Recorded December 16, 2021: We discuss a new acupuncture systematic review and meta-analysis looking at the most effective acupuncture methods for non-specific low back pain (NLBP).  You can read along: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8068518/

We also discuss limitations of acupuncture research, placebo-needles, challenges in extrapolating this kind of research into clinical practice, and contrast acupuncture with some conventions in medicine that appear just as messy, if not more, compared to acupuncture.

Our discussion also brings in the United States Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services information on their background research establishing the criterion for approving coverage of non-specific low back pain with acupuncture. We look at some of their limited parameters, protocols, and the underlying research search terms.

We included new music from @vladest_art — 'Hold On' for interludes, and 'The Sun Will Rise' to close us out.

License: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

Segment 1: COVID-19 and neurological injury - acupuncture for neuroplasticity and nuerogenesis and treatment of chronic cognitive disease

Segment 2: Tea and Vaccines Safety - CDC Evaluates Risk/Benefit of Vaccines In Context of Myocarditis/Pericarditis

Segment 3: Acupuncture for Cancer Support and Cancer Pain

Segment 4: LongCovid Symptoms & Prevalence:

Intro / outro song: 'Juparo' By Broke For Free is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

We bring you a bonus episode pre-election looking at both Trump's and Biden's Ziwei Doushu polestar charts in the context of their progressions (10 and 1 year), and their character/natal chart fate.  Enjoy a casual and ad hoc exploration of their charts, with additional exploration of the impact of Qi Sha / 7 Killings /Executioner Star in the Spouse/Partners Palace.  We hope you enjoy.

For images of their charts - follow link.

Sources used:

Email the podcast for feedback, comments, questions, requests: [email protected]

We have a discussion about vaccines from the perspective of two educated people who went from deep skepticism to informed realism.  We open the door to future discussions on the topic as well as teasing future episodes where we focus on specific research and related topics, including vaccine safety and relative risk, public health and vaccines, and why a complex dis

Research or books referenced during the episode:

All music used with Creative Commons licensing.

Closing music is from FreeMusicArchive.org - Dusty Hills by Ketsa

In this episode, we look at two studies around tea and its impacts on health; one through the lens of gut microbiota and the other through a population-based study of over 100,000 Chinese adults and the impacts of tea on incidence of atherosclerotic heart disease and all-cause mortality.  How are these two studies, which vary greatly, connected and how can we look at them in the larger context of tea research, public health, and tradition?

All studies mentioned in this episode are available in-full, here. The two primary studies discussed are:

Wang, X., Liu, F., Li, J., Yang, X.,  Chen, J., Cao, J., ... & Zhao, L. (2020). Tea consumption and the  risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality:  The China-PAR project. European journal of preventive cardiology, 2047487319894685. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2047487319894685

Zhu, J., Cai, R., Tan, Y., Wu, X.,  Wen, Q., Liu, Z., ... & Yang, H. (2020). Preventive consumption of  green tea modifies the gut microbiota and provides persistent protection  from high-fat diet-induced obesity. Journal of Functional Foods, 64, 103621. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1756464619305456

Kamala Harris' birth certificate - re: Ziwei Doushu polestar fate calculations & Bazi astrology coming up

Closing music is from FreeMusicArchive.org - Dusty Hills by Ketsa

We focus in on a single topic, looking at a collection of systematic reviews & meta-analyses that look at the clinical effectiveness of tai chi in the treatment of a variety of medical issues.  All the papers are available for download here.

The book recommended by Zach is here: https://www.amazon.com/How-choose-Tai-Chi-teacher-ebook/dp/B076VTH4NK

All music is from Freemusicarchive.org

During this week's episode, we begin looking at a paper to learn what the 'syndemics' model of disease is, why it reminds us of East Asian medical approaches and perspectives, and how the concept of "Damp" might be a valued concept to include in addressing complex 'biosocial' complexes of disease formation and complication.  We follow up by talking about the challenges of identifying with 'Chinese Medicine' in a politically complicated time, the value of building trust between doctor and patient, and how acupuncture can be a type of exposure-therapy to therapeutic 'trauma' or discomfort.  We end the discussion by focusing on the current solar term named "Autumn Begins", which marks a clear transition from Summer to Autumn and comes with a list of ways (including a soup like this) to offset Damp-Heat conditions in the weather/climate and how to prepare mentally for the arrival of Winter.

References:

All music is from Freemusicarchive.org with special attribution to the closing song, Spell on the Witch House (with Tesla Tea) by Humanfobia. 

This episode is an exploration of a sea of topics, all in the ocean of coronavirus research, implications on clinic/classroom experiences and safety, and the need to root ourselves in a more grounded sense of time and place as societal upheaval pushes us all to the limits.

During our extensive research discussion, we cover a number of papers on Chinese herbal medicine, approaches to studying it, and how to bring traditional methods of formula selection into modern clinical usage, most notably in the treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and it's symptoms.

Music used at end: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Humanfobia/Witch_Spell/02_-_Spell_on_the_Witch_House_with_Tesla_Tea

During this discussion we will spend some time looking at two separate papers that address anxiety, its complex societal causes and acupuncture as an effective treatment.  We also spend some time discussing what it has been like to practice acupuncture and learn acupuncture during the COVID-19 pandemic.  We wrap up reflecting on the daily and lunar hexagrams and how they give us insight into current events and the unfolding realities before us - also we are reminded the solar term "Autumn Begins" arrives in less than two weeks.

We welcome feedback, questions, topic suggestions, and ask that if you find our discussion helpful or valuable, please share with your friends and colleagues.

If you want to reach us:

All music is from freemusicarchive.org

Steep something to steep in the discussion with us.

Join us as we explore past and current research on a wide variety of topics around various aspects of integrative medical practice.  

We will have the following segments each episode:

Steeped in the 10,000 Things will also aim to schedule interviews and will be open to suggestions on topics or deeper investigations into topics.  Please feel free to reach out and share any questions you have about any of the topics we discuss.  We love helping explain and explore more deeply on the topics we find interesting.

Dr. Michael E. Brown, DACM, L.Ac. is a doctor of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, licensed acupuncturist in the Bay Area, California, and life-time student of medicine, brings his passion for learning and understanding to the podcast, hoping to help bridge the gaps between simplicity and complexity to honor the mystery and nuance of nature and our experiences.  He observes that classical Chinese conceptions of the body and medicine hold valuable perspectives and stunningly accurate understandings of human physiology that are frequently being explained and/or confirmed through current scientific research, which only highlights the need for both poetic and technical ways of seeing and explaining the complexity of human physiology. He is a tea lover, a home-brewer, a poet, and a happy father of a 2 year old.

Zachary Krebs is a student at POCA Tech, a community acupuncture program, and  University of the People, a tuition free college educating people  people without access to higher education. Both programs emphasize a  core value and committment to open information up make it accessible to  people turned away by our traditional institutions. Threading open  source concepts into individual and community health is his passion.  Also a tea lover and father to an almost 3 year old, he knows the value  of keeping humor alive in these super serious times.