AP and Immunity
FEVER (2/2)
Tang_Z; Song X; Zhou M; Zhang J; Dong C; Ni D (1992) [Influence of moxibustion on TXA2 and PGI2 in plasma of rat infected epidemic haemorrhagic fever virus (EHFV)]. Chen Tzu Yen Chiu 17(1):45-47, 44. Inst of AP and Channels, Anhui Coll of TCM, Hefei, PRC. Rat were infected with EHFV and the influence of moxibustion on TXA2 and PGI2 in plasma was observed. Plasma TXA2 increased and PGI2 decreased significantly after abdominal inoculation of EHFV. The level of TXA2 decreased and PGI2 increased markedly to normal level in rats infected EHFV after treatment with moxibustion, suggesting that the regulative function of moxibustion on TXA2 and PGI2 is a significant nerve-endocrine-immune regulation in the body. This study provides an important reference for mechanism exploration of moxibustion preventing and treating EHF.
Tang_Z; Song X; Liu B; Zhou M; Dong C; Ni D (1990) [Research on moxibustion in the treatment of EHFV-infected rats]. Chen Tzu Yen Chiu 15(4):302-305. Inst of AP and Channels, Anhui Coll of TCM Hefei, PRC. We studied the effect of moxibustion on the changes of antigens, antibodies, neurotransmitters in blood and tissue in 60 weanling Wistar rats experimentally infected with EHFV by the abdominal cavity. The rats were assigned at random to 3 groups: 1=Normal control (N); 2=EHF control (C) and; 3=EHF + moxibustion (M). Moxibustion was given at BL23 for 30 min/d, for 7 d. On d 14 after EHFV-infection, blood and lungs of the rats were examined. Results: 1. Serum BUN values in groups N, C and M were 15.3+2.50 (n=10), 24.6+7.24 (n=10) and 16.4+4.59 (n=26); the differences between group C and N and M were significant (p <.001), but not between groups N and M (p >.05). 2. EHF specific antibody titres in groups C and M were 1:267+82 (n=8) and ; in group M 1:336+176 (n=10); the difference was significant. Moxibustion enhanced the function of immune system in rats with EHF. 3. EHFV antigens occurred in lungs of groups C and M occurred in 62.5 (n=8) and in 49.4% (n=16); moxibustion may enhance immune function and may eliminate virus from lung lymphocytes.
Zeller_B (1996) AIDS and addiction: A model of long term care. Barbara Zeller MD, Med Director Samaritan HELP Project, 1401 Univ Avenue, Bronx, New York, 10452; Tel: 718-681-8700. The person with AIDS who is chemically dependent has special needs, requiring an integrated model of care. Samaritan HELP Project is a 66-bed long term care facility located in the heart of the HIV epidemic in the Bronx, New York. The program addresses the special needs of the person with AIDS who is chemically dependent, often homeless or incarcerated, and often co-infected with tuberculosis. HELP has developed a model for Primary Care utilizing an interdisciplinary team approach. This program provides primary HIV Med care, with an alternative component of AP and Herbal Med, intensive resident education, 24 h nursing care, a graduated phase substance abuse program within an adaptive therapeutic community, therapeutic activities, and a special activities track for people with HIV-cognitive impairment. The program has filled a special need, providing a higher quality of life, Med stabilization, and, for over half of the residents, a return to independent community living. People with AIDS and chemical dependence can achieve an improved quality of life and recovery from chemical abuse through an integrated care model in a setting of a nursing home/adaptive therapeutic community.
Chen_ZL; Lu J; Wang JG (1989) Discussing the feasibility of AP treatment on AIDS according to clinical symptoms. Shanghai J AP Moxibust 8(3):42-43.
Debata_A (1987) The AIDS peril and the AP clinic: 1. J Jpn AP Moxibust 46(5):107-110.
Denzin_M (1987) AP and AIDS: some guidelines for the prevention of nosocomial disease transmission. AJA 15(4):355-356. As an invasive procedure which exposes personnel to blood and bodily fluids, AP needs special guidelines for prevention of nosocomial spread of AIDS and other blood-borne diseases. Sterilization of needle sand segregation of needles are too subject to human error to be acceptable protocol during a time when the incidence of blood-borne infectious disease is so high.
Dui_J (1990) [Exploratory treatment of AIDS by AP]. Chen Tzu Yen Chiu 15(3):250-251. Dept of AP and Moxibustion, Second Hospital of Tianjin Med College, PRC.
Henry_K (1988) Alternative therapies for AIDS: A physician's guide. Minn Med 71(5):297-299.
Hirose_K; Tajima K; Fujihira N; Hasegawa S; Fujioka M (1995) [AIDS/HIV related knowledge, attitude and behaviour of AP therapists in Aichi Prefecture]. Div of Nippon Koshu Eisei Zasshi Apr 42(4):269-279. Epidemiol, Aichi Cancer Centre Research Inst. To promote AIDS prevention measures in Japan, the actual state of knowledge, attitudes and behaviours (KAB) of workers at risk for HIV infection requires clarification. In the present study, AP therapists in Aichi Prefecture were evaluated for level of their KAB. By using a self-administered questionnaire, the KAB condition of 500 AP therapists was surveyed from September-November in 1993. Responses from 494 (99%) were available for analysis. Knowledge level on general issues regarding HIV epidemics was good. The main sources for information on AIDS/HIV were TV, general lectures, public reports and magazines. >80% of AP therapists sterilize their needles by autoclave or boiling and 60% of them use disposable needles. Also, 97% of the therapists reported utilizing one or the other of these methods. >50% of them have participated in AIDS education programs. While circa 30% of them responded that they are able to accept HIV carriers as clients, 20% of them expressed negative responses. There appears to be a discrepancy between their level of knowledge of HIV transmission routes and their practical attitude towards clients with AIDS and/or HIV carriers. A more appropriate education program based on behavioral science is desirable to lessen discrepancy distance between general knowledge and preferable behaviour regarding AIDS/HIV.
Hou_ST (1988) Current status in AIDS treated with TCM by doctors in US. Beijing JTCM (3):42-47.
James_JSa1 (1995) AP and TCM in the treatment of AIDS: Part 1. AIDS Treatment News, Issue #230, September 1. Interview with Tom Sinclair LAc. Thomas M Sinclair MS LAc, Diplomate Nat Board of AP Orthopaedics, has treated people with HIV for eight years. He is executive director of the Immune Enhancement Project in San Francisco. AIDS TREATMENT NEWS interviewed him August 22, at the IEP office in San Francisco's Castro district. The questions (Q) were asked by James and the answers (A) were given by Sinclair.
(Q): Where do you have most success with TCM?
(S): TCM has been particularly successful in treating peripheral neuropathy, sinusitis, pain-related problems, night sweats, insomnia, dry skin, headache, and low energy, and fatigue. With digestive problems, we do not always get a person functioning back at a normal level. But often AP, together with diet changes or medication, can help to return the digestion to a more normal state.
(Q): Where does TCM not work as well?
(S): The first condition that comes to mind has been Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). We have not had good success in that area. And sometimes in late-stage AIDS it is difficult to make dramatic changes, as the body's energy is so depleted (Qi Xu).
Finding a Practitioner
(Q): How can somebody go about finding a practitioner of TCM across the US. How do regulations differ in different states?
(S): Currently in the US there are 27 states where AP is licensed and regulated. It goes all the way from California, where we function as primary care physicians, to some states, even including Illinois, where AP is illegal at this point. You need to check with the local licensing bodies.
Most importantly, you want to go to somebody who is licensed, if licensing exists within your state; that is your assurance that you will get at least a minimal level of competency. In most states, there is a tendency to regulate only AP, as opposed to herbal medicine. In California, our license covers both herbs and AP. There are a number of ways to choose a practitioner:
Referral through friends, people who have seen a practitioner, is often the best way. You get the most personal insight about the practitioner.
Check with your physician. We have been developing a much better rapport with physicians than in the past. Often physicians will have practitioners they send people to.
Check with local HIV agencies. Often they have listings of practitioners.
Contact programs like the Quan Yin Healing Arts Centre, in San Francisco, which offers an HIV certification; they have a list of practitioners across the country who have taken their HIV training. It's quite a good program -- and an assurance of a standard.
Call the state licensing agency (in California, it is the Department of Consumer Affairs), and ask them to send you a list of licensed practitioners.
Also, there is a National Commission for the Certification of AP Practitioners, NCCA. They have been accepted as the standard in a number of states that do not have their own state licensing exam. You can find out if someone has a national board certification in AP, and also in herbs.
For an individual state listing, send $3 to: NCCA, P.O. Box 97075, Washington, D.C., 20090-7075; or you can order the complete directory for the whole U.S. for $22, (which includes postage). You can also order by phone, 202/232-1404, 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, Eastern time.
Probably the most important question I would ask, if I were going to choose an AP practitioner, is how much experience they have treating HIV. Choose a practitioner who has as many years as possible. HIV is a very complex disease; the same underlying problem can look quite different in different people.
Private Practitioner versus Clinic
(Q): What is the difference between seeing a private practitioner, going to a clinic, or going to a teaching- school clinic?
(S): The advantage of a private practitioner is that you get more individualized treatment. A clinic will cost less, but you may be treated in a group setting. It may be a room with as many as ten to twelve tables, or just two or three tables. The quality of care is largely equal; the difference is the amount of time the practitioner can spend with you.
If you go to a teaching school, you will often be seen by students; it's like going to a teaching hospital and being seen by medical students. The care certainly can be excellent; but you need to realize that you are being seen by someone in training, not a seasoned, licensed practitioner, but someone on their way there.
Paying for AP
(Q): In San Francisco, what might people expect to pay for TCM treatment?
(S): To see a private practitioner in the San Francisco area, the average cost is about $55 for an hour appointment. For a clinic, we try to offer low-cost care, by offering package programs. The most common program at our clinic is th e 12-week program of herbs and AP. The $240 cost covers basically all the herbs you need over a three-month period, plus an initial consultation and AP session, and three more AP sessions. If you need additional AP, we charge $25 a session. This is about the going rate for clinics that have sliding scales.
In San Francisco there are other payment options. Medi-Cal can pay for two visits a month. The Immune Enhancement Project, the Bayview-Hunter's Point Foundation, and the American College of TCM, all have a Ryan White (Federally funded) program that provides free herbs and AP to HIV-positive residents of San Francisco with income no more that $1,160 per month.
(Q): Will insurance companies pay for AP and herbal treatments?
(S): That depends on the company, and on local regulation. Call your health-insurance carrier and find out what they will cover. We have had good results with companies like ITT Hartford, and Aetna. Some Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield policies will cover AP, as will some Prudential policies. You need to check about your policy, and find out if they will pay for treatment with both herbs and AP. Often insurance will only pay for AP treatment.
(Q): In that case, can you bill for the AP separately, so the patient can pay for only the other part?
(S)? Yes.
(Q): I have heard that the FDA is about to reclassify AP needles. What is the practical meaning of that?
(S): There were five different applications submitted to the FDA for uses of AP needles. Currently AP needles are classified as an experimental device. So a new classification will make it much easier to get insurance reimbursement, and open a number of possibilities including applying for Medicare reimbursement. Insurance companies do not like to pay for things that are regarded as experimental procedures, and it has been a real drawback that needles were classified this way. I believe the ruling is due out sometime in September, and we are pretty certain that needles will have one classified use. That will improve the whole realm of insurance reimbursement.
James_JSa2 (1995) AP and TCM in the treatment of AIDS: Part 2.
AP, Herbs, Electrostimulation, Moxibustion, Other Treatments
(Q): Should patients usually take AP and herbal treatments together?
(S): When I work with patients, I like to work with both. Often I will work on a more long-term, internal basis using herbs. They come in decoctions (prepared into a drink like a strong tea), or tinctures (herbal extracts in alcohol), or raw compressed tablets. Often they have a slower effect than AP, but act better over a long time. Often I will use the AP treatment for immediate symptom relief. If someone comes in with a headache, or neuropathy, or sinusitis, I will probably use AP to treat those symptoms. But the underlying condition, the HIV infection, we would probably treat more with herbs. This rule has many exceptions, of course, in how I work with people.
I think it's best to use both herbs and AP together. But some people have certain preferences. Some have a fear of needles, or have had bad experiences, or just do not find AP pleasant; there is nothing wrong with just using the herbs. And some people do not like taking herbs; particularly in HIV infection, people are taking so many pills, and one of the problems with the herbs is that you need to take a lot of product to have an effect -- simply because there is a lot of fibre. Look for a practitioner who is flexible, to work with you where you're at.
(Q): Can you describe herbal decoctions?
(S): That is the traditional way of taking herbs in China. They put together a formula by assembling many loose herbs, as roots, barks, seeds, twigs, berries; then that mixture is cooked, and the liquid is reduced, and drunk over a period.
(Q): Is AP painful?
(S): That is a concern for many people. Of course you feel a prick as the needle penetrates the skin. What people sometimes describe as painful is more the AP needling sensation. That sensation is called Deqi ("arrival of Qi" at that point. That can feel like a burning, a tingling, numbness, a grabbing sensation, an electric sensation. This is an appropriate response; it's what we are looking for, it means that your body is responding to the stimulation it is receiving.
Most people find AP sessions very relaxing, whatever we treat. Some patients just have a great sensitivity; usually people are much more sensitive when they first start treatment. As your body becomes more balanced and more adjusted, you will find that the needling sensations are much less painful.
(Q): How often does one receive AP?
(S): What I have observed in eight years of treating persons with HIV with herbs and AP is that those who do the best are those who start early, and those who are very consistent. How often you see a practitioner can depend on your lifestyle, your economic situation, your commitments. The best thing is to be very regular; it may be once a month, twice a month, twice a week -- what is important is to stay with it over a long period of time. I often tell clients I would rather t hey come in once a month for three years than once a week for three months.
Treatment with herbs and AP is a subtle process which can have dramatic changes, but you need to think about the long haul. As Westerners, as members of a pill-popping society, people want to have immediate results. Of course we try to achieve that; but you have to temper this goal with the realization that TCM is a long-term therapy. If you are going to do it, to get the best results, think of the long term.
(Q): Can you explain other procedures, such as moxibustion, or electrical stimulation of AP points, or Qigong?
(S): In California our license covers the use of herbs, AP, and related methods including electric stimulation, the application of cups (basically creating a kind of suction on the body), and the burning of mugwort (which is called moxibustion). Often moxibustion is used extensively with HIV. TCM looks at the influence of environmental factors, such as heat, cold, dampness, wind; often, temperature in the body is very important. In HIV we often see a deficiency, where the body's energy is very low, the tongue might have a white coat, digestion might be poor, there could be diarrhoea. One of the treatments for that is the use of moxibustion, or the burning of mugwort over AP points. The whole idea here is to put energy into the body, feed energy into a weak and deficient system.
Practitioners use moxibustion in different ways. They may put the moxa on an AP needle and burn it. They may burn a stick of moxa over the needling site. There are other methods, such as applying moxa onto a piece of aconite which is placed directly on the body.
(Q): And electrical stimulation?
(S): Often we use that for pain relief; it's a modern development in AP. We get very good results, particularly with conditions like neuropathy, through the use of electrical stimulations.
Chinese and Western Medicine
(Q): How do you integrate Eastern and Western care?
(S): In the last five years we have seen a tremendous change in physician attitudes. It used to go from indifference to outright hostility; now there is more acceptance and, in fact, encouragement of the integration of care. My philosophy on HIV is to use whatever you can get your hands on that is consistent with your belief system. That might not be AP; it might be yoga or spiritual work, or meditation, or strictly pharmaceuticals and drug trials. There is no one right way with HIV, especially given the chronic nature of the disease, and the limitations of Western medicines.
Western medicines often have an impact on opportunistic infections, but in terms of stopping the underlying process, I don't think medical science has achieved that yet. It behooves the individual to bring in many therapies, and TCM is a very useful option. It's important that you have a good working relationship with your physician; and it's even more important that your physician supports your integrating TCM, herbs and AP, into your treatment program. If you a re having trouble with neuropathy, for example, there is no entirely satisfactory Western medication to treat it; doctors have amitriptyline and a few other drugs. The physician could refer you to AP to treat the neuropathy, which may be induced by drugs like d4T or ddI or ddC; that is a valuable synthesis right there. Or if you have digestive upset, you might have parasite cultures, an endoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, standard Western procedures. They may not identify a pathogen; then you may choose to treat with TCM. This is another opportunity to integrate both models.
The question comes up about the use of AZT, 3TC, or other antivirals. Here I come back to the philosophy that you need to use everything you can to stay healthy and stay alive. I used to feel that if one pill is good, ten pills is much better. I'm coming to see that an important principle with HIV is to use the minimum amount of treatment to achieve the maximum effect. I have seen people come into this clinic who are on Neupogen and Procrit because they have poor bone marrow reserves; they are combining ganciclovir, hydroxyurea, multiple nucleosides, and they wonder why they have problems with bone marrow.
James_JSa3 (1995) AP and TCM in the treatment of AIDS: Part 3.
Other Aspects
(Q): What is "Qigong", and how does it relate to "Taiqi", a term more familiar to our readers?
(S): Both are variations of each other. Each is a systematic series of movements that serve to enhance Qi (the body's energy). Qigong tends to be slower; it is less of a martial art. Taiqi can be a defensive martial art, even though it al so is gentle and soothing. Each gives one a profound sense of relaxation. What I hear constantly from our clients who do Qigong or Taiqi is that they have increased energy. It does not take a lot of technology or training to learn the basic form; then it's up to you to practice.
(Q): You mentioned that the practitioner can act as client advocate, can help the client be informed about lifestyle, diet, stress, and alternative/complementary treatments. Can you give some examples?
(S): I look at the relationship between the practitioner of TCM and the client as a prevention strategy. Particularly with a well-trained practitioner, they can recognize early danger signs. For example, in this clinic, we have seen patients come in with a splitting headache, they are sensitive to light, they have a stiff neck -- these are signs of meningitis. A number of times we have referred people immediately to the emergency room. Sometimes we will treat, and then have the patient call their physician, or go into the emergency room to be treated. Patients usually see their AP practitioner much more frequently than they see their Western physician. It is important that you pick a practitioner who is experienced, so he or she can be a sentinel for early danger signs, and knows when to refer you to a Western provider. The relationship that develops is often intimate, informal. It's a good opportunity for the practitioner to talk to you about lifestyle decisions you are making, stress, coffee, activity, exercise, drug use.
AP has an aspect of disease prevention; certainly we see that in the reduction of colds and flu. If we accept the theory that you want to prevent the immune system from being stimulated (to avoid stimulating the growth of HIV), Chinese medicine may have a beneficial effect. HIV can be very overwhelming; it is difficult for people to make a lot of choices. A well-informed practitioner can talk to you about clinical trials, about Western medications, about other alternative therapies, about nutrients and supplements. Certainly at our clinic, everyone is very well trained in these areas.
(Q): You mentioned coffee. Do you think it is best avoided?
(S): My philosophy is that we need to be realistic. Yes, it's probably good to stop coffee, stop staying up late, don't smoke, don't do drugs, avoid stress, get appropriate exercise. But that's not always realistic for the ways people exist in the real world. I much prefer to see people do gradual changes over time, changes they are going to stick with. If someone is drinking ten cups of coffee a day, there is a reason why they are drinking so much, and they need to look at that. But I think one or two cups is fine -- although there are practitioners who will disagree with me. I like to take a realistic approach; I never want to lecture to my patients. Generally people know what they should do. It is not from lack of information (that they don't do it); it is a number of other factors that influence people's decisions.
Research in TCM
(Q): What research are you doing at the Immune Enhancement Project?
(S): We received funding through the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine to do a study comparing the use of antibiotics to herbs and AP for treating HIV-related sinusitis. It's an eight-week trial with a four-week washout. We tried to design it to be as objective as possible, so we are looking at objective measures such as nasal resistance, nasal air flow, smell testing; and we are doing paranasal CT scans to show whether the therapy is having an impact. This study is randomized, with 20 people in each arm of the study.
(Q): Is the study full, or are you still recruiting?
(S): We are still actively seeking patients. Recruitment is going much slower than we originally anticipated. Part of the problem is that by the time people have tried all the antibiotics, they are ready to do AP; but what this study offers them is a randomized choice.
(Q): Is there a cost to participate in the study?
(S): There is no cost. And whichever group you are in, you get a lot from it. You will have a complete ENT exam by the physician, Kelvin Lee MD. Also you will get pre- and post-treatment paranasal CT scans, as well as either 8 weeks of herbs and AP, or eight weeks of antibiotic therapy. For more information about volunteering for this trial, see AIDS TREATMENT NEWS # 225, June 16, 1995, or call Tom Sinclair at the Immune Enhancement Project, 415/252-8711.
There is a growing interest in research on TCM within the US. We have a long way to go; but we have come a long way already, in being able to document and show the benefit of these therapies.
Immune Enhancement Project History
(Q): How did the Immune Enhancement Project begin?
(S): The original concept of the Immune Enhancement Project was developed in 1983. IEP was organized at our present location in 1990, and incorporated as a non-profit in July 1992. Our function is to provide low-cost care, to educate t he public about the benefits of TCM, and to conduct research. That is our mission, and that's what we do.
(Q): What are some of the other major centres in San Francisco?
(S): We are very fortunate in San Francisco that there are many options. In teaching clinics, there is the American College of TCM; it has been a leader in the field of HIV treatment. There is also the Meiji School; I don't know if they have an HIV program. In terms of the clinics, there is the Immune Enhancement Project, and also the Quan Yin Healing Arts Centre.
Misha Cohen (the founder of Quan Yin, now in private practice) should also be acknowledged. We all owe her much credit. Over the years she has been a pioneer in treating HIV, in providing education about how to treat HIV, and in providing access t o low-cost care.
Also, in terms of detox, there are treatment programs available at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, and Walden House. Also the Bayview-Hunter's Point Foundation has Ryan White funding.
(Q): What newsletters or other info about TCM can you suggest?
(S): The Immune Enhancement Project publishes a quarterly newsletter. We try to appeal to general clients; also, we try to have articles which will be useful to practitioners working with people who are HIV-positive.
[A sample issue of the newsletter is free; a year's subscription (4 issues) costs $12. Send a request for a free issue, or a check or money order for a subscription, to IEP, Newsletter Subscription, 3450 16th St., San Francisco, CA 94114. Or call the Immune Enhancement Project at 415/252-8711.]
There is a growing field of journals of alternative medicine. Some have come out in the last year, and have a number of well-written articles.
Tom Sinclair suggested the following books and journals on TCM. They can be ordered through bookstores, or directly from the publisher. AIDS service organizations which maintain a library could use these to begin a section on Chinese medicine.
James_JSa4 (1995) AP and TCM in the treatment of AIDS: Part 4.
Books
TCM AND HIV, short booklet by Gene London, 1995. $1, Impact AIDS, San Francisco, phone 415/861-3397; also available from the Immune Enhancement Project, where the author is a practitioner.
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH: A GUIDE TO TCM, by Harriet Beinfield and Efrem Korngold, 1993. $14, Ballantine Books, New York.
TREATING AIDS WITH TCM, by Mary Kay Ryan and Arthur Shattuck, 1994. $29.95, Pacific View Press, Berkeley, California, 510/849-4213.
THE WEB THAT HAS NO WEAVER; UNDERSTANDING TCM, by Ted J. Kaptchuk, 1983. $19.95, Congdon and Weed, New York.
AIDS AND ITS TREATMENT BY TCM, by Huang Bing Shan, 1991. $24.95, Blue Poppy Press, Boulder, Colorado, 303/447-8372 (or place orders at 800/487-9296), 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mountain time Monday through Friday.
NINE OUNCES: A NINE-PART PROGRAM FOR THE PREVENTION OF AIDS IN HIV-POSITIVE PERSONS, by Bob Flaws, 1992. $9.95, Blue Poppy Press, Boulder, Colorado (see phone information above).
AIDS AND TCM, by Qingcai Zhang, M.D., 1993. $19.95, Oriental Healing Arts Centre, Long Beach, California, 310/431-3544.
Journals
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE. Bimonthly, $48 per year. Aliso Viejo, California; phone 800/899-1712.
ALTERNATIVE/COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES. Bimonthly, $79 per year plus shipping. Mary Ann Liebert Publications; phone 914/834-3100, ask for customer service.
THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF AP. Quarterly, $60 per year. Capitola, California; phone 408/475-1700.
Lei_Y (1989) A report of 2 cases of type B AIDS treated with AP. JTCM 9(2):95-96. Two cases of type B AIDS (pre-AIDS stage) were treated by AP in Melbourne. Although these two cases of AIDS belonged to type B, their clinical symptoms were different according to the diagnostic criteria of TCM. Case 1 was LV Yin Xu (Deficiency) caused by invasion of External Epidemic Qi; the therapeutic principle was to reinforce Weiqi to eliminate pathogens and nourish LV Yin. Case 2 was injury to SP Yang caused by invasion of External Epidemic Qi; and the therapeutic principle was to reinforce Weiqi to eliminate pathogens and to nourish the SP-Yang; for this purpose moxibustion was also used at some AP points. In these two cases of type B AIDS, AP alleviated most symptoms, including night sweating, fever, diarrhoea, nervousness, loss of body weight, even enlargement of lymph nodes etc. After treatment, these two patients were followed up for >2 yr and both are in good health now.
Lin_YG (1987) Countermeasure to AIDS. Orient Med 15(3):95-97. (Continued). Firstly, BL Channel is effective, because it could prevent the exogenous evil factor from entering the body. Another important Meridian is TH. The Upper Burner recognizes and judges the invading External Evil; the Middle Burner instructs BL and assists BL function; the Lower Burner keeps watch on the Middle Burner and prevents the erroneous attack on BL. The AIDS virus is the evil factor, which has important relation with Upper Burner. Recently Qigong was introduced to Japan, as a method to strengthen the SP, KI, BL and TH Channels. This is effective therapy for the prevention of AIDS.
Matsumoto_M (1987) AIDS and oriental medicine. Orient Med 15(2):94-95. Needles and scissors should be sterilized in order to prevent AIDS. The following parameters have been proposed: >56oC, sterilize for 30 min; 100oC, boil >5 min. Sterilize >10 min. with >25% ethyl-alcohol. Ultraviolet ray irradiates over 1 min. [Rogers comment: Today, use of single-use disposable needles would be regarded as mandatory in most countries].
Murata_T (1985) Disinfection and sterilization in AP: 4: Needles, vectors of AIDS. Orient Med 13(60):94-96.
Rabinowitz_N (1987) AP and the AIDS epidemic: reflections on the treatment of 200 patients in four years. AJA 15(1):35-42. Also: Rabinowitz_N (1987) AP and AIDS. Shanghai J AP Moxibust 6(4):37. 200 people with AIDS and AIDS-Related Complex (ARC) were treated with traditional AP. While not a cure, the treatment seemed to be beneficial on a physical, emotional and spiritual level and had significance as prophylaxis. This paper examines the theory of AIDS from a Western medical and traditional Chinese medical perspective and explores various treatment issues.
Samlert_H (1985) AIDS and how to prevent a transmission through AP. Akupunkturarzt Aurikulotherapeut 12(5):130-. Measures to prevent transmission of AIDS through AP are discussed, especially the importance of using disposable needles to avoid cross-contamination.
Smith_MO; Rabinowitz N (1987) A preliminary report on the AP treatment of AIDS. WFAS 1st Conf (Eng) 114-115. See also: Smith_MO (1984) AP and the immune system: A preliminary report on the treatment of AIDS. Br J AP 7(2):18. Our AP clinic has been treating patients with AIDS since December, 1982. By 1987 we have seen 150 patients on a regular out-patient basis. 50 of these patients have AIDS by the accepted international criteria and many of the others have a clear "prodromal syndrome". The results have been encouraging. Most patients with a Qi Xu (Deficient Syndrome) have a prompt beneficial response during the first 2 wk of treatment. The control of fatigue, sweating, diarrhoea, and weight loss usually continues as long as the patient continues AP. For two patients, with moderate number (8-10) of Kaposi Sarcoma lesions, all of their lesions disappeared during the first two months of AP treatment. These patients were not on any specific chemotherapy or other cancer regimen at the time. A number of our AIDS patients have already survived a significant period of time beyond their life expectancy. Traditional Chinese medical theory emphasizes treatments for the prevention of vulnerability to infections, including the management of night sweats, fatigue and comparable symptoms . Most of our AIDS patients came to us in between period of acute infection. Their primary Chinese diagnosis was Qi Xu (Deficiency) and they were treated accordingly. Symptoms of infection in AIDS are usually of the Cold Xu type (clear phlegm, watery diarrhoea). Warming the Middle Burner and tonification of LU have helped. AIDS patients who have Xue Xu (Blood Deficiency) due to chemotherapy have not responded well to AP.
Takahashi_M (1987) AIDS and the disinfection in AP. Orient Med 15(4):31-36.
Zhu_Q (1986) AP in the treatment and prevention of AIDS. Singapore JTCM 7(1):42-.