SPRING 2018 www.pacificcollege.edu NEW BEGINNINGS: How 9/11 Changed the Face of Acupuncture and Established Community Trauma Medicine BY DR. JANET BARDINI, DACM, DiplOM aid citizens during times of critical disas- ters such as in New York City post-9/11, he 2000-year-old medical practice in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, of acupuncture has been brought in the Connecticut community of Sandy T into the 21st century through Hook following the elementary school proven, effective, researched methods shootings, and in the UK for the survivors to treat patients in times of shock and of London’s Grenfell Tower fire. This ar- trauma. The NADA protocol, developed in ticle recounts the first-hand experience of the United States by licensed physicians, an American acupuncture practitioner at is currently used on military personnel in the forefront of establishing community the United Kingdom and the United States trauma medicine in 2001. for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Community Acupuncture has been used to continued on page 4 Micro Acupuncture 48: INSIDE THIS ISSUE.... PAID PRSRT STD PRSRT U.S. POSTAGE Bolingbrook, IL PERMIT NO.932 A Bright Future for Patients Experiencing 3 California Burning…and Healing Acute or Progressive Vision Loss 6 Achieving Clinical Success With Upper Back Pain Combining Old and New By DR. ANDY ROSENFARB, ND, LAc, DiplAc, DiplCH 8 in the Clinic 10 A TCM Approach to Nourishing The New Mother: Acupuncture pproximately 285 million that my eyes had been feeling tired, & Dietary Therapy for people worldwide are visu- blurry, and that I was getting minor Post-Partum Healing A ally impaired: 39 million are headaches from studying so much, 10 Ripples in the Flow: Nan blind and 246 million have low vi- so had started using acupuncture to Jing Pulse Teachings sion. Many of these conditions are see if it would help my vision. 11 Remembering Dr. Michael considered untreatable by conven- A few years later, as I began Smith, NADA Pioneer tional medicine, often leaving pa- my clinical practice, I took on a few 11 Las Memorias: tients in a hopeless situation. cases of degenerative eye conditions Volunteering in Mexico My interest in treating degenera- including glaucoma, cataracts and Knee Pain: Testing Western. tive eye diseases began when I was macular degeneration. Some cases 13 Treating Eastern. an acupuncture student at Pacific were mild, and some were severe; College of Oriental Medicine in San some patients were even legally 14 Acupuncture’s Impact on Diego. As a result of the intense blind. Opioid Addictions and Pain reading, writing, studying, and com- I found that I became rather frus- Management puter work, my eyesight was notice- trated with my results. A few patients 16 7th Annual Alumni Awards ably deteriorating, and my corrective showed some minor improvements 16 Taiji Principles for the prescription was getting progres- but nothing exceptional. I began to Improvement of Modern sively stronger. seek the aid of others in the AOM Posture I decided to try some acupunc- field who had had success treating 17 Acupuncture and Tourette ture on myself for a few months after eye diseases. For the most part, other Syndrome which a routine screening by my op- than suggestions of reviewing my 21 Newly Formed Shen Nong tometrist revealed that the astigma- diagnosis, everyone seemed to have Society Looks to the Future tism in both of my eyes had resolved the same points, the same herbal for- of East Asian Herbal and that my prescription no longer mula suggestions. I tried them all, to Medicine needed to be as strong. The op- no avail! Self-Regulated Learning For tometrist was astounded, and asked 22 Acupuncture Students what I had been doing. I explained continued on page 9 7445 Mission Valley Rd., Suite 105 Rd., Valley 7445 Mission 92108 CA San Diego, www.PacificCollege.edu 800-729-0941 California Burning…and Healing By CARLA CASSLER, Associate Director of Acupuncturists Without Borders, with MELANIE RUBIN, Associate Director of Acupuncturists Without Borders Diego, two in Ojai, one in Ventura, FIRE and three for firefighters at the Ven- tura County Fairgrounds in collabora- I didn’t know tion with Chiropractic First Respond- the crickets were still singing ers and Integrative Healers Action that the sky could still be blue Network. In total, about 150 people that walking near sweet pines were treated. could be an act of liberation “I’ve been on the fire for quite I didn’t know some time and this is the first mo- the edgy nervous tension ment I’ve had to venture to the beach the quiet restless panic Thomas Fire in Southern CA, taken by the fear to sleep Captain Maggi Kouffeld, Humboldt Fire (where treatments were provided). could last for days and days Department, CA, when she was flying The acupuncture/ear seed treatment in for the deployment, and used with helped me reach a point of relaxation I didn’t know permission AWB volunteers in Northern CA I haven’t felt since I left home. Thank the depth of our compassion you so much for helping me get there. how the ties that bind strengthen weeks. One recipient’s account: work! I’ve learned that disaster relief Bless you.” that tears could be shared with strangers is never predictable and is a moving -Captain Maggi Kouffeld, deployed in a market “Just had an amazing session in target. Although it was challenging to from the Humboldt Fire Department, on a park bench Sebastopol CA for the impact of the breathe the air, be amidst the chaos, California or in the morgue fires on our emotional health, our and to witness the heartbreak, the change in people’s faces after they re- Finally contained in mid-January, I didn’t know that “It’s so humbling” families and friends and our region! ceived treatment made it all worth it. I the 6,000 or so firefighters deployed followed The fires in the area have had a tre- remember our clinic at the Petaluma by only silence mendous impact on all of us here from Ventura County Fairgrounds could mean and I have felt absolutely awful emo- Armory, in a huge building with tall to fight the Thomas Fire have been “I’ve lost everything” tionally and physically. I can breathe ceilings, cots all in a row, the sun set- sent home. Now AWB volunteers are right again! I have never experienced ting in a smoky sky out the massive looking into opportunities for treat- -by Amy Humz, LAc, resident of Sonoma that type of opening. The amount of door out back, looking at soldiers rest- ing first responders where they are County and AWB volunteer, who pro- stress and the trauma around us has ing in a circle during their treatments, stationed, as well as additional pos- vided trauma healing treatments in her led to some very strange days indeed relaxing music playing, us volunteers sibilities for treating residents who community after the October 2017 fires and helping my family and friends looking around, taking it all in. I told were evacuated or lost their homes deal with the evacuations and sense one of the volunteers that this was one during the fires. At this writing, 17 of impending doom has caused in- of the best moments of my life.” people are missing due to mudslides ast year, California experienced somnia and stress. But this session secondary to the fires and many peo- the most devastating wildfire was amazing! I felt so many sensa- The Northern California fires are ple have been evacuated from their season in its history: over 9,000 tions cut through many of the confus- out, but recovery for thousands of homes. AWB volunteers will likely L people will be long and slow. AWB distinct fires across more than a mil- ing thoughts and feelings funneling provide treatments for those affected. lion acres with billions of dollars their way through me and there were continues to work with local practi- of damage and dozens of lives lost. even moments of clarity. I felt a great tioners to provide ongoing long-term “Doing these treatments felt very In October alone, 250 fires just in deal of release. Thank you!!! I can’t services for people in fire-affected magical. As acupuncturists we go Northern California devastated almost express this enough!” communities, especially those with- along and do what we do every day. 250,000 acres and killed 44 people. out legal immigration status or eco- When you suddenly have an oppor- December brought a new series of As is often the case when doing nomic resources. tunity to really connect with people fires to Southern California, including relief work in disaster and conflict Though the California fire sea- and make an immediate difference the Thomas Fire in Ventura County, zones, practitioners also receive heal- son usually ends by November, 2017 where it’s needed, it is powerful. One forcing almost a quarter of a million ing and inspiration from the people turned out to be different. Strong of the most special moments was people to evacuate. The people of they encounter and care for. This is Santa Ana winds created multiple when I treated a firefighter who was California are still reeling from this from Catherine Herbin, AWB’s disas- fires, including the Thomas Fire, the obviously feeling the impact of the devastation, which has now contrib- ter relief coordinator for the Northern largest wildfire in California history. deployment. She completely decom- uted to lethal mudslides. California wildfire relief effort: The weekend before the fires broke pressed during the treatment and I Over the past decade, hundreds out, on December 4th, AWB had could tell that she was so touched.