men’s Health Watch has published on the efficacy of acupuncture for the treatment of chronic pain. He cited research from the Archives of Internal Medicine and has Dr. Chen of Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard affiliated hospital, on record as supporting the beneficial effects of acupuncture. Dr. Chen, an anesthesiologist, noted that acupuncture is beneficial and has a low incidence of adverse effects. Many doctors have long supported the use of acupuncture as an effective procedure.

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Electroacupuncture is demonstrated here. ElectroacupunctureOne influential and early supporter in the west was Dr. Henry Sigerist, M.D., D.Litt., LL.D. who served as the Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute of the History of Medicine. He was inspired by Chinese Medicine in part by Mr. J. W. Lindau, an organic chemist who began the translation of the Neijing Su Wen, one of the most important works of Chinese Medicine. Dr. Sigerist then suggested that Dr. Veith take up the task of finishing the project after Mr. Lindau died. Dr. Veith succeeded and published the first English version of the great work. More recently, Maoshing Ni, Ph.D. also released an important and influential translation of the Neijing Su Wen.

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Another great supporter of acupuncture techniques in the USA was Dr. Janet Travell, M.D. She was a medical researcher and personal physician to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. JFK is the first known sitting US President to receive acupuncture for the control of pain. Specifically, JFK required treatments for pain related to injuries sustained during World War II. Dr. Travell was an Emeritus Clinical Professor of Medicine at George Washington University and also taught at Cornell University. She published extensively on the use of trigger point therapy, a westernized acupuncture procedure, to control pain.

This latest article written by Daniel Pendick, Executive Editor of Harvard Men’s Health Watch, underscores the existence of quality research showing that acupuncture is successful in the treatment of pain. The research concluded that, “Acupuncture is effective for the treatment of chronic pain and is therefore a reasonable referral option.” This research reflects a co-emerging trend seen in the expansion of acupuncture health insurance benefits. In 2014, all small group and individual health insurance plans in both California and Maryland will be required to include acupuncture as a covered benefit.

Reference: Vickers, Andrew J., et al. "Acupuncture for chronic pain: individual patient data meta-analysis." Deutsche Zeitschrift für Akupunktur 55.4 (2012): 24-25. 1 Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York 2 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts 3 Complementary and Integrated Medicine Research Unit, Southampton Medical School, Southampton, England 4 Complementary Medicine Research Group, University of York, York, England 5 Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre, Keele University, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England 6 Group Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 7 University Medical Center Charité and Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Berlin 8 Institute of General Practice, Technische Universität München

Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise or visit his website.

Acupuncture Beats Drugs for Eye Twitching - New Research

A new study concludes that acupuncture is more effective than anticonvulsant drug therapy for the treatment of blepharospasms, an abnormal contraction or twitch of one or more of the eyelids. In severe cases, the eyelids may clamp shut and cause functional blindness. Acupuncture had over a 93% success rate for the treatment of blepharospasms whereas medications had a 75% success rate.

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Eye twitches are treated with acupuncture. The main focus of the study was comparing the effective rate of acupuncture versus anticonvulsant medication. However, interesting patient vignettes emerged wherein the study participants had tried other procedures without successful long-term results. In one case, the study noted that a patient had tried botox injections to control the eyelid spasms but the results only lasted three months. The acupuncture treatments successfully resolved the condition for the patient.

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The anticonvulsant medications used in the control group were benzhexol hydrochloride and baclofen. Clonazepam was added to the treatment regime on an as needed basis. Acupuncture points used in the study were LI4 (Hegu), GB20 (Fengchi), DU20 (Baihui), UB2 (Zanzhu), TB23 (Sizhukong) and Taiyang (Ex-Hn5). Ahshi point were added for local spasms of the orbicularis oculi muscles. The ashi needles were 0.25mm in length and Ahshi points were spaced at a distance of 0.3cm between needles. Up to 2 or 3 rows of needles were applied to the muscles as needed with up to 5 needles per row. Sedation technique was applied to LI4 and GB20 after the arrival of Qi. All other primary acupuncture points were stimulated with even reinforcing-reducing manual techniques. The needles were administered up to one treatment per day and needle retention time was 30 minutes.

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The acupuncture treatment group had a total of 46 randomly chosen patients of which 32 were completely cured. A total of 7 had marked relief with only increased blinking due to external stimuli, 4 experienced partial relief marked by only a mild quivering of the eyelids and no functional impairment and 3 patients did not respond to treatment. The drug therapy group consisted of 32 patients of which 19 were cured, 4 showed marked improvement, 1 showed partial relief and 8 did not respond to treatment.

Many studies only test one acupuncture point for its efficaciousness whereas other studies such as this investigate an acupuncture point prescription. Acupuncturists use a variety of acupoints such as SI6, LV3 and GB37 for the treatment of eye disorders. The points chosen for the study represent a standard acupuncture treatment in that the point selection is in common use. Let’s take a look at some of the acupuncture points used in the study.

TB23 (Sizhukong), translated as silken bamboo hollow, is located in the depression at the lateral end of the eyebrow. It is traditionally indicated for the treatment of headaches, eye disorders and facial paralysis. This point is particularly effective for the treatment of eye disorders due to wind-heat. A branch of the main acupuncture channel separates behind the ear, enters the ear and then emerges in front of the ear where it then intersects SI19, GB3 and finally crosses the cheek to terminate at TB23, the final acupuncture point on the triple burner (Sanjiao) channel. This point is needled transversely either medially or posteriorly along the eyebrow.

UB2 (Zanzhu), translated as gathered bamboo, is located in the supraorbital notch at the medial extremity of the eyebrow. Together, TB23 and UB2 effectively needle both ends of the eyebrow as a matched pair. Like TB23, UB2 is indicated for the treatment of headaches and eye disorders.

LI4 is also indicated for headaches and eye disorders but is also a Source Point and Entry Point. LI4 disperses wind, relieves exterior conditions, suppresses pain and clears the channels. LI4 is also commonly used for the treatment of toothaches, deafness, facial edema and paralysis, sore throat, trismus and for febrile conditions. LI4 may be connected to SP6 with electroacupuncture to induce labor. LI4 is also combined with HT6 for the treatment of night sweating and with K7 to induce diaphoresis. LI4 is also combined with LU7 in a Source-Luo point combination.

Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise or visit his website.

Allergy sufferers getting rid of over-the-counter allergy meds for acupuncture

CLEVELAND - We're all anxious for the spring sun to shine, but with spring comes allergy season. There is a treatment you can start today that may help with all those seasonal sneezes. Spring flowers brighten the landscape and mood until the sneezing and wheezing starts leaving allergy suffers miserable.

“Of course with Northeast Ohio we get plenty of opportunity for congestion,” Michael Page said.

Page's seasonal allergies are no longer a headache. His pain relief comes from acupuncture.

"I was a little anxious I must admit," Page explained. Page doesn’t really like needles, but he likes the results.

"As long as I don't look at it I’m fine,” Page said laughing.

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Jamie Starkey understands the fear. She once had a needle phobia too, until she saw the power of a perfectly placed needle. She's now the lead acupuncturist at the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative Medicine. Starkey said a new study supports this ancient treatment.

"Acupuncture actually decreased the symptoms of allergies. Itchy, watery eyes, nasal congestion and you needed less medication," Starkey explained of the study.

Instead of spending money on medicine, and dealing with those side effects some allergy sufferers are spending their money on acupuncture and preventing the symptoms before they can start. If your insurance won't cover the treatment, the Cleveland Clinic's Center for Integrative Medicine offers group treatment.

"It drops the price point from $100 to $40," Starkey said. It's an investment that paid off for Page. He’s breathing easier, and looking forward to those spring flowers. The average treatment lasts eight sessions for allergy sufferers.

It's best to start "before" the symptoms get bad. With the initial consult, the cost would be just under $400 out of pocket. Some insurance providers cover the treatment.

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Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise or his website.

Redskins’ Dry Needles Speed Recovery Time

In 2012, the Redskins became one of just five teams in the NFL to embrace a revolutionary form of physical therapy called dry needling.

Dry needling has its roots in Far East medicine, where physicians attempted to stimulate the energy flow, or chi, along the body’s energy lines. While the practice resembles acupuncture, it was both deeper and more effective than this other Far Eastern practice.

“A western view is that we’re using the same needles as acupuncture, but we go significantly deeper into the tissue and we actually find the trigger point,” explained Redskins assistant athletic trainer Elliott Jermyn. “Trigger points are areas of hyper-irritated tissue, and most people have these points in their bodies.”

In the past, trainers used their hands and foam rollers to massage out areas of irritation. This process is often laborious and can take upwards of 30 minutes per injury.

With dry needling, the trainers can conduct a screening for areas of tightness or weakness, comparing the results to the baseline testing. The effects of 30 minutes on the foam roller can be equaled with only one-two minutes of needling.

“Once we identify an area that’s irritated, we can go in and palpate with the needle and find the trigger point,” Jermyn said. “As soon as the needle goes into the area, what we’re looking for is a local twitch response. The local twitch response is the body’s reaction to the trigger point loosening.

“Once that trigger point has been eradicated, one of the things we usually see right away is an increased range in motion, and an increase in muscle production. The effectiveness is immediate, and there’s no doubt that these guys like them.”

Jermyn said that no formal surveys have been conducted with the players, but that roughly half of the players get treated with this procedure on a weekly or biweekly basis. Of those, 75 percent have had a good rate of success, with 50 percent experiencing “extremely good success.”

“[In 2011], we found that a lot of guys were going to get this technique done outside of our training room,” he said. “Obviously, with the Redskins, we want to make sure we have as much contact with our players as possible, so we’re not sending them out. We want to keep them in-house as much as we can, and we identified this as a need.

“When we started, there was definitely some hesitancy from some of the guys, with the needles,” he said, holding up a particularly intimidating model. “But once some of the guys had it done and some of the stories got passed down the line, certainly they were a lot more willing to try.”

While it may sound like a cure-all for damaged muscles, Jermyn cautioned that it has limitations.

First of all, the affected area may perform better with needling and rest, but the process temporarily leaves muscles sore and weakened. As a result, most players do not get needled after Friday afternoon, leaving them in prime condition for gameday.

There are also ethical considerations with correcting an irritated muscle that should be examined further.

“We have to be careful that we’re not correcting somebody who maybe shouldn’t be corrected right away,” he said. “To give you an extreme example of what I’m not going to do: if someone comes off the field with a torn hamstring, I’m not going to throw a needle in him right away to get him back on the field.

“There is an ethical dilemma. Our job is to get guys ready to go out and play, but we never ever sacrifice a player’s safety. Player safety is No. 1 all the time, but our job is to get guys ready to go out on the field. It is possible that with the needles and some of our other therapeutic resources, we could potentially mask a bigger problem.”

With that being taken into account, Jermyn said the procedure has already paid dividends for what they are able to do for the athletes.

“During training camp, we might be dealing with upwards of 30-35 athletes per day, and your hands get extremely tired from massaging,” he said. “I can have someone come in for 15-20 minutes and try to manually release the trigger point, or I can spend two minutes and let the needle do the work for me. That’s really where we’ve found some good success.”

Jermyn noted that only physical therapists, chiropractors and physicians were able to conduct dry needling. But don’t be surprised if this becomes mainstream practice in the next few years.

“I would imagine that in the next five-six years, we’re going to see the number of teams using this rise drastically,” he said. “We really try to identify where the problem is and address the problem at its source.”

Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise.

Acupuncture Relieves Stress: New Understanding Of Why The Ancient Practice Eases Anxiety

Good news, acupuncture fans: It really does help relieve stress. And now, a new study is giving a closer look at why. The new study explores the biological mechanisms involved in acupuncture's stress-relieving abilities, something science has yet to fully understand.

The researchers discovered that stress hormones were lower in rats that had received electronic acupuncture. Results were published in the Journal of Endocrinology.

"Many practitioners of acupuncture have observed that this ancient practice can reduce stress in their patients, but there is a lack of biological proof of how or why this happens. We're starting to understand what's going on at the molecular level that helps explain acupuncture's benefit,” study researcher Dr. Ladan Eshkevari, an associate professor of nursing at Georgetown University School of Nursing and Health Studies, said in a statement.

For the study, Eshkevari and colleagues designed a series of tests with electronic acupuncture to ensure that each rat received the exact same dose of pressure. Eshkevari targeted the spot below the knee, or the “Zusanli” point, with the needle. This area is the same in rats and humans and it is reported that stimulating it can alleviate stress and other conditions.

For the 10-day experiment, researchers split the rats into four groups. One group was a control group with no added stress and no acupuncture; one group was made to be stressed out for an hour each day but didn't receive acupuncture; one group was made to feel stressed for an hour each day but received "sham" acupuncture by their tails; and one group was made to feel stressed and received the genuine acupuncture treatment at the Zusanli area.

The body secretes an assortment of hormones into the bloodstream as a reaction to stress, which the researchers were then able to measure in the rats. They assessed blood hormone levels secreted by the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and the adrenal gland -- together these are known as the hypothalamus pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. They also measured a peptide involved in creatures' "fight or flight" responses, called NPY.

Researchers discovered that the "...electronic acupuncture blocks the chronic, stress-induced elevations of the HPA axis hormones and the sympathetic NPY pathway,” Eshkevari said in the statement.

Since stress has been linked with detrimental health effects includingheart disease and even brain shrinkage it’s important to study any measures to combat its detrimental nature.

Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise.

Pins and Needles by Karleen Andresen: How an Eagle acupuncturist takes you off pins and needles

Tony Burris, L.Ac., was featured in an article in the Business Insider section of the Idaho Statesman newspaper on March 19, 2013. Tony Burris uses acupuncture in Boise to relieve chronic pain and has had amazing success with his treatments. Read the full story next!

Karleen Andresen: Publisher of the Idaho Women's Journal, marketer and speaker

Sitting on pins and needles leads the mind to uncomfortable places. The idea of pins and needles seems like code for "run away as fast as you can." Yet my visit with Tony Burris of Eagle-based Eagle Acupuncture dispels that perception. I met Burris, a licensed acupuncturist, a few months back through his email invitation. He invited me to meet in his office to become better acquainted.

I walked into a lovely kind of feng shui environment. It almost gave me a sense of being in church. It was that still. It was quiet yet productive.

Burris, a tall and strapping George Clooney-styled man with a peaceful demeanor, met me. He invited me to have our meeting in a treatment room toward the back of his office building.

On the way, there was a hallway lined with autographed photos of professional football players, baseball players, Olympians and professional motocross riders. I begin to inquire before I made it to the back room.

Burris left California and the high-rent office spaces to bring his family to the serenity of Idaho. Rearing a family in Idaho was a perfect tradeoff for Burris.

He wanted to help people more than he wanted to live in tinseltown.

During our meeting, I went from skeptical to educated. That's what happens when we learn about things we didn't know about. Acupuncture and pins and needles are stratospheres away from each other.

Acupuncture is an ancient oriental modality that actually aligns the soul with the physical through its healing process. It doesn't begin with pins or needles at all. It begins with a conversation, and I put Burris to the test.

Burris can gently touch pulse points on your wrist to gather an understanding of your health. He looked at my tongue and could tell me a couple of health issues I had and the overall condition of my organs. That was impressive.

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What I realized is that if we think of pins as painful, we are misled. The pins are so small that they aren't even uncomfortable.

His practice helps chronic pain sufferers gain improved or permanent relief. There are options to throwing in the towel, and Burris provides the alternatives.

There are cases where athletes suffering from chronic pain gained literal relief. I heard stories where surgeries were avoided through his treatments. He told me of a woman who had chronic headaches for 30 years. After about four weeks under his care, her headaches were eliminated.

Those photos that lined his walls showed people who were in such desperate pain that they opened their minds to unconventional ideas. Their flourishing physical lives are the evidence of success.

So before getting squeamish about pins and needles, consider the potential.

Burris deals with chronic suffering. His wife, Kristen, who is also a licensed acupuncturist, has achieved staggering success among people who suffer from infertility.

Before conceding that pain as part of the equation of life, I would consider a conversation with Burris.

Being a licensed acupuncturist requires several years of additional schooling beyond college. Burris has been to as much schooling as traditional physicians have. •••

KarleenAndresen@gmail.com

Read the article in the Idaho Statesman here!

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Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise.

Chinese herbal remedies to soothe throats

As the whole world knows by now, a number of big cities across China have experienced extremely bad air quality over the last few weeks. The cold and dry weather, thick smog and a seasonal flu outbreak have combined to make almost everyone's throat feel awful.

While some rely on consuming large amounts of water or taking medicine to relieve symptoms, some Chinese prefer other methods - herbal cuisines that are not only helpful but also tasty. Best of all, many are easy to make at home, even for green hands.

You may wonder how certain foods can cure illness, but Chinese herbal medicine experts say there are a number of items used in daily life that have medicinal effects. For example, ginger can warm your stomach while celery can clear heat in human bodies. And with the help of some herbs, the effects can be stronger.

According to Ma Yuqi, director of the department of traditional Chinese medicine at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, most people are currently suffering from a dry throat, cough and sometimes a bit of viscous sputum. Common foods that help to relieve these symptoms are white fungus, pear, lily bulbs, lotus root, radish, carrot and Chinese water chestnuts.

For Chinese herbs, people can choose from dwarf lilyturf tuber, honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, dark plum and licorice.

Following Ma's suggestion, while white fungus should be boiled, all the other fruits and vegetables can be eaten raw. And they can all be used in soups as well.

As for the herbs Ma suggested, they can be used individually in teas or combined into soups. One prescription Ma gives is to take two to three grams of each of the above herbs and make them into a soup. "And if you are a little infected by the virus, you can add in some da qing ye [dyer's woad leaf]," Ma added.

For green hands, here are recipes for three herbal soups most commonly made in Chinese kitchens. They are easy to learn and do not take very long to whip up. All of them can be prepared in one afternoon, drawing from several online recipes and making adjustments. Each serves four.

Useful tips for these recipes: 1. Either fresh lily bulbs or dried ones can be used. 2. Fritillaria bulb and licorice can be bought in shops that sell Chinese medicinal herbs. 3. It's better to buy dark plums in a Chinese medicinal herb shop rather than a snack shop. 4. Honey can be used instead of crystal sugar if desired. 5. The amount of crystal sugar or honey can be reduced or increased according to personal preference. You can even omit it and still enjoy a healthier throat. 6. All three of the soups can be served either hot (in winter) or cold (in summer).

And as Dr Ma reminds us, the above foods and herbs are not omnipotent. On really polluted days, wearing a mask and avoiding prolonged activities in the open air are also necessary for protecting our throat and lungs.

White fungus soup with Chinese water chestnuts and lily bulbs

Ingredients: -2 grams dry white fungus (yin er or bai mu er) - 120 grams Chinese water chestnuts (bi qi or ma ti) (about three chestnuts) - 50 grams lily bulbs (bai he) - 20 grams crystal sugar (bing tang) - 1 liter water

Instructions: 1. Steep dry white fungus in hot water for about 20 minutes until softened. 2. Meanwhile, skin water chestnuts and then dice. 3. Wash the lily bulbs and tear them apart into pieces. 4. Cut off stems of white fungus and discard. Chop caps into small pieces. 5. Combine white fungus, water chestnuts, lily bulbs and crystal sugar into a pot. 6. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. 7. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave the pot cover open a bit to reduce the chance of soup spilling out. You will find the soup gets a little thicker when it's ready. 8. Turn off flame and allow to cool slightly before serving. Dark plum soup with licorice and sweet olive blossoms

Ingredients: - 40 grams dark plums (wu mei) - 5 grams licorice (gan cao) - 1 grams sweet olive blossoms (gui hua) - 30 grams crystal sugar - 1 liter water

Instructions: 1. Place dark plums, licorice and crystal sugar together in a pot. 2. Add water, turn flame on high and bring to a boil. 3. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Leave pot cover open a bit and stir occasionally. 4. Add sweet olive blossoms and cook 10 minutes more. Plums will soften when ready. 5. Turn off flame, cool and serve. Pear with fritillaria bulb

Ingredients: - 450 grams pear (one or two pears) - 5 grams fritillaria bulb (chuan bei) - 10 grams crystal sugar - 1 liter water

Method 1: 1. Cut pear into slices about 1 centimeter thick. There is no need to peel. 2. Put the pear slices into a pot together with fritillaria bulb and sugar. 3. Add water and bring to a boil. 4. Reduce heat and cook 40 minutes. Leave the lid slightly open and stir from time to time. 5. Turn off flame, cool and serve.

Method 2: 1. Cut off the top of the pear and core. 2. Insert fritillaria bulb and crystal sugar into the cavity. 3. Replace the top of the pear and fix to the body with a few toothpicks. 4. Steam for about 40 minutes.

Tony Burris, L.Ac., is a 17-year practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and is an expert in safe and effective acupuncture therapy and herbal remedies. He is the only practitioner in the United States that offers a “Painless Acupuncture- Or Your Money Back!” Guarantee. Tony helps frustrated and injured athletes and chronic pain sufferers discover a unique therapy system that often provides long-lasting or even permanent pain relief. His patients include members of the San Diego Chargers, Washington Redskins, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions. Tony also treats members of the Seattle Mariners, Olympic medalists, mixed martial artists and NCAA competitors. Visit Tony’s other blog at The Taoist Club of Boise.