Elizabeth's Blog

Oh my gosh, I just counted the days to graduation and it leaves me with two feelings--a feeling of dread and one of joy. Dread, and I am not going to fib, because next few weeks are going to be tough with so much studying that has to get done between my six clinic shifts. Joy, because after six years of schooling (undergrad and master's), I will be able to share with the community everything I have learned by applying it to my patients.

At the same time, as goes with most graduates, I wish I had a year of residency to follow a master in my field. In the next few weeks I will be on the search for someone whom I can shadow once a week to increase my skills, especially in herbal medicine and needle technique. I have spoken with a few of my instructors and they have done something similar and found great useful knowledge from their master herbalist or acupuncturist. I know there is one acupuncturist in California, whom I might contact, that specializes in the pulse. His name is Jimmy Chang, but he does charge a fee to follow him, so I'm keeping my options open.

Naturopathic Medicine

As a student at National, you have the option to use the DC, ND or MT clinics at a low cost or for free. I advise going to see the other medical students in their clinics so you can see what their patient visit consists of, as well as what they treat and how they may benefit one of your patients. National prides itself on integration and prepares students on how they may incorporate it into their practice.

I began to see an ND student at the beginning of the trimester to help me with a cleanse. She gave me advice of what to take and eat and what to eliminate from my diet, but she has also incorporated some constitutional therapies for me, one of which is hydrotherapy.

Fellow ND student helping me with treatments.

Hydrotherapy is the use of alternating hot and cold water to bring about homeostasis to many bodily functions. My intern has specifically tailored my treatments to boost my immune system and increase my parasympathetics to reduce my feelings of stress. The treatment usually lasts an hour and consists of alternating hot then cold towels over the chest then the back. Usually, during the cold phase, electrodes are placed on certain areas of the body. The patient is then wrapped tightly for a certain amount of time. The time is chosen by the intern to meet the patient's individual needs. After my treatments, I am extremely relaxed. I believe they have helped me manage my stress and keep my immune system high so I can better fight off any colds during this extremely busy trimester.

Trust me, I love acupuncture and know it is great for relaxation and boosting the immune system, but I also know there are other options that can be explored, like naturopathic medicine or Tai Chi or yoga, etc.

During our last week of the tri, Dr. Yurasek was talking about bee venom therapy.  I know he uses it in his practice and at a hospital where he also works, and he has had success with it. I later went and sat in on his class to watch his presentation. Apitherapy, as it is called, is the medicinal use of products made from honeybees. The main product of discussion was the bee venom.  Bee venom therapy has been practiced in China, Ancient Greece and Egypt.  But growing scientific evidence suggests that various bee products promote healing by improving circulation, decreasing inflammation and stimulating a healthy immune response.  

Amber Rose, PhD, AP, LAc, LCSW, is a licensed acupuncturist who has written a book, Bee in Balance, and provided bee venom therapy free to patients in need.  Charles Mraz has made the therapy more popular by the publishing of his book, Introduction to Bee Venom Therapy. Mraz learned apitherapy from Bodog Beck who brought apitherapy to the United States from Hungary. Beck studied under Austrian physician Phillip Terc, who published the "Report about a Peculiar Connection between the Bee Stings and Rheumatism." Mraz cured his arthritic knees with bee venom therapy at the age of 15. He later bred the honeybees and treated patients in New York. Dr. Yurasek was able to converse with Mraz at the age of 93, and he told Dr. Yurasek how apitherapy works. 

Bee Sting? Bee Venom is administered by trained therapists (American Apitherapy Society) in the form of a direct sting by the bee. The venom is injected into the skin. Acupuncturists use the bee to sting certain acupuncture points, which will aid in the recovery of the patient. The venom bladder pumps for about 5 minutes. There is a specific protocol to follow when initiating treatment and the therapist is always prepared if an allergic reaction takes place.  

Dr. Yurasek has treated approximately 30 people and has had success especially with a boxer who was only able to move his joystick on the wheelchair he was in. After about 6 treatments, the gentleman was able to comb his hair and dress himself. Eventually he was able to stand. Every individual is different and will have different results. However, studies suggest that BVT may improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, gout, osteoarthritis, bursitis, tendonitis, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

I am very excited about this therapy and want to learn more.  Dr. Yurasek is trying to get approved to lead his own study at our school with the Department of Research. To learn more, you can visit the American Apitherapy Society.

I am on break right now and trying to read the books I haven't gotten to yet. Sounds nerdy but I am always looking for new ways to improve my needling style. But, I also made time for some fun at my girlfriend's wedding and celebrating my one-year wedding anniversary.  

See you all next trimester!