Holistic Health Care Reform (HHCR) was founded to bring awareness and possible solutions to the crisis that exists in our current health care system. The fact that the United States (US) spends more on health care than it does on food is daunting. Moreover, our citizens are less healthy than civilians in other developed countries in spite of these huge expenditures. Addressing this problem is complex and will require a multi-faceted approach.
One of the most important components of change involves establishing a much stronger system of preventative medicine. We believe part of the solution to this problem will be integrating complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the current medical system. In particular, we desire to see acupuncture and Oriental medicine made accessible to all citizens of the US. Practiced appropriately, Oriental medicine is a complete system of medicine that can be used alone or in conjunction with other forms of medicine. It is extremely effective for numerous conditions and cost effective as well. Many individuals are able to avoid surgery and/or decrease time spent in the hospital or rehabilitation. Even more have been able to quickly recuperate from injuries or illnesses that would have otherwise forced them to miss work.
According to an official report by the World Health Organization (WHO), controlled trials have shown that acupuncture is an effective form of treatment for the following conditions: addiction (alcohol, drug, tobacco), allergies, arthritis, dementia (vascular), depression, various digestive disorders (biliary colic, dysentery, epigastralgia, nausea and vomiting), facial pain, gout, head ache, hypertensive disease, dysmenorhea, induction of labor, malposition of fetus, morning sickness, knee pain, leukopenia, low back pain, neck pain, post operative pain, renal colic, sciatica, sprain and stroke. In addition, WHO reports the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in other conditions that will require further proof. These conditons include: abdominal pain, acne, alcoholism, asthma, Bell's palsy, choleycystitis, cholelithiasis, earache, erectile dysfunction, fibromyalgia, infertility, insomnia, labour pain, lactation difficulty, Meniere disease, obesity, osteoarthritis, pertussis, polycystic ovary syndrome, post-operative convalescence, premenstrual syndrome, prostatitis, pruritus, Raynaud syndrome, schizophrenia, shingles, Sjogren syndrome, sore throat, temporamandibular joint dysfunction, Tourette syndrome, ulcerative colitis, urinary tract infection as well as various painful conditions.
A survey conducted in 2007 by the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), revealed that Americans spent $33.9 billion of their own money for complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM). The same survey showed that the use of acupuncture had increased by 32% from 2002-2007.As the trend to utilize acupuncture is gaining momentum and evidence points to cost savings, more health plans are beginning to pay for these services. Most insurance companies in California cover acupuncture and all insurers in Minnesota and Nevada are now required to cover such treatment. If current legislation (H.R.646) passes, medicare will also begin paying for this service. Even in the midst of recession, individuals are willing to pay out of pocket to get well.
Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials. The World
Health Organization Geneva 2002. Retrieved from www. who.int/medicinedocs/en/d
Js4926e/ February 04, 2010.
Ballegaard S et al "Cost-benefits of combined use of acupuncture, shiatsu and
lifestyle adjustment for treatment of patients with severe angina pectoris",
Acupunctut Electro-Ther Res 1996 (21):187-189. .
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Avins AL, et al. A Randomized Trial Comparing Acupuncture,
Simulated Acupuncture, and Usual Care for Chronic Low Back Pain. Archives of
Internal Medicine, 2009; 169(9): 858-866.
Christensen BV et al "Acupuncture treatment of severe knee osteoarthrosis: a
long term study, Acta Anesthesiol Scand 1992 (36):519-525.
Gunn CC et al ( "Dry needling of muscle motor points for chronic low back pain",
Spine 1980 (5):279-291.
Johansson K et al "Can sensory stimulation improve the functional outcome in
stroke patients?", Neurology 1994 (43):2189-2192.
Nahin, RL, Barnes PM, Stussman BJ, and Bloom B. (2009) Costs of Complimentary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Frequency of Visits to CAM Practitioners;
United States, 2007. National Health Statistics Reports. (18)
One of the most important components of change involves establishing a much stronger system of preventative medicine. We believe part of the solution to this problem will be integrating complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) into the current medical system. In particular, we desire to see acupuncture and Oriental medicine made accessible to all citizens of the US. Practiced appropriately, Oriental medicine is a complete system of medicine that can be used alone or in conjunction with other forms of medicine. It is extremely effective for numerous conditions and cost effective as well. Many individuals are able to avoid surgery and/or decrease time spent in the hospital or rehabilitation. Even more have been able to quickly recuperate from injuries or illnesses that would have otherwise forced them to miss work.
According to an official report by the World Health Organization (WHO), controlled trials have shown that acupuncture is an effective form of treatment for the following conditions: addiction (alcohol, drug, tobacco), allergies, arthritis, dementia (vascular), depression, various digestive disorders (biliary colic, dysentery, epigastralgia, nausea and vomiting), facial pain, gout, head ache, hypertensive disease, dysmenorhea, induction of labor, malposition of fetus, morning sickness, knee pain, leukopenia, low back pain, neck pain, post operative pain, renal colic, sciatica, sprain and stroke. In addition, WHO reports the therapeutic effect of acupuncture in other conditions that will require further proof. These conditons include: abdominal pain, acne, alcoholism, asthma, Bell's palsy, choleycystitis, cholelithiasis, earache, erectile dysfunction, fibromyalgia, infertility, insomnia, labour pain, lactation difficulty, Meniere disease, obesity, osteoarthritis, pertussis, polycystic ovary syndrome, post-operative convalescence, premenstrual syndrome, prostatitis, pruritus, Raynaud syndrome, schizophrenia, shingles, Sjogren syndrome, sore throat, temporamandibular joint dysfunction, Tourette syndrome, ulcerative colitis, urinary tract infection as well as various painful conditions.
A survey conducted in 2007 by the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), revealed that Americans spent $33.9 billion of their own money for complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM). The same survey showed that the use of acupuncture had increased by 32% from 2002-2007.As the trend to utilize acupuncture is gaining momentum and evidence points to cost savings, more health plans are beginning to pay for these services. Most insurance companies in California cover acupuncture and all insurers in Minnesota and Nevada are now required to cover such treatment. If current legislation (H.R.646) passes, medicare will also begin paying for this service. Even in the midst of recession, individuals are willing to pay out of pocket to get well.
Acupuncture: Review and Analysis of Reports on Controlled Clinical Trials. The World
Health Organization Geneva 2002. Retrieved from www. who.int/medicinedocs/en/d
Js4926e/ February 04, 2010.
Ballegaard S et al "Cost-benefits of combined use of acupuncture, shiatsu and
lifestyle adjustment for treatment of patients with severe angina pectoris",
Acupunctut Electro-Ther Res 1996 (21):187-189. .
Cherkin DC, Sherman KJ, Avins AL, et al. A Randomized Trial Comparing Acupuncture,
Simulated Acupuncture, and Usual Care for Chronic Low Back Pain. Archives of
Internal Medicine, 2009; 169(9): 858-866.
Christensen BV et al "Acupuncture treatment of severe knee osteoarthrosis: a
long term study, Acta Anesthesiol Scand 1992 (36):519-525.
Gunn CC et al ( "Dry needling of muscle motor points for chronic low back pain",
Spine 1980 (5):279-291.
Johansson K et al "Can sensory stimulation improve the functional outcome in
stroke patients?", Neurology 1994 (43):2189-2192.
Nahin, RL, Barnes PM, Stussman BJ, and Bloom B. (2009) Costs of Complimentary and
Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Frequency of Visits to CAM Practitioners;
United States, 2007. National Health Statistics Reports. (18)
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